One Friday afternoon, some of my classmates planned to take a hike in a jungle (丛林), including my friends Jake and Liam. They asked me if I would like to go with them. I love outdoor activities, so I immediately agreed.

It was sunny the following morning. I was in a very good mood. I was so excited about hiking since it was the first time that I had hiked with them. I ate a light breakfast. After that, I hurriedly ran out of my house to meet them in the school playground.

The jungle where we were going was far from our school. Its name is Salymbia Jungle. It took about three hours to go there by bus, but it wasn’t a boring journey as we were all eager to hike. After we got off the bus, we found a local guide to ensure our safety. The guide, whose name is Thomas, said that he had hiked in the Salymbia Jungle lots of times and that he was familiar with the route. When we arrived, Thomas told us never to leave the group. He warned us that we would easily get lost in the jungle if we walked alone. Then we began to hike.

There were various plants which we had never seen before. All of us were amazed at the beauty of the scenery and the sounds of the creatures. Sadly, after hiking for about an hour, I found that my watch on my wrist was gone. I realised that my watch had fallen off. It was a gift from my grandma, and I loved it very much. Without thinking, I turned back and tried to find my watch. Since I was the last one walking in the group, nobody noticed it when I walked away.

I wasn’t worried about getting lost because I thought I could find my watch easily. However, when I finally found my watch and tried to catch up with my friends, they had gone far. I immediately realised that I was alone and lost.

I guess everyone would like to set off for a journey with someone we can understand and have fun with. Travelling with a companion(同伴) is great!

It’s good to have someone with you who can watch your backpack when you want to use the toilet, find the way back home when you get lost, carry some of your luggage when you’re tired, take some photos of you when you want and help you in all kinds of situations. The feeling of having someone by your side makes you feel less stressful about many things.

With a companion you can together share the beautiful moments during the travels, experience the same things in a different way and support each other. It’s much more interesting and exciting when you have the chance to share something with someone while on your road. Meanwhile, there is always someone whom you can shout at when you are angry, or a shoulder on which you can cry when you miss your home.

A companion can share the costs with you. You can stay in one room, buy a dinner, have it together and share the bill, etc. It’s good to travel with someone who has the same or similar pattern of payment as you so you can support each other without having any arguments.

Having a companion by your side when travelling means less loneliness. You don’t think about it unless you get left in the middle of nowhere, far away from your friends and family. Then you wish to have someone with you.

In short, travelling with someone is the best choice for people who are short of travel experience. We might sometimes feel like being on our own and enjoy the sights with nobody behind our back but at the end of the day you have much more fun when being with someone, especially for a long run.

Everyone in my drama class saw the paper in my hands shaking when I stood up to try out for a lead role in the yearly school Thanksgiving play. I was there because the teacher wanted everyone to try out for a part.

Being shy and not confident, I began nervously reading the part for the main character, Star. She had no parents. Feeling so sorry for her, I finished reading.

Later when reading the name list, the teacher looked at me and announced, “Patty, you play Star. Come and get your script (剧本).”I was shocked. Jim, an excellent boy, was playing the other lead.To learn my lines, I practiced every day and finally memorized them. I became more confident and happier.

Then we started practising acting. Jim played the character, a Scrooge (吝啬鬼), who is unwilling to put a candle in his window so that the light will show passers-by the slippery ice on the path below. On the Thanksgiving day, Star comes along, falls on the ice and gets injured.

Finally feeling bad, the Scrooge helps her up. To thank him, Star kisses his hand.

One day, before our drama class started, I saw a terrible drawing of me on the blackboard with words: Falling Star. I was laughed at by someone.

The teacher asked,“Who did this?” Nobody knew. We started rehearsing (排练), but my heart wasn’t in it. The teacher told me not to care about the silly trick; it wouldn’t happen again. But I was sad and anxious, wanting to quit. Finally I moved on and continually worked hard for the play.

Soon it was the day before the show. It was time for the dress rehearsal. I was excited. Everything went smoothly at the dress rehearsal until the scene where I slipped on the ice and the Scrooge helped me up.

When I kissed his hand, a terrible noise and laughter sounded from behind the set. I quickly left the stage and hurried into an empty room. With tears, I said, “I can’t do it. Please get someone else!”

Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder.

The following Thanksgiving day, we were ready for the play.

I live in a city where jobs are difficult to get and if you want to find a well-paid job, it will be even harder. Therefore, it is not surprising for you to see many people in our city walk a long way because they can’t even afford an old used car.

It was a cold windy day. I saw one of these people who often have to walk from and to work every day, when I was driving after work. A middle-aged man wearing only a thin overcoat was walking down the road and trying to ask for a ride from the passing cars. Unluckily, there was no driver willing to stop their cars. When I saw two cars in front of me pass him by, I wanted to do the same. But the sight of that poor man remained in my mind for quite a moment. I felt as if a big hand was dragging me and forcing me not to leave. Finally I drew back and gave him a ride.

As I drove along, we had a conversation, during which he told me something about himself and his family. I learnt that the man was doing everything he could to support his family using the limited salary from several part-time jobs. As you could imagine, every coin he earned was going to be used to pay for the house and food.

It was a long drive before we got to his home. All the way, I could feel his hardship and tiredness. But as we came close to the house where he was living, I saw his tired eyes grow bright and the whole body was lit up. His lovely girl was playing in the front yard. Seeing her father was out of the car, she ran to him as quickly as possible, reaching out her two small hands. He held the girl with his two strong hands, laughing and kissing her cheeks. I was lost in that happy moment. I smiled, said goodbye to them, wished them the future happiness and then drove off.

On my way home, something came into my mind.

Half an hour later, I got home.

When the last customer left KFC, it was already 10:30 pm. Adam, an 18-year-old college student, dragged himself home. He had been working at KFC for over a month that summer vacation.

Entering his room, Adam found his younger brother Bill sitting on the edge of his bed with an uneasy expression on his face.

“Sorry, Adam. I … I did something wrong,” Bill sprang up and said nervously.

“What is it?”

“This afternoon I sneaked (溜) out for a ride on your motorcycle and accidentally hit our neighbor Osman Brook’s car. I was so scared and I … I hurried home in panic.”

“Is the car seriously damaged?”

“The left headlight got broken.”

“It’s truly your fault and it’s really dangerous to ride a motorcycle at your age. Besides, it’s illegal,” Adam raised his voice, obviously annoyed. Hearing this, Bill lowered his head and bit his lips hard.

“Anyway, it’s no use crying over spilt milk. I will deal with it tomorrow. Now you go to bed and have a good sleep.”

The next morning when Adam got up, Bill was still sleeping soundly. Adam was more determined about what he ought to do as an elder brother.

After breakfast, Adam took out all the money he had earned and went out of the house with it. In the yard he saw his motorcycle, on whose side the scratches (划痕) were clearly visible. Adam shook his head and sighed slightly. Then he squared his shoulders and quickened his pace to Osman’s house.

When he arrived, he was welcomed by Osman’s wife Mary, who told him that Osman had gone to the garage to have his car repaired.

“I have something important to tell him. Can I wait until he comes back?” Adam requested eagerly.

“Of course. He should be home soon,” Mary invited Adam in, served him a cup of coffee and began chatting with him.

After half an hour, the door opened and in came Osman. Having said hello to each other, Osman and Adam both sat down on the sofa.

Adam cleared his throat and began to speak.

Just then, there came a knock at the door.

Willie' s aunt sent him for a birthday present a little writing book. There was a place in the book for a pencil. Willie thought a great deal of this little book, and always kept it in his pocket.

One day, his mother was very busy, and he called his dog, and said, “Come, Caper, let us have a play." When Willie' s mother missed him, she went to the door and looked out, and could not see him anywhere； but she knew that Caper was with him, and thought they would come back before long. She waited an hour, and still they did not come. When she came to the gate by the road, she met Mr. Lee, Willie's father, and told him how long Willie had been gone. Mr. Lee thought he must have gone to sleep under the trees. So they went to all the trees under which Willie was in the habit of playing, but he was not here to be found. By this time the sun had gone down the news that Willie was lost soon spread over the neighborhood, and all the men and women turned out to hunt. They hunted all night. The next morning the neighbors were gathered round, and all were trying to think what to do next, when Caper came bounding into the room.

There was a string tied round his neck, and a bit of paper tied to it. Mr. Lee, took the paper, and saw that it was a letter from Willie, He read it aloud. It said, "0, father! Come to me. I am in the big hole in the pasture (牧场)."

Everybody ran at once to the far corner of the pasture； and there was Willie, alive and well in the shaft (通风井). Oh, how glad he was when his father caught him in his arms, and lifted him out!

Now I will tell you how Willie came to be in the shaft and the whole story. He and Caper went to the pasture field, and came to the edge of the shaft and sat down. In bending over to see how deep it was, he lost his balance and fell in.