One day a red rose blossomed (开花) in a forest. A pine tree(松树) not far away said, “You're so beautiful! I wish I could be lovely like you. ”

    The rose said, “I am the most beautiful plant in the forest.” Then the rose looked at a cactus(仙人掌) and said, “Look at that ugly plant. It is full of thorns (刺)!”Sometimes, the red rose would look at the cactus and say, “This plant is useless. I'm sorry I am his neighbor. ”

    Summer came and the plants and animals needed water, but no rain fell. One day the rose saw some birds stick their beaks(鸟喙) into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. The pine tree told the red rose, “You can also drink from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help. ”

    The red rose felt ashamed, but she still asked the cactus for help. The cactus agreed kindly and the birds filled their beaks with water for the rose's roots. Later on, the rose never gave her opinion about anyone by look again.

    My friend, Dick, has a large police dog. Its name is Jack. Every Saturday afternoon Dick takes Jack for a long walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much.

    One Saturday afternoon, a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time. He talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for a walk. But the man was still there. Jack became very worried. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of the man and looked at him. But the man kept talking. Finally Jack couldn't stand it anymore. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the man, but this time he held the man's hat in his mouth.

    Although half a century has passed, Shao Guohua never forgot the film ticket his teacher gave him that warmed his heart when he was a boy.  Shao entered primary school in Zigong, Sichuan Province, in 1960, Back then, sports and watching movies were the students' favorite times.

    Once, the school organized a trip to the movies for the students, and many of Shao's classmates signed (签约)  up for it.  But the boy had no money to buy the 0. 05-yuau ticket. When his classmates lined up to enter the movie theater, the boy stood alone outside. Then Shao's Chinese teacher Mo Xunru saw him and bought a ticket for him.

    He can't remember what movie it was, but Shao never stopped being thankful to his teacher. “Ms. Mo made forty or fifty yuan a month back then, so a 0.05-yuan ticket may not be a big deal for her. But for me, it moved me deeply,” said 63-year-old Shao.

    After graduating from primary school, Shao moved to another city along with his parents. In the following years, he tried to find his former teachers and classmates, but failed. It wasn't until this year that Shao visited his teacher Mo Xunru after 50 years.

    “The reunion (重聚) was emotional,” said Shao, who is over sixty himself now. “The 89-year old Mo did not hear well anymore and seemed to not know me at first sight, but she was still as kind as she used to be.” Shaoleft 1, 000 yuan to his teacher as well as a letter which reads: “Dear Ms. Mo, wish you good health. Your student: Shao Guohua.”

    After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.

    During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉营养不良). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.

    I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, "Why me? "He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, "You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you. "

    Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before: Dear Dick,

    My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don't have tong to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can. I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will newer get to do that. But I know I'm a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show, it to you. Thank you for loving me.

Your friend,

Matthew