Some time ago, an old businessman had a large store in Boston. He wanted a boy to work for him, and he put an advertisement in the newspapers. The next morning, many boys came to the old man's office, asking for the job.

     There was a post（柱子）by his desk, and there was a nail in it. He took a walking stick and said, “Everyone has three chances. If anyone can hit that nail（钉子）on the head with this stick more than once, I will give him the job.”

    The boys thought it was very easy. They all tried, but nobody could make it. So the old man said, “I'm sorry I can't take any of you,” and they left.

      He kept the advertisement in the papers, and the next morning more boys came, and among them he saw a thin boy who had been there the day before. The boy hit the nail successfully for three times. The old man felt surprised and asked how he did that.

     “Yes,” said the boy, “I failed yesterday, but I thought that if I kept on trying a while, I could do it. So I went home and practiced hitting a nail with a stick till I could do it, and I got up very early this morning, and tried again.”

    The old man said, “You are the boy for me,” and gave him the job. Whatever the boy had to do, he tried to do his best. It was not very long before he became the best clerk in the store.

根据短文内容，回答下列问题。

    More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!

    Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit(受益）from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.

    Folding(折叠）bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can take a common bike with you when you fly, too. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.

    Health benefit of Bicycling:

    ⒈It helps to prevent heart diseases.

    ⒉Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    ⒊A15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.

    ⒋Bicycling can improve(改善）your mood. Exercises like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.

    ⒌Bicycling is healthier than driving.

    There are lots of strange things about animals in the world. Do you know the following things?

    You may think bears walk slowly. In fact, they can run very fast like horses.

    Cats won't die if they fall off very high places because they can turn themselves up the right way.

    Chocolate tastes nice but you cannot give it to little dogs because it may make the little dogs die.

    We may sleep for eight hours at a time but a snail（蜗牛） may sleep for three years.

    Our ears and nose become bigger when we grow up but eyes keep the same after we are born.

A: Do you know what shopping online is?

B: Yes. I buy a lot of things on the Internet.

A: Really? Could you tell me some advantages of it?

B: Of course. First, it is very convenient. You can buy anything you want, and they will send it to your home.

A: Wow, that is great.

B: Yes. What's more, it is much cheaper than the products in a big supermarket.

A: Ah, that is quite a smart way of shopping. What is its disadvantages do you think?

B: Well, the biggest one is that you cannot see the true products. You can only look at the pictures and some introductions(介绍). You cannot try them on if you buy some clothes or shoes. Sometimes you may get the one not fit(适合)you on the Internet.

A: I agree with you. How to deal with(处理)this?

B: You can return(返回)the products if you are not satisfied now. I think shopping online is more and more popular. It will be more and more important in our life.

A: Thanks a lot for your introduction. It helps a lot!

B: You are welcome.

    Hi! My name is Jack. I am a middle school student. There are four people in my family. I live with my dad, my mom, and my sister, Irene. Irene is only two years old, so I usually play with my cousin, Kevin.

    Kevin is the only son of Uncle Frank and Aunt Dolly. He is in a middle school, too. He gets up at 6: 30 every day. Kevin's home is not far from his school. He usually takes the bus to school. It only takes him 15 minutes. Sometimes he walks to school. It's a 30-minute walk. But he thinks it's good exercise. In his free time, he likes dancing, singing, playing the piano and playing soccer. He dances very well. He gets some awards (奖) in dancing. Every day he dances and does sports.

    However, Kevin doesn't forget his lessons. He does his homework first after school. He is very busy, but he is one of the best students in his class. His classmates and teachers love him very much. He usually teaches me to dance. Kevin often says, "I want to be a great dancer one day." Can his dream come true?

    Is your life ruled by love or by fear? Love and fear are two opposite feelings that shape our life in very different ways. Most of us are controlled by both of them. However, even a tiny change towards love and away from fear can bring more happiness. Here are some suggestions towards love.

    Cultivate Gratitude(培养感恩之心)

    Gratitude makes us feel happier. If you remember to be thankful for the blessings(赐福)of your life, you will feel more connected to yourself and others. When you let worries go and have gratitude instead, love appears quickly.

    Test the Reality of Fear

    Sometimes fear can be like a cloud that keeps out the sunlight. A simple way to deal with fear is to test its reality. Write down three things that you're afraid of. Then look at each point and ask yourself,  "Is this fear really grounded(基于) in reality? "I know when I do this, I often find that fears aren't reasonable.

    Take Action

    Taking action is the best way to control fear. For example, if you are not feeling well, but you don't go to a doctor, you may imagine that you are having a serious health problem.

    Once you've been to a doctor, talked about the problems and dealt with them one by one, your fear will become smaller and even disappear.