初中英语教师培训心得体会

云峰中心学校 黄慧华

从暑假开始的共16天的初中英语教师全员培训在这个寒冷的圣诞节顺利落下帷幕。这次培训是由市教研室和县教研室牵头，浙师大派专家教师针对大家最薄弱的环节进行一系列专项培训，涉及了英语语音、听力、翻译、课堂用语和演讲技巧以及说课等方面。县教育局对这次培训非常重视，在培训的动员会上教育局雷局长多次强调大家一定要从思想上重视起来，认真听课认真完成辅导教师布置的作业，努力让自己成为优秀的英语教师。我们的教研员黄老师每天亲临现场，做好班级管理记好出勤，自己以身作则，除了必要的一些工作外，她也尽力和我们一起参加培训学习，用她的话来说要好好珍惜这次来之不易的家门前的培训学习机会；是的，这次培训学习填补了我们缺失的知识，提高了我们听说读写的能力，让我收益颇多，感慨万分，以下是我的些许感受。

首先，说说实话吧，培训前老师们对暑期炎热夏天和下半年本该我们休息的每月一次的双休日的培训学习或多或少是有些想法的，再说若大的班级又是成人，班级管理的确是件不容易的事，可就是因为各级领导的重视，教研员黄老师特强的组织、管理、协调、沟通能力使得大家能静下心来，一开始，黄老师就给我们讲了培训的重要性和必要性，宣布了班级公约、成立班干部、科学地给各位排好座位，并及时反馈我们英语教师的心声，与上课老师协调培训内容，使得近80人的培训班级培训学习井然有序，学员们的学习热情高涨，也正是因为上课老师的课又能深深吸引我们，学以致用，所以一下就改变了学员们的想法，变要我学为我要学。也难怪去过丽水多个培训点上课的李艳老师在我们遂昌点两天课上后对遂昌感觉很深，表扬我们，得到了她的高度评价，当时我们以为李老师是在讲恭维话，把我们当小孩鼓励表扬一番，可她踏上回金华车时还发了这样一条短信给我们班主任黄旭红老师：“这次能有幸到您处上课，印象颇深，学员到课率最高，学习最认真，课堂表现最积极，这与您的认真负责的领导是绝对分不开的。这一点我也会向学院领导传达，能向其他教学点推荐。”当再一次培训黄老师把这条信息向我们转告时，我们才真正感到我们真的做的很棒！

其次，教师的良好素质是上好一堂课的重要前提和基本保证。在听课中我发现骆巧丽老师和李艳老师有几个共同的特点：口语流利发音准确，只有做到这个，

善于模仿的学生才可以拥有地道的英语；善于使用多媒体、歌曲、画画、影像作品等直观辅助教具，使学生接触到的知识更立体更直观更生动；有扎实的英语基础知识作后盾，课堂知识丰富；教态自然亲切，诙谐幽默，表情丰富。特别是骆老师，非常善于师生互动，愣是把枯燥的培训变成了生动的课堂，我们仿佛又回到了学生时代，在自己喜欢的教师面前畅所欲言。英语是一种交际语言，听说读写四个环节缺一不可。一位大学老师能在炎热的暑期来到遂昌要连续给我们上8天的课，下半年最后一次天气寒冷又恰逢圣诞节骆巧丽老师冒着雪不惧严寒给我们作指导，面对面的一一考试，难能可贵呀！得知给我们上课的老师在浙师大课务很重，一周有18节课，有时一天要上6 节课，在完成学校课务的同时又利用本该休息的周末来给我们上课，可她们却不辞辛苦，且非常敬业，高度负责，专业精湛，和蔼亲切、幽默诙谐，令我们敬佩与感动??

再次，语音教学的重要性不容小觑。在这16天的培训中，给我们大家留下深刻印象的是语音教学。骆老师用她那纯正的美语给我们纠音，一字一词一句一篇，一遍又一遍，直到我们的发音达到标准，她的认真使我改变了对英语语音教学的态度。我一直为枯燥乏味的语音教学而头疼，连续重复的教学法使得我的课毫无新意，到最后我教累了，学生也学累了。在这次培训启发下，我会重新定位我的语音教学，在实际教学中引入游戏、运用儿歌绕口令、积极评价、利用多媒体、布置创造性的任务让枯燥乏味的语音教学变得愉悦兴奋，富有乐趣，使学生积极主动地投入到学习中去，做到让孩子玩中学，学中玩。

最后，要做个与时俱进的教师。通过这次培训，让我开阔了眼界，明白了努力方向。怎样让自己的语言更优美，怎样提高培养学生的英语拼写能力，怎样在平时的朗读中渗透语音知识让学生更系统的掌握并拥有更纯正的发音，怎样在教学中穿插情感教育，等等。我相信通过自己的努力，一定能拉近距离，不断进步。

第二篇：1初中英语教师培训材料(1)

初中英语教师练习材料

1 God’s coffee

A group of alumni（[?'l?mna?] 校友）, highly established（[is't?bli?t] 已建立的;已确立的） in their careers[k?'ri?] 职业；经历, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment [?'s?:tm?nt] 分类 of cups-porcelain（['p?:slin] 瓷器；瓷制的、精美的）, plastic, glass, crystal（['kristl] 水晶）, some plain（简朴的;朴素的） looking, some expensive, some exquisite（['ekskwizit] 精美的;精致的）-telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal（正常的,正规的,标准的） for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source（根源;来源）of your problems and stress. Be assured （确定的;得到保证的）that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously（['k?n??sli] 有意识地；自觉地） went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other?s cups.

Now consider this: life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position（地位;身份） in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain（包含;容纳）life, and the type of cup we have does not define（解释,给...下定义）, nor change the quality of life we live. （生活就是咖啡；而工作、金钱、社会地位只是装咖啡的杯子。它们不过是承载生活的工具。我们拥有什么样的杯子并不能定义，或是改变我们生活本身的品质。）

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.”

God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!

“The happiest people don?t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.”

Live simply. / Love generously. / Care deeply. / Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

2 How do we deal with our problems?

Rich or poor, young or old, we all have problems. And unless we deal with our problems, we can easily become unhappy. Worrying about our problems can affect how we do at school. It can also influence the way we behave with our families. So how do we deal with our problems? There are many ways.

By learning to forget.

Most of us have probably been angry with our friends, parents or teachers. Perhaps they said something you didn?t like, or you felt they were unfair. Sometimes, people can stay angry for 1

years about a small problem. Time goes by, and good friendships may be lost.

When we are angry, however, we are usually the ones affected. Perhaps we have seen young children and decide not to talk to each other. However, this usually does not last for long. This is an important lesson for us: we can solve a problem by learning to forget.

By regarding problems as challenges.

Many students often complain about school. They might feel they have too much work to do sometimes, or think the rules are too strict. We must learn how to change these “problems” into “challenges”. Education is an important part of our development. As young adults, it is our duty to try our best to deal with each challenge in our education with the help of our teachers.

By thinking of something worse.

By comparing yourself to other people, you will find your problems are not so terrible. Think about Stephen Hawking, for example, a very clever scientist, who regards his many physical problems as unimportant. He can?t walk or even speak, but he has become very famous and successful. We are probably quite healthy and smart. Let?s not worry about our problems. Let?s face the challenges instead.

3 He used to cause a lot of trouble.

Martin Murray is a fifteen-year-old boy. He used to be a “problem child”, but a recent conversation with his mother changed his life. He didn?t use to give his mother many problems. However, after his father?s deat5h a few years ago, Martin?s life became much more difficult. His mother couldn?t afford to pay for her child?s education. To do this, she had to work, and so was often not at home.

His mother looked after him as well as she could. Unfortunately, Martin still caused problems for himself and his family. He was not interested in studying and he often got into trouble with the police. Luckily, his mother was very patient, and didn?t give up trying to help him. In the end, she made a difficult decision: to send him to a boy?s boarding school. Martin hated it and used to cause a lot of trouble. One day, he told his teacher he wanted to leave the school. Even the teacher agreed that Martin was wasting his time.

The head teacher said it was necessary for Martin to talk with his mother. Martin called his mother, but to his surprise, this phone call changed his life. “It was exactly what I needed,” he said. “My mother helped me to understand how much she had given me. She also told me that even though my father was no longer with us, he was watching me and would always take pride in everything good I do. That?s when I decided to change. I realize that since my father died, I have been afraid of being alone, and have tried to make my mother pay more attention to me.”

Now Martin has really changed. He has been working hard and is now one of the best students in his class. How was he able to change? His mother?s love helped him to feel good about himself, and as Martin himself says, “It?s very important for parents to be there for their children.”

4 Should I be allowed to make my own decisions?

Many teenagers have hobbies. But sometimes these hobbies can get in the way of schoolwork, and parents might worry about their child?s success at school. Teenagers often think they should be allowed to practice their hobbies as much as they want. Do you agree?

Liu Yu, a fifteen-year-old boy from Shandong, is a running star. He is on his school running 2

team and has always wanted to be a professional athlete. However, his parents won?t allow him to train as much as he would like to. “Of course we want to see Liu Yu achieve his dreams,” says Mr. Liu, “and we know how much he loves running. That?s great, and my wife and I have watched him in every one of his races. We have nothing against running. But we do think that our son needs to be realistic. Now that he is getting older, he needs to think about what will happen if he doesn?t become a professional runner in the end.”

Liu Yu doesn?t really agree. “Well, I think I should be allowed to make decisions for myself.” He says. “My parents have always taught me the importance of working hard and not just to do what I enjoy. I understand this. But I?m serious about running. Being a professional runner is the only thing I have ever wanted to do.”

Mr. and Mrs. Liu believe that Liu Yu should study hard in the evenings, and so they don?t allow him to practice running on school nights. “I know this might seem strict,” says Mrs. Liu, “but we think we?re doing the right thing. He has to understand that very few people can become professional athletes. It?s a very difficult dream to achieve. We don?t allow him to practice every day because we think he needs to spend time on his homework.”

But Liu Yu still doesn?t agree. “I know my parents care about me,” he says. “But they are always talking about what will happen if I don?t succeed. But I will succeed. I think I should be allowed to make this decision for myself. Only then will I have a chance of achieving my dream.”

5 only eat food that tastes good.

How important is keeping healthy to you? A group of young people got together to discuss this question. Here?s part of their discussion.

PETER: I?d like to stay healthy, but to be honest, I only eat food that tastes good. And if food tastes good, it?s usually bad for you, isn?t it? Cola tastes better than water, for example.

TONY: Well, food that is bad for you can taste good. But I prefer not to eat too much food that is fried, like, er, French fries. Do you eat fast food, Laura?

LAURA: Do I eat fast food? Never. I love to eat food that is healthy. I want to take care of my health, so I eat mainly fruit and vegetables. Oh. And I stay away from sugar, you do too, don?t you?

TONY: Hm, yes. And I think most people are in agreement that fruit and vegetables are good for health. But, um, I would say that fast food itself isn?t always bad for you, but too much of it is not goo.

LAURA: Actually, did you know that it?s been found in laboratory testing that some types of oil are really bad for us? So I don?t eat anything that?s been cooked in oil. Also, did you know that some foods might cause cancer? Like burnt barbecued meat. I?ve heard eating burnt food like this can increase the risk of cancer.

PETER: Really. But I love to eat meat that?s well cooked, even if it is a little burnt; It?s delicious, and meat isn?t really dangerous, is it?

LAURA: Oh. Yes, it is. I never eat meat. It?s not at all good for our health. If I were you, I?d eat nuts instead.

TONY: Well, I agree it?s good to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, but I think it?s also fine to eat some meat or fish. People who eat a balanced diet should be healthier than those who only eat biscuits and hamburgers, shouldn?t they? I prefer to only eat food that I like, but isn?t it important 3

to eat food that?s healthy, even if you don?t like it? The main thing is to have a good balance.

6 I’d love to sail across the Pacific.

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 finishing your education? It seems some students would like to start work as soon as possible, so that they can help provide better lives for their parents. Other students hope to continue studying after finishing school and to go to university. Although money is important, many teenagers said they want to do jobs they enjoy. 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 at the 2008 Olympics, maybe working as translators or tour guides. And quite a few said they dream of going to the moon 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 their dreams. Quite a few dream of becoming famous, perhaps famous sportspeople or singers. Some said they?d love to go on exciting trips: one student said she?d love to sail across the Pacific Ocean. And then there are dreams that are impossible; three students said they?d 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 come true.

7 I’ll send you a photo of lucky.

Dear Miss LI,

I?d like to thank you for sending money to “Animal Helper” an organization set up to help disabled people. You see, you have helped make it possible for me to have “ Lucky”, who has filled my life with pleasure. Let me tell you my story.

Being blind, deaf, unable to walk or use your hands easily is something that most people cannot imagine. But there are many people who face these challenges, and I am one of them. Because I can?t use my arms or legs well, normal things like answering the telephone, opening and shutting doors or carrying things have always been difficult for me. Then one day last year, a friend of mine s aid that she would like to help me out. She said she would talk to “Animal Helpers” to see if it would be possible for me to get a specially trained dog. She also thought a dog might cheer me up. I told her that I love animals and that I?d love to have a dog.

After six months of training with a dog at “Animal Helpers”, I was able to bring him home. My I?m only able to have a “dog-helper” because of your kind donation.

How does lucky help me, you might ask? Well, he has been trained to understand different 4 dog?s name is “lucky” –a good name for him because I feel very lucky to have him. You see,

instructions. For example, I say, “Lucky, Fetch my book,” and he does it at once. He is very clever and understands many English words, even some difficult ones like “upstairs”.

Lucky is an amazing dog. I?ll send you a photo of him if you like, and I could show you how he helps me too one day. And so I thank you again for supporting “Animal Helpers”. It is much appreciated and the money is well used to help disabled people like me.

8 Do you know when basketball was invented?

If you travel around China you will notice a very popular activity everywhere you go-basketball. This much-loved and active sport is enjoyed by many, for fun and exercise.

The sport of basketball is a little over a hundred years old. It is played by more than 100million people in over 200 countries including China, where basketball has been played in parks, schools, and even in factories.

Basketball was invented by a Canadian doctor named James Naismith, who was born in 1861. When he was at college, his class was once asked to invent a new game that could be played indoors during the long winters. Dr Naismith created a game to be played on a hard wooden floor, so the safety of the players was important. Knocking into players and falling down would be dangerous.

Dr Naismith divided the men in his class into two teams and taught them how to play his new game. The aim of basketball is for players to get a ball into the “basket”: a net hanging from use the “backboard” for guiding the ball into the basket. Players move towards one end of the court while throwing the ball to each other.

It is believed that on December 21st, 1891, the first basketball game in history was played. Then in 1936 in Berlin, it became an Olympic event. A team from China took part, and although they didn?t win they used the experience to help develop the game at home. Since then, the popularity of basketball has risen worldwide, and the number of foreign players in America?s NBA (National Basketball Association) has increased. Basketball has also become a more popular sport for people to watch, and many young people dream of becoming famous basketball players.

9 Could you please lend me your pen?

Asking for information or help is a very common and necessary activity, especially when we visit a foreign country. So knowing how to ask for information politely is important. In English, “Where are the restrooms?” and “Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?” are similar requests-both are correct English, but the first could sound rude. It?s important to use correct language, but sometimes this alone is not enough-we need to learn how to be polite when we make requests.

In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. The expressions you use might depend on whom you are speaking to or how well you know them. If you say to your teacher, “Where is my book?” this will sound rude. But if you say, “Excuse me, Mr. West. Do you know where my book is?” your question will sound much more polite. On the other hand, it might be alright to say “Where is my book?” in some situations perhaps with people you know well.

And you would not usually say, “Peter, lend me your pen.” A very direct order like this can sound rude in English. Usually in English polite questions are longer and include extra language 5

such as “Could you please…? or “ Can I ask….?” It sounds more polite to say. “Peter, could you please lend me your pen?” Sometimes we might even need to spend some time leading in to a question or request. For example, if you stop a stranger in the street, we might first say, “Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me” or “I?m sorry to trouble you but,” before asking them for help.

It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct, and in a way this may be true. However, in order not to offend people, learning about language etiquette is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary. And doing this will also help you become better at English, or any other language you wish to speak.

10 You’re supposed to write quickly.

Can you write in English? And can you also write e-mail English? Maybe not. E-mail English is a new kind of written English that is being used to save time.

A lot of e-mail English words might look unfamiliar to us –many look like rubbish. This is because they come from a computer program called ICQ, which means I seek you. ICQ is an online conversation with friends. One Canadian teacher says, “People can use their computers to talk to each other. But you are supposed to type quickly so the other person doesn?t get bored. Using e-mail English helps you write quickly.”

E-mail English mostly uses two types of words. The first is “abbreviation”. This is formed by using the first letter of each word in the phrase. For example, BTW means “by the way”, and CSL means “can?t stop laughing”. The second kind of word is a “homophone”-it?s created by combining letters and symbols or numbers to sound like other words. An example of this would be to write “great as “gr8” or to write “see you later” as “CU18r”

When you write e-mail English you do not use punctuation marks only in the traditional way. You are also supposed to use them to show the emotion you are feeling. These are called “emoticons”. The advantage of using punctuation marks is that you can make faces with them. The most common one is the happy face-it looks like this :) and it is made with a colon and a right bracket beside it.

E-mail English is fun-it?s almost like writing riddles. You can learn it easily by yourselves, and experiment with your own ideas. It is not rude to write e-mail English, but it is important to use it only at the proper time-when you are e-mailing a friend or sending a message to a friend on a mobile phone. But you shouldn?t use it in class, and remember your teachers will not be pleased if you write e-mail English in a test.

11 Receiving money makes me uncomfortable

Many books have been written about “the art of giving”. But what about the art of receiving? Sometimes, receiving a gift can be difficult, especially when someone buys you a gift you don?t want.

“I remember when I was about twelve years old, my parents bought me a purple purse,” laughs Guo Xiaojing. “It really made me feel embarrassed, because to be honest, I thought the purse was really ugly. Still, I pretended that I liked it because I knew it would make my parents happy.”

HanLing agrees. “That sounds like my grandparents. A few years ago, my grandparents gave me an orange sweater for my birthday. I used to wear it every time I visited them, but when I left 6

their house, I took it off. Of course, this made me feel guilty. It was a very nice thought, but my grandparents and I have different tastes. I think it?s hard to buy clothes or other personal things for people.”

To make things easier, some people would rather just give money. In some cultures, however, receiving money can make people uncomfortable. “When someone gives me money, it just makes me think they?re being lazy,” says John Wilson. “In England, we have a saying: It?s the thought that counts. When someone gives me money, I feel they didn?t think at all. I prefer to receive a gift that has some thought behind it. I don?t mind if it?s something I don?t need. If someone has thought about a gift for me, it always makes me happy.”

Different people have very different thoughts on this subject. So maybe the art of receiving is even more difficult than the art of giving. What do you think?

12 He’s already visited the place where his ancestors lived.

Have you been back to the place where your ancestors lived, worked, studied and played? Robert Qian, a Chinese Canadian, already has. Now in China, he has found that his family is like a tall tree with long roots.

Robert is just one young overseas Chinese who has come to visit his ancestors? homeland, as part of the In Search of Roots summer camp program. The program is organized by the local government of Guangdong Province. This program started in 1980, and so far has brought thousands of overseas Chinese students to China to look for their families? roots. The young people are usually between 16 and 25 years old. Most, like Robert, can hardly speak any Chinese and have never been to China before.

The students mainly visit parts of Guangdong Province in southern China. During the two-week camp, they study Chinese culture, see changes that have happened in that area, and visit interesting sights. Going to their ancestors? village is often the most exciting part of the trip. The students feel that they are part of the village, and experience village life. They drink from the village well, go for walks through the countryside, and watch the villagers do their daily activities. Cathy Qin, a young American student, had this to say, “Thanks to In Search of Roots, I am beginning to understand my Chinese roots and who I am. It has been a great trip, and I have so many memories of China to take with me.”

The program leaders believe strongly in the program and say that the purpose of it is to give young overseas Chinese the chance to learn more about themselves. “I?ve really enjoyed the trip so far,” says Robert. “This has been a big step for me, and I?m looking forward to finding out more about my roots during my time here.”

13 The importance of pronunciation

Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language; but few people are even moderately（['m?d?ritli] 适当地，合适地；适度） proficient（[pr?'fi??nt] 熟练的，精通的） at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this, some obvious（['?bvi?s] 明显的，清楚的）, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the fundamental （[,f?nd?'mentl基本的，基础的]）reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that they fail to grasp（[gr?sp] 抓住；领会；掌握） the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and consequently（['k?nsikwentli] 从而, 因此） never set about（着手,开始(做)） tackling it in the right way. Far 7

too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is a skill that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be acquired（[?'kwai?] 取得，获得，学到） by just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language. So the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole attitude to the subject should get the student to feel that here is a matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So, there should be occasions when other aspects of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.

Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge, the second, technique.

It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be obtained from books. It is possible to get from books some ideas of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic theory. It is also possible in this way to get a clear mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time wasted.

14 the Heaven and the Hell

A man died and was on his way to another world, either the Heaven or the hell. He saw an extremely magnificent palace half way and the owner of the palace asked him to stay and live in the palace.

The man said, "I have been working arduously during my life and now I just want to eat and sleep without any work."

The owner of the palace said, "If so, there is nowhere else better than here for you. There is a wealth of seafood and delicacies in my palace and you can eat whatever you want without anyone stopping you. Moreover, you can rest assured that nothing needs to be done by you." Then, the man settled down in the palace。

At the beginning, the man felt very happy at the rotation of eating and sleeping. But gradually, he felt a bit lonely and void. So he went to the owner and groaned, "It is very tedious to live by just eating and sleeping every day. Now I show no interest in this kind of life any more. Could you help me find a job?"

The owner replied, "Sorry, there is no job here at all."

After another several months, the man could not bear the present life and went to the owner again, "I really could not stand this sort of life any more. If you do not offer me a job, I would prefer to go to the hell instead of living here."

The owner of the palace smiled contemptuously, "Do you think it is Heaven here? It is actually the hell!"

15 Friend's Prayers

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two survivors agreed that they had no other recourse than to pray to God。

8

However, to find out whose prayers were more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island。

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. But the other man's parcel of land remained barren。

After a week, the first man became lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was nothing。

Soon thereafter the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing。

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island, and in the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island。

The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island, considering the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings since none of his prayers had been answered。

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?" "He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."

16 an Empty Box Filled with Kisses

Once upon a time, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for using up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve, he saw that the child had pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a shoebox to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"

As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction.

But when he opened it, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady,” he said harshly, "when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package!"

The little girl looked up at him with tears rolling from her eyes and said: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full."

The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept that little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

9

In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

17 Am I more stupid than others?

For long, a little boy was wondering why his next-desk-pal could rank 1st in the class whenever he wanted to, whereas he himself failed to: he only ranked 21st.

At home, he asked his Mom, “Mom, am I more stupid than others? I feel I am as obedient and as careful as him, but how come I always lag behind? "Hearing the words, Mom was aware that her son began to gain amour-propre, which was now being undermined by the ranking system. Staring at him, she went wordless, not knowing how to explain.

In another test, the son ranked 17th, while his pal remained 1st. Back home, he raised the same question. Mom really wanted to inform her son that intelligence differs, which means that students ranking 1st are supposed to be cleverer than normal ones. However, was this disillusioning answer the one that her son was constantly curious about? Thank goodness she did not open her mouth.

How to answer her son?s question? There were times she felt an impulse to equivocate, “You are too lazy. You are not as industrious as others…” but she stopped when envisioning her son suffering from the pains of unsatisfied grades and rankings. She thought it cruel to inflict any additional burden on his son and was trying to find out a perfect answer.

Time elapsing swiftly, the son finished primary school. Despite studying harder and better, he was still unable to keep up with his pal. To show her pride of him, Mom decided to take him to the sea. During the trip, she managed to give out an answer.

Now, the son no longer worries about his rankings, and there are no longer boring guys who would inquire his rankings in primary school, because, with the 1st ranking, he is accepted by Tsinghua University. Back home in winter vacation, he was invited to address the students and parents in his high school. In the speech, he mentioned a valuable experience in his childhood, “…When my mother and I was laying on the beach, she pointed to the front and said, ?Do you see the seabirds scrambling for food over there? When the waves come near, little birds can rise quickly while “clumsy” sea-gulls would take more time to complete the process. However, have you noticed birds that finally fly across the endless ocean are none other than “clumsy” sea-gulls??” The moving speech provoked many mothers present into tears, including his mother.

18 Lady, Are You Rich?

They huddled inside the storm door -- two children in ragged outgrown coats.

"Any old papers, lady?"

I was busy. I wanted to say no -- until I looked down at their feet.

Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet.

"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone.

I served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside.

Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.

The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice," Lady ... are you rich?"

10

"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer -- carefully.

"Your cups match your saucers."

Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you.

They didn't need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched.

I tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job -- these things matched, too.

I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be.

I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.

19 No matter what happens, I ll always be there for you!

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I ll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son. He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.

As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: "It s too late! They re all dead! You can t help!

Go home! Come on, face reality, there s nothing you can do!” To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school s ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You re in danger. We'll take care of it. Go home." To which this loving, caring American father asked, "Are you going to help me now?” The police came and said, "You re angry, anxious and it s over. You are endangering others. Go home. We'll handle it!" To which he replied, "Are you going to help me now?" No one helped. Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his son s voice. He screamed his son s name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad!?! It s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you d save me and when you saved me, they d be saved. You promised, No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! You did it, Dad!" "What s going on in there? How is it?" the father asked.” There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We re scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building collapsed, it made a triangle, and it saved us.” Come out, boy!""No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, cause I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!"

11

20 The Woman and Her 3 Wishes

A woman was out golfing one day when she hit the ball into the woods. She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, "If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes."

The woman freed the frog, and the frog said, "Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes. Whatever you wish

for, your husband will get ten times more or better!"

The woman said, "That's okay."

For her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The frog warned her, "You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis who women will flock to."

The woman replied, "That's okay, because I will be the most beautiful woman and he will have eyes only for me."

So, KAZAM-she's the most beautiful woman in the world! For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world.

The frog said, "That will make your husband the richest man in the world and he will be ten times richer than you."

The woman said, "That's okay, because what's mine is his and what's his is mine." So, KAZAM-she's the richest woman in the world!

The frog then inquired about her third wish, and she answered, "I'd like a mild heart attack."

12