(2)词数：80左右。

Yours,

Li Hua

5 . Mom was late once again!!

“Sorry, honey. I left the office only a little bit late, but the _________ caused really bad traffic, and I…”

I hung up. All too often, situations like this happen. Being a teenager is not _________, and my parents often make me feel less important than their work.

In third grade, I broke my arm at school. When the school nurse called my mom, she was too _________ to answer. When the phone call _________ my father, he sighed and said, “I’m in the middle of my research.” I waited in the nurse’s office for hours before my parents finally _________ to take me to hospital.

I wished my parents could spare me some time. To make my parents take me seriously, I _________. I tried to establish my own authority (权威) by _________ their schedule. My mom did everything possible to settle the problem, but nothing _________ until she met that adviser.

One day after I shut my door in her face, my mom didn’t complain or cry. _________, she knocked and said, “I have something to tell you.” I opened the door. “Today I met a really good adviser. He said that every time your daughter is angry, she is just saying: I __________ you.”

It occurred to me that my anger was merely a mask for me to __________ my loneliness and disappointment. But facing one’s __________ need is the first step towards being happier. This concept not only helped things between my parents and me but also enabled me to handle conflicts and emotions. I started to pay attention to other people’s __________. When an angry customer approached me at my volunteering job, he was saying, “I need more service.” When a homeless person shouted to me in a parking lot, he was simply saying, “I need food and help.”

I am now able to see __________ the fog of anger and see the real face and heart of other person.

Five minutes after I hung up on her, my mom’s car finally appeared through the fog. She rolled down her window and said, “Let’s go to a hotpot place, shall we?” I __________. “OK, but promise me you won’t be late again.”

6 . Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.

Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (依偎) against me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is understanding which time is which.”

Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their mind. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”

Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.

7 . When I was little, I spent much time at my grandfather’s house, watching him paint all day long. What I remember most was how he________ painting old ships.

As I grew up, we hardly ________. I noticed he didn’t really ________ much anymore. About a year ago, he had a heart attack. In and out of the ________ for a while, he recovered but was still ________, moving around his house in a wheelchair.

Then, I started ________ his house and we began to talk more. We discussed life and our interests. Every time I ________, he wanted to talk a lot. I figured he was lonely and enjoyed the ________. Wondering why he didn’t start painting again, I made it a point to casually (不经意地) ________ it when I came over, telling him often that he should paint again. It ________! He started sending me to buy paint and poster boards. He asked me about colors and ________ me his paintings. I loved the way he painted the ________ ships. He looked happier. Painting seemed to have brought back some ________ part of him.

Cleaning for my grandpa has brought us closer. Despite his seventy-five years of age, I ________ to discourage him from painting. Days like these are ________, and I enjoy the little moments.

Jim slumped on the couch. Mother’s Day was coming up, and he didn’t have a present. “How can I buy a present without money?” he thought.

Jim picked up the newspaper that was lying on the couch. He noticed a large advertisement on the front page. The local department store was sponsoring a contest. “Tell us why your mom is special and win a shopping spree(疯狂购物) for her,” said the ad.

“This is perfect!” thought Jim. He ran to his room with the newspaper, taking a pencil and a blank piece of paper from his desk, he started to write.

“My mom is the best mother in the world. She always makes a lunch for me to take to school, and she never forgets my dessert. She reads as many books to me before bed as I want. She always remembers to check under the bed for monsters. And she gives the best hug, but never in front of my friends, who would laugh at me for hugging my mom.”

Jim liked what he had written. He copied it neatly and got an envelope and a stamp from his dad. He ran to the mailbox with his entry(参赛作品), “Mom will love having a shopping spree,” he thought.

Jim checked the mailbox every day for his prize. Days passed by, and then weeks. Soon it was the day before Mother’s Day. Jim still hadn’t heard anything about the contest.

“What am I going to do now?” he wondered. He didn’t have a present, and he didn’t have a shopping spree, and he still didn’t have any money. He had to think of something. Jim closed his eyes and curled his toes and thought so hard that his ears hurt.

Suddenly he had an idea.

The next morning, Jim handed his present to his mom.

A Great Monday

Monday started out well. I woke up on time, ate breakfast and did some last minute studying for my math test later that morning. I was confident of getting good grades. I left my house and ten minutes later, I sat with my friends on the school bus. We were busy chatting about how we spent our weekend. At the next stop, a student named Ryan got on the bus. He was in a rush and tripped (绊倒) over someone’s foot. There was a loud noise as he fell to the floor.

Every one of us on the bus laughed. Ryan got up, brushed his jacket and went to an empty seat. He tried to laugh with us, but his face was red with embarrassment. The rest of the morning went by quickly. I did well in my math test. I read two more chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird in English class. Soon we heard the lunch bell. I met my friends from the cheerleading team in the dining hall. I noticed Ryan a few tables away, sitting by himself. He caught me looking at him. I smiled at him quickly and looked away.

When we finished eating, we went to the courtyard to practice a cheer we would do at that night’s football game. After much practice, we finally managed to do the cheer perfectly. We decided to practice it again one last time. Just like the rest of my day so far, the cheer was going great. I raised my leg for one last toe touch. That was when I felt my jeans (牛仔裤) split (裂开) down the middle of my backside.

I froze. I had no idea what to do. I heard people burst out laughing and I saw them pointing at my torn jeans. I tried to cover myself with my hands, I tried to laugh too, but I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.

Then I saw Ryan running towards me.

That night, after the cheer at the football game, I found Ryan.

Yours,

Li Hua