Jim Barr stared in awe (敬畏) at the platform in the crowded school hall. The headmaster marched onto the stage, followed by the captains of the school soccer team and rugby side. Jim watched with envy as each was presented with an honor s jacket for their contribution to the school’s sporting success over the previous year. When the next presentation of honors jacket would come around, Jim knew there was little hope that he would be the receiver of one of these treasured items of clothing.

“I wish you all a happy summer holiday,” the headmaster announced. “Although most of you will be going away to sunnier parts, there are others who will be staying near their home. The local council has asked the school to undertake a project over the next six weeks to help clear up rubbish around the area and separate it for recycling. If anyone is interested, come to my office and you will be supplied with a rubbish picker, bags and heavy-duty gloves.”

Jim knew he would be at a loose end over the holiday, so he went to the office along with five classmates to pick up the equipment needed to gather up the rubbish which littered the streets around the school. When he arrived home, his mother looked at him curiously as he placed the equipment on the kitchen table.

“What is this all about?” she asked with a smile on her face. “Mum, I’m an average pupil and I’m not very good at sports,” he replied. “This waste recycling is one way I can contribute to the good name of the school.”

“Just as long as you don’t get fed up and stop half way through,” said Mum.

“I won’t give up. I have made up my mind to do it well,” Jim said confidently.

Over the next few weeks, his classmates dropped out of the project.

Hearing his name called by the headmaster, Jim nervously made his way to the platform.

“Do you forget to bring your homework to school?” my sixth⁃grade math teacher asked. I nodded my head and said in a low voice, “Yes, sir.” What a mistake I had made! I had completed my math homework. But before I left home and headed for school, I forgot to put it into my schoolbag.

“You will get a zero then,” my math teacher said. I was shocked. I had never received a zero in a math class before. But the school had rules, and the teacher had to let everyone follow them. I was immediately worried about my final math average, which was based on my homework and the tests. Would I get a C or even a D at the end of the term? If so, what should I do?

My next class was a PE class. As I walked down the hall with my classmates, all those feelings rushed out in hot tears. I wiped them away as quickly as I could. But when we entered the gym and sat down in our spots on the floor, it was clear to everyone around me that I had been crying.

My PE teacher, Ms. Brown, was an athletic teacher, often with a smile on her face. Her class was a good mix of calisthenics (健美操) and games that can give us all a good workout. And Ms. Brown was nice and compassionate (有同情心的). She loved her students and often came to help if the students were in trouble.

During that PE class, my mind was affected by the math homework and I was worried about my final math average. So I failed to devote my attention to Ms. Brown’s direction. And clearly, I was sad. I guessed that Ms. Brown found there was something wrong with me. When it was near the end of the PE class, she walked to me.

She sat down to comfort me.

I felt relaxed and decided to work harder at math.

The Sports Day was fast coming to the school. All the children were very excited and were practicing for the big race. Jim, one of the fast runners of the school was confident that he would win so he was not doing anything at all. “You have to work hard to come first in the race, Jim. You are not practicing at all,” said Jim’s mother.

“Mom, you know how fast I am! Then why should I waste my time running? Only I will win; no one else will win!” shouted Jim. “Jim, you may be right but talent without hard work is not good at all. This laziness of yours will cost you greatly,” his mother warned him. Jim just laughed and shrugged (耸肩) his shoulders. He was so confident that would win the prize as no one else in his class was as fast as he was!

Tim, a classmate of Jim was also participating in the running race. He was not a fast runner. However, he was very devoted and practiced till late night and had developed great endurance (耐力) and willpower (意志) to win the race.

There were a few days left for the Sports Day but Jim did not practice at all. On the other hand, Tim practiced day and night. The Sports Day was almost around the corner but Jim was confident that no one could beat him and had not practiced at all. But Tim with his devotion and hard work had become a very fast runner.

At last, the Sports Day arrived. All the students crowded the ground to cheer their favorites. The signal was given to the participants to begin the race. The coach blew the whistle and everyone began to run towards the finishing line. It was so exciting. Jim and Tim left all the racers far behind. Both of them were neck to neck.

Paragraph 1: Suddenly, Jim went ahead of Tim

Paragraph 2:Jim’s mother came to Tim and praised him for his hard work.

I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.

Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.

When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.

Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had happened.

Paragraph 1: I knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.

Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I taught English as a Second Language at a local community college. I had adult students in my class from Vietnam, Mexico, Russia and many other countries. Although they came from many lands, fighting for a better life, they had one thing in common: a desperate yearning(渴望) to learn English well.

Many of the students worked in a factory for twelve hours throughout the night and hurriedly took a bus in the morning straight to our 8:00A. M. class. They attended my class on time whatever the weather. And they waited until after class to go home and sleep. Sometimes I would see them struggling to keep their eyes open in the beginning. However, their active participation in class drove away their physical tiredness as well as livened up the atmosphere. Some students even raised a bunch of questions by gesture after class. They were always there working hard, earnest and eager to learn.

Despite their lack of sleep and long hours at work, the level of attendance and attentiveness in class was always excellent. No one called in sick. No one was absent-minded. Some of the students had as many as three jobs and took the bus everywhere they went because they couldn’t afford cars.

To teach the course, I needed to use a lot of pictures and hand gestures, since I didn’t know all their respective languages. One of the things I taught was a simple dialogue called “Shopping for a New Coat”. They enjoyed standing up and acting out the gestures that accompanied the text of the story.

Sometimes I wondered if I was really teaching my students in the best way possible. But I gave my all to this class, and they gave their all to me. If nothing else, they would always remember what to say if they ever went “shopping for a new coat”. Soon, the language course came to an end.

On the last day of class, they held a wonderful party that was filled with good food and laughter.

I lifted from the box a beautiful, new, full-length coat.

Devi looked through the observation window at the kids below, all waiting in line to get into the pool. She turned to her mother with an angry frown (皱眉) on her face. “Mom, they’re all little kids! I’m 15 already! This is silly!”

“I know, Devi,” replied her mother, “but you’re a beginner, too, and you have to start somewhere!”

Devi had never been to a swimming lesson in her life. Between schoolwork and helping on her grandfather’s farm, she hadn’t had time for lessons. The closest swimming pool Devi had been to was the duck pool her mother bought her when she was five. Now that Devi was older, her mother had found a new job in the city, and Devi faced a new challenge—school field trips to the local pool.

The first day that Devi went with her class to the pool, she had no idea what she was in for. What could be so difficult about swimming? Devi confidently slid into the water and held onto the side of the pool, expecting to be able to touch the bottom with her feet. But when Devi let go of the side of the pool, she slipped under the water—the whole pool was one big deep end! Devi threw her arm toward the side of the pool and caught the ledge (池壁), out of breath. “I really can’t swim! Everyone’s going to laugh at me!” she thought to herself anxiously.

On the next field trip to the pool, Devi sat on the side on a bench (长凳), frozen with fear. She put a towel over her shoulders, too embarrassed to try again. When she came home, her mother noticed right away that Devi was upset. “Honey, I’ve signed you up for Angela’s swimming lessons at the local pool. Soon you’ll learn how to swim just like everyone else,” she comforted Devi, showing photos of Angela with her prize—winning students.

Then came the time for Devi to take her first lesson.

Soon Angela came over to where Devi sat and introduced herself.

Jack is in the fourth grade and he joined the noisy children of his class as usual. “Children! Silence!” Ms. Benette suddenly entered the class. She announced next week would be maths week. “I’d like each of you to work on a project. You could do it individually or in a group,” she instructed. “The topic for the project needs approving tomorrow and it has to be showed at the maths week exhibition. The best project will be awarded and there is also a surprise gift from my side,” she added.

Jack, who is extremely good at maths, sat in the corner seat of the first bench with Cathy, an average. Cathy asked Jack if they could work on the maths project together. Jack replied in a prideful tone, “Ha-ha you want to join me. I think I will do the project on my own.” Jack wanted to get awarded and the surprise gift all for himself from Ms. Benette.

After deep consideration, Jack decided to work on a maths magic quiz on the circuit board (电路板). The next day in school, Ms. Benette arrived in the classroom and all the children submitted their topics for maths exhibition. They all chose to work in a group except Jack. In the following days, Jack gathered all the materials for the project such as wires, bulbs(灯泡), a switch and a thin plywood board(胶合板). He worked out a few mathematical basic operations to be fixed on the board so that when the wire of the circuit touched the right answer, the bulb glowed(发光). Jack completed the project and was happy with the result.

The evening before the exhibition, while packing his school bags, Jack again checked the project to see if it was working fine. Alas! All the lights that were to glow did not seem to light at all. Without finding the reason, Jack was anxious. However, he decided to take the same project to the school as he couldn’t change the topic at the last minute. Then came the next day, and everybody was fascinated in the exhibition.

It was Jack’s turn to show his project.

Finally, the teacher announced Cathy’s team was the winner.