From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch I packed, I included a note. Often written on a piece of small paper, it might be a thank-you for an unusual moment, a reminder of something we were happily expecting, or a bit of encouragement for the coming test or sporting event.

    In early grade school they loved their notes. But as children grow older they become self-conscious（有自我意识的）, and by the time he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer enjoyed my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to read them but I still needed to write them, I continued until the day he graduated.

    Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move home for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduation from college, completing two internship（实习）in Washington, D.C., and finally, becoming a technical assistant in Sacramento. However, he had lived away from home except for short holiday visits. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was especially happy to have Marc back. Since I was still making lunch for his younger brother, I packed one of Marc, too. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my 24-year-old son, asking about his lunch.

    “Did I do something wrong? Don't you love me any longer, Mom?” he asked.

    “Of course I love you, dear!” I laughingly said. “What's wrong?”

    “My note, Mom,” he answered. “Where's my note?”

Information Card

    Hans Christian Andersen, a great Danish(丹麦的) writer, is very famous for his fairy tales. He wrote a lot of best-known stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling. His fairy tales have brought happiness to children across the world. The tales have versions(版本) of over a hundred languages.

    Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. When he was still a young boy, he was already very clever and imaginative(富有想象力的). He created a small toy theatre and made clothes for his puppets(木偶). He also loved reading.

    After his father died, he learned to be a tailor (裁缝). Later he worked in a factory. At the age of fourteen, Andersen moved to the capital of Denmark to become an actor and gave performances(演出) in the Royal Danish Theatre. However, his voice changed when he grew older, so the job had to stop. Then he began to write poems and fairy tales.

    In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and didn't get well again. He lived until 1875 and died peacefully in the house of his close friend.

    Hans Christian Andersen is very famous for his {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. He created a small toy theatre and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} for his puppets. Andersen moved to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} become an actor. Andersen couldn't give performances because his {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in 1872, Andersen. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And didn't get well again.

    My name is Jack Brown. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}I am a middle school student. This is a picture of my family. There are six people in the picture. My parents are teachers in my school.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Their names are Lucy and Tom. Lucy is 9 years old and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Tom and I are in the same(相同的) school. Lucy is a tidy girl. Her books are in the bookcase. Her pens and pencils are in the pencil box.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} His things are everywhere. His keys are on the bed and his eraser is under the chair. Who is the other(另一个) girl in the picture? Oh!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Her name is Linda.

    As teenagers, you have a lot of dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize, or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the top ten students in your class.

    Once you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream real? Making our dreams real is life's biggest challenge(挑战).

    You may think you're not very good at some subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a writer. These kinds of thoughts prevent you from being successful.

    In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first thing you must do is remember the dream in your mind. Don't let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true faster because a big dream is made up of small ones. Please never give up.

    You may have difficulties on the road to your dreams. But the biggest comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will lead to better exam results while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book. As you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. This is good as you have the chance to learn more skills and find new interests.

How to{#blank#}1{#/blank#} your dreams