Friends play a very important part in everyone’s life. Friendship     1    (usual) develops during childhood. New friends are made when you progress through school. Those friends     2     you make as a student can usually last long. Friends influence your development, maturity (成熟) and sense of responsibility (责任). A familiar expression is “You can tell a lot about a person by     3    (know) who his friends are.” Friendship     4    (base) on common interests. If you like sports, most of your friends     5    (be) likely to be athletic (竞技的). If you enjoy reading and shopping, most of your friends do     6     same.

Some people call you their friends for the wrong reasons. These people are not really friends. They are superficial (表面的) only “friends” on the outside, not the inside where it counts. Superficial friends only want to be your friends if is to their advantage. True friends are there if you are rich or poor.     7     is easy to have many so-called “friends” if you are rich. By his time you should be able to separate our fiends into the real or the “phoney”.

True fiends are most special. They are also difficult     8    (find). You can consider yourself very     9    (fortune) if you have one true friend. This friend is eager to help you whenever necessary. He or she knows you would do the same for them. A true friend is someone you can talk to about any subject or problem. You and your true friend have good understanding of each other. True friends give you a great deal of     10    (encourage), take your side, and build up your confidence.

Yours,

LiHua

4 . One summer night in a seaside cottage, a boy felt himself lifted from bed. Then, with the swiftness of a dream, he was held in his father’s arms out onto the nearby beach. Overhead the sky blazed with stars. “Watch!” Incredibly, as his father spoke, one of the stars moved. In a line of golden fire it flashed across the astonished heavens. And before the wonder of this could fade, another star leaped from its place, then another, plunging towards the restless sea.

“What’s this?” the child whispered.

“Shooting stars. They come every year on a certain August night. I thought you’d like to see the show.”

That was all: just an unexpected glimpse of something mysterious and beautiful. But, back in bed, the child stared for a long time into the dark, knowing that all around the quiet house, the night was full of the silent music of the falling stars.

Decades have passed, but I remember that night still, because I was the fortunate boy whose father believed that a new experience was more important for a small boy than an unbroken night’s sleep. No doubt I had all the usual childhood entertainment, but those are forgotten now. What I remember is the night of the shooting stars, and the day we rode in a caboose (列车末尾的职工车厢), the telegraph we made that really worked, and the “trophy table” in the dining room where we children were encouraged to exhibit things we had found — anything unusual or beautiful — snake skins, seashells, flowers, arrowheads... I remember the thought-provoking (引人深思的) books left by my bedside that pushed back my horizons and sometimes actually changed my life.

My father had, to a marvellous degree, the gift of opening doors for his children, of leading them into areas of splendid newness. This subtle art of adding dimensions to a child’s world doesn’t necessarily require a great deal of time. It simply involves doing things more often with our children instead of for them or to them.

7 . This fall marks an especially memorable time for one family celebrating four people-three generations walking into Carthage College together. Samantha Malczewski, 19, the second-year nursing student recalled. “It was really _______ . I didn’t expect it.” However, Carter, aged 18, said she had a _______ that their mom Amy Malczewski and grandmother Christy Schwan were interested in going back to school.

Calling herself “Carthage’s biggest fan”, Amy Malczewski has a deep _______ to Carthage College. “And Carthage has this amazing _______ for the master’s degree in business and design, which is really _______ all the things that I love,” said she.

Meanwhile, when Christy heard of her daughter’s _______ , she quickly realized they could _______ on the journey together. The 71-year-old _______ three years ago after working in employee benefits consulting. Amy said, “I think you ought to _______ it too.” “Oh, I think you’re right, we should do this ________ ,” Christy recalled. “It’s helped fill a(n) ________ space for me.”

As the four settle into classes and busy ________ , the two sisters said, “We’re ________ to accompany them to class, have this little study group, or get dinner together in the cafeteria.”

In a statement, Carthage College ________ the family and their educational goals. “Spanning (跨越) three generations, this family reminds us of the power of ________ learning.” the school said. “Age isn’t a factor— we can all continue to learn.”

8 . After Chika, my adopted daughter, received her treatment in the US, I took her back to Haiti to see the orphanage (孤儿院) numerous times. On one of these times, I got to know that Chika’s father was still alive and sound, in a place known as Tabarre. As a matter of fact, I had been told that he might also be dead.

I drove to his house. Stepping out in front me was her father, a short, strong man with a broad mustache. I said to him that I came because of Chika’s medical condition — the brain tumor (肿瘤). I explained that her life could be in the balance. I then inquired if it was significant for Chika to be buried in Haiti. He responded by saying, “It doesn’t mean. Whatever you think.”

I eventually came to my utmost mission. I requested him to see his daughter — and her to see him — perhaps because, deep down, I doubted about another chance. Yet as we drove back, there was part of me feeling as if I had been nudged (轻推) to the side of the picture. Although I have done much for Chika, this man has a certain claim that I never have.

Yours, not yours! The paperwork at the orphanage was signed by me. It obligates me to feed, educate, and protect Chika. But in the end, it is a document, not parenthood. Yours, not yours! I wrestled with this question many times. Chika, remember what you once asked? How did you find me? I promised myself you would never feel lost again.

After two hours, the father walked over, shook my hand, and left. That night, Chika rested her head upon my shoulder and after a few seconds mumbled, “Dad? What will you do while I sleep?”

“I’ll read,” I said. “And think about how much I love you.”

She nodded, her eyes glowed. “That’s what I’ll do too.”

At that moment, I didn’t care who belonged to whom. I was hers, even if she were not mine.

9 . When I was a kid, my family farmed 200 acres with mules (骡子), and the most naughty one was Tobe. It’d frequently jump out and run around. But when asked why he liked it, Dad would say, “When it comes to farm work, Tobe comes up to standard.”

Dad died when I was 11, and we had to sell the farm. Those were hard years, but Mom managed to give me my first music lesson. Before long our neighbors liked my songs so much that I decided to make a career in singing.

At 17 I left home for a radio station in Jackson and this job made me discover how inexperienced I was. I made up my mind that I would practice until I came up to standard. I took a job as a driver. With 8 hours spent in the car, I could spend the rest of the time practicing. Finally, when I was good enough, I began playing for audiences nationwide.

By now, I had two kids and I knew what a family was without a dad, so I quit the performances and entered the most depressing (令人消沉的) years of my life with all the clothing, homework, and duties around the house. That was when I thought about Tobe. It was self-willed, but in the field, where it mattered, Tobe came up to standard. So I started listening and made a discovery. My kids’ lifestyle may be different. But where standards are concerned (涉及) — for things like honesty and courage — they often do better than some of us.

Not long ago my son Dick told me he was going to apply for a job at a TV station. “ I know the general manager. I’ll put in a good word for you,” I said. “I’d rather go alone,” he replied. “If I’m not good enough yet to do the job, I shouldn’t get it.” Then I realized he wanted to be up to standard. I felt proud the minute he came home shouting, “ Dad, I got the job!”