Once there was a young boy. He had no family except for an old llama. Each day the boy and his llama walked many miles, looking for a home. Each night they curled up (赌缩）and slept. But on one starry (满天星斗的）evening, the old llama died. The boy buried (埋葬）his friend next to a small icy river. Then he sat under a tree and cried. What would he do? He had no family and no home.

The boy cried for a very long time. But there was no one to comfort (安慰）him. There were only the stars in the sky.

Suddenly, the sky filled with bright light. The boy held his breath. He was afraid to move. One bright star fell to the ground. Slowly, the star took the shape of the old llama. She bent her head and drank from the river. She looked at the boy and smiled. As she jumped back into the sky, bits of llama wool fell. As the sun began to rise, the boy picked up the soft, warm wool. It gave out light in his hands like starlight. He carried the wool to the city and sold it. With the money, he bought a house. He bought two young llamas. He never forgot the star llama. And he was never lonely again.

    Jenny looked at the store window. There was nothing that she wanted more than a Happy Hannah doll. It was $29.95. Unluckily, Jenny didn't even have the 95 cents.

    As she crossed the street, she thought about doing her brother's housework, cleaning the floor, washing the dishes all month, but even then she would have only eleven dollars. Suddenly, something small and pink in the snow caught her eyes.

    Jenny walked over and picked it up from the snow. It was a beautiful wallet. She opened the wallet and found many dollars and a woman's driver's license in it. Jenny put the wallet into her bag quickly. She turned around and walked back.

    Jenny's heart beat(跳动) fast as she went into the store. She had long dreamed about this moment, but something didn't feel right. As she got to the Happy Hannah dolls, she pushed away her feelings. She grabbed(抓起) one and walked toward the checkout.

    As Jenny was waiting to pay, her mobile phone rang. It was her grandma. Jenny's heart was suddenly filled with love and warmth when she thought of her. She put the doll down and answered the phone.

    “Hi, Grandma? I'm going to be a little bit late tonight...Alright...I love you, too.” Jenny left the store and walked all the way to 301 West Street. The woman who answered the door looked sad.

    “Here, I found this in the snow,” Jenny said.

    “Oh, good God! This is the money for the orphanage(孤儿院)! Thank you!”

    After doing her brother's housework for three months, Jenny finally got a Happy Hannah doll. She was so happy because she could play with her doll and look her grandma in the eye.

    Yes Man Changed My Life

    Yes Man is the best book I've ever read. It's the true story about the life of Danny Wallace. Before Danny Wallace became the 'Yes Man', his life was boring and he felt old. So he decided to make things more exciting. He started saying “Yes” to every question people asked him. And he did it for a whole year. From the day he started, it completely changed his life.

    It's an interesting story. When I finished the book, I also wanted to change my life. So I had a holiday and became a 'Yes Man' for a week. This is what happened.

    I started on Saturday morning. At 10 in the morning, I got my first question. I saw a poster in the window of a travel agent (旅行社). I needed a holiday so I went in. A lady asked me where I wanted to go. But before I could answer, she said, “A beach holiday, sir?” In fact, I don't like beaches, I like cities. But I said, “Yes.” Five minutes later, everything was ready. My flight was the next day.

    I arrived at my hotel at lunchtime. It was very, very hot. I just wanted to have a rest, but the guide said, “we have a bus to the beach in ten minutes. Do you want to go?” I said, “Yes.”

    It was about 40℃ at the beach. A man asked me “Sunglasses? Do you want sunglasses?” I had a pair of sunglasses in my bag, but I said “Yes.” Five minutes later, another man came，“ Beautiful hat, sir?” I said, “Yes.”

    Three hours later, I had two pairs of sunglasses and three hats. It was difficult to carry all my new things back to the bus.

    I decided: no trips tomorrow, just rest. When I got back, the guide asked, “Oh, there's a water skiing course tomorrow. Do you want me to book a place for you?” I can't swim very well and I don't like the sea. I wanted to cry.

    Our monthly talks start at 19: 30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21: 00.

    November 7th The Canal(运河)Pioneers(先驱者), by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers".

    December 5th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering.

    Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.

    February 6th An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroud water Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

    March 6th Eyots and Aits—Thames Istands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.