For Lin’s eleventh birthday, his father took him to the Children’s Activity Centre. And he said Lin could choose any course that interested ______. There was just one requirement: Lin would have to promise ______ it for at least one year.

To that point, Lin had had many hobbies, but none ______ for more than a week or two. Lin’s eyes moved down the courses. He stopped at“Photography”. He liked the idea of taking beautiful pictures but the notice said ______ their own camera. Lin’s family weren’t poor, ______ they weren’t rich, either. A camera cost a lot of money, so he continued looking.

The next course to catch his eye was “Cooking”. It sounded like something he’d like to do. It was inexpensive and convenient. It could be done alone and it was also creative.

Based on Lin’s hobby history, his dad had many ______, but he agreed. Much to his parents’ surprise, Lin kept his promise. He studied cooking at the centre every Saturday and practised ______. He also made delicious meals for his family at home. Lin got great satisfaction from the pleasure his food brought ______.

The months turned to years but his hobby never changed again.

Now Lin is ______ adult and runs a successful restaurant. When customers say they enjoy his meal, he still gets the same pleasure he did ______ a child, and remembers the special gift he received all those years ago.

One day, a baby snail found that he had to carry a big and heavy shell (壳) at any time. He was confused (困惑的) , so he went up to his _______ and asked, “Why do I carry a hard and heavy shell?” His mother said, “Because we don’t have bones to hold us up. We can only move _______, so we need a shell to protect us.”

The baby snail asked _______, “The caterpillar has no bones, either. Why can she live without a shell?” The mother snail answered, “That’s because a caterpillar will become a butterfly. She can _______ high into the sky. The sky can protect her.”

The baby snail had one more question, “But the earthworm moves like us. He has no bones and he _______ into a butterfly. Why doesn’t he carry a hard and heavy shell?” His mother said, “He can dig a hole and hide in the ground, and then the _______ can protect him.”

The baby snail then cried, “We are so poor! We have no _______ from the sky or from the ground!” His mother smiled at him, “My dear, imagine that _______ we don’t have the shells, what will happen to us? Hot sun will dry out our bodies and we will have _______ to sleep. What’s worse, we will die in the heavy rain. How terrible it is! We don’t depend on the sky or the ground for protection. We should ________ ourselves.”

It’s a sunny morning. The weather is warm today. Joe is at the stop and waiting for the bus. He is going to school. Then he sees an old man with an umbrella in his hand.

“Is it going to rain today, sir?” Joe asks the old man.

“No,” says the old man, “I don’t think so.”

“Then why do you take the umbrella? Do you want to keep the sun off?”

“No. The sun is not very hot today.”

Joe looks at the umbrella again. And the old man says, “I’m old. My legs are not very well, and I can’t walk fast. I really need a cane (拐杖). But when I take a cane, people say, ‘Look at the old man.’ I don’t like hearing that. So I take an umbrella.”

Before China’s National Youth Day, Mo Yan once wrote a letter to young people and shared two stories of his childhood. They were about A BOOK that brought him knowledge and A MAN that brought him strength.

“The book is Xinhua Dictionary. My family lived a tough (艰难的) life, and I had to drop out of school. Back then, children of my age were at school, learning and playing games together, but I didn’t have that privilege. The good thing is that I got a copy of the Xinhua Dictionary, and it was all I had. Most of the words I knew didn’t come from school. Instead, I learned them by reading the Xinhua Dictionary, which got me through the tough time and prepared me for my writing career.”

“The man is my grandpa. One day, I got caught in bad weather with Grandpa when we were on the way home with a handcart (手推车) of grass. The wind got stronger and stronger. I was pushed down to the ground and couldn’t move. Grandpa, however, hung on to the handcart. It seemed that he had no plans to run for cover—he decided to fight against the wind. Then in the strong wind, Grandpa’s legs were shaking, but he didn’t move back. Nor did the handcart. Although the grass was long gone at the end of the day, we still had the handcart.”

“So, my dear young friends, I want you to remember that when you are having a tough time in life, don’t lose heart. Never let life knock you down. Even in the hardest situation, there is hope that encourages us to move forward.”

Nowadays, many people would like to go outside for a short trip on weekends. Before they actually go out, one thing they have to think about is how to get to the place they plan to go. When you go somewhere, choosing the proper transportation is really important. 【小题1】

Don’t drive a car.

【小题2】 Walking is a good choice when you travel to a village or visit some places with mountains. You can slow down to enjoy the beautiful views along the roads. That’s the thing you’re not able to do well in a car. That’s really enjoyable and relaxing.

【小题3】

Many people usually like to travel by bike, especially the young. They think they can also exercise in this way. 【小题4】 Just feel the wind and riding bikes can also make less pollution.

Choose public transport.

If you travel to a city, try to take public transport. You needn’t worry about the problem of parking. Mostly, cities offer lots of information and clear maps about the public transport. 【小题5】 It can also provide you with good chances to enjoy the beautiful sights.

No matter what transportation you choose, you must remember that safety comes first. Choosing a proper one will make your journey more wonderful.