2 . In the second year of my junior middle school, I went abroad to continue my education. Shortly after I moved in with my host family, an Italian girl moved in too. Since the house had limited space, we roomed together. My negative(消极的)opinions on roommates started from that moment. My roommate liked to invite friends over and hold parties, but I preferred staying in my room and enjoying myself. Then conflicts(矛盾)started to appear.

After that experience, I told myself that I never wanted a roommate again. Unfortunately, life quickly had a joke with me when I went to high school. It required all first-year students to live on campus, which meant I had to live with someone I didn’t know. From that point on, I began worrying.

I met my future roommate Yizhou for the very first time on August 23.When I talked to her, I tried my best to smile and nod in order to hide my nervousness. We attended the same class and afterward she invited me to have lunch. I completely freaked out. I told myself that I should step out of my comfort zone and try to talk to my new roommate, even though I could clearly hear my heart beating through my chest. I considered it for a long time, and finally, I accepted her invitation.

After we lived together for a few weeks, I got to know Yizhou was confident and had a clear planning about her future, while I kept struggling to set goals. One night, she asked me what I wanted to do for my career. I looked into her eyes for a long time, and then said, “I don’t know.” “Don’t worry! We will work together and I’ll help you find what you are passionate(热情的)about,” she said in a gentle voice. Under her influence, I found my interests and knew what I wanted to be after graduation. And because of her, I felt having a roommate could be so amazing.

3 . 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.

5 . My parents, siblings and I took our first camping trip to the Lake Houston Wilderness Park recently.

We had finished putting up the _________ when it suddenly started to rain. Luckily, we had _________ a high flat ground for our tent where water could not pour in. Mom got some snacks and drinks ready for us while we played games and _________ about our daily life, which made wet-weather camping fun. How _________ it was camping under the sound of the rain! We were gathered around in the center of _________ and it was a nice feeling. Even with the rain, I had never been so _________.

The rain died down before dark and the sky turned clear. Soon, Mom _________ a big meal over the fire for the family. I felt that a hot meal and good _________ would warm us right up. While we ate together, Dad _________ at the stars and told us about his childhood. As we laughed and __________ on our days, the stars shone like diamonds at night.

The following day, we had a good time __________ the rocky paths around our campsite. __________ hiking in the forest, we had a lovely late afternoon boating. It was exciting to see the __________ changing rays of the sunset behind the pine trees. That evening we packed up our __________ and headed home.

I am very grateful for this camping trip, which has left us unforgettable __________.

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.

My Father, My Hero

I consider my father to be the most important person in my life. This is not because he is famous or wealthy. My father might work hard, but he is always there for us. Whenever I trip or hurt myself playing sports, he's there to pick me up. My brother and I grew up with his constant care and the funny nursery rhymes and stories he told us.

My father also helps our local community. My father has been successful as he never shrinks from helping others. People also like him because he often has a smile on his face. He is optimistic and finds good in all situations. He is great at problem-solving, and his favorite phrases are “Don't worry! It’s not worth it” and “It will be all right—just you wait and see”. He is always right! And I have learnt from him the need to be patient and honest, and to care for other people.

I can well remember that when my mother and father got married, they did not have much money. The situation got worse when they had children. When we were very young, my father had an extra job as a hotel porter, and he also mopped the floor of a hotel every night so that he could give us a special treat or a vacation. At the start of last year, my father began putting at least fifty cents every day into a jar on a shelf in his bedroom. We all wondered what he was saving the money for, but he refused to tell us.

Then, in December, I noticed that the jar was empty. Thinking of his deep love for us, I thought that my father must have spent the money he had saved for our Christmas gifts. Many nights, I pictured what gift father would bring home for us on Christmas Eve. As Christmas drew near, my expectation grew stronger. However, when that big evening finally arrived, my father came home just with some candies and balloons! Feeling too disappointed to say a simple word, I rushed back to my bedroom, wondering what the money was used for indeed.

Later the next year, I found that his best friend passed away, leaving the family too poor to send the son to school.

Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks.

One day, Ali took Zahra's shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it a secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra's school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.

Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city.When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.

The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more exhausted he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her. Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength, and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third. Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided(碰撞) with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground.

Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead.

Filled with delight, Ali walked home quickly.