Shell in China

1^st Place Winning Essay

A “Friend” of Mine

By Becky, Class 4, Grade 2

Without friendship, the tree of life will die as time goes by. The soil of heart will become a wilderness. And friends come in all shapes and size.

I was a lovely girl when I was a senior school student, many many friends surrounded me. We always chatting, singing, climbing, playing basketball or doing other things, together. School life seemed joyful, although many books and a pile of papers played the main part. I think I was really happy at that time. Before I came to this college, I always dreamed of my college life, it should be more wonderful than in senior school, I thought. However, I was wrong, almost everything is not the one I expected. I tried my best to make friends, but I failed. My foreign teacher told me I should learn to adapt and if I had done this I would find it’s a good way in our life. I remembered how I can’t change the world, but I can change myself to be happy in life. Maybe I was a little mad, I then spoke English to everything I met at any time, flowers, trees, grasses, rivers, stones, birds and so on. Anyhow, life still full of boring. To my surprise, my foreign teacher introduced a friend to us. I visited him in the hope of making friend with him. I was a little disappointed when I first saw him. He had a common appearance and his body is not big enough. Just because of lonely, I visited him from time to time. Unexpectedly, day after day, I found myself couldn’t go without him, he is so learned.

Up to now, I don’t know which country he comes from, maybe America, but I’m not sure. Because the only language he knows is English. He owes many tapes, CDs, magazines and a great many books, which gives me various knowledge and only written in English. I can borrow whatever books I like from him, he never says “No” or “Stop.” Also I can read any book I want at his home. So far, I have been reading many books, it refers to animals, fashion, western foods, cartoons, fights, history, politics, music, sports, famous persons, diary, detectives, fairy tales and other kinds of stories. My favorite book is about detectives and stories. Of course, during my reading, as new words I met, my vocabulary enlarged, the information store in my memory is enriched. Every time I met the sentences and the short paragraphs which I thought is useful or beautiful, I would write them down, memorized it and used it in my study. Personally speaking, the important information I learned is not just these books themselves, but the feelings and thoughts they give me. Some stories in the books or some plots in some books sometimes really touched and moved me inside. It taught me the knowledge which is out of books and it made me think a lot.

Many books have vivid pictures. It helps us to understand the story easily. Sometimes it also gives my imagination wings to fly freely. Every time I saw the delicious food’s pictures, I had a strong desire to taste them. They looked so different from China’s foods. And fashionable clothes and shoes caught my eyes so much, either.

Staying with the learned friend, I know the past history and the present news. I know the life of animals and the life of human beings. I remembered my childhood and dreamed my future. Staying with him, my reading speed rised.

My friend has a lot of Chinese friends and five foreign friends. Almost every day, he wait with a smile and welcome everyone visited him. All of his friend will speak only English in his home. Chatting with others is my favorite thing to do there. I like speak my mind out in English and share it with people. My oral English can be improved in this way. By the way, I made a new Chinese friend in his house. When I felt boring, I could just sit on sofa, eating some candies or fruits and listening to others talk. I find is helpful to my listening.

Sometimes I visit him just for fun. I will enjoy pictures on the wall and play letter game, or I will just look at the small plant there silently. In winter, I will visit him for warm. His home is like my home, I can enjoy myself freely.

Everybody like beauty, my friend, too. On every holiday, he will dress up by his foreign friends and some Chinese ones. He will be more beautiful. Sometimes, there will be some games at his home, his foreign friends always help him to organize it. I’m very glad to take part in it, not for presents, just for fun. They can make my college life colorful.

Foreign friends visit him to help our Chinese whatever problems we meet. They are so friendly and so patiently. They let us hear the real English speaking by foreigners. And let us know more about their culture, I think.

So, do you want to know the kind and helpful person’s name and to make friend with him. Every body call him Book Nook. Busiest man find the most time, go and visit him. Don’t say you have no time, I’m sure you’ll like him with your whole heart. Friendship is forever, I like him and I won’t let him alone. Although he can’t speak, he teaches me a lot and he is more than a friend for me.

***********************

1^st Place Winning Essay

Enjoy Life in the Book Nook

By Jenny, Grade 3, Class 3

I was very excited when Mrs. Stenback said that Michelle and she had a dream, to build an English library for us. I like reading very much. Before the English material I could get was 21^st century newspaper and it has little about exotic lifestyle. So I was longed for the opening of the Book Nook. Then I worked there as a librarian. Not only do I improve my English learning skills, but also it offers me an opportunity to make new friends.

One day I was on duty. A freshman came to borrow a book. She asked me to recommend some books for her. I gave her a not very difficult book. I thought the most important is to improve her confidence. Then she asked me for advice to pass CET-4. I encouraged her to read a lot. It is a good way to remember words by reading. This is also what I learned from reading. We talked in English for an hour. To my surprise, I could speak English correctly and fluently without many errors. She even admired me for my oral English. From then on, I became more confident in my oral English and always talk with others. Practice makes perfect. It’s truth.

In the Book Nook, I always spend much time on magazines, especially Country Living, my favorite magazine. I like the decorations of houses and the beautiful gardens. It always makes me feel comfortable, relaxed and cozy. At the sight of the beautiful pictures, I can’t resist the impulse to travel around the world to enjoy delicious western food, to share the mystery of culture. Every country has great things. There is no exception to the U.S. In America, there are many picturesque places. When you are sitting on the sofa with a Country Living book, you will soon be engrossed in the atmosphere. Sometimes wandering beside a blue sea to appreciate the splendid sunset, sometimes riding on a horse and galloping on a prairie. After a while, you are lying on the green soft lawn under a maple tree, listening to the singing of birds, or sitting beside a river, listening to the trickling of water. And then in a outdoor kitchen, cooking delicious pizza. You will find how nice the life is.

When I am traveling around the world in the Book Nook, I also can improve my reading skills. First of all, I can adjust my reading speed according to different materials. Reading magazines can also help my fast reading. I needn’t pay much attention to the details. Reading is a conversation with the author. So just scan for the main idea. Besides, I can’t recognize every word, so guessing is a good way. There are many illustrates can help me to guess its meaning. Thirdly, many magazines are about our daily life. It is a good chance to remember a lot of words that often used. For example, words of cooking, decorating, skin caring and so on.

Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. The Book Nook is an exotic place in our campus. It has so many resources for English learning. It is the best choice. Enjoy it together.