【推荐1】Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work,   family, health,   friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber (橡胶) ball. If you drop it, it will bounce (弹跳) back.

But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will never be the same. You must understand that and try to balance (平衡) them. So please treat your life in a right way. But how?

Don’t look down on your worth (价值) by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special.

Don’t let other people set goals (目标) for you. Only you know what is best for yourself.

Don’t give up easily. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. If you insist (坚持), you’ll have hope of success.

Don’t be afraid of difficulties. Be brave!

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.

Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don’t use time carelessly. You can’t get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery (秘密), and today is a gift. Life is not a competition, but a trip, step by step.

【推荐3】When I was in Grade 8, I had a heated argument（争吵）with my classmate, Tony. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.

I believed that I was right and he was wrong, and Tony believed that I was wrong and he was right. Our teacher, a kind and smart lady, decided to teach us a lesson. She brought us to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large and round object. I could clearly see that it was black. The teacher asked us what color the object was. “White,” Tony answered. I couldn’t believe he said the object was white! “Clearly, it was black!” Another argument started between Tony and me, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go and stand where Tony was standing and told him to go and stand where I was standing. We changed places, and now she asked me what color the object was. I had to answer, “White.” It was an object with two differently colored sides—from his side it was white, while from my side it was black. “Boys, now, what do you say?” The teacher smiled at us. Tony has been my best friend ever since.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: When you disagree with others, you’d better be in their shoes. That will help you look at the situation through their eyes, and truly understand their ideas and ways of thinking.

Kong Rong was a famous writer during the Han Dynasty（汉朝）. He was considerate（考虑周到的；体贴的）when he was only four.

    1     One day, their father bought lots of pears. Some of the pears were big and looked good.     2     The boys were happy and began to choose（选择）some.     3     Kong’s father found this strange and asked, “Why not choose a bigger one, my son?” Kong answered, “I am younger. My elder brothers are older and eat more.     4    ”

“But you have a young brother. He should take the smallest one!”

“He is younger and needs more nutrition（营养）. He should get a bigger one, too.”

Kong’s father was very happy that Kong could be so considerate.     5     He thought of what others wanted first.

【推荐3】Modesty is a valuable quality in many cultures around the world. In China, this is no different. However, the phrase “毛遂自荐” seems to disagree with this.

During the Warring States Period, the Qin army marched (进军) on Handan, the capital of Zhao. Seeing that Handan was in danger, Prince Pingyuan asked for help from the state of Chu. He wanted to pick 20 talented people to go with him. However, he could only find 19 people who were good enough. Then, a man named Mao Sui volunteered.

Prince Pingyuan looked at Mao Sui with doubt. “How long have you been here with me?” “Three years,” Mao Sui answered. “I hear that a person with talent is like an awl in a cloth bag. Its sharp point will soon pierce through the bag. You’ve been here for a long time, but I haven’t seen any of your achievements. Maybe you don’t have any talent,” said Prince Pingyuan.

“What I’m asking you now is to put me into that bag. If you do that, I will pierce through it. But not only the point—the whole awl,” Mao Sui said confidently.

Impressed, Prince Pingyuan allowed Mao to join his team, and Mao proved very helpful. Now the phrase “Mao Sui recommending himself” is used to describe someone who volunteers to do a task.

However, there is a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance (傲慢). It’s important to believe in yourself, but a strong ego (自我) can harm your career and professional relationships. So we recommend letting your work speak for itself.

【推荐1】Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 and died on April 21, 1910. He was a wise and funny man. As we all know, Samuel was a famous American writer. In fact, he also liked hunting and fishing in his free time.

One day, Samuel ended his holiday in Maine and decided to return home. He drove to the train station, and then got into a carriage（客车厢）and sat down. The carriage was empty when he got in, but soon, another man got in and sat down on the seat opposite（在……的对面）him. Samuel thought it was impolite to say nothing, so he said good morning to the man, and they began to talk.

They talked about the weather and then Maine. The man said, “There are some beautiful forests in Maine. It’s a pity to come to Maine without spending some time there.” “Yes, but I still had a very good time. And let me tell you something secret. Although fishing isn’t allowed in Maine now, I’ve got many fish. By the way, may I ask who you are, sir?” said Samuel.

The man looked at Samuel for several seconds and then answered, “I’m a policeman. My job is to catch people who hunt or fish during the wrong season. And who are you?”

Samuel was surprised and frightened when he heard this. He thought quickly and then answered, “Well, I’m the man who tells the biggest lies（谎言）in America.”

Look at the young man in the picture. He is taking a big bottle of water in his hand. He looks a little shy while speaking. Maybe you think he is a student. No! He is a university (大学) teacher. His name is Wei Dongyi. Wei has a great talent for math and he is teaching at Peking University now.

Born in Shandong in 1991, Wei has a happy family. His father taught math at a university and always kept math books at home. As a kid, Wei’s favorite thing was to read his father’s books. In his first year of primary school, Wei read a math book called Loo-Keng Hua’s School of Math. Soon he became interested in math. When he was 14 years old, Wei joined the school’s Olympiad training team and studied with a group of high school students.

Two years later. Wei took part in the 49th International Mathematical Olympiad (国际数学奥林匹克竞赛) and got first place with full marks. After getting first place at the IMO twice, he went to study at Peking University.

Wei Dongyi hardly watches TV. He likes listening to the radio in his free time. He doesn’t spend much time deciding what to eat or wear. He studies math with all his heart. Wei sets a good example for young people, and he is a real star we should run after.