A soap opera called "Tiger Mother and Cat Father" is popular in China now. The tiger mother is pretty strict with her daughter and the little girl is not allowed to watch TV or play computer games. On the other hand, she makes all efforts to buy the expensive house near the key school, in order to let her daughter have a better education. However, the cat father has an opposite view of how to raise their child. He gives her daughter more independence and doesn't make many rules for her. Which one is better, "Tiger Mother" or "Cat Father"?

    In China, it seems that in each family, there is tiger mother and a cat father, even worse, some families have two tigers. Children can't decide anything for themselves. What's worse, Chinese mothers believe key school will bring a better future to their children. This soap opera fully shows us a common problem in China. And maybe it is the real reason why such kind of TV shows can get popular.

    Whether the tiger mother or the cat father, respecting(尊重)children and growing together are the keys to family education. Confidence, kindness, honesty and independence are the most important qualities to develop a child, not the grades. Just like a poem said, "Educating children is like walking with a snail(蜗牛), and the steps are gentle and slow."

    Martina looked out of the window. A robin was singing a lively song in the tree. At this time, Grandpa, who lived with the family since Grandma had died, came in. He looked at the floor as if looking for something. He said, "When the robin sings..." he stopped, trying to remember what he had started to say.

    "Spring is here," Mum finished the sentence. "And I'm thinking of our spring cleaning," Mum suggested. "Martina, you can help me, right?" Martina agreed unwillingly.

    They cleaned the house. They cleaned upstairs, downstairs, inside, outside, until everything was clean. Then Mum pointed to Grandpa's sofa and shouted. "That old sofa has got to go. We'll buy Grandpa a new one."

    It was true and Martina had to agree. The sofa was really old. As they tried to move the sofa, Grandpa stood in their way. "You can't take my sofa," he shouted.

    "It's old," Mum said. Grandpa tried to push his sofa back into place. "We'll buy you a new one," Mum promised.

    "I don't want a new one," Grandpa insisted. Mum let go of the sofa. "We'll talk about it tonight when John gets home." John, Martina's dad, was still at work.

    "Why don't you let us take away the sofa? It's too old!" Martina asked when the family were having supper. Grandpa shook his head and said, "I sat in this sofa, with your grandma right here, when I asked her to marry me. It was so long ago, but when I sit in this sofa and close my eyes I feel she is near."

    "It's amazing," Martina thought, "how Grandpa can remember things from the past. These days he forgets almost everything."

    The old man smiled to Martina and went on. "And the night your father was born, I sat in this sofa. I was nervous when they placed the little baby into my arms."

    "I think I'm beginning to understand," Martina said. "Many years later," Grandpa continued, "I sat in this sofa when the doctor called and told me that your grandma was ill. I was lost without her, but the sofa gave me the comfort."

    "I do see now," Martina looked at Grandpa. "This is not just an old sofa. This sofa is more like a friend." "Yes," Grandpa added. "We've got through a lot together." The whole family agreed that the living room would be boring without the old sofa.

Do you know Yan Hongsen? He is nine years old. He became famous on the Internet in July because his father1 a video of him. In the video, he angrily pointed out that a Long March 3 rocket was 2 regarded as a Long March 5 rocket in an educational film. The3 was shown to visitors at a planetarium(天文馆) in Lhasa. 

Yan Hongsen is named "rocket boy" by people around him. He is a primary school4 from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, eastern China. He was5 to teach his whole school about space science at the opening ceremony of the new school term. Now, the nine-year-old boy is giving astronomy lessons to his schoolmates. 

Yan has been a6 science enthusiast(爱好者) since he was just four years old. He often makes cardboard rocket models and 7 online classes to other enthusiasts. 

"He became interested in space science as a 8 of the rocket launch (发射). And because of space science, he9 astronomy(天文学), " his father said. 

Are you 10 in astronomy? If you are, you can take his online classes. 

Mr. Dawson is an old man with a bad temper (脾气). He had several apple trees in his yard, full of apples. However, kids were 1 to go into the yard. They would rather stay far away from it. 

One day, 12-year-old Janet and 2 friend Amy had to walk past Mr. Dawson's yard. As soon as Janet saw him there, she suggested they cross the street and walk on 3 side. But Amy said they didn't need to. 

When Mr. Dawson saw Amy, he smiled and said, "Hello, Amy! I see you have a new friend 4 you today. " Amy smiled back. Mr. Dawson was kind and gave them each a fresh 5 from his yard. 

Later, Janet asked Amy, "Everyone says Mr. Dawson is the 6 person in town. Why was he so nice to us?" Amy 7 that she was also afraid of him when she first walked past his yard. 8 she told herself the old man was not as cold as he seemed and tried smiling at him. To her 9 , the man smiled back. From then on, they began to talk more every time they met. 

Janet then realized smiles do 10 . 

If we keep trying to smile at someone, sooner or later, they will smile back. 

Bill Smith is an 80-year-old man. He lives with his brother Bob Smith in Texas, America. In his free time, he likes making things and helping others. There are many stray (流浪的) dogs in the street, so Bill wants to help them.

The brothers find nine dogs. The dogs always have no food to eat, so they are not healthy. Then they let these nine dogs live with them and eat with them.

"Everyone needs a little fun in life. Stray dogs need it, too," Bill Smith says. "I think it must be very interesting for them to travel by train."

So Bill and his brother buy some old buckets(桶子)and make a dog train. It is very long. The dogs are happy to see the train, and Bill Smith takes them on trips by train every week.

"These dogs don't have families, but they are lucky to have a good time with us now. I'm very happy to be with them, too," Bill says.