When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and he wrote letters to many companies until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris began to lose his confidence, then depressed. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.

“Why don’t you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You’d better find a way of opening it.”

“But what can I do?”

“Get out and have a look round.” advised his uncle. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”

Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to win his good fame. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other problems. But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop in a new place where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed lo open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.

Friendship is a very beautiful bond(联系) in which no one is big or small, no one is rich or poor, and no one is ugly or beautiful. 【小题1】 In friendship, there are no terms and conditions. There is no age factor in friendship. Each person has his or her own mind, own views, and own perspective on life. You can learn a lot from every one of your friends.

【小题2】 It is best to have one good friend who accepts you as you are, who bridges gaps and never lets you fall. As the ancient Greek poet Euripides put it, “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.”

Be happy and cheerful about your friends’ success. 【小题3】 Never be selfish, and always try to give more and expect less. Give whatever you want from your friends, like honesty, love, support and understanding, and never boast to your friends when you are more successful.

If you are looking for a friend who is faultless, you will be friendless. 【小题4】 And for a good friendship, we need patience, because patience is the key to everything. A beautiful friendship is like a childhood friendship, free of jealousy and full of love. Children are unaware of bad feelings, where anger can suddenly arise. This is the quality that makes children pure and special. For a good friendship, one needs true love, and children are full of love.   【小题5】

My love for libraries blossomed when I joined the public library. From the age of 8 I was allowed to walk from my home to the downtown library, housed above the police station. Once the librarian gave me my first membership card, I could enjoy a range of books, which started with Little House in the Big Woods. I was addicted instantly, and this love of libraries and reading would change my life, allowing me to one day create a safe space for high-school kids, too.

By the time I was in high school, I could read the authors that we were studying in class, including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Emily Bronte. During the summer months, I got caught up in Gone with the Wind.

When I studied English literature at university, I thought it was time to build my own library. For the next 40 years, I continued to collect books. Until one day, I realized that all my books had become a part of the house, like wallpaper.

Toward the end of my teaching career, I became a teacher-librarian at my old high school, where I had first learned English literature. This position enabled me to regain my love and appreciation for libraries. I had a generous budget for my classes, so I searched for novels that would interest my teenage audience and hopefully spark a love of books. Fantasy, science-fiction, graphic novels -I bought almost any type of books that my students wanted to read. I bought sofas and comfortable chairs, turning the library into a safe public space, for everyone.

In doing so, I realized that the library isn’t just a place to do research. They are, in fact, places that offer an opportunity to connect with the past, present and future. All that is required is a tiny bit of curiosity. Libraries are places that should be full of life. They help us adjust to the world, and their doors must be kept open to everyone for free!