謝謝你，朋友
【內容提示】
你喜歡某門學科，比如英語吧。你參加了你們縣或你們市組織的該學科奧林匹克比賽，但是失敗了。你非常懊喪。正在這時，你收到一封朋友的來信，信中用“失敗是成功之母”之類的話給你鼓勁。在該同學的鼓勵和幫助下你第二次參加了比賽並獲得一等獎。
【作文示範】
Thank You, My Friend
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.
（選自《英語畫刊》高中版1996年第4期）
【詞語解釋】
①wisdom [＇wizd+m] n．智慧；明智
②contest [＇k&ntest] n．比賽；競賽
③confidence [＇k&nfid+ns] n．信心；自信
【寫法指要】
作者由失敗到成功走過一段曲折的路。有過失敗的人才知道勝利的價值。作者把自己的成功歸功於自己一位好朋友的鼓勵。所以，他對自己的朋友十分感激並寫了此文。文章由失敗、挫折寫到鼓勵、幫助，再到獲獎，順理成章