Many say their most painful moments are saying goodbye to those they love. After watching Cheryl, my cousin, watch her mother suffer for six months before dying, I think the most painful moments can be in waiting to say goodbye.

    Cheryl made the two-hour trip over and over to be with her mother. They spent long afternoons holding hands and sharing memories.

    Each time she kissed her mother before leaving, her mother would feel sad and say, “I'm sorry you drove so far and sat for so long, and I didn't stay up long to talk with you.”

    Cheryl would tell her not to worry. It didn't matter. But still her mother felt she had let her down and said sorry at each goodbye.

    “Mom, do you remember when I made the high school basketball team?” Cheryl's mother nodded.

    “You'd drive so far and sit for so long, and I never even left the bench to play. You waited for me after every game and each time I felt bad and said sorry to you for wasting your time.” Cheryl gently took her mother's hand.

    “Do you remember what you'd say to me?”

    “I would say I didn't come to see you play. I came to see you.” “And you meant those words, didn't you?”

    “Yes, I really did.”

    “Well, now I say the same words to you. I didn't come to see you talk. I came to see you.” Her mother understood and smiled as she fell asleep.

    Their afternoons together passed quietly into days, weeks, and months. To the last day they cared each other in silence, love given and received just by seeing each other.

    Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)

    Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Noble Peace Prize.

    Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

    Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects(影响) of pollution on humans and on the world's lakes and oceans.

Angela Merkel (1954 - )

    In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany's leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.

Sandra Day O' Connor (1930 - )

    When Sandra Day O' Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )

    In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain's Iron Lady.

Marie Curie (1867 - 1934)

    Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.

    A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. His father was very old and weak. So while his father was eating, he always dropped(落下) food on his clothes. Many people in the restaurant watched him in disgust(厌恶地), but his son kept quiet.

    After he finished eating, his son quietly took him to the washroom, washing the food and the other dirty things carefully. When they came out, the whole restaurant was watching them in silence.  The son paid the waiter for their food and started walking out with his father.

    At that time, an old man in the restaurant called out to the son and asked him, "Don't you think you have left something behind？"

    "No sir, I haven't," the son replied.

    "Yes, you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father," the old man said.

    The restaurant went silent. No one said anything.

Most of us might want to do some great things to help others in need. But I found it's not completely(完全地)right.

I'm Wang Ling. This is a true story that happened(发生) to me last Sunday. That day, I planned to go to a bookstore. On the bus, I found that I only had a five-yuan note(纸钞). The bus driver didn't want to wait for me and was going to leave.

Then I looked around and went up to a grandma for some change(零钱). "I'm sorry," the grandma said. "I have no change, either." Just then, I really didn't know what to do. 

"Come here! I can help you," a young man smiled and said. He looked friendly. Then he gave me one yuan. When I was going to give my five yuan to him for the one yuan, he said, "I'm happy that I can help you. You don't need to give me the money. Just keep it."

With thanks, I put that warm coin into the money box on the bus and then sat near the young man. Yes, he seemed not to help me a lot. But his sunny face and kindness were always in my heart.

Today is Linda's birthday. She gets a lovely present from her parents. It's a brown cat. Linda gives it a 1 —Sandy. In the morning, Linda 2 Sandy to her birthday party at a park.

Linda sees her friends Kate, Alice, Mary and Peter there. Oh, no! There is a 3 there!

"Sorry, Linda. My dog Jack follows (跟着) me everywhere. I have to bring him here. But he is very nice," Peter says,

"Your dog is so 4 . He may scare (使害怕) Sandy. Please keep him away from my cat," Linda says. Then Peter asks Jack to sit under a big and tall 5 .

The children play card games first. Then, Linda's friends give 6 their gifts. And they see Jack and Sandy having 7 under the tree.

"You are 8 , Jack is good. He can be friends with 9 ," Linda says.

At last, they sing a birthday song and 10 a birthday cake. Linda really has a good time at her birthday party.