2 . As a teen myself, I’ve seen first-hand the pleasing effects of poetry. Not too long ago, I went on stage to read my poetry at a writing workshop (研讨班), thinking anxiously to myself: Would the audience understand me? I felt anxious about what my voice would sound like. At the time, I was 14, and still suffering from a speech disorder (语言障碍) that had affected me since I began talking. As I stood, I experienced a sudden appreciation for the blinding lights. I couldn’t see everyone’s face! That made things much easier. I opened my book and began to read.

After the writing workshop, I gained the confidence to read my own work aloud. I learned that writing wasn’t about pronunciation, but about style and the author’s voice. This lesson helped me grow on endless occasions in my life, convincing me that poetry can have an astonishing influence

One organization that I am part of, WriteGirl, through monthly creative writing workshops, gives girls the skills they need for a brighter future. Although WriteGirl doesn’t only focus on poetry, the organization still uses poetry to teach, inspire girls all across Los Angeles. While the high school graduation rate in Los Angeles is only 80 percent, every year 100 percent of WriteGirl teens not only graduate from high school, but move on to college.

But are these advantages becoming needless with the fast development of technology?

It seems the answer is quite the opposite: technology has opened a whole new world for young poets and writers. On KidBlog, young students can post their poems as a blog post on which others can leave their opinions. The Internet makes it easier for viewers to read poetry. Many people are discovering or rediscovering that poetry is fun and creates many opportunities for self-expression.

As I stepped up to read my writing at the workshop, I learned that poetry is about having a voice, and the courage to use it. With this courage, we free ourselves and become able to influence others.

3 . Being a blogger can be a good business. Don’t you believe it? Read on!

Meet Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vaynerchuk.com)

Gary Vaynerchuk is a New Yorker who gained Internet fame because of a video blog that talked about everything related to wine. Through online blogging, he built his wine business from a $3-million-dollar-a year wine retail (零售) store to a $60-million-dollar wine wholesale business. Gary Vaynerchuk has built a multi-million dollar empire relating to his personal brand.

Meet Rand Fishkin (moz.com)

Rand Fishkin is a college dropout who started blogging about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) back 2022 while working for a family-run web development company. He was also providing SEO consulting services for a few small clients. SEOmoz has left the consulting business since then and focuses on creating awesome SEO software instead. The company makes millions of dollars each month.

Meet Pat Flynn (SmartPassiveIncome.com)

Pat is one of the most inspirational bloggers in the world. After losing his job, he was forced to struggle to support his growing family. He started a website called Smart Passive Income to track his progress with various websites and online money-making projects. He has built a massive following and readership thanks to his honesty. Over the last 6 months, Pat has earned, on average, around $50,000 USD per month.

Meet Andrew Sullivan (thedishdaily.com)

Andrew started his blog, The Daily Dish, near the end of 2020. By the middle of 2023, he was receiving about 300,000 unique visits per month. Just this year, Andrew made some big changes and decided to work on The Daily Dish full-time: On launch day in 2023, the blog reportedly took in over $330,000, charging $20/month per reader.

8 . I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And _______ otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always _______ to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this _______ after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy _________ because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the _______ to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “_______ for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the _______ of it! When I first started _______ the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much _______ what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get __________ and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. __________ , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to __________ on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t __________“just yet”.

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the ________ and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive ________ in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the __________ — friends who respect my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my __________ self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from ________ in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, ________ raising my hand—even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent __________ I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.