I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad to transfer some money (转账). I ask him, "Dad, why not use online banking?" "Why would I do that?" He replied.

    "Well, then you won't have to spend an hour here to transfer your money. You can also do your shopping online. Everything will be easier!" I said in excitement. He asked, "If I do that, I won't have to go out of the house?"

    "Yes!" I said. I told him how groceries (杂货) can be delivered to our doors now. And we can buy everything we need by just staying at home.

    However, he said, "Since I walked into this bank today, I have met four of my friends. I have much free time, so I like to come to the bank and meet different people. Two years ago, when I was in hospital, the store owner from whom I bought fruit came to see me. And when your mom fell down a few days ago, the bank manager saw her and helped her get to the hospital."

    He went on, "why would I want to look at my computer all the time? I like to know the person around me. Does Amazon send bonds (情感纽带) and relationships, too?"

    I didn't know what to say after hearing his words. My dad was right, of course. It's better for us to spend time with real people than computers.

A poor farmer had a friend. He was famous (有名的) for the wonderful apple trees he grew.

One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to plant it. The farmer was happy with the gift, but he did not know where to plant it.

He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, someone would steal (偷) the fruit. If he planted he tree in one of his fields, his neighbours (邻居) would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. At last, he planted the tree in his wood. But without sunlight and good soil (土壤), the tree died.

Later the friend asked the farmer why he planted the tree in such a poor place. "What is the difference?" the farmer said angrily and then told what he had thought.

"Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now no one can enjoy the fruit. And the apple tree is dead.

Everybody has his or her own hero in mind and is always trying to learn from the hero in life. As for me, my 1 is just that man. My grandfather had a small 2 . He also worked in a factory(工厂). 

One autumn, most of the farmers in the village were 3 , so he promised to help his neighbour harvest(收割) the corn as he often did. 4 , after harvesting his own corn, Grandpa's little corn machine broke. What was 5 , the factory where Grandpa worked made the workers have more work than usual. He had to 6 the farm early and didn't get back until very late. It seemed 7 to help out his neighbour because he really had no free time. 

One night, Grandpa 8 that he wouldn't let his neighbour's harvest rot(腐烂) in the field. 9 a machine, he'd harvest it by hand. 

"I don't think you'd have time to do it, "said my grandma. "Besides, it'd be too dark to do 10 at night. "

"I know of one night that I could do it!"he 11 . "There's still one more full moon in October. 12 the weather is clear, I think I can do it. "

A few days later, after a long work in the factory, my grandpa went to the 13 . The weather was cold but clear. He cut all the corn through the night to 14 his word. 

Sometimes, when I want to 15 keeping my words, I'd see my grandfather cutting corn in the light of the harvest moon. Behind him, corn straws(麦秆) stand at attention in respect(尊敬) for a man who keeps his word. 

 Using plants to dye(给······染色) cloth is nothing new to us all. It has a history of over 1,000 years in China. In recent years, more and more people have begun to improve 1 traditional way of dyeing.

 Chen Yongmei, a young girl from Hunan, is one of 2 . She helped bring plant dyeing to a whole new level 3 making good use of waste products of vine tea(藤茶).

 Chen grew up helping her family dye cloth. One day, she accidentally found that old vine tea 4 from her hometown made a good dye. Then she 5 her own business of vine tea dyeing.

"Compared with chemical(化学的) dyeing, vine tea dyeing is more environmentally friendly,6 it doesn't cause any water pollution. Besides, only water and tea 7 during the dyeing process. For this reason, vine tea dyeing isn't 8 for human health," Chen said.

 She is also going to build an education center 9 people the art of plant dyeing. "Plant dyeing is a traditional skill in China, and it should be 10 used. I'm glad to play my part in helping it develop," said Chen.