Happy Birthday to My School!

Whether it is Worthwhile to Protect the Mogao Caves

I had always dreamed of winning the school marathon. Ever since I joined the running team in freshman year, I had trained hard to improve my speed. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. There were many strong runners in my grade, and some of them had more experience and skills than me.

The day of the race finally came. I was nervous but excited. I put on my running shoes and headed to the starting line. I saw my competitors, some of them looking confident, some of them looking worried. I tried to relax myself and pay attention to my own running. The coach gave us some last-minute advice and encouragement. He told us to do our best and not give up.

The whistle (哨子) blew and we were off. I rushed ahead, trying to get a good position. I felt the wind in my face. I heard the cheers of the crowd (人群) and the footsteps of the other runners. I kept running, pushing myself to do my best.

After running for a while, I realized that I was in the lead. I couldn’t believe it. I had never been in this situation before. But then I also felt a sense of fear. What if I couldn’t keep it up? What if someone caught up with me? What if I fell?

I tried to shake off these negative thoughts and pay attention to the finish line. But it was getting harder and harder. My legs were burning and my heart was pounding. I thought that I had lost the race. I thought that I had let myself down and everyone who supported me. I felt like giving up.

Another school year was beginning. I had thirteen excited first graders eager to learn and ready to fill my classroom with laughs, tears, and everything. I realized that I had a small class size and got excited about the special projects we could do. One project that I had been particularly interested in was finding a doctor in Doctors Without Borders as a pen pal for my students, which could definitely broaden my students’ horizons.

I began by sending out an e-mail to our school district employees asking for names and contact information of any doctor in Doctors Without Borders which they knew of. I sent an e-mail to each one asking if we could communicate with them, but only one reply came: Dr. Denisar, who was in Africa for humanitarian medical work. Since six-year-olds’attention spans were short and many of the students were just learning how to read and write, I thought it would be the best to correspond through e-mail. Dr. Denisar quickly became a reward system. If students practiced and could read a book fluently, I would record it and e-mail it. If they finished a writing assignment, I would scan it and e-mail it. If students were misbehaving, I caught myself saying, “What would Dr. Denisar think about that?”

We also used the information Dr. Denisar included in his e-mails as learning opportunities. As we communicated with him, we learned more about him, as well as his missions from disease outbreaks to malnutrition of the locals. We started to lighten things up by recording songs and jokes, and sending art projects and care packages. He appreciated the communication. After Dr. Denisar returned, we continued to communicate with him, as my students had got quite attached. He promised that he would make a trip to our small town in Illinois to meet my class when he could.

The school year was beginning to wrap up when he contacted me in April about coming up to visit in May. For the first time, we began talking on the phone about his visit.

As the day of his visit approached, the kids began to get nervous.

A whole morning had passed before we knew it.

Have you ever been so depressed that you can’t sleep? You also can’t eat. You can’t read. You have no friends to call up and nothing is good on TV. So you sigh, press your face down harder into your pillow, and shed a few tears.

This was my life two years ago. I had just turned 14 but already found life a struggle. As I lay in my bed one Saturday, Mom peeked (瞄) into my room to make her regular “Is Emily still alive” check. I knew that if I spent more time like this, she would begin dusting me. After suggesting a few things for me to do that I immediately rejected, Mom made her move, “Emily! Get dressed! I’m taking the dog out for a walk, and you’re coming with me!” “Why?” I protested. “Because it’ll make you feel better.”     

The thought of moving was unbearable. I felt as if all of my body parts were weighed down by tons of bricks I couldn’t remember the last time I had gone outside. Somehow I found the strength to slip on a pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt. Mom was waiting at the door, leash (狗绳) in hand and dog at her side.

Then, we stepped outside. It was a warm March day and it had been a long time since the warmth of the sun had touched my cheeks. Mom led the dog and me down some dirt paths, through a big field and reached Halsey Pond. But the signs of spring had yet to appear and the scene was rather colorless throughout the entire journey.

“I’m tired! It’s boring, Mom! When can we go home?” “Not yet,” she’d say. Mom stopped to say hi to every jogger, dog walker, runner, and bicyclist who passed us. Sometimes she would get into a conversation. They would talk about weather, dogs, and all small talk topics. She seemed happy, and was literally glowing (容光焕发). After walking for what seemed an age, Mom finally said it was time to go back.

Paragraph 1: When I got home, a new feeling seemed to be awakened.

Paragraph 2: A new Saturday found me asking Mom if I could take the dog out.

Jimmy loved ice cream. It was his favorite dessert (甜点). He wanted to eat ice cream all the time. His parents let him have a small dish each night after dinner, if he ate all of his vegetables.

Jimmy liked eating ice cream at home, but he really loved going to the ice cream stand to get an ice cream. There were so many different flavors to try! Jimmy always did his best to try a new kind of ice cream each time.

When Jimmy turned eight, he had a checkup at the doctor’s office. Dr. Katz said that ice cream wasn’t a very healthy snack. “It’s fine to have a little ice cream once in a while, but not every night,” she said.

After the doctor’s visit, Jimmy and his mom drove home. “Can I still have ice cream for dessert tonight?” Jimmy asked.” I don’t think so, honey,” Mom said, “We should try to be healthier.”

That night at supper, Jimmy ate all his vegetables. But there was no ice cream for dessert. Instead, Mom came up with a new rule that Jimmy could have ice cream once a week. “But if you want to eat ice cream, you’ll have to earn it by walking to the ice cream stand,” she said.

According to the map, the ice cream stand was a mile away. Jimmy was willing to give it a try, so they decided to take their walk on Saturday afternoon. It was a hot and sunny day. Jimmy began to feel sweaty when he walked just a few hundred meters. The sun was so bright that he had to look with his eyes partly shut in order to keep out bright light.

Jimmy kicked a pebble (鹅卵石) and watched it roll into a river on the street. “I’m hot,” said Jimmy, “How much farther is it?” Mom checked the map on her phone. “We’re not even halfway yet. Do you want to turn around?”

Jimmy did want to turn around, but he also wanted ice cream.

He was about to quit.