It was nearly dark. The sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home with tears in his eyes.

  “What's the matter, Tom? How's your trip?” his mother asked with a big smile. “I failed. The mountain is so high and full of big or small stones on the way. I still go ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back.” Tom cried. “It doesn't matter. You are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance(机会).” his mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there are a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road.” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” his father asked. “There are many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet.” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” his father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture.” Tom answered. “That's enough!” his father smiled and said, “Please remember, son. For often, achieving(获得) what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn't reach the top of the mountain, you got a lot on the way.”

    It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery(风景) is on the way.

A Father and a Son

    Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning, I caught one of those shuttles that take travelers from the main terminals (航站楼) to their boarding gates. Not many people consider them fun, but on this Saturday I heard laughter. At the front of the first shuttle were a man and his son.

    We had just stopped to let off passengers, and the doors were closing again. “Here we go! Hold on to me tight!” the father said. The boy, about five years old, made sounds of happiness.

    “Look out there!” the father said to his son. “See that pilot? I bet he's walking to his plane.” The son turned his neck to look forward.

    As I was early for my flight, I decided to go back to the terminal. Where I went back again, I saw that the man and his son had returned too. I realized then that they hadn't been heading for a flight, but had just been riding the shuttle.

    “I want to ride some more!”

    “More?” the father said, mock-angry but clearly pleased. “ You are not tired?”

    “This is fun!” his son said.

    “All right.” the father replied, when a door opened, we all got on.

    There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland, and there are parents who live in million-dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools, yet something goes wrong.

    “Where are all those people going, Daddy?” the son asked.

    “All over the world,” came the reply.

    The other people in the airport were leaving for far destinations (终点) or arriving at the ends of their journeys. The father and son, though, were just riding this shuttle together, making it exciting, enjoying being together.

    So many troubles in this country. So many questions about what to do. Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.

    The answer is so simple: parents who care enough to spend time, and to pay attention and to try their best. It doesn't cost a cent, yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.

    The shuttle picked up speed, and the father pointed something out, and the boy laughed again.

    Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.

    It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone.

    Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn't talk with anyone about my problems.

    Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile.

    Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.

    One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn't remember doing so!

    It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

    Smokejumpers are special firefighters. They jump from planes into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot, like the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can.

    At a fire site, smokejumpers first check the land and decide how to fight the fire. They try their best to stop a fire from spreading. Using their tools, smokejumpers clear the land of burnable things like dry grass and leaves. They usually carry some water with them.

    In the US, although most smokejumpers are men, more women are joining. The important thing is that your height and weight must be within a certain range(范围). For example, smokejumpers in the US must be between 120 and 200 pounds, so they don't get hurt when they land, or get blown by strong winds.

    Smokejumpers must also be able to live in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and make simple tools.

    The work is dangerous, and the hours are long. But for smokejumpers, smokejumping isn't just a job. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 28-year-old proud Russian smokejumper Alexi Tishin says, "This is the best job for brave people."

    Hangzhou won its bid (申办) for the 2022 Asian Games on September 16th, 2015. It will be the third time that the Games are held in a Chinese city after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.

    The well-known capital city of Zhejiang Province in the southeast part of the country has a population of 9. 47 million. It is a beautiful city with a long history and it has been developing rapidly in recent years. Hosting the Asian Games will give the city another chance to grow.

    "We have seen here the strong wish and the great effort of Hangzhou to host the 19th Asian Games." The OCA (亚奥理事会) President praised.

    The Games are set to include 34 sports. Some venues (场馆) have already been completed, while several others are still being built and will be put into use one year before the Games. The Asian Games will be held from September 10 to 25, when the temperature is around 20℃.

    "There is no doubt that the event will attract more visitors to experience the beauty and charm of this amazing city. At the same time, more roads will be built and the underground will be added, reducing heavy traffic. But the best part is that it will give us the chance to watch world-class competitions close to our homes." Shao Lin, a local person, told the reporter excitedly.

    With the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September and the World Cup in Qatar (卡塔尔) in November, 2022 will be an exciting year for Asians, especially Chinese sports fans.

    Hangzhou is trying its best to get ready for the big sports show. Hangzhou is waiting to see you in 2022!

Last Saturday, Tony went to see Benny. But he didn't know1Benny lived.2the way, he stopped in front of a yellow house, and asked an old woman the3to Benny's house. "His house is not far from my house," said the woman.

"It's behind the trees. But you can't get there4. You can go there by bus. It'll5you hours to get there6foot."

"What's7with her?" Tony thought." "I can see Benny's house from here now. It's behind the8."

Then Tony walked to the other side of the trees. He found the old woman was9.There was a river in front of him, and he couldn't see a boat. The house was on the other side of the10.