谢谢你，朋友

「内容提示」

　　你喜欢某门学科，比如英语吧。你参加了你们县或你们市组织的该学科奥林匹克比赛，但是失败了。你非常懊丧。正在这时，你收到一封朋友的来信，信中用“失败是成功之母”之类的话给你鼓劲。在该同学的鼓励和帮助下你第二次参加了比赛并获得一等奖。

　　「作文示范」

　　Thank You， My Friend

　　成洁

　　I have a good friend. He is a handsome boy and his eyes shine with wisdom①。

　　I have known him since Senior One. We are both interested in English. Once both of us entered for an English contest②。 How eagerly I expected to get a prize！ On hearing that I had failed in the contest， I could hardly hold back my tears. “What a pity！” I murmured to myself over and over again. I felt that the world had become cold and everyone seemed to be laughing at me.

　　I love English and have gone all out to study it since my first day in the junior middle school. I have even dreamed of entering a foreign language institute. So I felt very sad.

　　Just at this time， I received a short letter in English， saying， “Failure is the mother of success. Cheer up！ Don't lose confidence③。 Keep on your study and you will succeed！” I knew it was from the good friend of mine.

　　These words encouraged me greatly. I forgot all my sadness. From then on， I studied English even harder. In the next English contest， I got the first prize. Of course， he was delighted with my success.

　　I am very lucky to have such a good friend. I'm thankful to him for his help.

　　（选自《英语画刊》高中版1996年第4期）

　　「词语解释」

　　①wisdom ['wizd+m] n.智慧；明智

　　②contest ['k&ntest] n.比赛；竞赛

　　③confidence ['k&nfid+ns] n.信心；自信

　　「写法指要」

　　作者由失败到成功走过一段曲折的路。有过失败的人才知道胜利的价值。作者把自己的成功归功于自己一位好朋友的鼓励。所以，他对自己的朋友十分感激并写了此文。文章由失败、挫折写到鼓励、帮助，再到获奖，顺理成章。