4 . My wife and I recently completed a day-long tour of the Great Wall with Jessie. In addition to being very knowledgeable about the history of the areas that we toured, she spoke excellent English and was able to answer all of our questions. Her driver was very experienced and polite, and we really enjoyed being able to have a customized tour that avoided the tourist traps and forced shopping that seem to be a part of the larger group tours.

The attractions themselves were fantastic. I was a little worried that the snowy weather might impact our trip to the Great Wall, but everything went fine, and there weren’t many people out at all that day. I suggest wearing strong shoes—the Great Wall is really a hike. And in snowy or rainy days, the surfaces are pretty slippery (滑的)! Seeing this area in winter was really unique, and the snow made for great pictures. Jessie kept us entertained with stories and facts about the construction of the Wall, and always pointed out great spots for taking pictures. Even though she’s in fantastic shape, she cared about our level of fitness and often stopped to let us catch our breath.

When we got back to our hotel, Jessie gave us a great recommendation for dinner and some tips for our planned stops the next day. If I find myself in Beijing in the future, I will certainly be contacting Jessie for more tour opportunities, and I’ve already recommended her to some friends who are visiting the area later in the year. I can’t say enough about how kind and knowledgeable she was, and she really gave us a great tour experience.

5 . Delton Myers is a Grade 5 student. He published a book about childhood depression (抑郁) called “The Invisible Injury”. A person who is depressed is extremely sad and doesn’t know how to stop the sadness.

“I want to talk about children’s feelings,” Delton said. “Sometimes kids show off in class, but there may be an unknown reason.     1     They need someone to talk to, but they don’t know how. During family tragedies (悲剧) or hard times, parents often tell kids to be quiet about them.” He added, “We need to let kids know it’s OK to talk about their feelings and that they can get help.”

    2     Peggie meets many of life’s challenges that kids and adults face. Peggie, 8 years old, finds a healthy way to express her feelings and deal with her problems.

    3     Delton’s mom, Deidre, said when he wrote about Peggie’s feelings in the book, he was also writing about himself. “Delton and I talk a lot,” she said. “    4    . For example, during family tragedies, most parents tell kids not to tell others. Kids always do so.” She said her son’s book sent a strong message for parents and kids. Now, the book is on sale on Amazon, for $10.99.

One character in the book, C. Howard, is based on Delton’s doctor, Christalyn Howard. She will accompany (陪伴) Delton on his book tour, which will start next month.     5     She offers to talk with parents and children about the signs of depression in children during media interviews.

6 . Symbol of friendship

Friendship is a wonderful thing to have no matter how old you are. However, it is important for teens and young adults to provide conversation, support and so much more as friends.     1     Actually, there are a few things that symbolize a friendly relationship.

    2    

One of the symbols of a wonderful relationship between friends is easy conversation. When you can talk about almost anything, you are sure to be true friends. When the conversation flows easily from one topic to another, this can be a symbol of friendship as well.

Able to have fun

    3     No matter what you are doing, you can have a fun experience so long as you are with your friend. This is one of the best parts of friendship.

Support all the time

If your friends know they can call you anytime and you will be there for them, then this symbolizes friendship.

Attentive listening by both individuals

If you find that you listen closely to what your friend says and they do the same for you, this is another symbol of friendship.     4    

Share laughter and tears

Another symbol of friendship is the ability to share both laughter and tears. A friend is someone with whom you can laugh and cry over anything.     5    

8 . Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs, but he doesn’t let this stop him.

The brave 26-year-old man plays football and golf, and swims, in spite of the fact that he has no arms or legs.

Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and makes him able to kick. He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up.

“I call it my chicken drumstick,” joked Nick, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now lives in Los Angeles. “I’d be lost without it. When I get in the water I float because 80 percent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller.”

“He’s very modest, but he gets marriage proposals from women all the time,” said Nick’s friend Steve Appel. “He would love to get married and start a family, but he’s waiting for the right girl to come along.”

When Nick was born, his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room. His distraught mother couldn’t bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.

His disability came without any medical explanation, which was a rare case. Nick and his parents spent many years asking why this cruel trick would happen to them.

“My mother was a nurse and she did everything right during pregnancy but she still blamed herself,” he said.

“It was so hard for them, but right from the start they did their best to make me independent. My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave me the courage to learn how to swim.”

9 . China Daily, the national English-language newspaper of China, keeps you in touch with China and the world with our mobile solutions. Now anyone can read our exclusive reports (独家报道) anywhere. Download (下载) your favorites!

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