One day, a poor young man went to Paris to visit one of his father's friends and 1 that his father's friend could help him find a simple job for living.

    "Are you good at math," his father's friend asked him.

    The young man shook his head.

    "How are your history and geography?"

    The young man shook his head again.

    "How about your law?"

    The young man 2 his head embarrassedly.

    His father's friend asked again and again,3 the young man could only shake his head and told him he himself couldn't find out any4.

    "Then write down your address first."

    The young man wrote down his address and turned to leave, but he was stopped by his father's friend. "Your name is written very 5 which is your advantage. You shouldn't satisfy yourself with finding a job only for 6"

    Years later, the young man wrote the classical works that won the world fame. He was Alexandre Dumas, a famous French writer of 18th century. One of his greatest works 7 The Three Musketeers was popular 8 a great number of readers.

    There are many ordinary persons in the world who all have many 9advantages, but they are neglected (忽视) because of their self-abasement (自卑). In fact, there is a gold mine (矿) in every ordinary life. If you're willing to dig, you will dig out treasures to 10 yourself.

    Jenny, from Germany, spent some time traveling in India. While she was there, she stayed with her Indian friend, Leela. However, there was a language barrier(障碍) for her there. It was very 1 for her to communicate in the new environment, which was very different from2 of her own country.

    One day, together with Leela, Jenny went to 3 an orphanage(孤儿院). All the children there were very young. At first, Jenny was not sure if she could have a way to communicate with them. She went over to the children 4 and sat beside them. After some time, one of the children 5 her. She felt a little relaxed and smiled back. Then she went close to the child. She slowly put her arm around the child and started 6 a song in German. The child kept smiling and started repeating the words after her. The words that came from the little mouth were different from those that Jenny sang, but the rhythm(节奏) was the same. Jenny sang a little more and the child followed her again. Wanting to join in the 7, another child went up to Jenny and started singing the rhythm. Then more children joined. They8 many smiles together.

    From the other side of the hall, Leela was smiling and watching them. Noticing Leela's9 on her, Jenny had an exciting feeling from her heart: “See, I don't have any language barriers here. We 10 speak and communicate!” At that moment, she understood: we're all simple human, and we have the ability to connect with each other.

    It was a hot, sunny day .The waves(浪)off Santa Barbara were almost three feet high because of a strong wind. Surfers(冲浪者)were having fun. Then the fun 1. One surfer started shouting. Surfers on the 2 saw his arms going up and down. He went under water. Then he came back 3, shouting for help.

    "He was in big 4," said one woman. She called 911. He was still shouting and 5.

    They could not see a shark(鲨鱼), but they 6 the surfer was being attacked(袭击)by one. Again, the surfer went under. Four surfers jumped onto their boards and swam quickly out to the surfer. By the time they got to him, he was 7. The shark had given up on the taste of the swimwear and the fight with the surfer.

    The 24-year-old man was in great pain, but he was still alive. The surfers put him on a board and swim back to the beach. "I don't think he's going to make it," said someone on the beach. "Look at his 8."

    A helicopter(直升机)arrived quickly and doctors jumped out. They 9 the surfers and the woman for their help, and took the man to the hospital. An hour later, the hospital said that the surfer would keep on 10. The man lost one of his legs but he was still so lucky

    He was pleased to learn that Chibi knew all the places where the wild grapes and wild potatoes grew. He was amazed to 1 how much Chibi knew about all the flowers in our class garden. He liked Chibi's black and white drawings and put them up on the wall to be. 2 He like Chibi's own handwriting, which no one but Chibi could read, and he put that up on the wall.

    But, when Chibi appeared on the stage at the talent show of that year, no one could 3 his eyes. "Who is that?" "What can that stupid do up there?"

    Until Mr. Isobe announced that Chibi was going to imitate (模仿). the voices of crows. "Voices?" "Voices of crows?"

    4 he imitated the voices of newly hatched (孵化的) crows. And he made the mother crow's voice. Then he imitated the father crow's voice. He showed how crows cry early in the morning. He showed how crows cry when the village people have some unhappy accidents. He showed how crows 5when they are happy and cheerful. Everyone's mind was taken to the far mountainside from which Chibi probably came to school.

    Chibi made very special 6 deep down in his throat to imitate a crow in an old tree in the end. Now everybody could imagine 7 the far and lonely place where Chibi lived with his family. Then Mr. Isobe explained how Chibi had learned those calls- leaving his home for school at sunrise, and arriving home at sunset, every day for six long years.

    Every one of us cried, thinking how much we had been8 to Chibi all those long years.

    He was a boy beyond our usual imagination!

    Once, a king showed two men a large basket in the garden. He told them to fill it with water from a well（井）. After they1 their work, he left, saying, "When the Sun is down, I will come and see your work."

    Soon after one of them said, "What's the use of doing the foolish work? We can2fill the basket."3man answered, "That is none of your business." The first man said, "You may do as you like, but I am not going to work at4so foolish." He5his bucket and went away. The other man said no word and kept on carrying6. At last the well was almost7.

    As he poured the last bucket of water into the basket, he saw a bright thing in it. He picked it up. It was a beautiful gold ring. Just then the king came.8he saw the ring, he knew that he had found the kind of man he wanted. He told him to keep the ring for himself. "You9so well in this little thing," he said, "10now I know I can believe you with many things."

    Like most Chinese, Mr. Zhang has a traditional family. 1 he and his wife are middle school teachers while their 6-year-old son is a pupil. Mr. Zhang's mother lives with them and helps them 2 the kid. They love one another and live a happy life.

    Yesterday it was Mr. Zhang's mother's birthday. The couple wanted to do3 to show their love for her. After a big dinner, Mr. Zhang brought a basin (盆) of warn water and asked his mother to  sit 4 the basin. He took off her shoes and put her 5into the water. After that he began to wash them 6His wife helped to comb his mother'® hair slowly. Seeing this, the boy7his mother's example. He tried to comb his mother's hair, too. But he was not 8 enough to do that. So he brought a chair and stood on it. Everyone could feel the warmth and love in the family.

    As we all know, it is a good Chinese tradition to respect the old and take care of the .young. We should try our 9 to care for our family. We must visit our parents as often as possible and have a 10 with them on happiness. The phone even though we may work far away. Indeed, family is a place of happiness.