1 . Family is the most important thing in the world. Sometimes it can be hard to get along with family members but you love them. How can you have a better relationship with your family members?     1    

●Spend more time together.

Think about how much time you spend with your family already. Is it enough?

    2     Arrange time when you all have freedom to do things together. Go on a picnic, visit a museum, go to a sports match and so on.

●Improve yourself.

Perhaps they complain about your grades, your attitude or your lack of goals; don’t assume it’s all nagging. Some of what they are saying is most likely for your own good, and they’re trying to protect you from life’s hardships and encourage you to be the best you can be.     3    

●Be as independent as you can.

For example, don’t ask your father to wake you up in the morning.     4     Or, don’t expect your parents to help you out all the time, especially not as an adult.

    5    

If your parents come home late at night after work, try to make a simple dinner for them, instead of making your mother cook for you again. If your brother or sister is not doing well at school, show him or her how to succeed with the subjects.

I hope everything is going on well with you.

Sincerely Yours,

Li Hua

5 . Spreading Kindness, Rock by Rock

“Mom! I found one! I found a rock!”

I _________ those words again and again last summer as I sat on the porch of my home, which faces a park in the small town where I live.

The Kindness Rocks Project, which was started a few years ago by a mom in Massachusetts, has _________ around the world. _________, families, and adults of all ages are taking part — painting rocks, hiding rocks, and finding painted rocks all over the place. Some _________ photos of the rocks on social media, and others simply move the rocks for someone else to find. Some take the rocks home and then _________ them with new ones that they create and hide.

Nine-year-old twins Harry and Hannah DeVrieze have _________ hundreds of rocks with their parents. Most evenings, the family and their small dog walk around with a wagon full of _________ that they hide as they walk.

“It’s a fun _________ activity,” Hannah says.

“We will do it in the winter too,” Harry _________. Ben Burinsky, aged nine, and his brother, Luke, aged seven, were visiting relatives when they __________ their first painted rock in a park. They were so __________ that they went home and painted their own rocks, then __________ them for others to find.

“My boys loved finding the rock in the park, __________ since it was a superhero,” their mother, Judy Burinsky, says. “I love how something so __________ can bring a smile to my children’s faces. In return, they learn the __________ of giving back to others.”

One fall evening, 13-year-old Briar Omar agreed to look after his four younger sisters when his parents went to the grocery store to pick up the family dinner. The parents were confident that responsible big brother Briar with their protective dog called Mandy, was capable of managing the family in their absence. During that brief time, an unexpected thing happened: The home suddenly went up in flames(火焰). It was up to Briar and Mandy to save his family.

The children smelled smoke soon after their parents left for the store. They turned around to search for where the fire came from and were shocked and frightened to find their baby sister’s playpen(玩耍护栏) on fire.

The first thought that came to Briar’s mind was to rescue his little sisters. The family had previously discussed what to do in the face of danger, so he was prepared to act.

In a few minutes, flames were climbing the ceiling(天花板). Smoke was filling up the hallways. The horrible fire quickly spread throughout the home.

Briar remained calm and focused on the urgent task of saving his four younger sisters: Peyton, 12, Jocelyn, 3, Willow, 1, and 6-month-old baby Sawyer. He quickly picked up the two babies and rushed the older sisters out of the door to safety. After making sure his sisters were far away from the danger and breathing in fresh air, he ran back to save their home despite the flames surrounding him.

He quickly held the fire extinguisher(灭火器) from the kitchen and tried to put out the flames.

Briar cheered up immediately and managed to escape from the fire to safety with the dog following the way.

8 . Christmas is a time for giving and receiving. However, is it ________ for close family and friends? Do we even spare a ________ for those in need? Our children receive so much throughout the year.

As parents we want our daughters to be ________ for what they have and to think of those who don’t. That’s why my husband and I want them to ________ the spirit of giving back from a very young age.

Through their school, the girls have a charity which they ________ . Every Tuesday they take two loaves of bread to the school food bank. Twice a year they donate ________ clothes, toys and books to shelters. They also volunteer on weekends. As my husband is a regular blood donor, the girls ________ to donate as well. Unfortunately they are too ________ as the start age is 16.

Children mirror the ________ of their parents and if you often reach out to others by giving generously, they will ________ . Christmas is the perfect time to teach them to give back to those less ________ .

Teaching the gift of giving back not only promotes personal growth, it also ________ them a sense of belonging and pride. It will create ________ that they are making a difference in someone else’s life no matter how small the ________ . It teaches them love, kindness, patience and so on. These ________ will help them carry it forward in their adult life.

9 . Ma Li is a dessert shop owner in Yinchuan, Ningxia. On a cool morning, she received an online _______, but it took an hour for her to wait for the deliveryman (外卖送餐员).

When the deliveryman came, Ma was a little _______. “It is too cold outside and my motorbike didn’t work,” explained the deliveryman. After she heard his words, her anger was _______. She invited him to sit for a while and offered him a cup of hot water.

At that moment, Ma noticed the deliveryman’s face and hands were dark purple _______ he was working outside for too long. She felt sorry for him. While they were talking, Ma knew that the deliveryman wanted to buy her daughter a _______, but he thought it was a little expensive.

After the deliveryman left, Ma _______ what happened just now on her WeChat Moments (微信朋友圈) with two photos of the deliveryman.

Heartwarming comments (评论) poured in, such as “life is not easy but _______ of us give up!”, “Thumbs up(点赞)for hard-working people” and “Showing understanding to deliverymen.” Some _______ offered money for a cake.

The next day, Ma got in touch with the deliveryman and invited him to her shop. When they met, Ma expressed people’s kindness to him and gave him a cake for his daughter’s birthday. The deliveryman was _______.

Ma received more than 600 yuan in donations ________ her friends and customers. She said she would use the money to offer some help to people in need.

10 . Four months earlier, I woke one morning with blinding back pain. A quick Google search ________ a kidney infection. I went for a checkup and was told I had to have a donor who was a ________ match.

My life depended on ________ my brother, Johnny. A(n) ________ mother and an alcoholic father created an extremely unpleasant ________ for both of us. After high school, Johnny moved out. We communicated infrequently. I encouraged him to give up the job carrying the ________ of prison. But he believed I judged him ________. That was our last ________, 30 years ago.

I knew I needed to stay ________, but a part of me felt a glimmer of hope. My friend Anne knew all of this ________ family history and was at my door the next morning to ________ over some print-outs. I would be the one to make the ________.

I dialed the first number... and the second.... I did the same for almost every number — same ________ I went to bed thinking we’d ________ a dead end. The next day, I got up my ________ and looked over the list again. The lone number on the last page ________ out at me from the whiteness. I dialed, just to be done with it. The phone rang and rang. No ________.

Just one more time, ________ told me. I redialed.

“Hello!” It was my Johnny. My palms were damp when I explained why I’d called. Johnny didn’t ________ before agreeing to help. The hospital sent him a testing kit. My brother was a(n) ________!