【推荐1】When I was a six-year-old girl, I spent the summer with my grandmother. She sent me down to the store with a list. Behind the counter (柜台) was a lady, Miss White.

“Excuse me,” I said, she looked up. “I need to get these.” I continued, holding up my list.

“So? Get them?” Miss White pointed to a sign. “There is no one else here except you and me, and I am not your servant, so get yourself a basket over there.”

I visited Miss White twice a week that summer. Going to the store was like going into a war. But by the end of the summer, I could finish the one-hour shopping trip in around 15 minutes. Before returning home, I stopped at the store to get some candies at the last time.

“All right,” she said, “What did you learn this summer?”

“That you are mean!” I replied.

Miss White just laughed. “I know what you think of me,” she said. “Well, I don’t care! My job is to teach every child I meet life lessons. You will be glad when you are older!” Glad I met Miss White? Ha! The idea was unreasonable.

Many years later, one day my daughter came to me with homework troubles.

“It is too hard,” she said.

“Could you finish my math problems for me?”

“If I do it for you, how will you learn to do it yourself?” I said. Suddenly, I was back at that store where I had learned the hard way to do shopping by myself.

Life is full of all kinds of troubles. You may be given a hand once or twice, but luck may not find you every time. So try to work it out yourself.

【推荐2】One day, I picked up my daughter Lingling from school and went to the supermarket for a few things. I was hoping to be in and out quickly.

I found a short line with just one person in front of me. It was an old woman, and she was paying for her things with only coins. After a long day at work, I thought the woman was very terrible.

But then I watched a young salesman. He helped her count her coins, ever so kindly taking them from her shaking hands. I listened to him repeatedly say to her: “ Yes, ma’am (女士). ” When she asked if she had enough money to buy a bag, he told her she did. Then he walked over two lines and got one for her. This salesman wasn’t angry at all. He was patient and kind.

As I was watching him, I saw Lingling was too. I realised my daughter was learning an important lesson from a stranger.

When the woman was finished, the salesman began ringing up my things and thanked me for my patience (耐心). I thanked him too. I found the manager and told him about the salesman’s kindness and patience.

Then we left the supermarket with a full basket, but also with a heart full of thankfulness for such an important lesson.

【推荐3】A long time ago, there was an old man. He had two sons, Qing Shan and Hong Shan. The old man gave East Mountain to Qing Shan and West Mountain to Hong Shan.

There were many trees in West Mountain. Hong Shan worked hard all day to cut down trees for firewood. Five years later, there were not many trees in the mountain, so he started to plant crops (庄稼). Unluckily, a heavy rain washed away all the crops. He had nothing to eat and had to go to his brother in East Mountain.

There were only a few trees in East Mountain at first, but Qing Shan had a plan. He first cut down the trees with poor quality and then planted some trees. He planted crops and fed cows and horses, too. Five years later, there were many trees, crops, cows, sheep and horses in the mountain. The heavy rain couldn't wash away the crops because of the trees in the mountain.

Later people praised Qing Shan, saying, “As long as the green mountain are there, there is no need to worry about firewood.”

I loved everything about school except for one person：Mildred．

Every day，as we walked home after school，she would step on the backs of my shoes．Then，when I stopped to put my shoes on，Mildred would hit me on the back quickly and run away．She scared（惊吓）me．

Soon，my mother found something was wrong．I told her the whole story．My mum told me not to worry and said she had a plan．

The next morning，my mum walked up the hill with me．Just as we got to the top of the hill，we saw Mildred．

"Hello，Mildred，"my mum said quietly．Mildred stopped，standing still． Her hands and face were bright red．Her oversized coat hung open．There were only two buttons（纽扣）on it．

My mother didn't say anything at first．Instead，she buttoned up Mildred's coat and turned the collar（衣领）up around her neck．

"I'm Amy's mother．I need your help，Mildred．"My mother's hands held Mildred's as she spoke．"Amy doesn't have any brothers or sisters．She needs a good friend at school，someone to walk up the hill with her after classes are over．Would you be Amy's friend，Mildred？"

Mildred chewed（咬住）on her bottom lip（嘴唇）and nodded．"Oh，thank you！"my mother said．"I just know you are someone I can depend on．"Then she hugged us and left as though nothing unusual had happened．

Mildred and I walked on to school．As I looked over at her，I saw that Mildred was smiling！I'd never seen her smile before．

We walked up the hill each day after school together and pretty soon we became good friends．

I didn't understand my mum's plan at that time．But finally，I came to understand her message：Love never fails．

【推荐2】One afternoon of a cold winter day, the sun came out after a long snowstorm. Two children have stayed in the house for the whole day, so they asked their mother if they could run out and play in the snow in their garden. The elder child was a little beautiful girl, called Violet. Her brother was Peony. He has a round little face, which made everybody think of sunshine. The father of these two children, Mr. Lindsey, was an excellent man who ran his own business in hardware (五金). With a heart about as soft as other people's, he had a head as hard and empty as one of the iron pots (锅) which was a part of his business to sell. The mother, on the other hand, was a beauty. She looked young. She was like a fine flower. The flower had something from her younger life, and still kept itself alive in her motherhood.

So, Violet and Peony, asked their mother to let them run out and play in the new snow. The snow looked so lonely falling down from the gray sky. It had a very cheerful part anyway. That was the sun was shining on it. The children who lived in a city had no wider place to play. They had to play in a little garden before the house.

The garden was divided by a white fence from the street and overshadowed (笼罩) by a pear tree and two or three apple trees. Some rose bushes were in front of the windows of the living room. The trees, however, were now leafless, and their twigs (枝条) were covered in the light snow. This made a kind of wintry leaves.

【推荐3】An elephant and a crocodile were once standing beside a river. They were disputing which was the better animal.

“Look at my strength,” said the elephant. “I can pull up a tree, roots and all, with my trunk.”

“Ah! But your skin is not nearly so thick as mine,” replied the crocodile. “No knife or tooth can cut through it.”

Just as they were coming to blows, a lion happened to pass.

“My dear friends!” said the King of all animals, going up to them. “Let me know the cause of your disagreement.”

“Will you kindly tell us who is the better animal?” cried both at once.

“Certainly,” said, the lion, pointing across the river. “Do you see the soldier’s metal hat on that wall?”

“Yes!” replied the beasts.

“Well, then,” continued the lion, “go and get it, and bring it to me, and I shall be able then to decide between you.”

Upon hearing this, off they started. The crocodile, being used to the water, reached the opposite side of the river first, and was soon standing beside the wall.

Here he waited till the elephant came up. The elephant, seeing that the crocodile had no way of reaching their goal, raised his long trunk, and took down the hat quite easily.

They then made their way together back again across the river. The elephant was trying to keep up with the fast-moving crocodile in the water and became careless. When he was forced to turn sharply to avoid a floating tree branch, the elephant dropped the hat and it fell to the river bottom. The crocodile noticed the accident, so down he dived, and brought it up in his huge mouth. They then returned, and the crocodile laid the metal hat at the lion’s feet. The King took it up, and turning to the elephant, said.

“You, because of your size and trunk, were able to reach the hat on the wall but, having lost it, you were unable to get it back. And you,” said the lion to the crocodile, “although unable to reach the hat, were able to dive for it and save it. You are both wise and able in your own ways. One is no better than the other.”

【推荐1】My parents seldom encouraged me to ask for help, so I trained myself to become as independent as possible. I thought if I asked for help, I would be a problem to other people.

I walked into the supermarket near my house, not buying anything. I just wanted to stay there quietly. The pain of losing my husband was still too great. And this supermarket held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me, and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. He always bought me yellow roses. He knew I loved roses.

Now, standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak because my husband used to love steak. Suddenly a woman came up beside me. I watched as she picked up a large pack of T-bone steaks, dropped them in her basket, hesitated(犹豫不决), and then put them back.

She saw me watching her and she smiled ,“My husband loves T-bone steaks, but they're so expensive.”

“My husband passed away eight days ago,” I told her. I fought to control the sadness in my voice. “Buy him the T-bone steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.”

Surprised by my words, she placed the T-bone steaks in her basket and walked away silently. However, several minutes later that woman came towards me again. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen.

As she came closer, I saw what she held, and I couldn't hold back my tears. “These are for you,” she said and placed three beautiful yellow roses in my hands. I wanted to tell her what the roses meant for me, but, still un-able to speak. I watched as she walked away.

I looked down at the beautiful roses. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. There were still many people caring for me and willing to help me.Just be thankful for what you have and who you are.

【推荐2】Oriana Fallaci was an Italian reporter, author, and interviewer. Different from other interviewers, she created a new method of interviewing. In her opinion, the best way of reporting is putting yourself in your report. “The reporter is also a center and an actor,” she once said. This special opinion helped her get the name of “the queen of news interviews”.

During World War II, she had a long and successful career. Fallaci became famous worldwide for her reporting of wars, and her interviews with many world leaders during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1988, her book Interview with History was published, which contains lots of long and penetrating (犀利的) interviews with many leaders worldwide. One of the leaders once described the interview with Fallaci as “the single most disastrous (灾难性的) conversation I have ever had.”

Fallaci became a special reporter for an Italian paper in 1946. In 1967, she worked as a war reporter, reporting many famous wars. “It was really an awful period of time for me. For many times, I thought my life would end in smoke and fires. At that moment, I just hoped those pictures and letters could be found by those who would find my body and make them known to the world,” Fallaci said.

Fallaci had received many awards in her life. On November 30th 2005, in New York City, Fallaci received the Annie Taylor Award. The Annie Taylor Award is awarded yearly to people who have shown unusual courage in bad conditions and great danger. Fallaci received many good comments as well as some bad ones. There is no doubt that she was one of the most famous reporters in the world.

【推荐3】“Ghost of the Future!” Scrooge exclaimed, “I fear you more than any ghost I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to accept your company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?”

The ghost gave him no reply. It stopped beside one little group of business men. Seeing that the hand was pointed to them, Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk.

“No,” said a great fat man with a monstrous chin, “I don’t know much about it, either way. I only know he’s dead.”

“When did he die?” asked another.

“Last night, I believe.”

“Why, what was the matter with him?” asked a third man, taking a vast quantity of snuff out of a very large snuff-box. “I thought he’d never die.”

“God knows,” said the first, with a yawn.

“What has he done with his money?” asked the fourth man, a red-faced gentleman with a pendulous excrescence on the end of his nose, which shook like the gills of a turkey-cock.

“I haven’t heard,” said the first man with the large chin, yawning again. “Left it to his company, perhaps. He hasn’t left it to me. That’s all I know.”

This pleasantry was received with a general laugh.

“It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral(葬礼),” said the same speaker, “for upon my life I don't know of anybody to go to it. Suppose we make up a party and volunteer?”

“I don’t mind going if a lunch is provided.” said the gentleman with the excrescence on his nose. “But I must be fed, if I make one!”

Another laugh.

“Well, I am the most disinterested among you, after all,” said the first speaker, “for I never wear black gloves, and I never eat lunch. But I’ll offer to go, if anybody else will. When I come to think of it, I’m not at all sure that I wasn’t his most particular friend; for we used to stop and speak whenever we met. Bye, bye.”

Speakers and listeners strolled away, and mixed with other groups. Scrooge knew the men, and looked towards the ghost for an answer.

The ghost glided on into a street. Its finger pointed to two persons meeting. Scrooge thought that the answer might lie here.

【推荐1】Why are some people more successful than others? Why do some people make more money, live happier lives and achieve much more in the same number of years than most people?

Over the year, I have read thousands of books and articles on the subjects of success and achievement. It seems that the reasons for those achievements have been discussed for more than two thousand years, in every way. But one thing that most experts agree on is self-discipline (自律).

Some years ago, I attended a meeting in New York. I happened to meet a gentleman. His name was Kopmeyer. He was famous in the field of success and achievement. He had written four books, and each of them had 250 success principles (原则). He had developed these during more than 50 years of research and study. I had read all of his books more than once.

Luckily, I had a chance to talk with him. I asked him a question that many people would ask, “Of all the one thousand success principles you have discovered, which is the most important?”

He smiled at me as if he had been asked this question many times, and replied without thinking twice, “There are 999 different success principles, but without self-discipline, none of them work.” He went on saying, “Many years ago, Thomas Huxley said the most important success principle is, ‘Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.’”

Self-discipline is magic because it opens all doors for you and makes everything else possible.

【推荐3】The exam comes in July . When the exam finishes, the summer vacation begins . Boys and girls have two months to rest . The summer vacations are the best part of the year for most children . The weather is usually good . They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their parents.

We all know that the beaches are good places to relax . Some children are lucky to live near the sea. They can enjoy the sea at any time . But for the children who live far from the sea , they go to the beaches for one or two weeks with their parents .

Why do children like spending their summer vacation on the beaches ? It is because they like the sand , the sun , the cool wind and the salt water . There are a lot of new things to see , nice things to eat and exciting things to do .