Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history? Many people would think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28. Although he lived over 2,000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution to the education today.

 Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province. He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. He had a hard childhood. His father died when he was only 3. His mother brought him up. As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn't give up studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.

 Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history. At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.

Today, people still follow Confucius' lessons. He told us that we all have something worthy to be learned. "When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities and follow them.”

 He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. “All study but no thinking makes people puzzled (困惑的). All thinking but no study makes people lazy.”

 Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important teachings are about kindness and good manners. “A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others.” he said.

    A soap opera called "Tiger Mother and Cat Father" is popular in China now. The tiger mother is pretty strict with her daughter and the little girl is not allowed to watch TV or play computer games. On the other hand, she makes all efforts to buy the expensive house near the key school, in order to let her daughter have a better education. However, the cat father has an opposite view of how to raise their child. He gives her daughter more independence and doesn't make many rules for her. Which one is better, "Tiger Mother" or "Cat Father"?

    In China, it seems that in each family, there is tiger mother and a cat father, even worse, some families have two tigers. Children can't decide anything for themselves. What's worse, Chinese mothers believe key school will bring a better future to their children. This soap opera fully shows us a common problem in China. And maybe it is the real reason why such kind of TV shows can get popular.

    Whether the tiger mother or the cat father, respecting(尊重)children and growing together are the keys to family education. Confidence, kindness, honesty and independence are the most important qualities to develop a child, not the grades. Just like a poem said, "Educating children is like walking with a snail(蜗牛), and the steps are gentle and slow."

B

    One morning a boy went home with his father. They noticed a pair of old shoes by the roadside. They thought the shoes might be a poor man's. In fact, the owner of the shoes was working in the field nearby, and he had nearly finished his work.

    The boy said to his father, "Let's play a trick on the man—we hide his shoes, and wait to see what he will do when he can't find them."

    "My boy, we should never have fun by tricking other people like that," answered his father. "Instead, let's put a coin in each of the shoes, and watch he will do."

    The boy did so, and then they hid nearby.

    The man soon back to get h is shoes, but when he put his foot into one of his shoes, he felt something in it. He bent（弯曲）down and found the coin.

    Surprise appeared on his face. He looked at the coin for a minute, and then looked around, but nobody could be seen. He then went on to put on the other shoe, but he was even more surprised to find the second coin.

    He then went down on his knees, looked up to the sky and said thanks aloud. He said his wife was ill and his children were hungry. He wanted to buy some bread for them.

    The boy was deeply moved.

    "Now," said his father, "you must be much more pleased than if you had played your trick."

    The boy replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I'll never forget. Now I understand these words, which I didn't understand before: It is more blessed（神圣的）to give than to receive."

    Studies have shown it takes a doctor about 18 seconds to stop a patient after he begins talking.

    It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. I came close to her room in a hurry and stood at the doorway. She was an older woman, sitting at the edge of the bed, trying to put socks on her swollen feet. I spoke quickly to the nurse, saw her chart saying she was in stable condition. I was almost in the clear.

    She asked if I could help put on her socks. Instead, I began a long speech that went something like this: "How are you feeling? Your blood sugar and blood pressure were high but they're better today. The nurse said you can't wait to see your son who's visiting you today. It's nice to have family visit from far away. I'm sure you really look forward to seeing him."

    She stopped me with a serious voice. "Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not your story."

    I was surprised and ashamed. I sat down. I helped her with the socks. She began to tell me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that the pressure of this caused greatly to her health problems. After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She shook her head and smiled. All she wanted me to do was to listen.

    Listening to someone's story costs less than expensive diagnostic testing but is key to healing. I often thought of what that woman taught me—the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening. And, not long after, unexpectedly, I became the patient, with a diagnosis of sclerosis at age 31. Now, 20 years later, I sit all the time—in a wheelchair.

    For as long as I could, I continued to see patients from my chair, but I had to give up my job when my hands were influenced. I still teach medical students and other health care professionals, but now from the view of doctor and patient.

    I tell them I believe in the power of listening. I tell them I know firsthand that huge healing takes place within me when someone stops, sits down and listens to my story.

    "Can I see my baby?" asked the happy new mother. When the baby was in her arms, she couldn't believe her eyes. The baby was born without ears.

    Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect though he had no ears. He got on well with his classmates. But one day, he said to his mother, tears in his eyes, "A big boy called me a freak(畸形物)."

    The boy's father asked the family doctor, "Could nothing be done?"

    "I believe I could graft(移植)on a pair of outer ears if they could be gotten," the doctor said. They tried to find a person who would be helpful to the boy.

    One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have found someone who will donate the ears you need. But we must keep it a secret who the person is."

    The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared. His cleverness and hard work made him a very successful person. He married and lived a happy life.

    He would ask his father, "Who gave me the ears? I could do enough for him or her."

    "I can't tell you," said the father. "The agreement says that you are not allowed to know…not yet."

    It was kept a secret for years, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother's body. Slowly, the father raised the thick, brown hair. To his surprise, the son found his mother had no outer ears.

    "Mother said she was glad she never had her hair cut," his father said in a low voice, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?"