Maybe everyone likes dogs, and almost everyone likes to read stories about dogs.
　  I have a friend. He has a large police dog named Jack. Police dogs are very clever. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes Jack for a long walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much.
　  One Sunday afternoon a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time. He talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk. But the visitor still stayed. Jack became very worried. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention to Jack. He went on talking. At last Jack got angry. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor, but this time he took the visitor's hat in his mouth. The visitor saw it and was surprised. He laughed and left.

    Big Bear was Skinny Rabbit's friend and neighbor. Big Bear's birthday came and Skinny Rabbit sent him a hammock(吊床). Two trees grew in the space between the friends' houses. Skinny Rabbit and Big Bear tied the hammock between them. Big Bear climbed into the hammock.

    “How does it feel?" Skinny Rabbit asked.

    “Just wonderful!" Big Bear said. "But do you see how the sun shines through the branches (树枝), Skinny Rabbit?"

      "I do. It shines straight onto the hammock," Skinny Rabbit said. "I have an idea."    He put his beach umbrella beside the hammock. "How's that?" he asked.

    "It's almost perfect, Skinny Rabbit," said Big Bear. "Soft music would be nice for someone sleeping in a hammock."

    Skinny Rabbit went back into the house and came out with a radio. He tuned it to a station. The station was playing music.

    "Enjoy your sleep, Big Bear," said Skinny Rabbit. "I'll go and clean up the lunch dishes."    "Wait a minute! I thought of something else."    "What is it now?" asked Skinny Rabbit wearily

    "This hammock needs a friend to share with, Will you join me, Skinny Rabbit? Afterward we can do the dishes together."  

Skinny Rabbit said happily, "What a fine idea, Big Bear."

    John is an American boy. His family is in China now. John likes chocolates (巧克力) very much. But his mother doesn't give him any. They are not good for him, she thinks. But John has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves him very much, and sometimes he buys John some chocolates. Then his mother lets John eat them. She wants to make the old man happy. One Sunday evening John says in his room, “Please, God. Make them give me a big box of chocolates tomorrow. It's my birthday.” His mother says, “God can't hear you, my boy.” “I know, but my grandfather is in the next room. He can hear.”

    Hi, my name is Toby, and I am now eight years old. When I was five, I decided that I wanted to find out lots about the world, so I started writing letters to somebody in every country in the world. I started the project because I wanted to find out more about the world, help people understand each other better, and make the world a better place--and I still do! It's really not easy to find people in every country, but lots of people have helped me. Thank you!

    We look up all countries, and I think of questions I would like to ask. I'm interested in history, stars and planets, science, wild animals, film making, writing, reading, dancing, and how people protect the environment in lots of places all over the world! I also want to know how people live, what food they eat, and what school is like! Until now, I've written 780 letters and gotten 327 replies.

    I write all letters by hand. My mother is looking after this website for me. You can read all the letters I have written, and all the replies I have gotten. I am also raising money for ShelterBox, because they help people in need all over the world. Thank you for reading about my project!

    Humoody was born in Iraq. When he was two years old, his face was badly hurt and he couldn't see any more. He came to the United States to get medical care and now lives with an American family in Washington State.

    Humoody quickly learned to use a cane(手杖) to get around. He also started clicking(使发出咔哒声),sensing objects by listening for echoes (回声). To help Humoody develop this skill, his family found him an

echolocation(回声定位_) teacher, Juan Ruiz. Ruiz is also blind and he has been echolocating for many years." Even someone who's not blind can try it," he says. Stand facing a wall a couple of feet away. Make some noise by clicking or talking out loud. Listen carefully. Now walk a little closer to the wall and keep making your noise. Can you hear how it changes as the wall gets nearer?

    Experiment with how your voice or clicks sound in different parts of your home. "Every room has a different sound to it," Ruiz says.

    How does the sound of a kitchen or bathroom compare to the sound of a carpeted(铺有地毯的) room? What about a long hallway? The differences you hear are the same kinds of clues(线索) that blind people listen to. With lots of practice, their brains have learned to get information from these clues.

    Humoody has never let being blind slow him down. Learning how to echolocate is helping him get around more easily and safely, especially in places where he can't take his cane, like the football field.