Our dog Abbey died last month. My 4-year-old daughter Lucy missed her a lot and asked if we could write a letter to God to make sure he could look after Abbey well. I told Lucy that I thought we could, and she dictated(口述) these words:

    We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Lucy and addressed it to God/Heaven. Yesterday, we received a package addressed "To Lucy" with this note:

    Today , we asked some students about what they think of their deskmates . Here are some of the results .

    When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings (缺点). Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn't a good student. Sometimes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with (忍受) her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

    He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, "Are the things she said true or not? Mary, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said."

    I did as he told me and to my surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true.

    I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. "That's just for you," he said. "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be helpful to you. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right."

    Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure (珍惜) all your life!

Woodcarving (木雕) is a traditional folk art form in China. Chen Jia, a young woman from Chaozhou, has concentrated (集中精力) herself on passing forward and innovating (创新) Chaozhou woodcarving.

Chen, born in the 1990s, began to learn the craft (工艺) when she was14 years old under the influence and support of her family. "I wanted to give up several times during the learning process, as I often hurt myself. It's also very difficult. My father wanted me to give up woodcarving and find an easier job. However, I fought on." Chen said.

Chen recalled that she had a strong sense of achievement when her first woodcarving artwork, which took her several months to finish, was sold. "Since I have learned it, I just keep going." said the artist.

To finish one woodcarving piece, a woodcarver usually needs more than 30 carving knives and wooden hammers of different sizes. A common theme for carvings includes different sea animals. In the past, Chaozhou woodcarvings were mainly used to decorate buildings, including serving as furniture and ceremonial objects. However, they have started to lose their charm among people living in modern life.

To attract young people to better appreciate the traditional art form, Chen has innovated on the craft in terms of its themes, shapes and usage. She now carves out small decorative objects and articles for daily use, hoping that more and more people will accept the art works as their liking.

In ancient（古代的） China, people have three names: their family name, given name, and courtesy name（字）. For example, we know Li Bai is a famous poet（诗人）. His family name is Li, his given name is Bai, and his courtesy name is Taibai. 

People use their given names when they are with their family or friends. And grandparents and parents call kids their given name at home. But when people work, they use their courtesy names. 

Men get their courtesy names when they are 20 years old. Women get their courtesy names after they get married（结婚）. 

People's courtesy names have something to do with（与……有关）their given names. For example, Zhuge Liang（诸葛亮）'s given name is Liang. It means（意思是）"bright（明亮的）". His courtesy name is Kongming. And the meaning is"very bright".