B

    John's birthday is on August 16th. His parents are going to have a party for him. He is very happy about it. He would like to invite his friends to the party. Last Sunday night, while John was in his room, his mother walked in.

    "Are you still doing your homework?" she asked.

    "No, I'm writing a letter to Uncle Tom," John answered.

    John's mother was very surprised because John never wrote letters to anyone.

    "Are you asking him to come to your birthday party?"

    "No," John answered, "Uncle Tom never comes to my birthday parties."

    "Then what are you writing about?" his mother asked. "Will you read me the letter?"

    "OK," John said, "but I haven't finished it. I have only written two lines. I'll read them to you."

    "Dear Uncle Tom, thank you very much for sending me such a nice gift. I hope..." her mother stopped him. "But Uncle Tom hasn't sent you any gifts."

    "I know," John answered. "I'm not thanking him for this year's gift. I'm thanking him for last year's. You know, it's never too late to thank him."

    Ever since I was a child，my mouth has caused me trouble．I'm not a bad person；I have just had a hard time learning when to keep my mouth closed．

My mom has told me again and again，"Robert，your constant bad words are hurting me．If you continue to be this rude，you will get into big trouble．"

    It's been a problem at school several times，too，when teachers have told me something I didn't want to hear．I used to feel it was my duty to stand up for myself and tell them ______ off．

    One day in English class I began working on my homework until I heard a classmate talking behind me．It was Nathaniel，talking to himself as usual．

I said ever so nicely，"Nathaniel，would you be quiet?"

Nathaniel continued talking to himself．I quickly shouted，"Nathaniel，shut up!"

    For the next five minutes，we threw hurtful words back and forth at each other．

"At least I don't have an ugly lazy eye like you!"I shouted．

    I knew this would bother him deep inside．It would hurt his feelings and shut him up．

What I said filled him with anger．He tried to reach over my seat and grab me as he shouted．"That's it! That's it!"

    Surprised at his reaction，I sat back in seat．Never had I seen Nathaniel act like this before．

Later on，we were taken to the principal's office．

There，the principal told US to discuss the matter．It wasn't until then that I finally found that when I hurt someone physically，the wounds(伤口)eventually heal．But when I hurt them with my words，sometimes the pain never goes away．

    At the end of the discussion，I said sorry to Nathaniel．

    When I headed back to my room，I spent some time praying． I began to think about how often what I said hurt others．But I believe that as I keep praying and asking God to help me，he'll tell me when to keep my mouth closed．

Keeping animals and planting vegetables at school? This is what the students are doing at Zhuxi Middle School in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. The school has a small farm. There are seven chickens, three 1 and a pig on the farm. There is also a place for students to 2 vegetables. "We have got potatoes and tomatoes here," says a seventh-grader. "In autumn, we can give 3 to the cooks at our school.

Zhuxi Middle School is not the 4 one to let students do farm work. In Chongqing No.1 Secondary School, we can also see vegetables on the top of the teaching building. Students grow them with the 5 of their parents and teachers. You can easily see their 6 faces when they are farming.

 "We feel so satisfied that we jump up and down happily when we see our hard work can really make the plants grow," a student says. "And it's really a good 7 for us to get close to the nature and relax at school."

Teachers 8 the students can know about subjects like biology more easily by seeing 9 they work in real life. They can know that good results (结果) 10 hard work. And they can also learn to be responsible (责任) by looking after the animals and plants. 

Ten years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One day when I arrived to pick up my passenger at 2:30 am., the building was 1 except for a single light. Many drivers would just honk（按喇叭）, but I always went to the door. It might be someone who needs my help, I 2 to myself. 

So I walked to the door and 3 . "Just a minute", answered a weak, elderly voice. After a while, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood 4 me. By her side was a small suitcase. All the furniture was covered with sheets（床单）. In the corner was a paper box 5 of photos. 

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help. She took my arm and we walked 6 toward the car. She kept thanking me for my 7 . "It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother 8 ."

"Oh, you're such a good man," she said. When we got in the 9 , she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through the city?" "It's not the 10 way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I'm in no 11 ," she said "I'm on my way to a hospice（临终关怀医院）. I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly 12 the meter（计价器）. 

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She 13 me the buildings where she had once worked, lived, and gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying 14 .

Almost without thinking, I gave her a hug. This was perhaps the most 15 thing I had ever done in my life. Lost in thought, I wondered what would have happened if the woman had gotten an angry driver or if I had refused her. 

Last Saturday，there was{#blank#}1{#/blank#} to do at home, so I suggested going out to play. However, my brother said to me, "I have {#blank#}2{#/blank#} cards. Let's ask {#blank#}3{#/blank#} to play cards with us." I don't like card games, so I said to him, "It's boring. Let's do {#blank#}4{#/blank#} else." In the end, we agreed to go shopping. My brother bought {#blank#}5{#/blank#} new CDs in a new music shop. I didn't buy {#blank#}6{#/blank#} things there, but I bought {#blank#}7{#/blank#} new running shoes, in the department store. And my brother didn't buy {#blank#}8{#/blank#} in the department store. He said {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in the department store was not very beautiful. Finally we bought {#blank#}10{#/blank#} fruit in the supermarket.