It is a hot sunny Saturday morning on the farm. Maya, Duksie and Doobie are helping Mama K in her vegetable garden. The children work all morning.

Mama K always gives the children a treat for helping her. Sometimes it’s cake or chocolate; sometimes it’s apples, pears or oranges. Mama K has only one rule. “Share it fair!” The children know they must share the treats equally, so they all get the same amount.

Today Mama K has baked a round strawberry cake with pink icing (糖霜) and berries from her garden. The children wait on the grass for their treat. “Here you go!” smiles Mama K. “But remember the rule. Share it fair!”

Maya has the first turn to share the cake. She uses the knife to draw lines in the icing. The others watch her. She does not cut the cake yet. The others must first agree if her way is fair. “I think I will make two cuts down like this. Now we have three slices, all the same!” Maya shows them. There is one line on the left and the other on the right.

“No way!” says Duksie. “The one in the middle is much too big!” Doobie also shakes his head. Maya laughs and tells Duksie to try.

“Pass me the knife.I’ll do it,” says Duksie First she rubs out Maya’s pattern in the icing, and then she makes one cut across and one down. “Look, I have made my three slices!” “That’s not fair!” shout Maya and Doobie together,.

“Why don’t you try, Doobie?” says Duksie. “I bet you can’t do it!”

“I wish the cake was a square, and then it would be easy!” says Doobie thoughtfully. And then! A picture comes into Doobie’s head. He sees the silver badge (标识) at the front of his father’s big red Benz truck. “I’ve got it! I’ve got it! I know how to do it,” shouts Doobie.

“How did you work it out?” Maya asks. Doobie smiles to himself. For now it’s his secret. Later, he will tell his dad.

First Doobie uses a knife to smooth Duksie’s lines in the icing.

With Mama K’s encouragement, Maya takes charge, expertly cutting along Doobie’s lines to make three equal slices.

The basketball court was filled with eager students and cheerleaders were waving their pompoms at the stands. Excited cheers could be heard from all sides of the court. My teammates and I got fully prepared for our basketball competition. Our hearts were pounding in expectation of the competition ahead.

“And let’s all welcome the Blue Team!” the emcee (主持人) announced through the microphone. All of us marched in proudly as everyone cheered at the top of their lungs. “And welcome the Red Team!” the emcee announced, and the Red Team came in. We were astonished to see that the Red Team was filled with tall and strong members! We were trembling with fear as we walked slowly towards the centre of the court. As we were short of teammates, our confidence in winning wavered (减弱).

The judge threw the ball and the other team quickly caught it! The ball danced between their hands. Our defence seemed to be in slow motion compared to the Red Team’s swiftness. Soon, the other team scored!

We were losing the match as time passed. To make matters worse, our star player, Tom, even tripped and fell, hurting his ankle! We were losing hope as our best player was gone. Just then, our captain called for a time-out. On the bench, our captain announced that this would be his last match. “Come on! Don’t give up! I want to win one last trophy (奖杯) before I quit. Let’s do it!” he insisted, giving us a wide smile. Hearing this, our team held our fists tightly. We were focused on winning this match and making our captain proud! The judge threw the ball once more. I jumped as high as I could and caught the ball. I ran as fast as lightning and scored. Our opponents were nervous but they still scored a few goals to catch up. A few minutes later, we were neck to neck, locked in a tie.

Whoever scored this one goal would win the competition!

The crowd erupted into deafening applause.

Once upon a time, there lived a young boy named Ethan in a small village. With a passion for music, Ethan was enthusiastic about playing the guitar. Every day after school, he would rush home, grab his guitar, and lose himself in the melodies (乐曲) he created.

One summer, the village was hosting a talent show, and Ethan decided to participate. However, doubts started to flood into his mind. He began comparing himself to other talented musicians and questioning his abilities. The fear of failure began to consume him.

But Ethan’s grandfather, who had always been his biggest supporter, noticed his grandson’s inner struggle. He sat down with Ethan and shared a story from his own youth.

“When I was your age, I had a dream of becoming a painter. But I was filled with self-doubt, just like you are now. I decided to seek guidance from a wise old artist in a nearby town.

The old artist listened to my worries and offered me a challenge. He asked me to paint a picture on a large canvas in front of a crowd. Overwhelmed by the challenge, I hesitated.

The wise artist smiled and told me not to focus on what others might think. He asked me to paint from my heart and pour my soul into every stroke. The beauty lies not in perfection, but in the authenticity (真实性) of one’s creation.

Encouraged by these words, I accepted the challenge. I painted with passion, letting my emotions guide my brush. Finally, a beautiful masterpiece appeared on the canvas.”

Finishing the story, Ethan’s grandfather said, “That day, I realized that success is not defined by how perfect we are or how we compare to others. It’s about embracing our unique talents, taking risks, and expressing ourselves with passion and authenticity.”

Inspired by his grandfather’s story, Ethan decided to give the talent show his all.

Ethan didn’t pay much attention to the surroundings until he heard the applause at the end of his performance.

Samuel, aged 49, was resting on the glass wall which encircled the tiger at the time. After a long wait, the opportunity to face the tiger arrived. Samuel was uncertain if the large cat could recognize him after his five-year absence because of his wife’s new job in another city.

Samuel has had a lifelong craziness with animals. Born and raised in a forest-surrounded area, he often brought home animals he had not seen before. Thus, when Samuel announced to everybody that he had been planning to become an animal keeper, nobody was shocked.

Nothing pleased Samuel more than being employed by someone close to his birthplace, who was a zookeeper. He finally did something that made him happy each day. Furthermore, this job paid well enough for Samuel! This made the situation even better!

Luna, the zoo’s sole (唯一的) female white tiger, liked Samuel. Samuel liked it too. Nobody could comprehend their extraordinary relationship. Luna seldom approached humans. When Luna was younger, it was mistreated at the hotel’s tourist attractions. When the zoo rescued Luna, it made no attempt to interact with anyone. Samuel was able to break through Luna’s fearful shell with a lot of support and patience.

Luna was going to have a baby as part of a plan to save white tigers. Luna had a rough pregnancy (怀孕), but its delivery was terrible. As Luna struggled, Samuel looked after it for hours. Unfortunately, Luna died during her delivery. Samuel was not able to stop crying over its death, but he needed Luna’s children out as quickly as possible!

Luna was taken to a veterinary hospital (兽医院). Samuel wandered outside, waiting for word. The veterinarian soon presented Samuel with a baby tiger. But who would look after it? As its mother passed away, Samuel took on the responsibility. He had been caring for the baby’s mum all along, and now the baby, which Samuel named Blanca.

However, things did not go well as expected.

Five years later, Samuel persuaded his wife to return home.

When something that’s important to you disappears, don’t be hopeless. It may miraculously (奇迹般地) come back sooner or later. I learned it on one winter day.

It was one of those busy days. Especially, I had lots of clothes to wash. and Karen, my four-year-old kid, kept following me, pulling my shirt and crying for attention. I was annoyed. To stop her troubling me and make her quiet, I searched the drawers in the bedroom and found-a bag of forgotten balloons. “Yellow,” she said with joy.

The balloons were the gifts for her that her uncle had bought abroad. These balloons were of good quality and very unique, unable to be found at least in our small town. Among the balloons, the yellow one was Karen’s favorite. And there was only one yellow balloon. She viewed it as her best friend and even signed her name on its surface.

After I blew the balloon up, she cheerfully took it with tiny fingers, touching it and telling it her secrets. Immediately. her attention was attracted.

After lunch. we prepared to go to the local public clothes-washing shop. Before long. I was ready. Carrying her yellow balloon. Karen followed me into oat car. On the way, she was singing and had fun with the balloon. She kept beating the balloon against the back of the car seat. As I turned the corner, trying to keep my attention on my driving, I felt a sudden, big wind blow across my feet. I called out at once, “Karen! Close the window. It’s cold out!”

And then I heard her frightened scream. In a hurry, I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see some terrible insects that led to her being frightened. But there wasn’t one. Karen was looking out of the window. both arms reaching out, as if to get something. And she cried, “Balloon, balloon. Come back! Come back!” Then. she turned to me, calling out, “Mom, please stop the car! My balloon has escaped.”

“Alright, “I said and slowly pulled over.

While walking in the park, we suddenly found a yellow balloon flying over a tree.

Daniel, a young architect, had recently moved to a new city for a promising job opportunity. Although excited about his new life, he found it difficult to adjust to the busy pace and distance from his family, particularly his younger brother, Vincent. Growing up, the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing a close bond despite their six-year age difference. Daniel had always taken on the role of Vincent’s protector and friend, guiding him through the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence, and supporting him in his pursuits.

One evening, after a particularly challenging day at work and feeling homesick, Daniel received a phone call from his mother. She told him that Vincent had been struggling with school and his personal life, and she believed that he needed his older brother’s guidance now more than ever. Feeling a sense of responsibility and concern for his brother, Daniel decided to take some time off work and return home for a surprise visit.

Upon arriving in his hometown, Daniel was greeted with a sense of nostalgia (怀旧) and familiarity. He immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in Vincent’s life during his absence, as well as the undeniable signs of his brother’s distress. Determined to help, Daniel took Vincent under his wing, spending hours talking and reconnecting with him. Together, they revisited their favorite childhood spots, looking back upon the happy memories they had shared and the lessons they had learned together.

Through their conversations, Daniel discovered that Vincent had been facing significant academic pressure and was struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The once-confident and outgoing teenager now seemed lost and unsure of himself. As the brothers continued to spend time together, they openly discussed their fears and aspirations, strengthening the bond they had always shared, and finding comfort in each other’s company.

As the days went by, Daniel could see the positive impact their time together was having on Vincent.

On the last day of his visit, Daniel had a heart-to-heart conversation with Vincent.

An old and fragile woman approached a very busy road intersection. She stepped slowly forwards. She paused at the sidewalk’s edge, grasping a heavy bucket filled with fresh red apples. She aimed to cross the street.

The way to the intersection before her seemed like a tough journey. The traffic lights changed regularly, and the flow of cars seemed to be non-stop for the old woman. She knew she had to cross the street to reach her destination, a small grocery store on the other side, where she sold her apples to make ends meet.

As she slowly made her way to the crosswalk, she held the handle of the bucket. A kind-hearted driver in the first car, recognizing her struggle, stopped well before the sidewalk, allowing her to cross safely. Grateful for this act of kindness, the old woman nodded and offered the driver a slight smile as she inched forward.

A second car, in the next road, also came to a stop. Its driver also witnessed the old woman’s slow progress. The kindness of strangers warmed her heart, and with their help, she moved another step closer to her destination.

However, the third road was a different story. As the old woman moved carefully further into the road, a speeding car approached, its engine making loud sound like a beast. Panic flowed through the old lady as she realized the approaching danger. The driver of the third car had not noticed her until the very last moment.

With a jolt (颠簸) of terror, the old woman’s holding on the bucket weakened, and the bucket slipped from her weak grasp. The bucket fell to the ground, releasing its goods of apples, which scattered (散开) in all directions. The sound of the crashing bucket and rolling apples echoed through the busy city traffic.

In the emergent time, the driver of the speeding car stepped on the brake to a stop just inches from the old woman. The drivers’ heart pounded in their chest as they realized how close it had come to a tragedy.

Shaken but unharmed, the old woman stood frozen, her eyes wide open with fear.

Eventually, with all the apples collected, the three drivers helped the old lady cross the road.

In 1989, I was away from my home in Malaysia attending the University of Kansas in the USA. I found an advertisement for a summer job as a programmer at Ulm in what was then West Germany. I submitted my application and got an interview. What made me pleased was that I was offered the job after the interview. I thought it was a good opportunity to see part of a new continent.

Both Malaysia and the USA emerged from Britain, so we have common standards for the way many things are done. Naturally, I expected things at Ulm would be different—big things, like language and culture—but I never expected small cultural differences would affect me. For example, I was surprised that little things like how doors fit into doorframes were different. The bread was also very different. While it was fun at first to eat the various kinds of food, after some time I longed for the white, square and soft bread I was used to. And the big things were not that bad: the folks in the city of Ulm mostly didn’t speak English well but were very friendly and helpful.

One of these small differences, however, tripped me up early in my stay. The first few days, my employer put me up in a bed-and-breakfast hotel. Then I found a small studio apartment to rent. It was evening by the time I got settled in. Since there were all-night grocery stores in the US and grocery stores in Malaysia were open late at night, I made a habit of going out to buy some food and other necessities like soap for the shower. But to my surprise and horror, every single shop was closed! I was alone with no food or any other kind of necessary items. I wandered around hopelessly in the street for a while.

Then I saw a university student with whom I talked about my experience.

At his home, I found that he did not possess much.