In many parts of the world, there are four seasons:  spring, summer, 1and winter.2in the US, there are only three in another way. In every season, Americans have a ball game. They are football, basketball and baseball. If you want to know what season it is, just look at what people are3For many Americans, sports are very important and4in their life.

    Besides(除……之外) “the big three”sports, Americans play some other kinds of sport, In5weather, people enjoy water sports. They surf or sail on the water. Swimmers enjoy6in the river or in the swimming pool. It is also lucky for fishermen if they7something in lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen have interests in8fun. When the sky begins to9, people can run out to make snowmen and have snowball fights. Lakes and rivers can become playgrounds for skating. People play indoor sports whatever the10. Sports like bowling and table tennis are year-round activities.

    Smiling is the best way of making friends.

    When I was thirteen 1 old, my father found a job in the city. So my family moved there. I also came to a/an2school near where we live. My old school was far away. At first, I did not know anyone in my class. I was very lonely 3I was afraid to make friends with my classmates. I 4talk to anyone about my problem, and I didn't want my parents to 5me.

    Then one day, something good happened. I was sitting at my desk 6as usual while my classmates were talking happily with each other. At that moment,7 came into the classroom. I only knew he was my classmate but didn't know what his name was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked 8me and, without a word, smiled. Suddenly, I felt happy, lively and warm. That smile changed my school life. I started to talk with the other classmates and make friends. Day by day, I became 9to everyone in my class.

    10the smile, I have moved on to a new life. Now, I believe that the world is what you think it is. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

    Miss Miller, the English teacher wants to know about her students. She asks them some questions. The next are some of the students' answers：

 We all know about Mozart (莫扎特), the famous musician from Austria.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But he was also very hard- working. The story of Mozart is useful when we think about a serious question. That is which is more important for success, talent or hard. work?

 Talent is something that you have naturally (天生的). {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But being talented is not enough for most people to succeed. Do you know the story Shang Zhong Yong? Zho ng Yong is a very talented boy. He wrote a poem(诗) when he was very young. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} His father thought he didn't need to study as hard as other people. After years, Zhong Yong learned nothing and couldn't write great poems. Some people may show talent first, but if they don't work hard, they still can't get success.

Life is like a running race. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Marie Curie from France had a hard life when she was a kid, but she succeeded in finding radium and polonium(镭和钋). How did she make it? Although she met lots of difficulties that we can't imagine, she never thought of giving up(放弃).

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}
 

When Leon Martin asked for his parents' advice on how to become a UX designer(设计师), they both went silent. "In fact, I had no idea what he was talking about, " said Anne, his mother. "I don't know whether he was talking about designing clothes, computer programmes of a fancy brand of bike. "

Even when her 18-year-old son explained that it was something about"behind the scenes" online design, his mother was still a bit lost. "I felt like I had totally failed as a parent, " she said. "My job as a parent is to open doors so my children can achieve their potential(潜力), but now can I do that when I don't even understand what their dreams are?"

Anne is not alone. Recent research has found that more than 2/3 of parents in England are now facing the problem. When their children express interest in new education and job choices, they may know nothing about them. More than 75% of parents feel it is almost impossible to offer their children good advice in such a fast-changing job market. 

Michelle Reed did a survey of over 2, 000 parents of secondary school students in England. She found that many parents were afraid their children hardly follow them. "We all know that parents' opinions and suggestions play an important role in shaping and influencing their children's career dreams, " she said. "But we usually depend much on our own experiences. And things have changed so much since most of us were at school. "

Bryony Mathew, the writer of Qubits and Quiver Trees: Awesome Careers of the Future, said the world was changing so rapidly that parents should not try to decide on certain careers for their children. 

A man was1 because he tried hard but always failed. He went to the 2 and met a wise hermit(隐士). The man asked, "Why should I keep trying?"

"Look," the hermit said, pointing towards3 plants. "Do you see that fern(蕨) and bamboo there?"

"Yes," the man nodded.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. Within a short period of time the fern 4 grew from the earth," the hermit continued. "But even though the bamboo seed was cared for years, there was no sign of 5 . But I did not give up on the bamboo seed and continued to water and take care of it. By the fifth year,a very small sprout(芽) came out from the earth. And within six months, the tree grew 6 tall. It was as tall as a seven-storey building."

"Did the bamboo stay still for four years and then grow a lot in the fifth?" asked the hermit. The man didn' t know what to say.

"It's simple," said the hermit. "It was making 7 roots underground. These roots helped it grow big in the fifth year and keep growing."

"Did you know that all the times you had been struggling(挣扎), you were growing strong 8 ?" said the hermit.

 The man learned his9 that day. He understood that persistence and hard work can10 , even if it takes time. The fern and the bamboo stood right in front of him as he walked towards his life to continue to work on his dreams.