—Sorry, Miss Wang.

—Don't____________. I'm okay now.

—Yes, he has. He____________ his homework very carelessly, but now he doesn't.

A boy called Tom sat near a wall with tears (眼泪) in his eyes. Mrs Bell came and asked, "What makes you so1?" Tom answered, "We will have a poetry (诗歌) competition. I don't think I can make it because other boys2me and call me ‘Slow Tom'."

    In a kind3, Mrs Bell said, "Look at the snail (蜗牛) on the wall. It is slow but sure. When you4heart, think of the snail." Tom thought he could run a race with the snail. So he decided to practice his poems until the snail got to the5of the wall.

    6, the day came. Tom did best in the competition. He didn't miss a word and won the prize. The headmaster (校长) asked, "How7you learn the poems so well?" "The snail on the wall taught me8to do it," said Tom. "I saw it climb up the wall little by little.9didn't stop, nor turn back, but went on. And I thought I would do the same with my task. By the time the snail had got to the top of the wall, I had learned it all." "Well done, Tom!" said the headmaster10. "Now boys, let us cheer for Tom and the snail on the wall."

    This is a story of a man who worked in a big factory. I got to know him many years ago, but I never paid any attention to him. He always wore an old red hat and carried a rubbish bag. He usually spent his break time and his lunchtime walking around in that old big factory to collect the unused tins.

    Today, I was fixing a machine in the factory when this "tin man" came with his bag. As usual, he picked up the tins. My manager was standing there to watch him. He asked the "tin man" what he was going to do with those tins. I never thought about this question, because I always thought that he'd sell those tins for money. The "tin man" answered, "I will give these tins to my neighbor, because he is ill and he cannot work." I was so surprised to hear that, so I asked him, "You collect all those tins just to help your neighbor?" "I know this does not help much," he said. "But I will try my best to help him."

    At that time, I found myself standing in front of a great man. This "tin man" only wore a T-shirt and an old red hat and carried a rubbish bag, but he was a great man.

    We shouldn't judge a man by his appearance (外表). We should look at his heart.

    When I was in the eighth grade, my teacher asked us to write an article about what we would like to do when we grew up. All I could think of was one sentence—I want to help other people! During the years, I met many problems. But I never gave up. I know that to help other people I have to help myself first. I encouraged myself after I experienced failures (失败). Finally my dream really came true. I found a part-time job in a charity. I began to spend my days doing things for people. I have a happy life. That doesn't mean that this kind of life is easy, or that my work is always enjoyable. I am happy because I am doing what I want to do.

    What do you want to do? Write it down now. If you don't know, you can ask yourself, "What would I do if this was the last day of my life?" Then write down the first thing that comes to your mind, no matter (无论) how silly or impossible it is. If you have an answer, you will know what your dream is.

My mum

—by Rebecca

She, with a serious face, sits in front of me.

And always tells me what I should be,

What I can't be.

In her mind, I just do everything wrong.

I can try nothing because I'm not strong.

Sometimes I just think about that.

Doesn't she treat (对待) me just as a pet?

She's a boring woman, she is my mum.

And then one day I see her,

In the kitchen, making supper.

Wonderfully, her hands are dancing.

Washing and cutting,

Cooking the dinner becomes her everything.

Suddenly I find she's beautiful.

She's an angel, my mum.

The teacher wants to               who broke the window.

Yesterday I did my homework and listened to music                           .

This girl       her       about her father.

             always exciting for me              basketball.

After running in the marathon, he was                     say a word.

    Poems are the art of language. They can express our feelings and ideas       a powerful way. Everyone can enjoy the poems if he        (know) some tips (建议).

    Read poems aloud. Poems are "word music", an art which paints pictures with words and sounds. Since the sounds        (great) increase the effect of the words, poems must be        (read) aloud to provide you with the fullest joy. Make your first reading a silent one, if you like, to know       the poem says. But you should read it aloud to experience the poem the        (two) time.

    Relax, slow down and there's no rush. Read with understanding, rather       speed. As you read the lines, feel their        (happy), their sadness; sense the look, smell and taste of them. By reading carefully and slowly, you will experience a response to the words.

    Read it again and again. Very often we cannot        (full) enjoy a poem after the first reading. So if a poem        (fail) to catch your feeling the first time, give it another chance.

    Life used to be fun for teenagers. They used to have money to spend, and free time to spend. They used to wear teenage clothes, and meet in teenage coffee bars and discos.       But for many young people, life is harder now.       There is not so much money around. Things are more expensive, and it is hard to find a place to live in. Teachers say that students work harder than they used to.      and more interested in passing exams. They know that good exam results may get them better jobs.

    Most young people worry more about money than their parents did twenty years ago.      They want to be able to get homes of their own one day.

    For some, the answer to the unemployed is to leave home and look for work in one of the Britain's big cities. Every day hundreds of young people arrive in London from other parts of Britain, looking for jobs.      Others don't find it, and go home again.

    When you read the newspapers and watch the news on televisions, it's easy to get the idea that British young people lose their jobs and are angry or in trouble. But that's not true.

    Recently we did a survey in our class in order to learn about students' dream jobs.

    I hope everyone can realize their dreams in the future.