In today's society, everyone seems very busy every day. We fee l our time is valuable and needs to be used well. We need cheap meal ideas that can help us save time and money and still offer a healthy dinner to us and our family.

    The fast food makers know we have little time and don't pay attention to what we eat after a long day at work. So they often offer us cheap food that requires(需要) no cooking or cleaning, and only a short time to pick up.

    But eating so much fast food will cause body fatness and fast food is not nutritious(有营养的), so it's not the best choice. There are some very cheap meal ideas that take almost no time to prepare and will make coming home for a good meal more enjoyable.

    The first cheap meal idea is one dish including meat, rice, and also some cabbages, carrots or tomatoes. This is not only a cheap meal idea, but also it is fast because it can be made in only 20 minutes.

    You can quickly make some pancakes and scrambled eggs for the family in about half an hour. If you think it is strange to eat breakfast food for dinner, consider how the same foods give you what you need to go through a whole day.

    Another cheap meal idea to try is a “macaroni(通心粉) and cheese with meat” dish, which is the fastest, only takes around 15 minutes to cook.

    If you are interested in these cheap meal ideas, you're welcome to visit our website for details. When you fix one of these or other cheap meal ideas at home, you are taking time out of your busy day to treat yourself and your family in a special way.

    Tom and Mike are good friends. They are kind to children. They want to find summer jobs. One day Tom tells Mike that Beidaihe Kids Summer Camp needs help with sports, music and computers. They are both very glad to hear(听说) this.

    Tom can play basketball and volleyball, and he can swim, too. Mike can play the violin, the trumpet, the drums and the guitar. Tom and Mike like computers very much. Can they join the Summer Camp?

    Once upon a time, there was a strange bird. He lived in a tree near the bank of a river. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One day, one of the two heads saw a delicious fruit on a tree. He picked it and started eating the fruit. "It is one of the most delicious fruits I have ever eaten," he said.

    The other head said, "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}" The first head laughed and said, "You know that we have only one stomach. It makes no difference whether I eat it or you eat it. Moreover, I'm the one who found the fruit. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Later that day, the other head found a tree having poisonous (有毒的) fruits. He took a poisonous fruit and told the first head, "I will eat this fruit."

    The first head shouted, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you eat it, both of us will die."

The other head replied, "Shut up! I'm the one who found the fruit. I have the right to eat it."

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In the end, both of them lost their lives.

A. So I have the right to eat it.

B. The first head started crying, but the other head still ate the poisonous fruit.

C. Let me also taste the delicious fruit.

D. The bird had two heads, but they shared one stomach.

E. What do you think of the bird with two heads?

F. Please don't eat this poisonous fruit.

G. The bird looks very beautiful and cute.

    When this story happened, they were working around a very large house. Their job was to do the cleaning. It was not a difficult job, but sometimes it was a little dangerous, because they had to walk below where workmen were working. These workmen often dropped something from the top of the house many meters high to the ground.

    One morning Joe was working near the house with a cigarette(烟) behind one of his ears. Suddenly somebody on the top shouted, "Look out!" But Joe did not "look out". He looked up. And as he did so, a long knife missed Joe's head, but it cut off one of his cars. At once he put his hand to one side of his head and cried out, "I've lost an ear. Help! Help!" Jeff ran up to help his friend. "Look for my ear," Joe told him." It must be on the ground somewhere." Jeff looked everywhere for the missing ear. At last he found an ear on the ground. He picked it up and carried it to Joe. "Here you are", he said, "I've found it." Joe looked at it." No, that's not my ear." He said," Mine had a cigarette behind it"

    Giving Directions in Different Places

    If you ask people of different countries "Could you tell me the way to the post office?", you will get different answers.

    In Japan, people use landmarks(路标) instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers," Go straight down to the corner. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The post office is across from the bus stop."

    In Kansas, America, there are no towns or buildings within(在……之内) miles. So instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. For example, people will say, "Go north two miles(英里). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}"

    People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions. They will often say, "Follow me." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Sometimes if the person doesn't know the answer to your question, he or she, like a New Yorker, might say, "Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know."{#blank#}4{#/blank#} They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. A visitor can always get lost in Yucatan!

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his or her body language. He or she will usually point to the correct direction. Go on in that direction and you may find the direction.

A. Turn east, and then go another mile.

B. But one thing will help you everywhere.

C. People there think "I don't know." is not polite.

D. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market.

E. Then he or she will take you through the street of the city to the post office.