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.

    Many people don't like to stay at home on holidays. They want to go out to see something 1 or do something exciting. People from the countryside go to the 2, and people from the city go to the countryside for holidays. During the holidays, trains, buses and planes are all very busy. It is very 3 to buy train tickets or air tickets. Many people 4 cars or buses for travelling.

    Last National Day, my family went to the countryside by car for our 5. There was too much traffic on the road. We had to move very 6. It took us about an hour to get out of the town. After some time, we 7 to a hill. It was green and beautiful. We thought that was a good place for a 8, so we stopped and 9 the food, fruits and drinks out of the car. We sat down and began to eat. Suddenly, a strong wind came and soon it started to 10. We all got wet. We had to run back to our car and had our picnic in the car. Then we drove home. What a bad trip we had!

    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.

Mr. Black retired (退休) five years ago. Now he lives a happy life. He exercises in the morning. He plays with his grandchildren on weekends. Sometimes he goes to parties.

One Sunday evening, after Mr. Black had dinner, he went out for a walk with his granddaughter Jane. They saw three beggars (乞丐) outside the park.

"Why do they beg in the street?" asked the little girl.

"Because they're poor," answered Mr. Black.

"Why don't they find any work?" "Because they're lazy."

"Do you know who is the laziest of them?"

"That's easy," said Mr. Black, he came up to them, took out five dollars and said, "I'll give the money to the laziest of you. Tell me who he is."

"I lost my job a year ago," the first beggar stood up quickly and said, "of course I am!"

"I haven't done any work for two years," the second beggar sat up and said, "give me the money."

The third beggar went on lying on the ground and said, "Come over here, sir. Put the money into my bag!"

One morning, when I was leaving for my business, a middle-aged man came up and asked me for help. He said he had no money to get food for his large family. "You look 1 . Why don't you work?" I asked. "Simply because I cannot get work, sir. " "If I give you work, what pay do you want?" "As long as I can get bread for my family, sir, " he answered. 

I decided to find out if he really meant what he said. "OK. I'll give you one pound an hour, if you 2 a brick (砖块) under your arm and walk around the square for five hours without stopping. " "Thank you, sir. I will. "

I found a brick and started him on his walk before I went on my 3 . I never thought he would do what he had said. 

When I came back five hours later, I saw him still 4 with the brick under his arm. I stopped him and gave him five pounds. He thanked me and told me that some people had 5 to help him when they knew why he was doing all this. He said they would give him work directly, but he 6 . Before leaving, he asked if I would give him the 7 , I did. 

Several years later, a well-dressed man greeted me on a train. Seeing I was not sure who he was, he 8 that he was the brick man and had his own business now. "You know, I still keep that brick and always consider it as the most 9 thing I have because it has brought me luck and success. "

In fact, it was not the brick that made the man successful, but his faithfulness (坚定) in doing 10 a very little thing. 

I'm Mary. I've decided to improve my German in the new term. Perhaps some of my advice can help you with your own language learning.

Speak more

 On my way to work or in the supermarket,I try to describe my surroundings(环境) in my head or out loud to remind myself of vocabulary and useful phrases.

Join social groups

 Last term I joined a rock band and learned lots of new vocabulary about music. This term I will join a badminton club and a German conversation group to give myself more chances to practice speaking with people who have common interests.

Change the language settings(设置) on my mobile phone

 To encourage myself to think in German, I changed my mobile phone into German. Every time I send an e-mail, I discover new words.

Watch more films

 It's a good idea to watch familiar (熟悉的) films dubbed (配音) into German. All the voices are strange, but as I already know the story, I can follow what the characters are saying. I don't have to worry about missing anything.

Laugh at myself

I've learned from my first term that I'm very good at making mistakes. There was a time when I went shopping for a scarf and kept using the German word for"sheep". This term, instead of feeling stupid, I will laugh at my silly mistakes and try again.