My name is Jack. When my family moved to America in 2014 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs as well as culture. One of the rules is that young people always respect elders. This rule, unfortunately, led to my very first embarrassment in America.

    I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive Americans are and how they dislike the description "old". I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.

    In my village, however, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.

    However, in the United States, people think "growing old" is a problem since "old" shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn't want to hear.

    After that, I changed the way I had been with senior citizens. It is not that I don't respect them anymore; I still respect them, but now I don't show my feelings through words.

    In a small village there lived a man. He would do nothing all day but daydream. Whenever he was hungry, he would go out, beg（乞讨）for food, come back and hang out.

    One sunny afternoon, the man was very hungry. With great difficulty, he got up, took out a pot（罐）and went out to beg. By begging the whole day, he finally got a pot of milk. He hung the pot on the ceiling（天花板）, lay down on his bed and started daydreaming again.

   "This pot of milk is going to make me rich, "he thought." I can make butter from the milk. Then I will be able to make ghee（印度酥油）and go to the market and sell the ghee." His dream continued, "With the money I get, I will buy a pair of cows. They will have baby cows. Soon I would have a large number of cows."

   "Then I will continue my business. I will buy come more cows and own a farm. And I will employ people to work on my farm. I can also open a candy shop. I will make candies out of the cows' milk, "the man kept smiling to himself.

   "I am so smart, "thought the man. Lost in his thoughts, he reached out his foot, breaking the pot. He saw the broken pot and cried. He lost whatever he had because he was lazy and spent his time daydreaming.

    Toby was a 13-year-old Boy. He studied in a middle school in Paris. He was quite a Clever Boy and was good at almost everything. However, he had a problem. He had a fear(恐惧)of heights. This problem made him unhappy for a long time. He talked to his father about it one day.

   "I've had enough, Dad," he said." I would love to go rock Climbing with my friends. But every time I get too high, I feel afraid."

    His dad paused(停顿)as he thought about his son's ________

   "Well, Toby," he said quietly," I Can help you. But you will need to Be Brave. Are you ready?"

    Toby was quiet for a few minutes.

   "I am ready!" he answered bravely.

    Toby's father picked up the keys and walked towards the front door.

   "We're going into the City!" his father said.

    Toby knew what was coming. Toby lived in Paris. One of the world's tallest buildings was there. That was the Eiffel Tower. Nothing was said between them as they drove into the City.

    After about an hour, they arrived at the Eiffel Tower. Toby looked up at it.

   "Can I really do this?" he asked worriedly.

   "Well," his father said," I will be with you every step of the way. This is the day that you fight your fear! Come on!"

    Toby took a Breath. His father held his hand and then they made their way, step by step, towards the top of the Eiffel Tower. At last they got to the top.

   "Wow, Dad!" he said excitedly as he looked over Paris.

   "I told you there was nothing to worry about," his father said.

    Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history？Many people would think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28.Although he lived over 2, 000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution to the education today, Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province. He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. He had a hard childhood. His father died when he was only 3. His mother brought him up. As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn't give up studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.

    Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history. At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but (Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.

    Today, people still follow Confucius' lessons. He told us that we all have some advantages. "When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities and follow them."

    He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. "All study but no thinking makes people puzzled(困惑的).All thinking but no study makes people lazy."

    Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important theories are about kindness and good manners. "A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others," he said.

    Annie Sullivan had a hard life. She grew up alone and very poor. Annie had trouble with her eyes, too. She could not see well.

    One day after Annie grew up, a family called her. They needed help with their daughter. Their little daughter's name was Helen Keller. Helen needed a teacher.

    Helen could not see. She could not hear, either. She felt scared and lonely(孤独的). Annie wanted to help Helen. She wanted to be able to talk to her.

    Annie tried to teach Helen a sign language, a way to make words with hands. But Helen did not know what Annie tried to teach her.

    One day near the outside water pump, Annie had an idea. She put one of Helen's hands in the water. Then Annie let Helen feel W-A-T-E-R on her other hand again and again and again.

    At last, Helen knew. She learned that what she was feeling had a name. Helen was on her way to a lifetime of learning.

"I just want a normal(正常的) birthday party,"April told her 1 as they walked home from school. They knew what April meant. 2 April was born on Earth Day, all 3 birthday parties had something to do with the environment(环境).

At the age of 7, her parents asked her to 4 all newspapers and sold them to buy presents. Last year, at 8, she planted trees. This year, she just wanted to plan her own5 birthday party.

April decided to go to the6 with her friends and she was excited that she didn't have to think anything about the7 this time.

However, things were quite 8 . When they arrived, they felt sorry for what they saw. There was9 here and there. She couldn't have fun,  10 so much litter out there.

But April wanted a non-Earth Day birthday. After a long struggle(挣扎), she asked,"Can we 11 the litter first and then visit the animals here?"

"Of course!"said her friends.

April was 12 to hear that, so they began to collect litter and it didn't take long. 13 they made it. April looked at the clean square and 14 . "It felt good to do something for the earth," she thought.

"Happy Earth Day, everyone," said April. "Now I'm ready for my zoo."

"Happy birthday, April!"shouted her friends.

"Thank you all for always celebrating such 15 birthdays with me."