What Would You Do....

What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?

My Students

SIAS University

Henan Province, China

Spring 2012

I asked my students to write a  response to this question.  They looked puzzled at first but then they just started writing and writing and writing.  I thought I would give them just 10 minutes to respond but they needed 20 minutes.  They got out their dictionaries and they conferred with one another.   And then I asked if anyone wanted to read her response to us.  A student got up, stood up straight and tall and read her thoughts and her classmates cheered for her.  Then everyone wanted to read their responses and every response got a round of applause.

• “If I have the ability to change people’s skin color, I will do it. Because there is no difference between people’s appearance.  No discrimination anymore.”
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• “If I could do anything I want to do a leader who can lead other women do their life better or make a band with my best friends.  We dance and sing many beautiful songs. It is not important for our’s fame. But we love our life.  If I could do anything, I join in a party army to protect our country and our people.  If I could do anything, I travel our earth around with my husband.  If I could do anything, I want to do everything I want. I want to keep the world peaceful and to speak English perfect.”
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• “If I could do anything, I would want to be a superwoman to feed my family and protect my homeland.  I would show my love to my parents, every minute with them and I would like to travel all over the world with the person I love.  I would try to make the world more friendly and warm with my own efforts.”
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• “Last semester, my teacher asked us this similar question.  It’s a really good question.  I think I will bring happiness to the people around me if I could do anything.  Happiness is free; also it’s the best thing in the world. As far as I am concerned. In fact, being happy is really simple.  So I want to bring happiness to the people. Cherish those people around us. Try our best to do what we can now.”
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• “Yesterday in our school, I saw a boy hitting a girl with my own eyes. But no one stopped it.  I guess they are a pair of sweet heart.  So if I could do anything I would teach girls protect and rights and make girls stronger.”
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• “I believe that I will learn how to cook, make clothes, make shoes and draw.  One word, learning everything which I haven’t learned. Though I’m a common people, but I’m a happy girl.”
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• “I want to travel around the world and see what they are doing in other countries.  How can they balance themselves between life and work? How do they live their life and I also want to help these have no money to go to school.  I want to have a coffee shop. Have a house near the sea, want to fly like Harry Potter to see the blue sky and ocean.”
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• “If I could get the rule and the truth of human heart, I would try my best to help those who lose themselves in the hearts.  I want to help them to save themselves as well as me.  I think the life’s meaning is to make the man in our heart inside true love.”
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• “I want to come back to be a baby girl again and again.”
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• “I want to travel around the world because I am full of curiosity to the world.  I want to experience different cultures and customs. I also want to communicate with different people and learn many good things.”
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• “First donate money to help poor children on the west of China. Pure water, health-food, get rights to go to school. Second, I will go to America and England as an international student.  I want to learn more about western country’s culture.  Third, I want to make a better life for my family because I don’t want to living a poor life as I know.  I have never seen my parents have new clothes.  And they borrow money to give me the chance of educated in the college.”
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• “Absolutely, travel around the world to touch the culture I only heard about. People’s minds will be filled up in the route of traveling.  I can get touch with the society, find out the real problems and draw public attention.”
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• “I want to go back, go to 1990, and keep company with myself, tell myself, you should learn something you really like and keep moving on.  You should be kind to your family members, friends and teachers, you should keep health, you should be honest to be a friend and talk with friends happily, but I know it can’t achieve.  What I can is that improve myself in every aspect. To try not to shy, do not be guilty of wasting time in the future.”
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• “I would make a day from 24 hours to 30 hours or more.  So every day I can have more time to sleep and to do my work and to do some exercise making myself more healthy.  Every day I am very busy with all kinds of things and I always think my time is not enough.  I would go back to the past.  Go back to my 18 year old, because the time is my best recollection in my full life and I will value the time.”
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• “If I could do anything I would travel the world!  I love traveling so much.  I think it’s best to travel with my family. Although we haven’t travel together frequently, we love each other very much, besides, if I could do anything, I would do something to help develop the friendship among countries. It’s a simple of people’s happiness to have a warm world. In all, I hope that everyone in the world would be happy in their life.”
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• “If I could do anything I like,
• 1-     I wish I can swimming in future
• 2-     Remember all English words and use them
• 3-     Help who has disease have a colorful life.”
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• “I hope I can buy a house for my parents and let them live happily.”
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• “If I could do anything, firstly, I will try my best so I won’t feel regret one day.  And I wish I can become a teacher to teach the poor children in countryside, because it’s always my dream from I’m a child.  Even I don’t know why I want to do clearly.  Maybe it’s just a dream but I believe it must be a colorful experience.”
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• “At first, I want to go abroad or travel the world because I think knowing about other countries is important. It can help to widen our sight.  Secondly I will take my family do something that they haven’t experienced. Staying with my family is a happy thing.  At last, will have a good job and a bright future.”
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• “When I see this question, I have many thoughts.  And I want to do many things.  I will choose two that I want to do extremely.  I want to be a Chinese auditing leader.  It is not a member of the government. It is just a famous organization, an international organization.  Then I will use the fair principle to audit every company and government.  Then save more money to help the children who can’t go to school or many patients.  I am not a member of government so they can’t control me on the other side.  I want to sing. Maybe be a singer because I like to singing.  I hope my song can give many people hoping.  Maybe their happy too. When I earn money I will build a foundation to help people who need help.”