I started playing the piano when I was about eight or nine. But when I got to university, I stopped playing it. I just didn't have enough time and there were so many other things to do.

—Eliza

    When I was little, I thought I should play the guitar like my dad. But later I decided to try something else. I chose the violin. I want to be a musician when I grow up, but my dad says it's difficult to make a living from music. But I don't want to be a doctor like him. It's so boring.

—Robin

    Nobody likes living near someone like me because when I practice, I make a lot of noise! I''m sorry for that but I have to keep practicing. I have drum lessons every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, and I practice the drums every evening. I love playing them and now I play in a fantastic band.

—Lisa

    I''ve played the guitar as long as I can remember. I used to play in a subway station to make some money. Now I keep on playing it when I'm free, but I work as a cook in a restaurant to make a living.

—Carmen

There is a telephone on my desk. It's my good friend. It helps me a lot. My telephone number is 8445816. Sometimes when I have something to talk about with my classmates. I don't need to go out. I call them. I write down many telephone numbers of my friends. My best friend John's number is 8459471. When I can't remember my homework, I ask him by telephone. There are some "Telephone Messages" beside my telephone. When I am out, my mother writes down the massages for me.

Bob's father has a big farm.On New Year's Day，he asked Bob，"Could you work on the farm when you're free this year？"

"Farming is not my work，Dad. I have much schoolwork（功课） to do."Bob wasn't glad about it."If you help me work on the farm，I will give you anything you want."

"OK."Bob agreed happily.

So Bob gets up early and works hard on the farm in his free time this year，just like other farmers.His wheat（小麦） grows very well.

Time flies.Today is December 31st，the last day of the year.The father is talking with his son."I'm happy to see you work hard on the farm，Bob.Now tell me what you want as the gift（礼物）（已经得到）your gift，Dad.You are trying to give me a lesson——no pain

People around the world work together to help our planet on Earth Day, April 22. But in fact, lots of people protect the Earth all year long. They are Earth heroes(英雄). And some kids do, too. We have four kids here, telling you that you can help even if you are a child.

Saving the frogs

John is from the USA. He always loves frogs. When John was 5, he learned their living places were in danger. So John started a group, For the Love of Frogs. They sold toy frogs to collect money to help frogs. John is now 10 and the group has more than $ 20,000 to protect frogs!

Growing right

Mandy lives in a city in India. She saw a wasteland near her house at 15. She turned it into a garden. She used native plants that lived or grew around her city. Native plants could make insects like butterflies and animals come to her area.

Mandy is now 18. She is teaching people about native plants." The way to reuse the wasteland is not just to plant any tree," she said." It is to make sure that you grow the right plants in the area."

Cleaning up

Zhang Min, 13, and Zhang Jie, 15, live in a city in China. To fight plastic pollution, they made a plan. They wanted to clean up plastic waste in the Pearl River.

Zhang Min and Zhang Jie put up posters at school to make people care more about plastic waste." You need to have people talk to one another," Zhang Jie said," Everyone can do something to help."

My name is Luo Xiaowei. I am a teacher in a school in a small town. I came here when I was 22 years old. So far, 20 years has been gone.

People usually ask me what it is like to be a teacher? I think sometimes it can be hard and tiring, because kids are difficult. I have to teach them right from wrong patiently. But most of the time, I feel great to be a teacher. When the students make progress day by day, I am proud of them and myself. Last Monday, when I came back to my office after a lesson, a girl was waiting for me at the door. She is shy and hardly speaks in class. She took something out of her pocket and put it on my hand. Then she ran away. It was a candy with a piece of note saying: "Miss Luo, my mom came back yesterday and taught me to make the candy. You are the first one I want to share with." At that moment, all the tiredness (劳累) had been swept away. And that is why I stick to (坚持) being a teacher.