During summer vacations, I would volunteer at the pet rescue centre, so I could see a lot of dogs. Minnie was the funniest-looking dog I'd ever seen so far. Her body looked like a sausage. Her hair was too thin to1her body. Her eyes always seemed surprised, and her tail was so short that it looked like a rat's tail.

    She looked so strange that her2didn't want her any more. She was brought to the centre. But I thought, "Minnie was kind and sweet. No one should laugh at her strange looking." So I gave Minnie a good bath and3her in the newspaper: "A funny-looking dog, kind and sweet, needs a loving4."

    Later, a boy called me, but I warned him that Minnie was5. However, the boy told me that his grandfather's sixteen-year-old dog had just died. They wanted to keep Minnie very much. Hearing these words, I said that they could take Minnie away. I combed her hair, and gave her a good bath. Then we waited for them to arrive.

    At last, an old car stopped in front of the pet rescue centre. Two kids6to the door. They put Minnie into their arms and rushed out to their grandfather, who was waiting in the car. I hurried behind them to see his reaction (反应).

    Inside the car, the grandfather put Minnie in his arms and7her soft hair. She looked very relaxed and happy. "She's perfect, and I like her!" the old man said. I was8that Minnie had found a good owner. Just at that time, I saw that the grandfather's eyes were a milky white colour—he was blind.

    After that summer vacation, I missed Minnie so much. So I went to the grandfather's house. The grandfather was walking in the garden with Minnie9the way. I could see both of them were happy. "Minnie is the most beautiful dog in my eyes," said the grandfather. "I've 10felt happier before!" Hearing this, I was pretty happy!

    A lovely rabbit, a cute hamster, some colourful fish, a strange-looking turtle or a snake...What kind of pet would you like? Lots of kids love animals and dream of having a pet.

    But not every family can have a pet. So, in many Western countries such as America, Britain and Australia, primary and middle school classes have their own pets. Looking after a pet is not as easy as you may think! Fish and turtles need clean water and the right food. Hamsters and rabbits need fresh vegetables and a warm place to sleep. Even little mice need good care! What would you feed a pet mouse? How about snakes?

    Class pets teach kids about nature and being responsible. Sometimes the pets have babies. It's very exciting but it also means having more animals to take care of!

    Students take turns to take care of their class pets. Every week the pets have a new “mum and dad” to look after them.

    You may want to know what happens to the class pets during school holidays. At the end of term, the teacher chooses a responsible student. This lucky student keeps the pets at his or her home for the holidays.

    Notes:

1) hamster n. 仓鼠   2) turtle n. 乌龟   3) responsible adj. 负责任的   4) choose v. 选择

When I was a little child, my parents took me to Germany.When I came back, I could speak German fluently.

During a holiday, I stayed at home with nothing to do. My father brought a German book. "Why don't you translate it into Chinese? It will be better than playing computer games all day." said my fatherI promised to do 4,000 words each day, but soon I found it hard to keep the promise. After translating only three pages, I already lost interest  in the book. I didn't want to continue. I counted the words again and again. I felt as if two people were fighting in my mind. One said, "Don't give up! Keep working hard and you will do well!" The other one said, "It will be more interesting than translating." I stood up and was about to start playing the games, but then I remembered what my parents had told me.

"Whatever you do, don't stop half way."

A. I just wanted to give up.

B. I agreed to do it happily.

C. I had lived there for nine years.

D. Go and play computer games at once.

E. I decided to play computer games again.

F. So I sat down quietly and went on with it.

No matter who you are and where you live, the most important thing is what kind of person you are. There are many good qualities that can benefit(有益于)you a lot in your life. Among them, the following qualities are the most helpful ones.

Life is not always a bed of roses. When facing difficulties, don't lose heart. Do you know what can help you overcome difficulties? It's your attitude(态度). Cheer up! Life is like a mirror. When you smile in front of it, it will also smile at you.

Maybe you are used to your present life. Every day you have so much work to do that you can't find any time to learn. However, the world around you is changing all the time. Never be satisfied with yourself, or you will fall behind others.

In the modern world, the students who have creative thinking are needed most. Being creative means coming up with new ideas and having creative imagination. Those who are creative have more choices in their life.

Learn to be honesty (诚实). Nobody likes a person who tells lies. A liar is always looked down upon and regarded as a black sheep by the people around. The one who keeps his word is popular everywhere.

Being friendly and helpful to the people around you. Do something nice for them. When they are in trouble, don't forget to give them a hand in time. It will make you feel good about yourself.

As long as you have these qualities above, you will be excellent and make a difference to the world.

    A dog entered a butcher's shop with a note in his mouth. The note read, " $10 of lamb chops(羊排), please. "

    The butcher was very  (surprise). He took the money, put a bag of chops in the (dog) mouth, and then he closed the shop  (quick). He followed the dog and watched him wait for a green light. Then the dog crossed the road to a bus stop. He checked the timetable and sat on the bench. When a bus arrived, the dog checked the number and got  it.

    As the bus travelled out into the countryside, the dog enjoyed the scenery. After  while, he stood on his back paws  (push) the "stop" button. Then the butcher followed off.

    The dog ran up to a house and dropped his bag on the ground. He went back down the path, took a big run, and  (throw) himself against the door. No answer. He repeated the action a few times. Then a big man opened the door  started complaining about the dog and beating him.

    Seeing this, the butcher ran up and shouted at the man, "What are you doing? This dog is a genius!" The man replied, "Genius? No way! He has forgotten his key for the (four) time this month!"

    Keeping pets nearly becomes a common habit of modern people. What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping pets?