Once I sent off a friend to the railway station. We called a taxi and put _________ heavy suitcases (行李箱) at the back of the car. Getting off, a middle-aged man leaning (倚着) on a _________ opened the door for us. After that, he put out a small dirty _________ to us. There were some coins and notes of one or two jiao in the bowl.

I asked my friend if she had some _________. She shook her head. I _________ in my wallet and found a note of fifty yuan. Since we didn’t have any coins, I had to give the note of fifty yuan to the middle-aged man. _________, he kept shaking the small bowl, as if he received so much money for the first time.

Not caring, we went straight to the back of the car to get the suitcases. My friend tried very hard to _________ one suitcase. Just _________ she was about to picked up the other, a dark hand put in. “let me do it.” He picked up the suitcase and offered to _________ it for us to the gate of the railway station. “No, thank you. You don’t have to do it.” My friend and I said to him. “No, I must send you off.” He limped (跛行) towards the __________, one hand leaning on a stick and the other hand carrying the large suitcase.

Does the name fit the place?   

Have you seen this meme (表情包) online before? The man in the meme is Michael Rosen, a famous British children’s book writer who has written about 140 books. He’s known as “nice granddad” in China.

Michael Rosen was born in Middlesex, the UK in 1946. His parents were both teachers. Michael Rosen started writing poems about people he knew when he was twelve years old.

Michael Rosen is busy with the teaching of writing and the reading of literature (文学作品) in schools. He visits schools to encourage children with his love for books and poems. He is one of the first poets to make visits to schools around the UK and the world. He is also one of the first poets to write about his own childhood (童年) experiences and to write them in the language children actually use.

However, life hasn’t always treated Rosen well. Eddie, his second son, died at the age of 18. Rosen couldn’t forget how he felt. The death of his son was the inspiration (灵感) for Michael Rosen’s Sad Book. In March 2020, Rosen was sent to the hospital because of COVID-19. Later, Rosen recovered (恢复), but one of his ears went deaf and he had to learn how to stand up again, just like a kid. However, for Rosen, it was not the end of the world. He turned the sad experience into writing. He wrote the book Many Different Kinds of Love and faced up to life with the most important thing — optimistic (乐观的) spirit.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was a great success. It must have given a deep impression (印象) on you. Many traditional Chinese cultural elements (元素) could be seen in it. Now, let’s take a look at some of them.

Year of the Tiger

In Chinese culture, the tiger is a symbol of victory and good luck. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics met the Year of the Tiger. Therefore, many elements with the tiger were shown in people’s dress, such as the tiger-head hats and clothes with tiger pictures.

Bing Dwen Dwen

Bing Dwen Dwen, the cute mascot (吉祥物) of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, catches attention with the panda’s full-body. The idea came from the traditional Chinese food Tanghulu. “Bing” is the Chinese character (汉字) for ice, and Dwen Dwen is a common nickname (外号) in China for children that suggests health.

The Guest-Greeting Pine (迎客松)   

The guest-greeting pine is a must-visit of Mount Huangshan. Fireworks (烟花) in the shape of the “Guest-Greeting Pine” lit up the night sky during the opening ceremony, which stands for the peace and friendship between China and the world.

A Willow Twig (柳条)   

In ancient China, when two friends parted, the one who was leaving would receive a willow twig as a gift. For the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, it was proper and creative to use willow twigs to say goodbye to players.

Albrecht Durer was a great German artist. Among his famous works, one has always made people moved — Praying Hands.

Albrecht was born in a poor family. There were eighteen children in the family. In order to feed this big family, Albrecht’s father worked hard day and night. Albrecht and his brother Albert showed great interests in art. They both wanted to be artists, but they knew well that their parents couldn’t pay for both of them to attend an art school.

The two brothers came up with an idea one night. They would toss (掷) a coin, and the loser of the toss would have to work in the coalmines (煤矿) to support his brother during his studies. The winning brother would complete the studies in four years and then help the other one do the same.

Albrecht won the toss and went to art school. Four years passed, Albrecht became a very famous artist and made a lot of money from his works. It was time for Albert to go to art school. But he couldn’t learn to paint anymore because his hands were out of shape after years of hard work.

Albrecht was very thankful for his brother. So he drew Praying Hands to honor (纪念) his brother Albert.

The next time you see a copy of this creation, take a second look. Remember the things others may have done for your success in life.

61. 双减政策实施以后，李华体会到了双减政策落实后的快乐，然而李华的却妈妈特别焦虑，担心孩子学习成绩会下降。假设你是李华，请你写一封信给妈妈，让她打消焦虑的情绪。

I know you’re so worried about my study after the double reduction policy has been carried out. But I want to tell you that there’s no need to worry.

As far as I’m concerned, with the policy successfully carried out , we will enjoy a happier life and I will certainly grow into a better person.

Love,

Li hua