On March 14, one of science's brightest stars went dark. Stephen Hawking, the world-famous British scientist, died at 76 in Cambridge, UK. 霍金是历史上最伟大的科学家之一。 He came up with the theory that the universe (宇宙) began with the Big Bang (大爆炸) and will end in black holes. His theories became the base for a lot of later research. 他还写书帮助人们了解宇宙。 His most famous book is A Brief History of Time (《时间简史》), which has sold more than 10 million copies around the world. Hawking has great scientific achievements. He is also a man with strong will.

    When Hawking was 21, a serious illness stopped him from walking and talking. Later in life, he had to sit in a wheelchair and "speak" using a computerized voice. But this didn't stop him from living a meaningful and colorful life. "If one is physically disabled (身体残疾), one cannot afford to be psychologically (心理上) disabled as well," he once said.

    Some people around you look so cool and happy, but you often feel lonely. Or the friends you have do not really understand you that make you feel lonely, too. So what can be done when you have this feeling?

    Understand people's differences

    Not everyone has to do things the same way or behave the same way. Find people who have the same feeling. That is always a good basic for the friendship. You can take part in activities outside school like sports, art classes and dancing classes. There you can have more chances to find people who have the same interest as you.

    Develop your friendship

    Friendships do not just happen, and they need work. Phone your friends once in a while. Being there when they need you means that they will do the same for you.

    Accept others' invitations

    Even if someone invites you to a neighborhood street party, you never know who else will be there. Laughing and playing together could start a new friendship.

    Start a club

    Make your circle of friends big by starting a club. Going camping together or regularly (有规律地) going to the movies doesn't take much time.

    I'm forty now. I left school twenty-two years ago. Here's my list of five things I hope to share with you teenagers at school.

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    I always wanted to be the best, and one way of feeling good about myself was to see how much better I was than others. There was only one problem with this. When I saw they were better than me, I felt terrible. Now I compare me with myself. I ask myself if I do things as well as I could.

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    How much time do you spend worrying about the future? I used to worry a lot. Now I know most things you fear will usually never happen. They're just monsters in your own mind. Even if they happen, they will often not be as bad as you expected. In six months, you probably won't remember most of the things you worry about now.

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    When I was young, I often failed to start things I expected to do because I thought they'd taken too long to finish. I always wanted to write a book, for example. But when I thought it might take me more than a year, I lost my enthusiasm(热情). It seemed such a long time. Now I know a year is nothing, if I'd started that book when I was 16, I might have written 10 more by now. I'm upset with myself for not even trying.

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    As a young child you try many new things. If you fail, you try again and again until you learn. But at school you are usually encouraged to do things right. Then you stop trying new things in case you get them wrong. You are losing chances to challenge yourselves. I always remind myself: I had fallen off the bike many times before I learned to ride it.

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    I hated losing when I was younger. Of course, it's nice to win sometimes and to be the best at something. But we can't all be winners all the time. Learning to lose is one of life's most important lessons. If you try your hardest, then you should never be angry with yourself.