I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I thought that the act of writing is the coolest thing in the world.

    Years later, during her final illness, my mother kept different things for my sister and my brother.“ But the desk，” She said, “it's for Helen.”

    Although I knew she loved me and she only showed it in action, I wanted heart­to­heart talks between mother and daughter. But they never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易动感情的)”，but she lived “on the surface”．

    I had my own family later. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she forgave me. I posted the letter and waited for her answer. It didn't come.

    My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and finally, peace—it seemed that nothing happened. I wasn't even sure if the letter had got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I never heard from her!

    Now the present of her desk told, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside—a photo of my father and a one­page letter, folded and refolded many times.

    Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

    My husband Jack and I went to visit a friend in hospital last week. Suddenly, Jack's mobile phone rang, it was my mother calling from my home. She asked if I had lost my phone. I checked my bag. It was gone!

I used Jack's phone to call my number. A boy answered it. "I found your phone in the mall!" he said, excitedly. "I'm Rhys. I have been trying to find you, but because it was getting late, I decided to leave." He gave me the address of a coffee shop near his home.

    Later that evening, I went to meet him there. I was afraid to go alone, worrying he was a cheater(骗子). So Jack came along. After driving 10km, we got to the coffee shop.

As soon as I saw him, my worries were gone. Rhys was just a young boy. "How did you tell my mum?" I asked. He explained that when he found my phone by the roadside, he started calling people in my contacts list(通讯录), starting with the letter A. He called Adam, one of my friends and Adam called my house.

    I was happy to get my phone back with all the phone numbers, messages and photos in it. I thanked Rhys and offered him some money, but he refused. He's really an honest boy.

    When US teenager Jake Olson isn't playing football or golf for his high school, he's often offering inspiration(灵感)through his new book about his own life.

    These activities might be too much for the average 16-year-old to deal with, but Jake is blind. When people ask him how he can possibly play golf without being able to see the ball, he says he is thankful for his father's guidance.

It seems apparent that his early experience playing sports as a person with sight and muscle(肌肉) memory— repeating behaviors over and over until they become second nature — have also enabled Jake to hit the ball quite well.

    Jake was born with a rare kind of eye cancer that took away the vision from his left eye when he was a baby and eventually his right eye, in 2009, when he was 12 years old. Rather than letting the disease hold him back, Jake used his loss of sight and his faith as sources of motivation(动力).“If I was going to sit on the couch all day, feeling sorry for myself, I wasn't going to do anything. I decided that I was going to go out and persevere (坚持不懈).” he said.

    It was with that mind-set that the student from Orange Lutheran High School in California was able to write his first book, Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life. “It's about opening the readers' eyes to their true talent in life and making sure that they use all the abilities that they have,” Jake said.

    Jake's father, Brian Olson, said the family is impressed with what he has done with his life, including showing people that they can get through hardships. “Your darkest hour can soon become your brightest, and with every setback, there's a setup,” Jake said. “In every one of us, there's more potential than we can ever imagine, and it really is a choice.”

    What comes to your mind when you hear the word "twins"? Born on the same day? Looking almost the same? Or having the same hobbies? Well, I have a twin brother who was born on a different day from me. We do not look very much alike and we are always interested in different things.

Twelve years ago, my brother, Wayne, was born at eleven fifty-eight on the night of May 28. Five minutes later, I was born一on May 29. Since we were born, I have always been heavier and stronger than Wayne, so people usually think I am the older brother.

    But Wayne is always smarter than L He loves reading and learns many things quickly. He knows a lot about animals, although he does not spend much time with our dogs and birds. He knows e lot about bicycles, but never likes to ride bikes as much as I do.

    Though we are very different, I love my brother very much. I hope both of us can have a happy life in the future.

Betty collected a basket of seashells. She showed them to Amy. "Look! They are all 1 . These are big and those are small. Some look like beautiful animals. I can use them to make a birthday pre- sent for my Dad! How wonderful!"

Suddenly (突然), Amy saw the sea water rising along the beach. She was 2 and cried, "The waves! They will take your toys!"

"Put my seashells onto the bus, Amy!" Betty ran 3 to get her toys. 

Just when Amy was going to get the basket onto the bus, she fell down and the shells 4 into pieces. 

When Betty 5 , she saw the pieces and cried. Amy tried to tell her what happened, but Betty still looked 6 and didn't talk to Amy. Amy didn't know what to do, so she took them home. 

The next morning at school, Amy found Betty on her 7 . She walked over to her desk and took out a frame (框) and a bag of seashells. "Betty, I 8 some nice seashell pieces from the broken ones last night. Shall we glue (粘) them to the frame together? We can put a 9 of your family in it. It will be a wonderful present. " Amy said. Betty agreed. Together they made a beautiful frame. 

"Sorry, I wasn't careful yesterday, Betty. " Amy said. "I know the shells are 10 to you. " "I should say 'sorry'to you. I like them, but you're my best friend. " Betty smiled.