Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks.

One day, Ali took Zahra's shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn't until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali's running shoes. Zahra's school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.

Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.

The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache.(痛)

Filled with delight, Ali walked home quickly.

It's eight o'clock on a cold spring night. Our apartment has been hit by the artwork of a young, energetic child.It was in total mess！ I’m so tired tonight. I’ve been on crutches（拐杖）for seven weeks,recovering from hip surgery,and I'm trying fruitlessly to clean up.The phone rings-for the sixth time in less than an hour. We know who it is. My mom is troubled by paranoia（妄想症）-she thinks she has been kicked out of the nursing home (not true),she thinks her daughters have not visited in months (it has been a few days).

Each time she calls, I play a game with myself called“How Good a Person Can I Be?"I've won five rounds of the game tonight; I am due for a fall. She has no idea that she has repeated the things she is about to say a million times today and a million times yesterday. She has no idea that I had surgery, nor can she recall her own granddaughter's name. She is unaware of most of the past, and she drifts in the present.She is lonely.

I threw my anger at my mother. “MOM!” I yelled. “YOU ARE NOT BEING REMOVED FROM YOUR HOME!AND WE VISITED TWO DAYS AGO!”“Mom,you have to believe me,and if you don't,I cannot talk anymore!Everything is fine!”Silence. Then:“I was only calling to say hi.” My mother continued,having already forgotten that I yelled. “But I'm also worried about something; do you have a minute?”“No,Mom,I don't.”“Why are you yelling?” I'm yelling because you cannot help me care for my child, or even remember to ask me about my day. I'm yelling because you remind me of everything I fear:aging, sickness,fragility, bad luck,loss...I flop on the couch,aware of all my daughter is witnessing. She hears me blame my mother,lose my patience. I have not only failed at being a Good Person; I have failed at being a Good Example to My Daughter. I sat on the couch, defeated.

“Can I talk to Grandma Ellie?" My five-year-old reaches for the phone.

I am soft inside, watching my kindergartner handle her fragile grandmother with such skillfulness.

I used to be very shy and often felt lonely. Although I did well in all the academic subjects, I was afraid of physical education. My classmates often laughed at me.

“Look at that girl,” they said. “Her feet don’t leave the ground when she runs!”

Their words embarrassed me. Moreover, whenever the teacher organized some competitive games, no one in the class liked to have me as their partner or team member. As a result, I often ended up looking at others enjoy their games.

Things would go on like that if not for a sports meet in my high school. By mistake, my name was put on the list of those who would compete in the women’s 1500 meters race. By the time people found the mistake, it was too late to change.

I was utterly dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的). 1500 meters! Running against the best runners from other classes! And in front of students of the entire school! It would be the worst nightmare I’d ever have!

“You still have time to catch up because there is still one month before the sports meet,” my classmates all said this to me, including my teacher.

My desk-mate patted me on the shoulder, “Cool! You will run for our class! And we will do training together.” Yes, this is not just for myself, but for my class too, I said to myself. But still, 1500 meters to me was like Mount Everest to a beginning climber. I had no idea even how to start my preparation.

Fortunately, my desk-mate gave me a hand. Every afternoon after class, several of us ran together. They gave me strengths. While we were running, some others would stand by the tracks cheering for us.

One month certainly couldn’t make me a good runner. But when I was standing behind the start line, I no longer felt lonely or afraid. I saw my classmates standing by the tracks waving at me as if about to run beside me.

The day finally came!

With the shot of the starting gun, I dashed out and ran as fast as I could.

As expected, I was almost the last to cross the finish line.

An Exciting Basketball Match on Campus

The Rainbow Chase (追逐)

One summer afternoon, about 8 years old, I was standing at a window of the farmhouse, looking at a beautiful rainbow that seemed to be losing itself in thick woods about a quarter of a mile distant.

No one was in the room then but my brother Rufus. “See, brother,” I said, “The rainbow drops right down among the woods.”

“Do you know, Gracie,” said Rufus seriously, “if you should go there, you would find pots of gold and silver.”

“Is it truly so?” I asked

“Truly so.” Answered Rufus, with a smile. I was then a simple-hearted child, believing everything told me. Without another word, I dashed out of the door, setting off towards the woods. Rufus called after me loudly, but I didn’t stop.

I cared nothing for the wet grass and ran on. Thinking what fine presents I could give to my friends and laying delightful plans, before I knew it, I had reached the woods, and the rainbow was not there! But I saw it shining down among the trees a little further off, so on and on I struggled, through the thick bushes and over logs, till I came within the sound of a steam. Then I thought, “What if the rainbow should come down right in the muddy stream? What about the heavy pots of gold and silver? How should I get them out?” I reached the bank of the stream, and again the rainbow was not there! It was on the other side!

I crossed the steam on a fallen tree and on and on I ran, though my legs began to give out and every inch of my body ached. It was rather hard travelling in a journey after riches. The woods grew thicker, darker and scarier; the ground more wet and slippery. Fright and hurry made me forget the rainbow. When at last I remembered and looked for it, it was nowhere in sight. It had faded away! I burst into tears; for I had lost all my treasures and had nothing to show off but muddy feet and wet and torn dress.

Worse still, I couldn’t find my way back home: I was lost!

At last I heard my own name called.

Two things changed my life: my mother and a bike basket. It’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a bike basket into a life lesson I carry with me today—a lesson about the value of efforts.

My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how she did it. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task, but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what other kids owned, we’d hear something like, “I don’t care what so-and-so got for his birthday. You are not getting a TV in your room or a big party.” We had to earn our allowance (零用钱) by doing chores (家庭杂务) around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.

It was one summer day. My mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed—and there it was in the window—white, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers: The basket winked at me and I knew—I had to have it.

“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her. “What a neat basket.”

I tried to hold off at first, but then I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Mom, please can I get it? I’ll do anything, please, Mom, please?” I was desperate.

“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “if you save up, you could buy this yourself.”

“By the time I have earned enough, it’ll have gone! Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?”

“There might be another way,” she said.

“I’ll buy it now but you only get it after 3 weeks of double chores,” Mom explained.

Finally, I got my dream basket, but soon I sadly found the same basket on others’ bikes!