Clapper talk, or Chinese kuaiban, is a traditional art form. Performers talk and sing with a pair of bamboo clappers (响板). You ________ think of it as traditional Chinese rapping.

I am a big clapper talk fan. I’ve been learning it since I ________ six years old. ________ first time I watched a clapper talk performance, I ________ by its free style and lively language. So I decided ________ it.

However, learning clapper talk is not easy. It requires clear articulation (吐字) and rhythm (节奏) control, as well as good coordination (协调) of both hands. Each of these skills needs to be practiced hard. After training for a whole morning, my hands feel numb (麻木的) and my throat is very dry. Sometimes I think about ________, but I keep telling myself that persistence (坚持) brings ________.

After several years of practice, I have mastered these skills and my love for clapper talk is deeper. I also start to understand its cultural value—it shows the beauty of rhyme and rhythm in the Chinese language, as well as the creativity that comes from playing the clappers ________ different ways. Clapper talk performances also have positive messages about respecting one’s elders and loving your family.

Performing on stage has helped me enjoy this art form even more. I can put ________ to express into my performance, such as my self-introduction, interesting historical stories, or my love for my hometown of Nanjing. I will definitely keep studying it and make ________ progress!

It’s been nearly 40 years since I became a member of navy (海军). You may be expecting ________ I have won so many honors as a commander-in-chief (最高统帅). In fact, it all began from the half a year’s basic training. The training included midnight swim in the cold water, days without food and long painful runs in the soft sand. I always felt cold, wet, hungry and painful.

The training also needed to find those who could be ________ in an environment of stress, mess, failure and hardships. To me, the basic training was a lifetime of challenges that ________ six months.

And today, I’d like to talk about one little thing.

Every morning in the training, my instructors (教官) would appear in our rooms. The first thing they did was to ________ our beds. The corners would be square if we did it right. The covers would be pulled tight, and the pillow would be centered just under the headboard.

It was a difficult task, ________ we had to do it every morning. We were required to make our beds ________. It seemed a little funny, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proved to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning, you will have completed the first task of the day. It will bring you a small ________ of success, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another. And by the end of the day, one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will prove the fact. If you can’t do the little things right, you will hardly be able to do the ________ things right.

Changing the world can happen anywhere and ________ can do it. Even now, I still start my day with making the bed to perfection. So if you have an awful day by accident, you will come home to a bed that you made—and a bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

In general, if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. I hope all of you will have a ________ future!

All parents hope that their children will live a good life, so it is of great importance to cultivate (培养) children’s good qualities of being knowledgeable and independent.     31     A child who would like to help others can shape a sense of responsibility and better achieve success.

To offer help to others can make children responsible and believable. It is the same in the family. When children learn to sweep the floor and wash clothes, they will feel that they are a part of the family.     32     However, if children are not educated to take responsibility at home, they will think parents should provide everything for them.     33    

As for me, when I was 5 years old, I was encouraged by my mother to do some chores for my family. She made me realize I was a member of the family and that I should be as helpful as I could. I started to help tidy up the study, clean the kitchen, and care for the flowers.     34    

My mom once told me, “Helping others is helping yourself.” I always keep her words in mind and try my best to help every person who needs help. I still remember the time when I got others’ help with my survey in school. At first, I was afraid no one would help me.     35     I wouldn’t have completed the survey so fast without them.

Helpful children can easily be successful because a helpful hand can bring more helpful hands. So it is meaningful for parents to teach their children to be helpful.