One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Cindy, my company wants to promote (升职) me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done well and allowing you to skip (跳) a grade, but you'll have to leave your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was lost in thought. The question kept me wondering for the rest of the night. I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the difficult decisions adults had to make.

     For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd eagerly wait for the phone to ring and then tell her everything happened during the day. A phone call, however, could never take her place and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large empty apartment,   ▲  It was then I started to understand the difficult choices she had to make. She needed to think about both family and work. Faced with difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with a positive attitude.

     Back home, I reminded myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she managed to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be independent. I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable goals.

My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the experience has really taught me. I've learned a lot because of this separation. There are lots of difficult decisions that we have to face in our life. We need to have a positive attitude no matter what happens.

    Christina is an American girl. She is a good student. Every morning she gets up at 6:00. She has her breakfast at home. Then she wears her uniform and goes to school. She studies hard every day. She eats in the dining room when she is in school. After school, she does her homework first, then she cleans the room and helps her mother with the dinner. Before she goes to bed, she usually reads some books. Then at 10:00 p. m. she goes to bed. She thinks she is happy every day. What do you think of her?

    Once there was a parrot on sale in a pet store. It was a beautiful red and blue bird.  It sat on a perch in the middle of the store so that everyone could see it when they came in. The owner was very proud of it and asked a high price for it.

    One day a man went into the store. "That's a beautiful bird," he said to the pet store owner. "But why is it so expensive? Is it an unusual bird?"

    "No, it's not very unusual. It's expensive because it can talk," the pet store owner said.

    "I see. How can I make it talk?" the man asked.

    The pet store owner asked him, "Do you see those strings tied to each of the bird's legs?"

    "Yes," the man answered.

    "Well, you pull those strings," the pet store owner told him."That will make the parrot talk."

    The man asked, "Do you mind if I try?"

    "Not at all," the pet store owner said.

    The man walked up to the parrot and pulled the string on its left leg. The parrot said, "Good morning."

    The man pulled the string on the parrot's right leg. This time the parrot said, "How are you today?"

    "That's not very interesting," said the man."Any parrot could do that." Then he laughed, "But what would happen if I pulled both strings at the same time?"

    "I'll fall off my perch, you fool!"the parrot said.

    Two men are walking in the park. One is Jack, a worker. The other is Henry. Jack is going to a chair. It is next to the street. Henry is after him. Jack finds Henry walking after him. He walks faster(更快), because he wants to get to the chair before Henry. Now, Henry begins to walk faster because he also wants to get to the chair first. Then he gets to the chair first and sits down on it. When Jack gets to the chair, he sees Henry sitting on it. He is sorry to show a notice(告示) with the words "Wet Paint"(油漆未干) to Henry. Now Henry knows why Jack is going to the chair.