前几天有陈椰爸爸谈到美国孩子的作文，所以我也想介绍一下美国孩子的作文是写什么。正好老二才写完一篇她很得意的作文，所以贴出来给大家看看。可能很多人对美国6年级的孩子的英文写作能力也不是很有概念，可以作个参考。

美国的作文课除了教语法之外， 很多时候就是写诗或者作文。 其中小孩很喜欢的一门就是创作（creative writing), 小孩可以天马行空按自己的想象写小说， 童话或者科幻。总之不是写生活里的真实事件。其实我觉得这样的写作是非常有用，不仅能真正锻炼孩子的写作能力，而且生动有趣，启发孩子的想象力。创造性写作才能真正看出一个人的文学修养，所以古今中外真正的文学家大文豪不是写小说的就是写诗的。

我相信现在老二的写作在六年级的学生里算好的，她的语法也早就超过我了。这篇故事写得还真挺好的，故事曲折生动，还挺有哲理。 比1年前她的干巴巴的文章进步多了，也是迄今为止她写得最长的一篇作文。事实上美国很多高中生的写作水平也是非常糟糕的，写个简单的EMAIL都写不清楚。我后来开会时遇到老师，老师说这篇作文的水平大大超过普通六年级孩子的写作水平了。

老二的这篇作文名字叫“爱不仅仅是给别人“。故事的主角是一只聪明的仙人掌，长在一个布满美丽而浅薄鲜花的小镇，因为自己的长相另类而讨人厌， 被人忽略， 她最后终于找到温暖的归宿，享受有人爱的日子，最后的一句话是”想要被爱，必须先爱自己”。我不知道她写的这株仙人掌是否有她自己的影子呢？这故事当中其实也折射了美国的很多教育观，比如每个孩子都是独特的，不能以外表取人， 必须自爱等等。希望能读懂英文的各位喜欢。

Love Isn’t Just for Others

            There was a town by the famous city of New Lark called Fort Green. This town was packed with gardens, greenhouses and parks. The downtown area was noisy, busy, and teeming with people, but the rest of the community preferred to tend to their botanical pets.

            At one of the parks was a small, unattended garden. The patch of green supported all kinds of pleasant wildflowers. However, there lived a small, lonely cactus named Andenea Echino, and no one knew how such an exotic inhabitant ended up in a town next to the city. This cactus was alone all the time because of her spines. She felt like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, but without Santa Claus to redeem her.

            Andenea Echino was near alien to the little plant village of native plants from Fort Green. Only boring, typical plants lived at that dull little area. There was nothing like Venus flytraps, fruit plants, mimosas, or anything interesting or unique, save for the solitary cactus. Sometimes the occasional weed popped up nearby, but this cactus did not want to meet a criminal like that. She didn’t know what it felt like to be loved, for she had no friends or family. But, at least Andenea was a smart cactus, and could do for some time without the company of the shallow flowers.

            The day came when Andenea was about as old as you (excluding the teacher), in cactus years, and the citizens of the patch stirred when a resident violet named Alice disappeared overnight. This caused a great amount of commotion among the younger plants, for Alice had been one of the prettiest and most popular plants living there, though not as popular as the best friend perfections, Daisy and Rose. Slowly, after that event, ever more inhabitants were vanishing. Andenea was terrified that she would suffer the same fatality as Alice and the others.

            Life didn’t improve for Andenea Echino, and she truly wished for a companion now because of her fear. Her new paranoia helped her to notice a vine with small fruits growing on a neighboring fence. It did not stir, talk, or show any signs of life, so she disregarded it.

            One day it caught Andenea by surprise, saying, “HEY!” The frightened cactus nearly jumped out of her skin (is it called a peel for a cactus?) and shouted at the vine in terror, “What do you want?” The vine replied saying that she merely wanted to talk. Andenea felt a little more interested and wondered if she could become friends with the vine. She introduced herself and the vine followed suit. “So, I’m Vinifera Grapevine, and I come from very far away. I travel across many towns looking for friends because I have none. Though I may not look it, I have actually gone through much and I’m older than you must assume,” Vinifera stated. Andenea loosened up and told the vine about herself and her life. Vinifera said, “This village holds no fortune, sympathy, or love for you. It’s dangerous, having no one to watch out for you when plants are going missing. Why don’t you try traveling with me?” So, over the next few days, Vinifera slowly crept away, ignorant to her cactus friend’s inability to move. Andenea had not told her about it. She had never tried, and had expected it to come naturally, as it did for Vinifera. Andenea was now left friendless, bored, and spiny. She wondered if it could get any worse for her.

            They soon did. Andenea’s life deteriorated as she watched ominous-looking clouds drift by overhead. It began to rain ants and bees and the cold wet drops stung Andenea’s thick skin (peel) like her own spines. She now understood why plants stayed away from her, and wished that she had not. Ignorance is bliss, she thought. She closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep so she could wake up and the storm would be over. Deafening roars of thunder and blindingly intense lightning often punctuated her fitful sleep. She had a vivid dream that she was perpetually floating in space with no purpose, where there was nothing else to solace her, not anything at all. Andenea became overwhelmed by the despairing feelings she had of lonesomeness and desolation. And then, after what felt like a millennium, the brilliant sun dazzled the world…

            The young cactus opened her eyes (wait, what eyes?) a felt a strange sensation as if the worlds gravity was pushing and pulling her in the wrong direction. Looking around, she saw the earth in a whole new perspective, and realized that the storm had uprooted her and brought her someplace far, far away… to her, anyway. Andenea Echino did not recognize the area.

            Nothing happened to her for many days. She began to become very bored, but was not thirsty because, after all, she was a cactus. Andenea thanked her own form for this. This was the first time she appreciated the natural structure that she had been born with. One day when she was feeling particularly bored, a cat came along! It picked her up by the roots so as not to be poked by her spines and brought her into a house. There, a young human seem delighted at Andenea’s unceremonious entrance and replanted her in a wonderful little pot and placed in a warm greenhouse with other plants. The climate inside the building made her feel at home, where she belonged. The human, a woman, spoke to her, but she did not understand.

            In her new home, she met many unique plants like her. The first was an exotic flower. “My name is Lilly Medeoloide. I’ve been residing here ever since I can remember, and I’m quite ignorant about the world. Would you care to enlighten me?” she had said as her introduction. Andenea could tell that Lilly, though intelligent and eloquent was still a little vain and similar to the wildflowers back in her village. She didn’t mind because Lilly was a flower, and all flowers were at least a bit like that. Andenea considered Lilly her best friend and they had many conversations.

            Andenea loved this greenhouse, for every inhabitant of it was unique. This made her feel special and unique, and yet she also felt that she fit in and belonged with everyone. She would not have exchanged anything to have a different life or live someplace else. This home had taught her something. Finally, for the first time, Andenea knew what it felt like to be loved. She had learned to love herself.