William Shakespeare was a writer of plays and poems. Some of his most famous plays are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth. He wrote thirty-seven plays in all. They are still popular today.

He was born in 1564 in England. At school he liked watching plays. He decided to be an actor when he finished school at the age of fourteen. In 1582, he married a farmer's daughter. She was eight years older than he was. Their first child was a daughter. Later they had twins. In 1585, Shakespeare left his hometown, Stratford- upon-Avon. His wife and children stayed behind. No one knows why he left or what he did between 1585 and 1592.

    At twenty-eight he moved to London and joined a theatre company which opened the Globe Theatre in 1599. He became an actor, and he also wrote plays. He usually acted in his own plays. He earned almost no money from his writing. But he made a lot of money from acting. With the money he bought a large house in his hometown.

    At the age of forty-nine，Shakespeare retired (退休）and went to live in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died at the age of fifty-two. He left his money to his family. He left his genius to the world. You still see his plays in English and in many other languages. He is one of the most famous writers in the world.

    My best friend, Connie, is two years older than me. We spend a lot of time together.

    Connie has long dark brown hair and her eyes are big and round. People say she is 1 and looks like a doll. When we go out, people often 2 that I am older than her because she is shorter and slimmer (苗条的).

    Connie is positive（乐观的）even when things go 3 . Last week she got her examination 4 , which were not very good. I thought she was going to be 5 . Instead, she simply decided to do better the next time. Then, every day after class, 6 teachers are free in their offices, she will ask them for help.

    Connie gets on well with others. Everyone in my family 7 her, even my younger brother. When you hear her laugh, you will naturally（自然地）laugh 8 . When I feel unhappy, I will talk to Connie and she will make me feel 9.

    I think my 10 with Connie is very valuable, and I hope we will always be best friends.

    One day, I walked into a stranger as he walked by me. "Oh, excuse me." I said. He replied with a smile and said, "Please excuse me, too. I wasn't watching out for you." We apologized(道歉) and went our own ways.

    Later that day, when I was cooking, my daughter was standing too close to me. When I turned to reach for some milk, I nearly knocked her over. "Move out of the way." I shouted. She walked away sadly. But I didn't feel like I had to apologize to her.

    While I was in bed that evening, my husband said to me, "Dealing with a stranger, you were polite, but with a daughter you love, you were unkind. Your daughter brought you some flowers that she picked herself this afternoon. You'll find them in the kitchen by the door. Have you seen the tears in her eyes?"

    I quietly went and knelt down by my daughter's bed. "Honey, I am so sorry." I said, "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She said, "I found them by the tree. I picked them because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like them especially the blue ones." I tearfully replied, "Sweetie, I'm really sorry for the way I acted today. I shouldn't have shouted at you." "It's okay. I love you anyway." she said as she kissed me on my cheek.

    If we can be polite to strangers, why can't we be kind to the ones we love?

Your mother is the most important person in your life. She helps you with your homework. If you get ill, she stays with you the w{#blank#}1{#/blank#} night. She makes your m{#blank#}2{#/blank#} every day. Your mother is a{#blank#}3{#/blank#} there for you. That's why there is a s{#blank#}4{#/blank#} day for mothers a{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the world.

Mother's Day becomes a modern holiday in the US. A woman called Anna Jarvis and her mother, Anna Reese Jarvis, live in a poor town. They work hard to m{#blank#}6{#/blank#} the town better. Jarvis' mother died(去世) on Sunday, May 14. 1905. Their church holds a Mother's Day to thank her f{#blank#}7{#/blank#} the help.

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