Are there any plants in your classroom or home? Do you think _______ can change your class or home for the better?

What makes you _______ hard? Having your own goals is important. But as it turns out, having a plant on your desk can improve your work as well. Mike Robinson has his own small _______. One day, his wife suggested picking out some plants and putting them on his workers’ desks in his company.

Robinson _______ the idea at first. He thought they might even be distracting(令人分心的). But he decided to try out the idea that his _______ gave him. First, Robinson bought 20 plants for his workers. He asked each worker to make a small _______ that said “My name is…” and write their own names on the sign. Then, they put the sign on the plant they _______ and took it back to their desk. Finally, Robinson was surprised to find that his workers were working much _______ and getting along much better than before.

It could be because his workers formed “friendships” with their plants. They would take good care of them, and in turn, take more care with their work. Plants can help to create a _______ environment as well. When people see plants, they usually feel relaxed. Does your classroom have any plants? You and your classmates could take turns to take care of some plants in the _______. It could be a nice way to make your classroom more lively and get to know your classmates even better.

With her snow-white hair and a pair of glasses, my grandma is a kind traveler and she loves adventures（冒险）.

During the summer of last year, my grandma and I went to Japan together. We ate delicious Japanese food, visited beautiful buildings, and took the speedy train. She was so open-minded about the new things we saw there. We also bought funny things from special machines that we would never find in America. We went to Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto, which were all different and very fantastic.

This summer break, my family and I flew to visit my grandma in Maine, a state about 3,000 miles away from Los Angeles. The town she lives in is small and pretty with many local shops. Her house is right on a lake, and we went swimming with her in the water. Paulinka, my grandma’s dog, would join in the fun and jump in the water as well.

Maine is on the east coast and near the Atlantic Ocean, so we ate fish and chips and lobster（龙虾）very often. Sometimes, my grandma and her friends took us on a boat to catch lobsters. In a little hidden town, the whole family got to walk in nature, lay under the stars and most importantly, enjoyed each other’s company.

I’m looking forward to the winter break because my grandma is going to come over and stay with us for some time. I’m sure my house will light up while she is here.

Do you have a pet? Owning a pet is becoming more popular in China these days. And pet owners are now willing to spend more money on their pets than before.

According to a report from Goumin.Com, Chinese people living in cities spent a total of 202.4 billion yuan on their pets in 2019. Most pet owners are people born after 1990. Most of them have incomes（收入）and are well educated.

Pet owners in China are spending more money on pet food and clothing, according to a report from Euromonitor International. Miss Hou, 28, lives in the city of Chengdu. She spent 6,000 yuan on her two cats last year. “I bought cat food from the United States, New Zealand, Japan and Thailand,” Hou said. “If I have time, I also cook for them,” she said.

“An aging society and fewer people having children are among the main reasons why more people are keeping pets,” said Liu Xiaoxia, CEO of Goumin.Com. “Keeping pets has met the emotional（感情的）needs of many people. Almost 60% of pet owners see their animal friends as their own children,” Liu said.

Beating loneliness might be another reason. Many young people are leaving their hometowns to make a living in big cities. “They have a fear of great loneliness and have much pressure（压力）, as they have few friends and face a high cost of living. Keeping pets will help them feel relaxed,” the 2019 Chinese Pet Industry White Paper said.

I hit a stranger as he walked by me, “Oh, excuse me.” I said. He replied with a smile and said, “Please excuse me too. I wasn’t watching out for you.” We said sorry to each other and went our own ways.

Later that day, when I was cooking, my daughter was standing too close to me. When I turned to reach for some milk, I nearly knocked her over. “Move out of the way!” I shouted. She walked away sadly.

While I was in bed that evening, my husband said to me, “While dealing with a stranger, you were polite, but with a daughter you love, you were unkind. Your daughter brought you some flowers that she picked herself this afternoon. You’ll find them in the kitchen by the door.”

I quietly went to my daughter’s bed. “Dear, I’m so sorry,” I said, “Are these the flowers you picked for me?”

She said, “I found them by the tree. I picked them because they’re pretty like you. I knew you’d like them.”

I replied, “I’m really sorry for the way I acted today. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

“It’s okay. I love you anyway,” she said as she kissed me.

It’s important and necessary for us to be kind to our loved ones. Everyone can live in a happy family if they do like this.