For more than 30 years, they had been getting along very well. Then their good relationship broke. It began with a small thing, then bitter words, and then weeks of silence. One morning Farmer John woke up to find a stream between the two farms. “It must be Bob,” John thought.

Then one day there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a carpenter(木匠) standing at the doorway.

“I’m looking for a few days’ work,” the carpenter said.          

“I do have a job for you,” John said. “Look across the stream at that farm. That’s my neighbor Bob. He dug a stream between the two farms. I want you to build a fence—an 8-foot fence. I don’t want to see his place or his face any more. I don’t have such a neighbor!”

The carpenter said, “I think I know what to do, sir, and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

Farmer John helped the carpenter get the materials(材料) ready and then he was off for the day.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide. There was no fence there at all!

It was a bridge! And the neighbor, Bob, was coming across, with his hand outstretched(伸出). “Hi, John!You’re quite a fellow to build this bridge!”

Then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. “I’m terribly sorry for what I have said and done. We should be good to each other.” said Farmer Bob. Then they turned to see the carpenter, who was ready to go. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I have a lot of other jobs for you,” said Farmer John. “I’d love to stay,” the carpenter said, “but I have more bridges to build.”

As teenagers, you have many dreams．These dreams can be very big，or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the best students in your class. If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true?

  Follow Your Heart, by Australian writer Andrew Matthews, tells us that making our dreams real is life’s biggest challenge．

   You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects，or that you can’t become a writer. These kinds of thoughts stop you from getting your dream.

In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don’t let dreams just be dreams. Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this little by little and your dream will come true. You must also never give up（放弃）your dream. There will be difficulties on the way to your dreams. But the biggest difficulty is yourself. You need to decide what is the most important．For example, studying will make you have better grades，and saving 10 yuan means you can buy a new book.

When you get closer to your dream, it may change（改变）a little. This is good because you will learn more and find new hobbies．

Everyone needs friends. There is an old saying “Friends are God’s way of taking care of us. ” But how do you find real friendship and keep it?

The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to find friends. Sally says finding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed and take care of it to make it grow.

    First, you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks. A good friend should be king and patient. For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend should listen to your complaints and do his or her best to help. To make a friend, you can not be too shy. You should make each other happy and share your lives. But things cannot always be happy. Even the best have fights. What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her. When there is no one around, have an honest talk. If he or she doesn’t want to talk, you could write a letter.

    There are three steps to being friends again:

    Tell him or her how you are feeling; say what your friend has done wrong, and explain why you did this or that. Remember that friendship is the most important thing in your life.

Even in early time, people could realize the importance of dreams and knew that 

dreams gave meaning to life. Every great achievement has been the result of years of dreaming. If a person has a dream and holds fast to it, he or she will find a way to

 bring it into reality (现实).  

Children do not have much experience or knowledge. However, they are natural dreamers. We should not laugh at them for being naïve. Many great men were 

dreamers when they were children. One such dreamer was Thomas  Edison. He used to be ostracized(排斥)when he was in primary school, but his achievements were greater than everyone

 else’s in his time.  

 Teenagers and young people should also be encouraged to dream. The world is

 full of successful teenagers and young people. They dreams big and their dreams 

changed their lives and even the world. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the good 

examples. They have developed technology and brought great progress to human 

besides making money for themselves.  

 Older people should believe that it is never too late to dream and that human 

mind is never too old to make dreams turn into reality. Colonel Saunders realized his dreams at the age of 67 and set up the biggest fried chicken company (KFC) in the 

world.   To dream is a wonderful ability which can lead to wonderful results. Olympic records were broken by players who were brave enough to dream. No one is too 

young or too old to dream and to make dreams come true.

Since last year, "Where Are We Going, Dad?" has become the most popular TV shows. On the show, the five fathers and their children traveled around China, riding camels through the western deserts, fishing on the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare(费用) home in southwestern Yunnan province.

       One dad doesn't know how to do his daughter's hair, so some people try to help him. Another one must survive(生存) with his son for three days in the desert, because the father can't cook, they only eat instant noodles (方便面).

       Why is "Where Are We Going, Dad?" so popular? Because it is about how Chinese parents look after their kids. The show makes modern parents think about what they should do with their kids. "In traditional Chinese culture, the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentle on their kids and more involved(参与) in their upbringing(成长)." said Li Minyi, a professor of early childhood education.

       In the past, children were taught to obey their parents' wishes and look after them in their old age. But today Chinese parents increasingly realize that respecting their children's choices may be a better way to prepare them for modern society. As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time.

I was poor when I was young. But when I was 16, I could beat anyone on the football field. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me but also taught me how to believe in myself. One particular incident(发生的事情)with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was during the summer vacation, and there was a chance to get a summer job and earn some money that I wanted very much. Then I realized I would have to give up summer football camp to earn the money. When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as angry as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said, “Your playing days arelimited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging. “How much are you going to make from this job?” he asked. “$3.25 an hour.” I replied. “Well,” he asked, “Is $3.25 an hour the price of a dream?” That question made me think about the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I dedicated (献身)myself to football that summer, and within the year I was chosen by a professional (职业的) team.

I finally achieved my goal in life because I insisted on chasing(坚持追求) my dream. The point is that no matter who you are and no matter where you are, you should always have a dream. And this dream will show you your direction like a beacon to a ship at sea at night.

Do you get angry when your friends sing loudly while you are trying to work, or when your best friend does not wait for you after school? If you do, you need to take control(控制) of your feelings and stop getting angry. Getting angry with people can cause you to lose friends.

   Cary Egeberg, an American high school teacher, has written My Feelings Are Just Like Wild Animals to help control(控制) feelings. It tells teenagers how to stay cool when bad things hap pen to them. The book says that getting angry only makes problems worse. It can never make them better. "Getting angry is not a natural way to act," the book says. It is just a bad habit(习惯) like smoking. The book says you can control you anger easily—all you have to do is to tell yourself not to be angry.

   When a baby falls over, it only cries if people are watching it. Like a baby, you should only get angry if you are sure it is right to do so.

   The book gives many tips to help you if you get angry easily. Here are the top three:

   1Keep a record. Every time you get angry, write down why you are angry. Look at it later and you will see you get angry too easily.

   2Ask your friends to stop talking to you when you get angry. This will make you not angry.

   3Do something different. When you get angry, walk away from the problem and go somewhere else. Try to laugh!

A famous teacher was speaking to the students at our school. He began his lesson by holding up a ¥100 bill. Then he said to the three hundred students, “Who would like this ¥100 bill?” The students began to put up their hands at once.

Then he said, “I am going to give this ¥100 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He then made the bill into a ball. Then he said, “Who wants it now?” The hands went back into the air.

“Well,” he said, “What if I do this?” and he dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. He picked up the dirty, crumpled (弄皱的)bill and said, “Who still wants it?” Hands went back into the air.

“My friends,” he said,“you have learned a valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not go down in value. It was still worth ¥ l00!”

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and stepped on by the chances we take and the things that happen to us. We feel as if we are worth nothing. But remember, no matter what has happened to you, you will never lose your value: you are always valuable to those people who love you. Your value doesn’t come from what you do or whom you know, but WHO YOU ARE.

You are special and valuable. Don’t ever forget it!

Life is like four seasons. Now I am very old, but when I was young, it was the spring of my life. I was born, I played a lot, and then I started school. I learnt many new things. Like a flower, I grew bigger every day. There were happy days and sorrowful days: some days the sun shone, and some days it didn’t.

In my twenties, I had a good job. I was strong and happy. Then I married and had a child. In those days, I didn’t have much time to think. Every day I was busy and worked very hard. And so, I started to get some white hair. The summer of my life passed quickly.

Then the days got shorter. Leaves fell from the trees. My child was a university student, and then an engineer. My home was much quieter. I started walking more slowly. One day I stopped walking. I had more time. I understood this was my autumn, a beautiful time when the trees change color and give us delicious fruits.

But the days kept getting shorter and colder. Winter has come. I am getting older and older. I know I do not have many days left, but I will enjoy them to the end and try to make my winter a warm one.

 So it is in other ways of our lives. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is to measured(衡量) by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is closely related to the welfare of all.