We all dream about things that we would like to do and things we hope to achieve in the future. But are everybody’s dreams the same? Here are some of the findings of a survey about hopes and dreams in which thousands of students across China took part.

What are the hopes of teenagers? We received several different answers to the question: what would you like to do after you finish your education? It seems that some students would like to start work as soon as they can., so that they can help offer their parents better lives. Other students hope to go on studying after they finish school and to go to university. Although money is important, many teenagers said they want to do jobs they like. According to the survey, the most popular choice of job is computer programming. What are the dreams of teenagers? Teenagers have all kinds of dreams. Some are more realistic than others. For example, many students said they would like to be volunteers if Beijing could hold the World Cup, maybe working as translators or tour guides. And quite a few said they dream of having a trip to every corner of the world one day.

According to the survey, less realistic dreams are also common, but many students reported that they were willing to work hard to achieve dreams. Quite a few dreamed of becoming famous, perhaps famous sports people or singers. Some students said they would like to go on exciting trips. One student said she would love to sail across the Pacific Ocean. And then there are dreams that are impossible. Three students said they would like to be able to fly!

Conclusion: It was clear from the survey that teenagers have similar hopes. It seems that most students hope to have a good education and find a good job. On the other hand, students dream of very different things: good things, and even crazy things. It is very important to dream, so hold on to your dreams; one day they may just be realized.

At the age of six, Jane was interested in basketball. She practiced playing basketball for at least two hours after school every day. I asked her why she practiced so much, she said, “I like basketball. I am going to play college basketball.”

One day in her high school, I saw she was sad. I asked her what happened. “Oh, nothing,” she said, “I am just too short.” The coach (教练) told her that she would probably never become a great basketball player, so she should stop dreaming about college.

I told her that her coach was wrong (错误的). He just did not understand the power (力量) of a dream. I said if she really wanted to play for a good college, nothing could stop her. She thought it seriously and agreed.

The next year, she and her team went to the Northern California Championship Game, a college basketball coach found her and took her to the college team.

Jane is a great basketball player now. She often tells others, “If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count (重要).”

There was once a man who built his own house. It took him over a year to design(设计) every room of his home. In the end, he had a beautiful house of his own. No other houses in his neighbourhood looked like it and many of his neighbours admired it. ________ as time went by, his house started to have some problems. One day, a neighbour said, “Friend, it looks like your front yard is a bit overgrown.” The man replied, “Yes, I know. But it is okay. I will cut the grass tomorrow.”

A few days later, a mailman came by with a letter for the man. The mailman said, “Friend, it looks like your windows are a bit dirty.” The man replied, “Yes, I know. But it is okay. I will wash them tomorrow.”

Weeks passed by. Finally, the man’s brother came over to pay a visit. He took a look at his brother’s house and could not believe what he saw. The yard was a mess, the paint on the wall was falling down and the windows were covered with dirt. The house looks like it could fall apart at any second—all because the man put everything off until “tomorrow”.

When we procrastinate(拖延), “tomorrow” can turn into “next week” or even “next year”. It is much better to just take care of things today than to wait until some imaginary “tomorrow” that might not actually come.