I lived in a poor family with my wonderful mother. She often told me that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream.

    My dream was athletics. When I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and1anything that moved on the field.I was also2: my high school coach was John, who believed in me and taught me how to believe in myself. He taught me the difference 3having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One unusual4with Coach John changed my life forever.

    A friend helped me to find a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket for a new bike, new clothes and the5of saving for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to6up summer baseball and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn't be playing.

    When I told John, he was7as I expected him to be. "You have your whole life to work," he said. "You don't have too many playing days in your life. You can't afford to waste them." I stood before him with my head8, trying to think of the9that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment in me.

    "How much are you going to make at this job, son?" he asked. "3.5 dollars an hour," I replied.

    "Well," he asked, "Is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?"

    That simple question made me understand the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I decided myself to play sports that summer and within the year I was taken on by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was10 a $ 20 000 agreement. Two years later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

    I always believe that we can have a very important effect (影响) on anyone we meet. The right 1 at just the right time could change someone's life.

    When I was 3 years old, my parents found out I was 2. After asking many doctors and parents of other deaf children, they decided to 3 me in a normal (正常的) school.

    On my first day, the other kids 4 me because of my hearing aid (助听器) and the way I talked. 5 I seemed outgoing, my heart hurt a lot. Sometimes I was even 6 to go to school.

    Mrs. Jordan, my teacher, changed all of that 7 simple three words. One morning, she asked 8 a question.

    I put up my 9 right away after reading Mrs. Jordan's lips (嘴唇). She asked me to 10 and answer it. I breathed deeply and answered Mrs. Jordan's question 11.

    I will never 12 what happened next.

    Mrs. Jordan pointed at me. With sparkling (闪光的) eyes and a big smile, she cried: "13, Stephen!"

    For the first time in my young life, I got such a strong feeling of 14.

    At that moment, I decided that no matter how many difficulties I may face, I will try my best to 15 them. Just from those three simple words, my whole life changed from that moment.

    In the new sci-fi film. The Wandering Earth《流浪地球》, humans save the Earth without leaving it. In many-even most-space-themed films, whenever Earth faces a disaster(灾难), the1 is always running away from the planet in spaceships.

    But the latest Chinese sci-fi movie, The Wandering Earth, offers a different and more ambitious idea. In the film, based on a short story by Chinese sci-fi writer Liu Cixin, Earth is in danger of being destroyed by the dying sun. In reply, humans around the world work 2 to build a huge engine system that will push Earth away from the dying sun.3 giving up Earth-again-this time we're taking it with us.

    This "ambition" didn't come from nowhere. For thousands of years," homeland" has had a soft point in 4 of Chinese people. One old idiom is "luoyeguigen", which means returning to one's homeland at the old age, like 5 leaves return to the roots of their trees. Or there is an ancient poem, "The season called the White Dew begins tonight: Nowhere as in our native place is the moon so bright". These6 show the tight link that Chinese people have had with their homeland.

    This special cultural background is probably the key 7separates The Wandering Earth from Hollywood-style space films.

    "What is Chinese sci-fi?"Guo Fan, the film's director, said in an interview. "A movie that can really 8our cultural and spiritual view can be called Chinese sci-fi. Or, we're just copying others and telling the same American stories."

    And the makers of The Wandering Earth may have chosen the best time to tell its Chinese sci-fi story. The film was released on Feb 5^th, the first day of Chinese New Year. It was a time when many people had just made the 9journey back to their hometowns.

    So to them, there is only one possible way to tell the story. Earth10wherever humans go, because it's our home forever.

Some people around you look so cool and happy, but you often feel lonely. Or the friends you have do not really understand you, and that makes you feel lonely too. So what can be done when you have this feeling?

Understand people's differences

Not everyone has to do things the same way or behave the same way. Find people who have the same feeling. That is always a good basic for the friendship. You can take part in activities outside school like sports, art classes and dancing classes. There you can have more chances to find people who have the same interest as you.

Develop your friendship

Friendships do not just happen, and they need work. Phone your friends once in a while. Being there when they need you means that they will do the same for you.

Accept others' invitations

Even if someone invites you to a party, you never know who else will be there. Laughing and playing together could start a new friendship.

Start a club

Make more friends by starting a club. Going camping together or regularly (有规律地) going to the movies doesn't take much time.