1 . 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.     1     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.     2     However, if children are not educated to take responsibility at home, they will think parents should provide everything for them.     3    

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.     4    

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.     5     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.

A team of retired(退休的) women working as “shared grandmas” in Chongqing is getting popular online.     1     And they help the kids with their homework.

   The team of “shared grandmas” from the Shipingcun Community(社区) is made up of nine grandmas. They look after 25 primary school students in the community.     2     The “shared grandmas” can help them look after their kids and make them enjoy themselves.

Deng Lihong, 66, is a member(成员) of the team.     3     She stays with them when they do their homework, and play with them in the community room until their parents come to pick them up. “The program started in April.     4     It also makes my retired life meaningful,” Deng said.

“We ask the retired women in the community to join in this program. The happiness means a lot to them.” Peng Mei, from Shipingcun Community, said. Many people think the program is great and worth promoting(值得推广).     5    

3 . With the help of their mother, 9-year-old Ella and 7-year-old Caitlin Wood started an online petition in order to stop McDonald’s giving free plastic toys as gifts with kids’ meals. Many people followed them.

Since starting the petition, the girls have got over 350,000 signatures, only 150,000 signatures away from their final goal. Their call to the activity has already got further support from adults and children as well.

“We’ve learnt all about the environment at school and the problem of plastic. It made us very sad to see how plastic hurts wildlife and pollutes the ocean, and we want to change this,” reads the petition. “That’s why we want McDonald’s to think of the environment and stop giving plastic toys with their kids’ meals.”

“We like to go to eat at McDonald’s. But children only play with the plastic toys they give us for a few minutes before throwing them away and hurting animals and polluting the sea. We want anything they give us to be sustainable so we can protect the world for us and for future people.” they continued.

The little girls’ story became popular and caught worldwide attention. McDonald’s has emailed CNN telling about their plans for making their free toys more sustainable.

4 . The elderly people in care homes in London are given hens to look after to stop them feeling lonely. The project was started by a local charity. It also helps them to be healthier. Workers in care homes have reported old people use less medicine after hens are in use.

Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said, “I used to keep hens when I was younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school. I like the project a lot. I am waiting there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and waiting there again at night to see they’ve gone to bed. It’s good to have a different interest. People have been bringing their children to see the hens and they come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and I feel great to have a sense of achievement*.”

There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has been given money to start it all over the country. Wendy Wilson, a care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said, “Elderly people really welcome the idea of the project and the creative way. We are looking forward to the good result and the fun the project can bring to people here.” Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said, “we are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect old people through a shared interest and creative activities.”

Camilla Chomp was a strange little girl. She liked to spend her time alone eating chocolate. Her parents were worried, so they took all the chocolate away .

Camilla left her house to ______ some chocolate. She found a small house full of bottles.

Among the bottles, a blue bottle caught Camilla’s eyes. It was full of chocolate. In the bottle there was also a ______ with the words “ Change tears into chocolate.”

Camilla was very ______. She ran out of the house with the bottle and the card to look for someone crying. First, she met a little boy crying hard and ______ his tears. To her joy, the tears changed into ______. She was sorry to see the boy crying. So Camilla tried to comfort the boy while she was collecting the tears. Finally, the boy stopped crying and smiled. They played together and had a ______ time together.

Later, Camilla ______ a woman and an old man crying. She asked them the reason. The woman had broken some bowls, and the old man’s dog had just died. Camilla collected their tears and made them happy ______.

Soon, Camilla knew that making people happy was much more ______ than finding chocolate. So she ______ collecting tears and began to help sad people. As a result, she had many friends and had a happy life.

In February 2021, Jane from Beijing paid 2,000 yuan and “adopted (领养) ” a panda at Nanjing Forest Zoo in Jiangsu. The zoo would use the money to buy food for its     1     and to pay for their medical care (医疗护理).

As for Jane, she could get a certificate (证书) and     2     about the panda’s everyday life online. She can also go to the zoo for free and have a chance to feed it and clean     3     room. Animals like monkeys and tigers     4     all on the adoption list. Each animal     5     its own card. On it, you can see the photo and its information. For example, it shows that a 7-year-old monkey named “Xiaomeng” is smart and     6    . People can adopt animals in their own names or in the names of their     7     or schools.

Online adoption is one of the ways the zoo uses to help get through hard times. More than 80% of the zoo’s income (收入) comes from     8     buying tickets. But the number of the visitors goes down     9     because of the COVID-19.

The adoption works     10     with people’s warm support (支持). Nanjing Forest Zoo asks more people for help.

10 . Tony loves his grandma. She often tells him stories about Santa Claus (圣诞老人) .

Today is December 24. Tony’s grandma takes him to Kevin’s Store to shop. She gives Tony fifty yuan and says, “Take the money and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Tony thinks of everyone: his family, friends and classmates. Then he thinks of Bobbie. Bobbie sits behind Tony. He doesn’t have a warm coat. Tony knows it because Bobbie never goes out to play in winter. So Tony buys a blue coat for him. It looks really warm.

In the evening, his grandma helps Tony put the coat in a Christmas box, and writes, “To Bobbie, From Santa Claus” on it. “Santa always helps people but never lets them know,” Tony’s grandma says.

They put the box in front of Bobbie’s house and then go back home.

That night Tony knows Santa Claus is real (真实的), and they are on his team (队伍) .