My 4-year-old son now enjoys posting letters. He has formed the 1 of drawing pictures, writing his name on them, and then  2 the artwork in an envelope. He then insists on 3 his handwork to the neighbors, and a mail box he 4 belongs to the elderly couple who live next door. To be 5, I didn't think much of it, but I had 6 to warn my neighbors of the drawings 7 appearing in their letterboxes—I just didn't have the 8 to do so, because I was a little busy recently.

    On Tuesday of last week, I was walking down to school to collect my son when I 9 Mary, my elderly neighbor, 10 at her mail box. She said, “Jodie, is it your little son that has been posting items in my letterbox to me?” I was at once 11, “Oh yes, Mary, it is. I'm sorry. I meant to tell you…” She cut me off, “Jodie, I just love his mail. I've 12 every item he has sent. You don't know how much 13 the letters has made my day. I just love them.” While I was walking down to school after our 14, many thoughts came to me. Mary doesn't have a lot to fill her days, 15 she was a mother to a number of children herself who receives fairly regular visitors. The small 16 of getting some mail—pictures drawn by the hand of a young child—has brought 17 to her days, just as my visit to my grandparents does.

    I have decided that my son should 18 this practice. He should also start sending some items to his grandparents in Perth as well. It will most 19 make their day.

    It's doing the little, simple things that can often make a big 20 in someone's life.

    Hitting heavily on the keys in frustration, I turned away from the piano, trying to fight the tears that were already welling up in my eyes. After an hour of 1 I still couldn't get the rhythm quite right on a Mozart piece that I had to 2 to my piano teacher the following day. It was frustrating to have spent such a( n)3 time on a piano song and still be unable to play the piece correctly. To me, the piece had at first seemed easy. But, no matter how4 I tried, I just couldn't seem to play it the way that it was 5 to be played.

    I decided to take a 6.For the most part, after a little bit of work, I could 7 learn the song rather quickly. However, it was always that one song, which might have appeared simple but was8 that always annoyed me. These types of songs always made me 9myself whether I could be a pianist.

    After having dinner, I decided to come back to the piano. Placing my10on the keys, I chose to play the piece slowly and carefully, paying attention to hitting the correct notes11 trying to play the piece quickly. Using this new method of practicing, I12 a great deal of patience, something that I often had13 with. Instead of thinking how hard the rhythm was, I thought about how I could 14myself, little by little. Finally, I could slowly see myself getting better.

    15 I didn't even get the rhythm right until a week later. I also16 an important lesson—sometimes, baby steps are the best way to 17a goal. I'm an impatient person who likes to think that I can get18 by leaps and bounds. But, in the case of piano, I couldn't move forward and improve19 I slowed down, believed in myself, and took it one step 20.

    A little boy almost considered himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because a terrible illness made his leg lame（癖的）. He 1 played with his classmates; and when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always 2 his head without a word.

    One spring, the boy's father got some saplings （树苗）3 the neighbor and told his 4 to plant one each person. The father also 5 to buy a favorite gift for whoever grew best. The boy also wanted to get his father's 6. But seeing his brothers and sisters carry water actively, he lost 7. So after watering it once or twice, he never8 it.

    A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was 9 to find that it appeared greener and 10 than his sisters' and brothers'. His father 11 his promise, and said that he would surely become an outstanding botanist（植物学家）when he 12 up.

    From then on, the little boy slowly became 13. One night, looking at the bright moonlight outside, he suddenly recalled what the 14 teacher once said: plants generally grow at night. Then he came to the courtyard and unexpectedly found his father 15 under his tree with a big spoon. 16, he understood: his father had been secretly watering his small tree! He 17 to his room, tears running down out of control.

    Decades passed. The little boy didn't become a botanist, 18 he was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.

    19 is the best nutrition （营养）of life; even if it is just one spoonful of clear 20, it can make the tree of life lively.

    After she left the town, Jane stopped the car at the landing near the entrance of the bay (海湾).She stepped into the 1 and rowed out silently. The tide was rushing to the entrance and 2 to the wild open sea. She had to row across the bay to reach 3 side. The waves struck against the side of the boat, 4 and uneven; it became 5 difficult to row. If she 6 for a moment, the tide would push the boat back towards the 7.

    She wasn't even halfway 8 she was already tired and her hands 9 from pulling on the rough wooden oars (船桨). "I'm never going to 10 it", she thought. She rested the oars on her knees and 11 her head helplessly, then looked up as she 12 the boat shift (晃动) against the tide.

    The east wind , which had swung (旋转) around from the south-west, 13 her help and pushed the boat towards the mountains. It was going to be 14. Her hands weren't so painful. Her chest didn't feel as if it was about to burst 15.

    The lights of the town became 16, one of the oars banged against the side of the boat and she 17 it with a start. Had she been asleep, or just 18? She looked over her shoulder.  She was almost on the beach. The girl gave one last 19 on the oars to ground the boat, and then lay back against the seat. She listened to the waves 20 and knew she had come home. Far across the moonlit bay the lights were no more than a sparkling chain.

It was a long time since I had seen my parents last time. Last Saturday I drove a long way to visit them, 1neither of them was at home. So I waited patiently at their home 2their return. Not seeing them made me really3.

As I was walking around their bedroom, I 4 little reminders of them. Some

Christmas gifts were still 5in boxes. There were 6on the wall, which I guess must have a 7 meaning to them. What 8 was seeing my dad's emblems (徽章) from his military service of our country when he was young. My father never 9to us about the Korean Wars. As I looked at those emblems hanging 10 with all the photos that he treasures, I 11 that this was an important part of his life, but I never spent 12in talking with him about them. The photos of my mom with her close 13made me realize her life before she was my mom. I had been so 14running my business to raise my own family that I 15the chance to know about their past and experience.

We sometimes don't realize something is 16for us until we have lost it, so it's not too late for us to talk to our parents about their past. I am writing my story to 17 everyone who is fortunate to still have their parents 18to invest some time to learn about them. I am grateful to have 19of my parents. So I still have time to talk with them. I hope that readers will 20from my story and find the time to talk about those things in their life that mean so much to their parents.

It is almost five years since I begin to learn English.I'm glad to say I'm getting along good with it.But first I came across a lot of difficulties.I couldn't pronounce English words well,so could I remember the words I had learned.In class,I couldn't understand that the teacher had said.I almost lost heart when the teacher told me,"Keeping on,and you'll do well." I was great encouraged.I started working hard at English.Under the help of him and my classmates,I made some progresses.I'm very pleasing,and I will work harder.