The Phone Call

        It was getting dark. Paul looked out of the window and signed (叹气). Dad said he would come home by 5:30, but it was almost 7:00. Even if Dad came back, it wouldn't be much fun playing 1 in the dark. Paul walked into his room and threw his baseball into the corner. He tried to do some homework, but couldn't.

      The phone rang at about 8:00. It was Dad: “Paul, I'm 2, but I couldn't play baseball with you tonight. I have to finish my work at

the office. Maybe we can play this weekend. Oh no. How about next weekend?....”

       Paul couldn't understand why Dad was so 3. He threw himself into the sofa and soon fell asleep. His book was still opened to the

 first page.

      The next day at school, Paul didn't hand in his homework and 4 a test. Mrs. Green, his teacher, asked him to stay after school. “Paul, you didn't do your homework. You didn't pass the test and only got a D. This isn't like you. What's wrong?”

      Paul just sat there5 . “Paul, if you don't want to talk, I will. I know that something's worrying with you, but you have to get it out. You need to tell someone.”

      As Paul walked home, he thought of what Mrs. Green said. Maybe he didn't do his homework because he wanted to get his dad's _6 . He knew Mrs. Green was right. He decided to take her advice.

      When Paul got home, he 7his dad. But there was no answer. Then it went to voicemail (语音信箱). Paul began talking: “Dad, I can't play with you next weekend. I've got lots of problems with my homework. Also, I really don't want to spend another day looking out of the window and waiting. Whenever you 8our plans, Dad, it hurts me. It's not too late to rebuild our relationship, but we have to start small. Maybe you can help me with my 9sometime. Dad, I love you.”

      As Paul ended the call, he felt much relaxed. He didn't know whether his dad would be different, but it didn't matter. He himself __10. He expressed his feelings to the right person. He had a clear head as he was doing his homework that evening.

    I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch (牧场).He has let me use his ranch to raise money for youth at risk programs.

    The last time I was there he told me his story. When he was young, his family is too 1 to have a house to live in. When he was in high school, he was asked to write a paper about 2 he wanted to be and do when he grew up. That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday 3 a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great 4 and he even drew a picture to show a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, "See me after class." Roberts went to see the teacher and asked, "Why did I receive an F?" His teacher said, "This is a(an) 5 dream for a young boy like you. Having a horse ranch requires a lot of money. There's no way you could ever do it." Then the teacher added, "If you will rewrite this paper with a more possible goal, I will reconsider your 6."

    The boy went home and thought about it for a 7 and hard time. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to 8 your own mind on this." Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no 9 at all.  He told his teacher," You could keep the F and I will 10 keep my dream."

    Monty tells me this story because I am sitting in his 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of his 200-acre horse ranch. He said kids' dreams can be stolen. Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

Stephen Hawking was probably the world's most famous scientist after Albert Einstein. He was an expert on black holes. He put his whole life into digging into the beginning and the end of the universe.

"My goal is simple," Hawking once said. "It is to completely understand the universe, why it is as it is and why it is there at Hawking received many awards and prizes for his work over the years. This includes winning the Albert Einstein Award. It is the highest achievement in theoretical physics (理论物理)• But Hawking is achitvements are even greater if you think of his disability.

Hawking had a bad illness that stopped him from moving or talking. Later he got a wheelchair with a computer by his side. He moved two fingers to control the computer's mouse. He chose his words from the screen, which were then spoken by a voice synthesizer (合成器). This helped him communicate better.

"I have had the disease for most of my life, and I even have had no way to communicate except by simple eye movements since 2011?^" Hawking once said. "Yet it has not stopped me from being successful at my work."

Hawking tried to make science more popular with people. In 1988 he wrote A Brief History of Time, sharing his understanding of the universe with other people. The book was a best-seller for a long time. So far, it has sold more than 10 million copies around the world. Hawking also wrote a children's book— Unlocking the Universe with his daughter. He said the book would be "a bit like Harry Potter" but without the magic.

Hawking liked pop culture. He sang in rock songs. He even played roles in popular TV plays including StarTrek{ 1992), The Simpsons(1999) and The Big Bang Theory(2012). He played himself in all these shows and was proud of making the audience laugh.

Fred had something important to tell his family. Everyone in his family 1 to sit at the dinner table and listen.

"I'm going to take part in the Olympics," he said.

"2 a fourth-grader do that?" asked Anna, his younger sister.

"I'm not going now. I'll go when I'm a little 3 ." Fred shook his head. "I've studied 4 the athletes become the best. That is practice. If I practice 5 enough, I can't fail."

"Sounds like a big challenge," said Dad. "Which sport will you take up?"

"I 6 up my mind yet," said Fred.

After a month's practice, Fred got hurt again and again when he 7 to find out which sport for him. "I don't think I can find a sport right 8 me," said Fred.

The following Sunday, the family sat down for dinner as usual.

"I've decided not to play a sport," said Fred.

Everyone was surprised.

"You're giving up on 9 Olympic dream?" said Anna.

"I didn't say I was giving up," said Fred. "I'm still going to the Olympics."

Anna looked puzzled. "How can you go 10 you don't do a sport?"

Fred held up a book titled Is Sports Medicine the Career for You? "Over the past few weeks, I've discovered that athletes need 11 medical help. So I am going to become 12 sports doctor. I'll still go to the Olympics — 13 as a doctor, not an athlete." Fred answered confidently.

"Now that is 14 challenge, Fred!" said Dad. "I'm sure you would do as well as you can 15 your dream."

I'm Rita. My grandmother is 80 years old. That's really old! We have a birthday party for her every year. All my uncles and aunts come to the party. Every time, my aunt Laura makes a big cake with many candles on it. We sing the birthday song and eat the cake together.

Grandma is very old, but she is doing well. Her ears are not good, but she can see very well. Watering flowers is her favorite. She often says the flowers are like her children, and she likes watching them grow. She also works on the farm every day. She gives us a lot of vegetables. We take photos when eating them, because seeing us eat her vegetables makes her happy.

I hope I live to be very old and have a big family. I want to have a birthday party every year and grow flowers and vegetables, too, just like my grandmother!