1 . I personally think trains are exciting and romantic. I must admit that trains are not important means of transportation in the US, but I do have some experiences with them.

When I was a child, growing up in a small town with very little entertainment, we used to go to the station to watch the passenger trains coming in. There was something exciting about the steaming, roaring string of trains coming into view around the mountains, slowly growing larger and louder and finally after their stop crowds of strangers spilling （漏出）onto the platform.

I took my first train trip when I was ten years old. I went with my elder sister to visit our cousins six hundred miles away. The train — so loud and violent on the outside — was gentle and rocking inside. We were very excited, and as that was also our first time away from our parents, we felt somewhat frightened too. However, because I had expected so much, I was a little disappointed when I was finally one of the passengers I had watched for so long.

As a college student, I used to ride an overnight train to my roommate's hometown. We could never afford a sleeper, so we played cards, sang, ate, read and talked until we finally fell uncomfortably asleep in the straight-backed seats.

My idea that trains are romantic may come from the fact that my husband and I took the train on our honeymoon, spending extra money to eat in the dining car, and looking out of the window as the desert scenery slid past.

Now, when I make a trip, I always fly or drive, and trains are not a very important part of my life. Still, every time I hear the train whistle far away on a quiet night, I can always feel the impulse in my heart to pack my bags and jump on board, entering a unique world of motions, sounds, sights and experiences which just aren't matched in the dull environment of an airplane.

4 . I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal eggs and toast. Others had Cokes and candy for lunch, while I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We felt embarrassed because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9: 00 each night and up at 7: 45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us.

Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would only be content with the black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.

She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I’m mean because now I thank the meanest mother in the world every day.

7 . Computer programmer David Jones earns £35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18.

The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David's firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast throwing computer market each month.

But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款), or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. "I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs," he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.

"Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school," he said. "But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway." David added: "I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear."

8 . Age has never been a problem for Thessalonika Arzu-Embry. After all, she’s already got her master’s degree.

The North Chicago-area girl started homeschooling at the age of 4. She began having an influence on others soon after. When she was 6 years old, she was an inspirational speaker at an organization called Tabitha House Community Service, a shelter for people who were forced to leave their homes due to the situations such as earthquakes, flood and other natural disasters.

At the age of 11, she graduated from high school and then earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013. She completed those classes online as she was traveling for leadership meetings.

She doesn’t stop there, though. The girl plans to focus on aviation psychology(航空心理学) for her further study, a decision inspired by her father who is a pilot. She grew up around airplanes and took flights all the time. Her goal is to use it to determine whether pilots are dealing with problems that could have deadly results once the plane takes off—a topic that has been in the news lately. For her, it’s a mix of two of her interests.

In her free time, Thessalonika enjoys playing tennis, swimming and being active in her youth group. She also has three self-published books, which are on her site. Jump the Education Barrier is written to help students finish college, and In the Future aims to help business owners deal with trends. Her third book The Genius Race has a wider appeal. It is designed to help people to be geniuses in various areas of life.

9 . For the brave in the armed forces, being sent away from home for months at a time is just part of the duty. However, it's never an easy one to perform especially for those with children. So when I found out I was going to be stationed in South Korea for a year, I was nervous about how my five children, particularly my eldest daughter Abigail, would take the news since it meant I wouldn't be home to see her graduate from high school.

Incredibly, Abigail told me not to worry and even suggested we live stream the event among family members when I leaked the news. “We've been lucky you haven't had to be sent abroad yet. Anyway we can get connected through the Internet. See me on your phone on my spot,” Abigail said. She stepped into many of my roles when I was gone. I wanted to find a way to thank her and show her how proud I was of her. I started planning the special surprise when my request to return home a few weeks early to attend Abigail's graduation ceremony was approved.

When my time in South Korea finally came to an end, I flew home, rented a car, and stayed in a hotel.   And on Abigail's graduation day, I hid in an office behind the stage waiting until I heard my daughter's name called. I just kept thinking “Don't cry. Don't trip in your heels. Don't fall over.” At last！Abigail was up on stage.   I slipped up behind her, whispered in her ear, and around she turned! “I was just thinking, like, ‘You aren't supposed to be here. What? What? How？’ It was the biggest shock...I'm pretty sure my dad made people he didn't even know cry. Emotional for everyone,” Abigail cried.

You know what followed: Embraces, kisses, tears, laughs, flowers, wishes...Aren't they what a family has in store?

10 . A gentleman lost his family when young. He was homeless and went to the local_______every day. Although the church never let him in, they left one of the windows _______ so he could hear mass （弥撒曲）.It gave him _______and comfort. Many times we would bring him into our home for a hot shower, or a hot meal. Those were the times when his eyes lit up, almost like he_______ everything he was going through.

Every winter I would get nervous for him and other_______people. I would take blankets and gloves to hand out. It never felt like _______ . This winter was the _______ . One night, concerned about our friend, I headed out with warm food and extra blankets. I found our friend's _______ but didn't hear a sound. Worried, I opened the tent and was _______ by what I saw. Another elder gentleman that was new to town was sleeping________ under a pile of blankets. Our friend had ________ him with all of the blankets to keep him ________ .Our friend sacrificed himself so another fellow human could ________ a cold night.

Our friend was buried in our local cemetery （墓地）.The only people that ________ were our town's few homeless people, my husband, my dogs and me. No matter how many blankets I buy, it will never be enough, but it's ________ . The whole society should make efforts.