The saying is so old that you may take it lightly, but actually the saying is never out-of-date and still applicable in many cases today. Frankly speaking, there are still many of us knowing the saying but rarely learning from it. In other words, we don't really put it into practice, which can account for why we always gain nothing but failure and tears in the end. A person's effort is not necessarily proportional to one's success, but nothing can be achieved if you stand still and keep imagining without making any effort.

    In most cases, we tend to blame our failures on the bad luck. In fact, the fault lies in ourselves. We only care about what we can gain, but never realize that we must suffer from pains first. Life is, in a sense, a harsh battle. There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is no pains in vain, either. The Buddha said: If someone is suffering pains, he (or she) is either atoning for one's crime of previous existence or laying the solid foundation for the beautiful future life.  

    As for us, since our first life challenges are around the corner, too many expectations from parents, the heavy burden of study and the fear of future are filling us with worries and sinking us in low spirits. We take pains with our work in hope for a better life.

   You must have heard that “Genius is made by 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”You may not be a genius, but do live up to your sweat.

  The exhausted man was watering a weak and little tree by using his watering can. He bent his body, expecting the little tree’s growing, but wasn’t regardful of the tiredness and his sweat. When the sun shone fiercely, the tree was bid enough to provide a pleasant shade for the sleeping man. The strong tree was glad to share its umbrella with the man who had devoted all is attentions to it.

  So do we when we get along with the nature now. However, the reality tends to be disappointing. People damaged a lot of trees to make wooden products which caused a long-term global warming or even an extensive landslide. In addition, people once used DDT to kill insects so that they could have a good harvest, but this kind of agricultural chemical was absorbed into animals, and then affected human beings eventually. People didn’t take the environment into account so they couldn’t get any protection from the nature, finally suffering the consequence of their using DDT. In other words, people now had better pay efforts in getting along with the nature harmoniously. It is planting more various trees that can control today’s polluted air. Then, after studying, why can’t we put what we have learned into practice to commit ourselves to finding more environmental friendly materials because of the benefit to the nature?

  What I have got from the pictures, is not only the relationship between the man and the tree, but also how the nature will respond to us in its own way if we put our heart into loving it.

                                                                   高三（2） 顾宇帆

(3)

As can be seen from the left picture, a man is watering a small tree with sweat pouring off his head. On the contrary, in the right picture, he is sleeping on a fold chair, relaxed and comfortable. The tall and flourish tree at his back forms a “green umbrella” protecting him from the strong sunshine.

The pictures remind me of the experience when I learnt to ride a bike. I almost practiced it every day. I had even hurt myself many times before I finally adapted to it. Nowadays riding a bike provides me with great convenience and pleasure which proves that my perseverance has paid off.