When my mom announced that my dad had fixed the old car in his garage, I felt excited—I had wheels! I called my friend Steph and made plans to have dinner at her house the next day.

The following morning, I woke up early and put on a black skirt and jacket. “Aren’t you dressed too lightly?” Mom asked. “There’s a snowstorm coming.” “I’ll be inside,” I replied as I headed out.

As I began the forty-minute drive, I was in high spirits. However, halfway there it started to snow like mad. Cars slowed. The sound of a siren announced the approach of an ambulance and I pulled aside to let it pass. As I inched back into my lane, the traffic light ahead turned red. I stopped.

When the light turned green, I pressed on the gas, but the old car died. I tried to start it. One click, then nothing. Before I could do anything else, two young men raced over from the nearby sidewalk. I rolled down my window a little.

“Give us a second,” one of them said, “We’ll help you out of here.” Soon, they began pushing the car. With their guidance, I steered into a parking spot in front of a grocery store. “You’ll be fine now,” they said, and before I could even thank them, they walked into the grocery store.

The snow was falling faster now. I called Steph on my cellphone to cancel our plan. Next, I called my parents to come and get me. Now all I had to do was wait, but I was very hungry and cold. I sighed, regretting not taking my mom’s advice.

Just as I sat waiting in the car, I noticed a man walking towards me. It was one of the men who had just helped me. I rolled down the window at once.

Alex sat quietly at the back of his Chinese class, his eyes fixed on the textbook before him. As a shy and unnoticed student, he felt like a lone wolf, struggling against the complexities of high school life. Ms Lau, his Chinese teacher, was a light in his otherwise dark world. Her warm smile and gentle behavior made her stand out among the sea of teachers. She was the only one who seemed to understand his conservative nature, always encouraging him to step out of his comfort zone.

One day, after class, Ms Lau approached Alex with excitement shining in her eyes. “Alex, I have an offer for you,” she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “I am organizing a cultural exchange program to China, and I believe it would be a great opportunity for you to explore a new world.”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat, the prospect of traveling to a foreign country both exciting and terrifying. He hesitated, unsure if he had the courage to start such an adventure. But Ms Lau’s firm belief in him gave him the push he needed to take a leap of faith.

Under Ms Lau’s guidance, Alex began preparing for the trip. He got really interested in Chinese culture and learned about its long history and traditions. Ms Lau became his mentor(导师), teaching him not only the language but also invaluable life lessons. She taught him the importance of being confident and not giving up, reminding him that growth only happens outside one’s comfort zone.

The day of departure arrived, and Alex found himself on a plane headed for China. He couldn’t help but feel amazed as he stepped off the plane and into a world so different from his own. The busy streets, bright colors, and unfamiliar sounds flooded his senses. Yet, Ms Lau’s comforting presence by his side provided him with the strength to face the unknown.

During their time in China, Alex wholeheartedly enjoyed the experience.

Back in the United States, Alex was a changed person.

Mohan was excited. His father had finally declared him old enough to help take the sheep to herd. It was no ordinary herding, though. Mohan and his father and other shepherds (牧羊人) moved high up into the mountains and stayed on the pastures (牧场) with their flocks for six long months.

It was not an easy life. Far away from home, the men were surrounded by forests that were filled with dangerous animals, such as bears, tigers, and leopards (豹) .

As Mohan bid his mother and sister goodbye, he tried to look as grown-up as possible. Mohan, his father, and their sheepdog, Sona, set off along the dusty track with their sheep. Soon they were joined by other shepherds and their flocks. The group climbed for three days until they reached the half-dry bed of a river. “Let’s part up here,” said the oldest shepherd.

Mohan and his father, along with Kishan, a neighbor, took their sheep northward. As night fell, everything seemed peaceful. Mohan sat closer to Sona for warmth. His father and Kishan had taken their flocks to different ends of the pasture.

Suddenly, Sona started to bark. Mohan looked up to see his father’s sheep rushing down the slope. Something was wrong. He waited for the sheep to reach him. Then he turned to Sona and said, “Stay and guard the sheep. I must look for Father.”

Mohan picked up a lantern and his shepherd’s stick and hurried in the direction from which the sheep had come. “Father, where are you?” he called out. Then came another sound that froze Mohan’s blood. Mohan shouted,” Father!” A steady voice answered, “I’m here.”

Mohan rushed up a slope and almost fell into a ditch (沟) on the other side. He stopped just in time and found himself looking straight into the eyes of a snow leopard. Mohan was frozen with terror.

“Mohan, use your lantern.” His father’s voice shook Mohan’s fear out of him. Mohan looked down and saw his father lying in the ditch, holding a lamb.

Mohan knew he had to act fast.

Mohan put out the fire and then climbed into the ditch.

It was my brother's idea. Let's get Mom a pet dog for her birthday. It would make her happy. I thought it was a good idea, as Mom had always wanted to own a dog. By the time our conversation ended, I had my task: find our mother a dog.

After a careful search, I finally found an ad for dogs in a local newspaper. A nearby family had a dog who had just given birth to five male puppies（小狗）！ All had had their first vaccines（疫苗），and would be ready to leave their mom in a few weeks.I gave them a call.

The man who answered the phone listened patiently to my story and set a date for us to meet the dogs.

When the day arrived, I got into my brother's car. We pulled up in front of some houses that sat along a narrow street. As we stepped onto the sidewalk，we were greeted by noisy barks（吠叫声）. Four dogs had positioned themselves on the back of a sofa and were watching us through a large window. We climbed onto the porch(门廊) and rang the doorbell.

A tall man with graying hair and a kind smile opened the door. As I reached to shake his hand, I could see the puppies behind him, running to get to us. Each puppy wore a different color string around his neck.

We met the man's wife, who wore a similar friendly smile and welcomed us to her home. We met the puppies' parents and then set about the business of selecting a friend for our mother. There were four puppies and four visitors; the man handed each of us a dog. Three of the puppies looked up at us with large, curious eyes. The fourth one, who I was holding, began to wiggle excitedly and kiss my face. "Let's take this one! He's the one! Look how lovely he is!" I said. As far as I was concerned, it was a done deal.

My brother wasn't sure and suggested that we take some time to get to know all of them.

Two weeks later, we picked up the dog and hid him around the corner in my mom's living room while she opened her birthday gifts.

Molly and her husband Rex ran a used bookstore in a small town. People, mostly kids, came here to read books, sell books and buy books. The morning had been full of rain, and passers-by were walking with narrow eyes under umbrellas. Molly rested both her hands on the counter and leaned（倾斜）forward to watch the world outside in the rain while Rex was busy sorting out books on the bookshelves. Rick, who sat on the floor burying himself in reading a hardback illustrated book, was the only customer in such a rainy day. Rick was a regular customer to the bookstore and he never sold a book or bought a book. He just read books.

“Can you keep this book for me?” Molly heard a shy voice and looked down to find it was little Rick that stood before the counter, holding the illustrated book and asked.

“Sure!” Molly nodded encouragingly. But the uncertainty remained on Rick’s face. “I’ll be back really soon. Promise. Tomorrow if I can.” Molly nodded to him as seriously as she was treating an adult. Molly wanted to ask him if there was anything difficult, but she kept silent. Anyway, she put the illustrated book in a drawer in case anyone else would take it. Most of the secondhand books in her store were unique. If it was sold, she would fail to keep her promise.

Rick didn’t return the following day, or the day after that. Molly was somehow disappointed. Rex suggested placing the illustrated book on the bookshelf so that others could read it or take it. In Rex’s opinion, children made promises all the time and they promised all kinds of things. When they came to a store and was attracted by something, they promised to come back and they asked the shopkeeper not to let anyone else take the things they wanted away. It happened all the time.

But Molly insisted that they should wait and keep the book.

Rick pushed the door open and rushed to the counter holding his money box.