If a man wants to read good books， he must make a point avoiding bad ones； for life is short， and time and energy limited.
My Father
Three years ago， when I first went to Beijing to continue study， I felt helpless.
On day， to my surprise， I found my father standing at the dormitory gate and looking at me. In his eyes， I found the warmth and loving care of a father. The dark clouds that overshadowed my mind disappeared and I became confident.
When he left， he took out some money and gave it to me. I knew that the money must have been saved coin by coin， for it consisted of much small change. Just before he left， he suddenly found that one button in my coat was loose， and insisted sewing it for me. While sewing， he said something to me， but I could hardly hear anything for I was crying. All I could remember was the love and care in his eyes.
这是一篇写得很出色的作文。作者饱含感情的笔触，把一个对子女充满无限关爱之心的父亲形象生动地展现在了读者面前。特别是最后一段对“父亲给零用钱”，“缝纽扣”等行为的描写很生动，读后很令人感动。
My Teacher
My English teacher， Miss Zhang， is the best teacher I have ever had. She not only teaches us very well， but also treats us as if we were here younger brothers and sisters.
She is strict with us in our studies. And with her help， we have made great progress in English. She is patient in her teaching. She is never tired of helping us with our work. Sometimes， she visits us at home to see how we do our homework. And she never scolds us. She only reminds us to be careful and try to correct the mistakes if we make them.
Miss Zhang is also our close friend. After class she often plays and jokes with us.
I feel lucky to have such an excellent teacher and I love her very much.
本文通过课上及课下两个侧面介绍了张老师的“好”，两个方面之间的过渡用一个关联词“also”进行连接，显得十分自然。同时，两方面的介绍主次突出，语言简练而富有表现力。最后，作者用一句“我为有这样一位好老师而感到幸运”来作结尾，是这类介绍人物文章常用的结尾方法。
A Day at School
Our homes are far away from our school， so we all live in the school.
We get up at six in the morning and then go out to do morning exercise or run a round the track. We read English aloud for half an hour before breakfast.
The morning classes begin at eight. In class we listen to the teachers attentively and take notes carefully. Our teachers do their best to teach us well.
Lunch is at twelve. After lunch we have a rest. In the afternoon we usually have two classes. From four to five is sports time. We always take an active part in sports.
We have supper at half past five. After supper we often go out for a walk. Sometimes we read newspapers or listen to tape recordings. Evening studies are from half past seven to nine. At about ten we go to bed.
本文是对学校一天生活的记叙。文章采用平铺直叙的手法，把学校生活从早到晚的场景呈现在我们面前：早起锻炼、朗诵外语、白天上课、下午运动直至晚上休息等等。全文文字简洁，条理清晰，一般现在时的运用使得文章显得真实可信。
My Education
I started primary school when I was six years old. There I learned reading， writing and simple maths. At the age of twelve， I entered junior secondary school. I learned Chinese， maths， history， geography and English. When I was fifteen， I sat the entrance examination for senior secondary school. While I was waiting for the result， I felt very worried. As I passed the examination， I was given my first bicycle. I had to cycle five kilometres to school every morning. During the period of senior secondary school I worked very hard because I would go up to college. However， senior secondary school meant not only hard work. At the weekend I was able to have time off to play football and table tennis.
写英语作文除了可按时间顺序安排内容外，还可按内容的重要性安排。一般说来，重要的在前，次要的在后，本文内容的重要程度安排正好和时间顺序相吻合。
灵活的句式和关联词的运用，显示了作者良好的语言素质。
A Pleasant Memory of My Childhood
I am eighteen years old now， but the recollection of the fun and amusement is like a sweet dream.
One Sunday， our family went to climb the beautiful Shushan Hill. My father told my elder sister and me that the first one to get to the top would be given a toy. We jumped with joy. We started to run up. At first I took the lead. A few minutes later I was breathless and my sister was ahead of me. The soft masses of the waving grass， and the drowsy， balmy air all sent their warm invitation for me to rest. But I followed my thirst for the toy and continued climbing. At last I reached the top first.
There we enjoyed the fascinating view and had a picnic. At about two o clock we danced our way down the hill with joy in our hearts， and I felt happier than the others because I got a toy train.
本文记叙了作者儿时的一件小事，开篇即点出主题“美好的回忆就像一场甜蜜的梦境。”紧接着，作者在第二段中用例证法铺开了主题，具体阐述事件的经过，文笔清新流畅，读来使人兴味盎然。
作者在文中使用了不同的修辞手段：拟人用了“The soft masses of waving grass， and drowsy， balmy air all sent their invitation for me to rest.”比喻用了“like a sweet dreams”使全文读起来饶有风味。
A Spring Outing
Last Thursday we went to Changshan for our spring outing. We reached the foot to the hill at 9 am. After having a short rest， we began to climb. There was no road but stones and bushes. We had to make a way by ourselves.
With the help of the grass， we moved on. While walking， the strong students helped the weak ones. After some time， we were all tired. How we want to have a rest， but we couldn t stop， we walked on. At last， we got to the top of the hill.
On the top of the hill， we laughed and jumped. It seemed that we were the happiest people in the world. We took some photos there， and then sat down and had something to eat.
At 3 pm we began to go down. We wished the spring of our country would be with us forever.
本文没有从普通描写游玩的唱歌、跳舞、做游戏等方面进行取材，而是紧紧围绕了反映当代中学生热情向上的进取精神这个主题，从山路陡峭、同学们相互帮助、不畏艰险等方面展开，有力地突出了所要表达的中心思想。适当的描写和恰到好处的感慨，使文章的叙述富于变化，避免了平铺直叙、行文平淡。
Sunshine Boy
Look at the boy in the photo. He has big bright eyes， a mouth neither big nor small， and short black hair. Who s he？He is Li Bing. He is very humorous and handsome. He sits next to me， and he is my good friend. Looking at the photo， I remember something interesting about him.
One day， I went to school with a friend. Suddenly， Li Bing ran towards me. There was a smile on his face.
“Good afternoon， Baby！”(He always calls me like this. )“Good afternoon， ABing！”After exchanging a few words， I went on my way.
A few minutes later， I was in my seat， but he wasn t there. So I took a look at my watch， “Oh， my God！He has only one minute left！”I was worried about him. Suddenly， he appeared at the door， with a basketball in his hand. Oh， I remembered！There was a PE class that afternoon. He plays basketball very well， of course he wouldn t miss it. I looked at him， his hair was wet from sweat， but there was a complacent expression on his face. It looked very funny.
Our first class was Chinese. Although the Chinese teacher made his class lively and interesting， Li Bing looked out of the windows every now and then where a few boys were playing on the sports ground；surely his heart was with them at that time. “Li Bing， would you please tell me what s the meaning of the word ‘ran ？”the teacher asked， aware that he wasn t listening carefully. I whispered to him at once， “Turn to page 130.”After a few seconds， he said slowly， “I think it has five meanings，”Then he listed all of them. The teacher was pleased and left him sit down， “Thank goodness！”We considered him to be lucky.
Usually， Li Bing is earnest in class， except when we have PE. But once he begins to study， nothing can affect him. And he has a good memory. As a result， although he is often seen playing on the sports field， he can still get good marks. So we all think highly of him.
I m not good at maths， while he does well in it. So naturally， he becomes“my teacher”. After class one day， I was doing a maths exercise. Although I spent a lot of time on it， I still couldn t work it out. “Can I help you？”he asked me. “What？”I said. “Let me—your teacher—help you，”he said. Then he put his books on the desk and began to help me. At first， I couldn t follow him. Then he explained in great detail， patiently repeating over and over again until I understood completely. I felt great full. But before I could say“Thank you”， he said， “Not at all”， and made a face， I didn t know whether to laugh or not. Dammit. What can you do with a guy like that！
I look at his smile in the photo， I smile too.
本文从三个方面描写刻画了“我”的同桌的性格，一个活泼、幽默、乐于助人的男孩形象跃然纸上。文章思路清晰，层次分明，形象生动，用词较为准确。作者能够用英语做到这点应该说是很可喜的，特别是一些短语如“think highly of him”，“Not at all，”“made a face”等用得自然恰当，还有对话中英语口语特点也运用得较好。
My Father
My father is a teacher. He is a good teacher. He is more than fifty years old now. The year before last， the Department of Education gave him a medal for having completed thirty years of teaching. Now he is still teaching in a primary school.
When I was studying in the primary school where he was teaching， I was one of his pupils. So he was my father and teacher. But I could not call him“Dad”in school. He said：“In the school， you are one of my pupils， just as the others.”He always said to us pupils：“You should study hard and be a good student. I do not want you to promise me just with words that you ll be good. I want you to prove it to me with what you do. I want to be proud of you.”He was always very strict with me. If I did something wrong， he would punish me. So I had to do everything carefully. But sometimes， he would be very happy， like a child. For example， when I managed to repair the pump by meself， or when I got the first prize in the mathematics competition， he said， “I am proud of you， my daughter！”
My father is fond of music. He can play several kinds of musical instruments. In his spare time， he often sits in an old arm chair and listens to his favourite music ， which is so enjoyable. Affected by this， I became interested in music， too.
My father always takes good care of me and his pupils. I still remember this very well：One day when I was already in Senior Grade Two， I went to my father s office. After talking about something to each other， my father went to a closet and after a moment brought out a package. He drew out a piece of paper and gave it to me. It was marked with my name and with the month and the year. It was one of my own copybook exercises. My father thus kept a record of all his old pupils. He read the exercises again and tears seemed to come to his eyes. Moved by what he had said and done， I made up my mind to do my work well.
I have a good father whom I am proud of and whom I love deeply.
写人，应选取典型事例，对人物的性格、品质等进行描写。作者思想深刻，加上文字功夫深，层次安排合理，遣词造句得当，就会写得生动有趣。这篇文章是在上述方面下了一些功夫的。看来，我们一时只是凑得几个、几十个句子写成的东西是远远不够的，应多多练习，以求长进，写出有英语味道的文章来。
My Idol
Today I want to talk about a person whose name is Krassimir Balakov. He is my idol. I think he is the best football player in the world and a great person.
On March 29， 1966， Krassimir Balakov was born in Bulgaria. His first successful performance was in the 1994 World Cup， when Bulgraia beat Germany and rushed into the semifinals for the first time. That was when I heard of the name Balakov， who was No. 20 on the team.
After the World Cup， Balakov went to Germany and joined the VFB Stuttgart football club. He soon became the leader of the team and his number was no longer 20 but 10. I began to pay attention to him and his club when the 1996—1997 football season began. I should never forget the first match I watched of Balakov which was between Stuttgart and Bremen. The whole match was controlled by him. He played so well that when he got the ball， no one was able to take it away from him. He shot a wonderful goal by a free kick and Stuttgart won 2∶1.
Since then， a glorious season began for Stuttgart. Other teams usually felt nervous in the thought that their next match would be played against Stuttgart for the latter could kick as many goals as they wanted. In all the 34 matches， they scored 78 goals. That may be a record which will never be broken.
I found at that time I had become a fan of Balakov. At the end of the season， I decided to write a letter to him. So I did. And after about three weeks， I received his letter and some photos. How happy I was！
But God would makes a fool of me. Four days after I received the letter， in an important match between Stuttgart and Bayer Munich which was to decide who would be the champion， Balakov was fouled off the field only 18 minutes after the match began. There went the champion too. At that time， my eyes were filled with tears. A glorious era had ended.
Two weeks ago， Stuttgart beat their biggest enemy Bayer Munich in the league match. Balakov scored another wonderful goal with a free kick， just like the first goal I saw him kick four years ago. Yes， eight years have passed since 1996， the beginning of the glorious era， and Balakov is eight years older. But he will always be my Krassimir Balakov. No matter how much time will pass， how old he will be， where he will go or even whether I should ever meet him in my life， I will never forget him， the greatest person， my idol Krassimir Balakov.
现在的学生几乎每一个人都有自己崇拜的偶像。帮助孩子正确认识偶像将会对其一生的健康成长产生积极的意义。
本文行文流畅，用词准确，感情真挚，一气呵成，最后用排比句使作者感情的流露达到了顶峰，能引起读者的共鸣。
本文能比较自如地采用一些英语习惯用语，如“But God would make a fool of me...”，可见作者有较好的英文写作功底。当然，对于复杂的句式作者还要再下工夫，以便更好地掌握各种复杂句式的准确用法。
The Clever Donkey Tender
My dear friend， yesterday I saw an interesting caricature. I want to share it with you. I hope you will enjoy it and can learn something from it. I am sure you will love it. Now， listen carefully.
Once upon a time， in a little village， there was a young man who was interested in playing chess. He played so well that no one in his village could match him. Day by day， he became more and more confident. At last， he was conceited enough to think of himself as the best player. He told himself that a person as great as he shouldn t play readily with those secondrate players. So he set up a board with these words written on it in black：CHESS WORLD， ONLY MAN. Under that were some details：Whoever wants to play chess with me must bring along 5 taels of silver. If he loses， the silver will be mine. If he wins， I will pay him 20 taels.
Many people came to take the challenge， attracted by the 20 taels of silver. But unfortunately they all lost their 5 taels. The young player was really skillful. He even defeated the opponents from neighboring villages. Day after day， no one dared venture to play against him. Now the belief that he was the best player was strengthened. He was so proud that he looked down upon all other chess players.
One day， an old man came to visit with a thin donkey following behind. No sooner had he finished his words than the young man pointed to the board， “I am glad to have you as an opponent. But do you know the rules here？”“Yes， I know. But I must say sorry， I have no cash. Look at my donkey. Isn t it worth 5 taels？”“Hm， OK， Come on.”Being confident of winning， the young man said no more.
They played. A short while later， the young man won. The old man left without a word， leaving his thin donkey behind.
Several days later， the old man came again. The young man laughed， “Old fellow， what do you want to leave with me this time”？“Silver， if you win.”The old fellow took out 15 taels. With a kind smile on his face， he said“Three games， please.”
This time， the young man lost all the three games.
“I d lost. You will have 60 taels，”said the young man， depressed and puzzled.
“Take back your silver. I only want my donkey back，”replied the old man.
When the young player led the donkey out， the old man was pleased to see what a much fatter one his donkey had become. “Old pal， you are in good shape now， you must have led a happy life here.”Smiling， the old man went off with his donkey following behind.
“Wait， old fel—sir. I cannot understand why you were so ordinary a player last time but so excellent now，”the young man asked hesitantly.
“Oh， that s easy to understand. You know， I am a merchant， and these days I am very busy. I needed someone to tend my donkey. It is the notice that told me you were the right person，”the old man pointed to the board as he said so.
我们在阅读这篇文章时，眼前会自然浮现出一幅幅幽默的讽刺画。小作者巧妙安排了故事情节，运用灵活的句式，准确、流畅的语言，淋漓尽致地向大家展示了一幅幅活生生的画面。作者能够正确地运用“he was conceited enough to...”，“no one dared venture to...”， “No sooner...than...”之类的句式，给文章增色不少。
My Terrible Day
Poor me！I had a terrible day. Everything went wrong. Firstly， my alarm clock didn t go off so I woke up an hour late. Secondly， I was in such a hurry that I forgot to wear socks. Thirdly， I ran out of the house to try to catch the 7：30 bus. But of course I missed it. I was very worried because my teacher would get angry if any one was late for class. I decided to take a taxi， but then I realized that I didn t have enough money. Finally， I walked three miles to my classroom only to find that it was Sunday.
本文叙述了“我”一天的倒霉经历，文中“First， Secondly， Thirdly”和Finally等时间过渡词的使用使文章条理清晰，层次分明。
My Mean Grandfather
When I was five， my uncle and aunt bought many gifts for me， while my grandfather said， “It s a waste of money to buy so many things for such a little boy.”How mean my grandfather was！
Several years ago， there happened an accident.
The ceiling of my house fell down and broke the TV set. All of us were very sad. A few days later， Grandfather came. He said， “Don t worry.”Then he took out 2 000 yuan and passed it to my father. “It is the money that Mingming s uncle and aunt have collected. It is necessary for you.”Later I learned that half of the money was saved by my grandfather. I came to realize why my grandfather was mean. Now， I want to be a mean man like my grandfather.
作者笔下的爷爷是一个“小抠”形象，而作者最后却要做一个像爷爷那样的“小抠”。作者在文中写自己对爷爷认识的转变，由原先的误解到如今的理解。
Mum Was Crying
Mum was crying， and her eyes were full of tears.
When I got up yesterday morning， I didn t feel very well. And something was wrong with my eyes. I have also got a bad stomachache. After a while， I lost consciousness.
When I woke up， I felt a drop of tear fall on my lips. I opened my eyes and found I was in my mother s arms. “What s wrong with you， mum？Why are you crying？”I asked. “Oh， dear！You re awake at last.”Then a doctor came in. He examined me carefully. “Take it easy. She has got a bad cold. Take some medicine， and she will be OK，”he said. Hearing these words， Mum smiled.
本文的开头特别好，使用了倒叙手法，先写妈妈流泪，这既与题目相吻合，又巧设了悬念。继而作者笔锋一转，写我生病的过程，最后才拨开迷雾现真相——妈妈是为我焦急而流泪的。文章以母亲的微笑而结束，与开头形成了对照。
My Lovely Nephew
My nephew， fat and white， looks like an angel. He is only twelve months old. He is so lovely that we all love him.
My sister brings him to our family once a week. At the moment we do nothing but serve him. Indeed my little nephew has brought us great pleasure.
He is growing fast. Now he can walk with the help of us. But soon it seems that he is tired of being supported. He started to stumble along by himself. I remember one day when he pronounced the sound“mama”for the first time. How happy we were！
This was the very sound that his mother had been waiting for.
作者从外貌和行为两方面描写了“我”的外甥，而行为描写又侧重于“蹒跚学步”和“咿呀学语”两方面。另外，文中有作者的自我感受，如第二段最后一句“Indeed my little nephew has brought us great pleasure.”和第三段倒数第三句“How happy we were！”这些抒发感情的句子与叙述相映成趣。
A Classmate I Felt Sorry For
Li Hua was my classmate in the primary school. I didn t know why I disliked her very much. One day on my way home she caught up with me and said， “Xiaomin， our teacher wants you back for a while.”I did not believe her and said， “Don t make trouble for me！”Next day when I got to school， our teacher Miss Liu asked me， “Why didn t you come back yesterday？”I told a lie， “I didn t know you wanted me.”Miss liu sent for the girl and asked her. Li answered， “I m sorry， Miss Liu， but I couldn t catch up with him.”I was surprised. I suddenly realized how pretty she was. I have felt guilty for this ever since.
运用对话来表达思想是写记叙的一种好方法。本文通过3个人的对话表现出作者的心胸狭窄和李华的大度包容。这样写，使作者在文章最后表达的内疚心理对读者更具有感染力。
Thank you， Miss Zhan
One morning， I found a love letter lying on my desk. I was struck dumb with fear at that moment.
I was deep in thought. Suddenly I thought of my class teacher. She often said to us， “I ll be a friend of yours. If you have any trouble， I ll do my best to help you.”Yes， she was then the only person who could understand me.
At noon， I gave the letter to my teacher and asked her for advice. She promised not only to help me in the class meeting of that day， but also to keep the secret for me.
In the class meeting， the teacher asked the monitor to read an article which said that the middle school students were forbidden to be in love. After class， on my way home， our monitor appeared in front of me and said， “I m sorry. It s me who has written the letter.”
Oh！ My teacher had recognized his handwriting and made a clever arrangement. I said to myself， “Thank you， my teacher！”
作为一名中学生能写出如此流畅的文章实在难得。本文主题明确，描写生动，是一篇很好的文章。文章以一封情书为引线，流畅生动地写出詹老师为帮助作者解决问题避免早恋现象，同时又不伤害写情书的人——班长而设计巧妙方法的一件事，文章结尾以“Thank you， my teacher！”点题，与标题呼应。
Teacher s Pointer
When the new maths teacher came into the classroom， he brought a teacher s pointer in his hand.
Upon seeing the pointer， I seemed to hear the noisy sound made by the beating of the pointer on the blackboard. The former maths teacher had a pointer too. She always beat it on the blackboard when she shouted at us. In just one term， she broke three pointers.
I thought the new teacher s pointer would not be used long. But unexpectedly the new teacher never beat it on the blackboard. On the contrary ， pointing the maths problems with the pointer， he explained them very patiently to us. After his explanation， the maths problems become easy to understand.
这篇文章可发挥的地方在结尾，作者在文中使用了“but unexpectedly”和“on the contrary”两个短语，这就是使上下文在意义上形成了鲜明的对照，又使文章在结构上浑然一体。
Two Different Meals
The best thing in the world is to play after an exam. I think all of the students agree with me. And the most important thing is we can have some good meals without worry about lessons， homework and marks.
Today， I spent all morning playing basketball. When we were too tired to jump or run， we decided to have a good lunch.
We got in a “noodle restaurant”. It s not big but clean， and the most important thing was the low price. When the boys saw the price， they knew this time they could say， “It s my treat.”Like a gentleman.
The restaurant was small， but very warm. There were so many people that some of us spent a long time finding seats. The others stood in a long queue to buy the food. Then we sat around and enjoyed the delicious noodles. While eating， we talked happily. Through the window， we could see the heavy cook handpulling the noodles. I thought it s difficult to learn， but it must be interesting.
In the evening， I had dinner with my brother in a westernstyled restaurant. That s quite a different experience.
The restaurant was welldecorated outside. There were a lot of square tables covered with beautiful tablecloths. A goodlooking girl stood at the door. When we walked towards the door， she opened it and said“Welcome”with a smile on her face. After we went in， I found it clean， tidy and comfortable. My brother found a table which is in the centre of the room. After we sat down， a waiter took away the flowers which on our table， then gave us a menu.
Everything was ready soon. It s time for us to enjoy the meal. First， we must put the table napkins on our knees. Then， cut the big piece of beef into small ones with knife and fork. The whole room was very quiet. Lots of foreigners were having their dinners there， too. They spoke to each other in a low voice. All the while， we could hear beautiful soft music.
When we paid the bill， I thought to myself， “It really is different. With this same amount of money， I could have ten bowls of noodles.”
文章记叙了“我”在中餐和西餐馆的经历，展现了两种不同的饮食文化。
文章按事件发生的先后顺序，写了中餐馆同学小聚，西餐馆与哥哥共度两件事。中间穿插一些有趣的画面：在中餐馆，男同学看到价格低廉后，表现出了绅士风度“我请客”。在吃面时，看到胖厨师在拉面，作者在说“胖”这个词时，用的是“heavy”而非“fat”，显得很有礼貌。另外，作者对事物的观察也比较细致，既介绍了西餐吃法，又对环境作了适当的描写。
如果文章最后能对中西餐的各自特点做个比较，从而提出自己的观点，则本文主题就更加鲜明了。
Swimming in Winter
One day during the winter holiday， after a long and tiring examination， some friends and I were chatting about winter swimming. We talked a great deal about the topic. Suddenly I had an idea. “Wouldn t it be fun and exciting if we went swimming？Others， especially some old people in our town， go swimming in winter， why can t we？What s more， winter swimming could do us a lot of good.”I told them my idea， they all agreed with me heartily. So we had a good discussion about the swim and got wellprepared for it.
The next afternoon， we biked to the riverbank where we often went fishing. Though the sky clear and the sun was shining， it was still cold and it needed courage to swim in the cold water. We began to regret our decision and thought that we should go home， but none was willing to speak out， because we didn t want to be cowards and we knew we shouldn t be discouraged. So together we quickly took off our warm winter clothes.
But things did not go so smoothly as we had expected. The freezing wind made us shiver from head to toe. At last we decided to jump into the water. First we did a lot of exercises on the bank to warm up. Then I put one foot in the water to see how cold it was. I made a funny face at my friends. The water was unbelievably cold. Then I suggested that we had better jump in all together. Without any hesitation ， we jumped into the water bravely. That feeling I had when I was in the water I shall never forget. We were all up immediately and rushed back to the bank. We put on our clothes as quickly as we could and went home， sneezing all the way.
For the following days， we all suffered from a cold and were coughing day and night. We had to lie in bed. But we gained one thing from this unforgettable and interesting experience：We now know how particularly important it is for us students to build up our bodies.
作文叙述的是我们所常见的事例，从一个侧面描绘了冬泳活动的真实画面及面临寒冬天气的挑战，冬泳需要多大的勇气和毅力。由此看出学生的身体素质是何等的重要，这对每个学生都有典型的教育意义。
全篇文章写得有声有色，尤其是倒数第二段，语言掌握得不错。有些句子，如“none was willing to speak out”，“I put one foot in the water to see how cold it was. I made a funny face at my friends. The water was unbelievably cold.”还有“That feeling I had...I shall never forget”，用得恰到好处，符合英语的习惯用法。
The Fight with the Crabs
Some animals look very interesting and lively. But if you make them angry， they will fight with you. That s the case with the crabs.
It was several years ago， when I was twelve. During a holiday， Father brought back a bag of crabs from market Lake. He said he would cook them for my brothers and me. Oh！The crabs looked so lively. They must be delicious. But my two little brothers couldn t wait to play with them. So they took them out of the big bag. Oh！My God！All of them got out， and ran so fast that I couldn t catch them. Some of them crawled under the cupboards， others went out of the room into the garden and two of them hid among the stones. The old people were all frightened， but my brother said I jumped up， looking very excited. But we had to find all of them before dinner—they must be on our dinner table that evening. So a fight between men and crabs began.
We found all kinds of tools to catch the crabs. For example， sticks， nets and so on. The crabs in the room were caught with nets easily. But the two big ones in the garden were difficult to catch. We used the sticks to drive them out of the holes， but they were indomitable. They used their big pincers to resist. Little brother was so angry that he pushed the stick into the hole. “ka...ka...”The two big crabs scrambled out， leaving two legs behind. We were successful. In the evening， we had a wonderful dinner. But after two days， trouble came. A strange smell came from the cupboard. Oh！Two crabs had died in the cupboard. How could they have gotten into the cupboard？Nobody knows.
蓦然回首，生活有多少精彩的镜头一闪而过，消逝成一阵风，再无踪迹，多少童趣亦随着脚步渐远。作者从记忆中捕捉到了这一闪光点，细致入微地为我们描绘出一幅精彩的“捉蟹图”，有声有色，让人身临其境，大笑不止。几个衣衫不整、满手泥污的孩子的形象跃然纸上。这短短的文章体现出作者不但具有细致的观察力，而且掌握了一定的英语表达能力。
A Bird s Story
Kevin was a little bird. He lived happily with his mother， sisters and brothers in a big tree by the side of Dream Lake. Every morning they flew out and played in the sky. “Mum”asked Kevin， “is everywhere as beautiful as here？”“I think so. You have three aunts. Aunt King lives beside the vast blue sea. She has many friends living in the sea. The sand is golden and soft. Aunt White lives in the north. It s cold there. But there s lovely white snow. When it snows heavily， the trees and the ground are all clothed in white. Aunt Green lives in a big forest. There are lots of trees， so many that you can t count them all. There， the birds sing all day long. Hares， deer and many other friends live happily together. But they must stay away from the tigers and some other animals. “Really？May I go to see my aunts？” “Not now， dear. Some day when you grow up.”
How time flied！Kevin was a big boy then. “You are big enough， my dear，”said mother. “You may now travel by yourself. But be careful，”“I can take care of myself. Do not worry， Mum. And I ll remember everything you have told me since I was little. Take care， Mum. Bye.”Mother Bird watched Kevin until he disappeared in the sky. “Good luck. Kev！”
Kevin went to Aunt King. But to his surprise， he couldn t see any blue sea and golden sand. “Mum， you cheated me！Where is everything？”Then Kevin heard a low voice. “Kev， you are Kev？”He looked around and sees an old bird lying on the sand. “Kev， I m Aunt King. Your mother told me to look after you but I m sorry I can t. See the water？That is the sea. But it isn t blue and beautiful any more. People throw dirty things， we don t know what， into the sea. Now black and smells terrible. And so is the sand. Don t stay here， dear， it s bad for you. Go， quickly.”She then died. Kevin was afraid and sad. But he couldn t do anything. He left quickly. From the sky he looked down， but saw just a few dead fishes in the sea. “This is the last time I come to the sea. but I m not afraid， because I m a big boy.”
Then he went to Aunt White， but there s too much smoke in the sky. He couldn t get close enough to see. “I still have one hope. I m going to the big forest.”He flew to the big forest. “There are the trees！I ve found them. But why are they so short？”He flew closer and found that they had all been cut down. “What s wrong？Where are my friends？Where are the dangerous animals？”“The small animals are all dead. The big ones have been sent to the zoos，”said an old tree trunk. “My child， my poor child. Everything is gone.”“I can t believe it. You are all lying！”Kevin shouts. “I m going home. I miss you， Mum.”He was very tired but he still flew fast. “I m going home. I m going back to Dream Lake.”
At last he reached home. “Is this my home？”he asks. “Yes，”said a voice from behind. “Who are you？”“I m your brother， Bob.”“Bob？Tell me， why is everything like this！”“Get down here， Kev. Mother knew people would come here even before you left. You are the youngest but also the most unhealthy. She s afraid you would get ill because of the pollution， so she made you go. But unexpectedly. We all failed to escape， Mother has died.”Kevin couldn t help weeping. “The humans will be punished but that s not what we want. Just give us back our home. Please. Bob， we ll go on living， won t we？I know there s hope.”
“A Bird s Story”(《一只小鸟》)以童话的手法道出了作者对我们的生存环境的深深忧虑。
首先，作者描述了小鸟“Kevin”的幸福生活，然后由这只小鸟带我们去旅游。可所到之所，并非是它想像的那样美丽。由于人类的急功近利，大海被污染，森林被砍伐，空气被恶化……动物们失去了它们生存的环境，而这也必将危及人类自己。
本文立意奇特，构思新颖，文字流畅自然，对于高中学生来说，不失为一篇佳作。
MidAutumn Festival
MidAutumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in China. It is celebrated on the night of the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar year. The time is in the middle of autumn， so it called MidAutumn Festival.
It is a time for reunion and for farmers to get in the crops. We are very， very busy and tired during these days. It gives us much pleasure in the evening to have a rest and enjoy many exciting things.
The great significance of this festival is family reunion. For thousands of years， we Chinese value the day much. We think it even more important than the Spring Festival. No matter how far people travel， they will try by every means to get back， because it is a family reunion festival.
When all the members of the family get together， we begin to prepare all kinds of foods. Although it is the busy season， the feast is the most important. When the time for dinner finally comes， we children can not resist helping ourselves to those delicious dishes. But we must not touch the mooncakes. They are only served when the moon comes out.
At last， the longawaited moon appears！It is the most exciting moment. As we enjoy the glorious full moon， we begin to taste the mooncakes. In fact， enjoying the moon is the grownups business. We children only care for the tasty mooncakes.
Then， sitting around the table， we members of the family will talk intimately. There are many beautiful stories about the MidAutumn Festival. They are as interesting as the mooncakes. But we can t stay up too late. We must be sure to have enough sleep. You know， it is not only a reunion festival but also a harvest festival. The next day， we ll be busy in the fields again.
这是一篇写作传统节日风俗的文章。文章语言优美，行文流畅，句式较为灵活，用语准确，短短篇幅，便把中秋节的风俗和人们在节日中享受的快乐尽情地表现出来，从而表现出小作者较好的语言功底。本篇写得生动活泼，优美动人。文章最后提到 it is not only a reunion festival but also a harvest festival 眼光独到。这种风格是值得提倡的。
Visiting the Great Wall
There is a famous saying：“He who doesn t reach the Great Wall is not a true man.”This morning my father and I got up early to visit the Great Wall. We went there by car.
On our way to the Great Wall， we saw many tall buildings on both sides of the road.
About two hours drive brought us to the Great Wall. When the Great Wall appeared in front of us， we couldn t help crying， “What a wonderful sight it is！”When we walked on the Great Wall we felt very proud because it s the longest wall in the world. Today it has become a place of interest to the people all over the world.
After visiting the Great Wall， I ve made up my mind to study harder than ever.
文章以一句俗语开头，引人入胜，接着又分别从去长城途中、到长城脚下、登临长城三面入手，按时间顺序排列段落，组成文章，符合一般游记的写法。
My Busiest Sunday
Last Sunday we had no class. I thought I could have a good sleep. But my mother woke me up early and asked me to help her with the housework. After a quick breakfast， first I washed my clothes. Then I sat down to do my homework. But hardly had I opened my book when my mother asked me to clean the house. When I finished it， it was time for lunch. After lunch I had no time to take a rest. I began to do my homework immediately.
文章通过一系列的细节描写来突出繁忙，如 after a quick breakfast， first...， then...， hardly had...when...， immediately等，字里行间无不渗透一个“忙”字。
The “Lost”Money
“What s that？”Just as she walked out of the dormitory， she caught sight of something on the ground.
“Oh， money！”
She rushed for the money with her eyes wide open， and stepped on it. She looked around. “God bless me！There is nobody but me.”She picked up the money and put it into her pocket by pretending to tie her shoes. Then she hurried back into the dormitory with her face hot and red.
Having closed the door， she began to count the money.
“One yuan， two yuan…Ah， sixty yuan！”Her heart beat very fast.
She thought， “With it，”she thought aloud. “I can buy a new suit. Let those girls who care for dressing envy me. I would look splendid in my new clothes.”
The whole morning she learned nothing about her lessons.
The afternoon saw her walking into the classroom， dressed in new clothes. She looked like a beautiful actress. Dozens of eyes were fixed upon her. She felt on top of the world.
A few days passed， but she didn t hear of anyone looking for the money. So she looked at herself in the mirror even more joyfully.
One night she began to count her “possessions”.
“Oh， my dear！Where is my sixty yuan—the money I have to live on for two weeks？”
“Oh， the money！My sixty yuan！”
构思巧妙，能尝试用“心里话”展开文章，人物塑造较为成功。词汇、句子结构比较丰富。文章中某些语言点评如下：
(1)rushed for 生动地写出了 she 的心态。
(2)with one s eyes/mouth wide open 为习惯用。
(3)后接直接引语，用 think aloud (自言自语)，把 she thought aloud 插在中间，符合英语习惯。
(4)The afternoon saw her...将她“神气活现”的样子表达出来了。
(5)习惯用 dozens of 表达“几十”，tens 用在 tens of thousands of 词组中。
(6)on top of the world 是固定词组，top 前不加 the。
(7)hear sb. doing sth. 是真的能“听”到，如 hear him singing， hear her knocking at the door， “听说某人干某事”，要说 hear of sb. doing sth. 。money 前加the， 是特指这60元钱。
An Unforgettable Experience
Last summer holiday， my mother and I went to seashore for a visit.
One morning， I walked along the beach alone. Suddenly， I found a little girl in a shabby shirt following me. Then I stopped my feet， and she stopped too， looking at me. Soon， she came over， and stood right in front of me. She held out her right hand and opened her palm—there was a beautiful pearl necklace. I liked it， but I remembered my mother had already bought several such necklaces for me， so I said to her， “I m sorry， I won t buy it， because I have already bought one of this kind.”
That little girl looked at my eyes and said pitifully， “This one is for you. I only need some money to buy a pencil.”When I heard this， I didn t know what to say. I searched in my bag， and tried to find some money. I wanted to give it to the girl if I could find some. It s a pity I couldn t find any money， but only a piece of bread. I gave it to the poor girl， and she wolfed it down.
After she ate it up， she was ready to leave. But she put the necklace into my hand before she went away quickly. I held the necklace and looked at the little back of the little girl disappearing in the distance. I was very sorry I couldn t do anything to help her. But I hope she can have a pencil for herself soon.
文章记叙的事情确实令人难忘。当我们拥有优越的生活和学习条件时，决不能忘记还有一些贫穷的孩子需要我们的关心和帮助。全国上下进行的“希望工程”正是反映了党中央、全国人民对贫困地区孩子的关心。我们一方面应该为“希望工程”尽力，另一方面要珍惜自己的学习条件，多学知识，改变落后的面貌，为祖国的富强作出贡献。文章对人物的描写十分出色，语言运用得也不错。
Happy New Year， My Teacher
It was time for lunch. I hurried out of the classroom and ran into the diningroom. The diningroom was big， but it was already full of teachers and students and， of course， much noise， too.
I was standing in the line for dishes when the foreign teacher of English came in and stood just behind me and talked with another teacher. At lunch time I always saw her. She was slim and beautiful and smiled kindly， with books in her hand. She didn t teach my class. But I supposed that she would teach us soon. Christmas was over and the new year was drawing near. I must say hello to her， I thought， for I respected her very much and I had never talked to a foreigner， especially a teacher of English. The chance came at last. No sooner had she finished talking with the teacher than I turned around. “Excuse me？”I said， not very loudly but clearly. “Yes？”She answered， looking at me， puzzled. “Happy new year to you！”I raised my voice. “Thank you very much，”she said quickly. Then I had a short talk with her and I learned she didn t like steamed bread but enjoyed baked bread. Encouraged by her， I talked more easily than before. I also learned she was married and still had no child and her husband had returned to the United Sates. “I m sorry to hear that，”I said to her， “Happy new year to your husband， too. Thank you very， very much for your hard work here at our school.”She understood and smiled happily. I wished her not to feel lonely， though she was alone.
I wish all the foreigners in China to have a happy new year.
本文完整地记叙了生活中的一幕。用词及句子结构变化较丰富，时态、对话都较好地体现出了英语记叙文的特点。文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)上文中有两个名词 the classroom和the diningroom因此后文中的代词使用必须谨慎，重复使用一个名词，以便更清楚。此类情况在写作中要注意，避免指代不清。
(2)wouldbe 意为“自以为要成为……的”，“自己想成为……的”，如：help a wouldbe football player to improve his technique 帮助一个想要成为足球运动员的人提高技术。
(3)be drawing near 更符合英语表达法，如果此处用 be coming nearer and nearer 有中国式英语之嫌。
(4)句型“No sooner+主谓倒装的过去完成式+than+一般过去时……”用得好。
(5)在“某人说”这类的引出直接引语的结构中，如某人是名词(the teacher)， 那么 the teacher said 或 said the teacher 均可，但如果某人是代词(he)， 一般用 he said 较好。
(6)lonely 是指“心情上”的“孤独感”，alone 是指一个人，没有同伴。请体会下列句子 ：One may fell lonely even if he lives in a big city.
One who is alone but good at enjoying himself may not feel lonely at all.
Experience as a Shopassistant for Foreigners
A few years ago， when I was a pupil， my teacher gave me a chance to go to the Children s Palace to be a shopassistant serving the foreign friends from the USA， Britain， Japan and other countries. I thought it was a very good chance for me to practise English， so I accepted it.
The teachers of the Children s Palace asked me to work there every Tuesday afternoon.
Once， an old American lady with her little granddaughter came to my counter and asked for some handicraft articles. It was difficult to talk with the old lady without an interpreter. I tried to make myself understood with the little English I had learnt in my English lessons. Finally I understood that she wanted to buy her granddaughter a special present. There were some little woolen chicks， some pencil sharpeners， and souvenir badges. But I did not think they were special. Suddenly I saw an elegant golden abacus. The abacus is the earliest calculator in the world， and it was invented by the Chinese people. I thought the abacus was a special thing the lady might want. Then I put it on the counter. I poked one of the small golden balls on the abacus， and said， “one，”I poked another， “two，”...At last when I counted up to ten， the little girl cried， “It s interesting！Granny， I want it，”The old lady bought the abacus with a smile.
The little girl was very happy. So was I. I did my first， and a special， business in my life.
文章叙述清楚生动，行文流畅自然，构思中突出了“究竟为外国老太太的孙女选什么样的商品最能表现出中国的特点”这一中心，因而文章虽短，却颇有意义。此外，就语言而言，词语、句子结构运用也比较老练。文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)serve 表示“为……服务”时，是及物动词，如 serve the people，不用介词。注意不要受汉语影响。
(2)this， that， last， next， every 等词后接时间名词时，前面一般不再用介词。如：every day， this afternoon， next week 等。
(3)“工艺品”一般说成 handicraft articles，尽量避免用 handicrafts。
(4)现场口译者一般用 interpreter， translator 多用作笔译。
Where Are You from？
I had an amusing experience last summer， when I went to Beijing on holiday.
One day， I went to the Summer Palace. On the way， I came across a foreigner. She was very beautiful with a pair of dark glasses and long fair hair. I had longed to talk with a foreigner. This time， I thought I had a chance. So I went up to her and said in English， “Excuse me， may...may I talk with you？”“Certainly，”said the foreigner with a smile. I was so excited that I didn t know what to say. “What s your name？”She asked. “Wang Huifang，”I answered. “Well...well.. may I ask you some questions？”I added. “Please，”she said.
“What are you？”“A college student.”“Can you tell me how to learn spoken English？”“Oh， sorry. I don t know how to explain it. But I can tell you a book about spoken English.”“......”
We talked happily for a few minutes. I felt very happy， because I could understand what she said. And I felt my spoken English was good enough. At last， I asked her， “Where are you from？”“China，”she said in Chinese with a smile， and then took off her dark glasses.
I was astonished.
“I am a Chinese like you. And I will take part in a play in English，”she said in Chinese. “I am well made up， ain t I？”“Yes.”The girl did look like a foreigner， I thought.
Though I felt a little disappointed that she was not a real foreigner， I was happy for having got a good chance to practise my spoken English.
这确是一次有趣的经历。全文记述完整，用了大量的对话，简洁生动。结尾出人意料，但又合乎情理，突出了题目“Where Are Your from？”
Taking Photos
I spent a very instructive weekend， I should say. Zhang Weijing and I went to the Park to practise taking photos. We are both the members of the photography group. To take some photos is not a difficult job， but if you want to take some good or artistic ones， it is much more difficult. You must study. Of course， you can t only study the knowledge in the book， but you ought to study the skill in practice. You must ought to study the skill in practice. You must pay attention to the distance， diaphragm and exposure when you are taking photos. How to find a good view to form a good picture may be the most important. I am just a learner. In the past， I did not like to take photos very much， but as soon as I took the camera， I was attracted by it. My father likes taking photos too. He is not a professional cameraman， but he is good at taking photos. I became his model when I was only 56 days old！Now， there are two photography fans in my family.
In the park， I asked so many people to take photos for them. One of them was a gardener. He was in his dirty clothes with mud on his face， but he looked quite honest and kind. I took a photo of him when he was working. The others were lovely children playing happily. Their parents thanked me for taking pictures of them. I felt a little proud.
I like taking photos. It can keep the wonderful views or exciting moments for ever. When I am old， I will look at these photos again. They will remind me of the things that have passed. I hope everyone will enjoy taking photos.
文章写得简洁活泼，很有生活气息。特别是能有感而发地进行议论，使文章更为动人。文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)曝光时间或曝光速度用 exposure。此处不能用 velocity， velocity 是指 rate of movement。
(2)文章最后一句，从句用一般将来时 will enjoy，主句不能用 wish。wish 后接从句，要用虚拟语气。
A Happy Spring Festival
Of all our holidays the Spring Festival is the most important to us Chinese. Everyone gets about one week off work for it. The Spring Festival is mainly a family celebration. No matter how far away from home a person is， he will always try to get home in time to gather together.
Several days before this new lunar year， my brother and I cleaned our rooms and decorated them. The old folk say that everything must be new and clean for the Spring Festival so that the new year will bring happiness and good luck.
On the 30th of the December of the lunar year， my father told me to write new year couplets. My mother was busy cooking for lunch. On the table were all kinds of dishes at noon. What an enormous and delicious dinner！I had never tasted such a nice dinner. Because of happiness， I drank with Father at dinner.
That was the first time I had ever drunk， you know. My face turned red after only one cup of wine. Then my father said， “We are living a happy life because of the wise policy of our Party.”
That night we watched the special Spring Festival programmes on TV to see the new year in. The programmes were so wonderful that we burst into laughter now and then. When the clock struck midnight， the noise of the firecrackers outside became defening. Father opened the door and said， “Let s welcome in big fortune！”
I was very excited the next morning and woke up earlier than ever. Mother and Father were making jiaozi. So I helped them with that. When several bowls of jiaozi were ready and put on the table， my father lit the incense on the table. Then my brother tied some firecracers to a pole and went outside. I picked up a stick which was still burning in the stove to light them. With loud bangs the firecrackers went off. With loud bangs we greeted the first day of the new lunar year.
What a happy Spring Festival I had！
We hoped that the loud bangs would drive away everything unpleasant in the past and bring us greater happiness and luck in the new year.
春节是我国各族人民最重要的节日。本文描述了亿万家庭中普通一家的过节情景，“我第一次喝酒”、“看春节电视节目”、“父亲开门迎财神”、“点香后吃饺子”、“与兄弟一起放鞭炮”等细节选择得很典型，使文章充满了节庆的气氛，特别是最后一句表达了“辞旧迎新”的主题。文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)couplets 是复数，前面不用不定冠词a 。be busy with 后接名词，而“be busy+动名词”时，动名词前不用介词with。
(2)I had never tasted...不能写成现在完成式或I have never tasted...。
(3)在“主+be+the+形容词最高级或序数词+名词+定语从句”的句型中，定语从句一般用完成时态。前面 be 用 is，则定语从句用现在完成时；be 用过去式，则定语从句用过去完成时。另外，定语从句中，常根据习惯，加上副词 ever，表示强调，如这篇作文的第四段第一句 That was the first time I had ever drunk.
Chicks
Two months ago Mother bought fifteen chicks for one yuan. These little fellows were really lovely.
Unfortunately， eight of the chicks went to the other world one by one. At last only seven were left. One day when they were taking a walk in the sun on our balcony， one fell downstairs. I was in deep sorrow for several days. It was my fault not to take good care of them.
The remaining chicks were growing up with each passing day. It was very funny to watch them eating. When I dropped some food they would rush to it， though some of them were not firm on their feet. They ran so fast that sometimes they fell， but they would quickly pick themselves up and joined in the fighting for the food again.
One warm afternoon when I was back from school I found Mother s eyes red. Then I was told that five chicks had died while trying to swim in the water. I stood there dumbfounded. “Damn！I should have taught you how to swim since you liked swimming，”I said to myself.
Now there s only one chick left and I have given him an English name， Alger， and take greater care of it. He s quite naughty. After I gave him some meat to eat he refused to have rice any more. I think this is something like us human beings. Sometimes he even jumps onto the chair to have a meal with us.
Once I turned on the radio and Alger stood by as if he were enjoying the music. After a while he walked away. It seemed that he wasn t satisfied with the music. Now Alger has grown up and I regard him as one of the five members of my family， that is， my father， my mother， my brother， Alger and me.
这是一篇有情趣的文章。既详略有致地描述了养鸡的过程，同时又表现出了生命成长的艰辛。文章对鸡的动作的描述较为生动，行文轻松活泼，特别是“群鸡争食”，“Alger 听音乐时的表现”等部分写得很成功，文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)“另一世界”用 the other world 表示，意为相对“我们这个活人世界”的另一个世界。
(2)climb up 的意思是“往上攀爬”，汉语的“爬起来”意思是“站起身来”的意思。所以，pick themselves up 不能写作 climb up。
An Unforgettable Classmate
In Grade One， I knew Honglin， who left a deep impression on me. Now， I still often think of him.
At school， Honglin was always wearing thicker clothes. He never had classes of PE and he seldom laughed. But he was very friendly to everyone. He always did exceedingly well in his studies. However hard we tried， no one could catch up with him. At a parents meeting， his mother said， “My son s achievements depend on his efforts. He spends at least fourteen hours on study every day. He is having a race with time.”
Soon， I came to know the story of Honglin. He had a serious heart disease. A year before he went to middle school， he had got an imported cardiopacemaker implanted in his body. This cost his family 100 000 yuan， so his family became much poorer. As to be a university student was Honglin s only wish， his three sisters had to discontinue their studies to help their brother realize his wish. Having heard this story， I suddenly understood why Honglin studied so hard—he wanted to repay his family with his hard work.
Unfortunately， just in that year， in that cold winter， he caught a cold which caused heart trouble again. He was sent to hospital immediately. At night， he was suddenly very excited， so he took out a book to read and said to his parents：“Tomorrow， I will return to school.”But a few minutes later， his face suddenly turned black and he became short of breath. At the moment he seemed to realize that death was coming. He grasped his parents hands：“Dad， Mum， I can t realize my wish. How I envy my classmates， because they have a chance to go to school， while I don t have a chance any longer...”
Now Honglin has been dead for four years， but his image has been engraved on my memory. And his words “I don t have a chance any longer”will make me value more my chance of learning and study harder.
作者讲述的是关于一个令人难忘的好学生，尽管身患重病，还是顽强地与病魔抗争，坚持学习，直至生命最后一刻的故事。这对我们每一个健康的人来说是多么深刻的触动！富兰克林说过：Dost thou love life？Then do not squander times；for that s the stuff life is made of. 我们一定要珍惜时间，勤奋学习，才能对得起人生。文章中某些语言上的问题值得提醒注意：
(1)come to know 表示“开始了解”。
(2)还未实现的事情，用不定式为好，也可避免把 as 误认为介词，所以此处用 As to be a university...
(3)在 death was coming 中，用过去进行时表示即将发生之事，更为生动。
(4)很多学生想表示“羡慕”时，常用 admire， 其实 admire 并不对等“羡慕”。Longman 词典对 admire 的解释是“regard...with pleasure and respect”或“look at with pleasure”。显然，用在这里均不妥。其实，在很多场合我们所要表达的“羡慕”，要用envy 这个词。envy (或 be envious)与 be jealous 不同，后者有贬义，而 envy 没有。
Mother， Let Me Help you
The shop in which my mother used to work was shut down one year ago. A lot of workers had to leave their work including my mother. Several months had passed but most of the unemployed workers still didn t get new jobs although the local government tried its best. So Mother decided to find a job by herself. After making a great effort， she got a job as a street cleaner， responsible for keeping clean a part of street about 200 metres long. Although the pay was low， the work conditions were bad， Mother said she was glad to do this work. But I thought people would look down upon us.
Today I am free at home. In the morning， Mother asked me if I could help her with the cleaning work in the street. At first I wanted to say：“I m afraid I can t because I have some homework to do today，”as I was afraid of being recognized by my classmates， but when I saw the white hairs on Mother s head， I said instead， “Oh， yes， I ll go with you， Mum.”After breakfast， we went to the street. I pushed a cart for collecting rubbish， holding my head down and not daring to see the people walking in the street. I always felt that someone was looking at me， laughing at me...
“Hello， Afang.”Oh， dear. It was Mr Chen， who taught us Chinese. “Mr Chen， I， I...”I didn t know what to say. My face turned red. “Oh， don t be so shy. You are a hardworking girl. The street cleaners are important and honorable. We should thank you and your mother. Your classmates should learn from you. Good girl， don t look down upon yourself， hold your head high， Bye！”
Then I realized that I was honorable as a daughter of a street cleaner. I should held my head high. After finishing the hard work and then looking at the tidy street， I felt that Mother and I were the most honorable people in the world. Mother， I ll help you whenever I am free.
如何对待自己父母亲的下岗与再上岗，如何看待不同的职业，是广大学生应该正确回答的问题。这篇文章抓住这一社会热点，先交代母亲如何下岗，后又如何主动当了“扫街工”，