A young man went to visit a wise man living deep in the mountain for the wisdom of life.

    “Excuse me! Could you please tell me what the most 1 day in our lives is? Is it the day when we were born or the day we 2 ? Is it the day when fall in love or the day we succeed?” The man asked.

    “Neither. The most important day in our lives is 3.” The wise man replied calmly.

    “Why?” The young man felt more than 4, “Is it because there is a moving event taking place today?”

    “No. Nothing has happened today.”

    “Is it because of my visit?”

    “Even if nobody visited me today, today is 5 very important because today is the only wealth we have . No matter how memorable yesterday is, it has gone by like a ship going down into the sea; no matter how bright tomorrow may be, it is yet to come, but no matter how common today is, it is under our 6.”

    The young man still wanted to ask something, while the wise man 7 him and said, “When we are talking about the meaning of today, we have 8 a lot of it.”

    The young man nodded and then went down the mountain.

    Actually, today is the only 9 we have. So, what we should do now is to 10yesterday and tomorrow and catch fast today!

    In the early hours of 7 September 1838, one of the worst storms in history was roaring（咆哮）along the coast of England. The lighthouse keeper1at a ship. “It will be gone in a few more minutes,” he said sadly. His daughter, Grace Darling, looking from an upstairs window, found the great ship had 2 against the rocks and broken into halves.

     “Can't we save them?” Grace asked when she saw the3people on the ship. “Isn't there any way to help them?”

“No one can take a lifeboat out in that water,” her father answered. “The waves（浪）are too large.”

    Grace had great4.She simply did not know how to give up. Filled with pity, she ran to the lifeboat quickly. Her father5. With tears running down his face, he begged his daughter not to get into the boat, 6 she would not listen. Her father could not let her go alone. He climbed in too. The two of them rowed in a great hurry. Each wave seemed 7to throw them into the sea at any time.

    Suddenly there was a terrible roar. The storm had 8the ship in two. People were holding on to each half tightly（紧紧地）.They had to be saved soon.

    Grace and her father rowed faster. Soon they reached the ship and began filling the lifeboat with9. Then father and daughter brought their lifeboat safely to shore.

    As news of her brave saving action reached the public, the whole country considered her as a national hero. Grace and her father received the Silver Medal10from the British government. To this day a small statue stands above the grave（墓）of Grace Darling. People still respect the young woman who refused to give up.

    Once there lived two brothers. The elder was called Simon and the younger Victor. They1each other very much, and always took care of one another. Every day they worked from morning2night, getting as much grain(谷物) as possible from their fields.

    One late autumn evening, after their work in the3was done, Simon said to his wife, "Victor got married last month. He has many bills(账单) to pay. I think I will put a bag of rice in his barn(谷仓). “Oh, that's a good idea,” said his wife. “But please don't tell him,” said Simon, “If he knows I put the rice there, he will4take it.”

    So, late that night Simon took a bag of rice to Victor's barn. The next day, while looking at his own barn, he found5strange. “I took a bag of rice to Victor's house last night,6I still have the same number of bags in my barn.7did that happen?”

    Simon decided to take another bag of rice to his brother's barn that night. But the next morning, he found the8number of bags in his barn again! “This is very strange,” he thought. That night he9again. He carried a large bag of rice on his shoulder(肩膀); and walked down the road to his younger brother's house. In the bright moonlight, he could see another10coming down the road. He was carrying something on his11, too. “Younger Brother!” Simon cried, “What are you doing?” “I was 12you, Older Brother,” said Victor, “Your family is13than mine. I thought you needed more rice.” The two brothers quickly14that they had been taking rice to each other. They15what had happened. “It is good to have a brother like you,” they both said. And they lived happily ever after.

    J.K Rowling is the writer of the Harry Potter series, the most popular books.

    J.K. Rowling was born in Bristol in 1965. She has one sister 1 is two years younger than her. Both girls loved listening to bedtime 2 . They loved stories about the magical (有魔力的) world. Rowling 3her first story, called rabbit at the age of six.

    4 she graduated from the university, Rowling worked in London. During that time, on a long train trip in the summer of 1990, the idea of a 5 who has magic but doesn't know it himself came to6 . In 1992, Rowling began to teach English. She lived with her daughter, Jessica, and7much time finishing the first Harry Potter book for young8. It came out in 1997. To her 9 , the book was very successful. The film came out in 2001. Now the Harry Potter series is 10with people of all ages.

    Why is the series so successful? Many other magic stories11place in faraway lands in the past or future times,12Harry lives in modern England. He 's also a very normal boy. When other 13 read the story about Harry, they can 14 being like him.

    J.K. Rowling is very happy with her success. She says she will go on 15 children's books.

    This story happened in a small mountain village. One day there was an earthquake. Nothing was destroyed and 1 was hurt. But a huge rock fell from a nearby mountain and stopped in the middle of the road.

    When the earthquake 2, many people came to the road and saw the huge rock. Some of the strongest men tried to lift the rock 3 the road. But they couldn't move it.' They tried to push it but failed. They tried to 4 it with ropes but nothing worked.

    "Well," they all agreed, "there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to change the 5." At this time a boy of 12 years old said, "I think I can help you to move the rock."

    "You?" they shouted." What are you talking about?" The men all 6at the boy.

    The next morning some people came to the road. One of them shouted," The rock is 7!" More people ran out to see it. It was right. The rock wasn't in the road any more. It wasn't 8 near the road.

    "This is 9 ， " they said." Where did it go?"

    The boy stood on the road, 10, "I told you I could move it. "

    The boy walked over to where the 11 had been and uncovered some earth. "I buried it," he said.

    The people looked 12"You see," he said, "I dug a deep hole next to the rock and I dug a small incline(斜坡) up to the rock and the rock 13 down into the hole by itself. I covered it with earth. "

    The crowds shouted," What a 14 boy!" And some of them said, "Why haven't we thought of this good 15 ?"

    I remember sitting in an airport one day, waiting for my flight. I was1because I had a first-class(头等的) ticket. And in first class, the seats are2, and the food is more delicious, Actually, I had the best seat on the whole plane! Seat 1A. Before boarding, I3a young lady who had a big suitcase(手提箱) and several carry-on bags holding a crying baby. 4, the handle(把手) of her suitcase broke and the suitcase fell to the floor. She tried 5the case and her bags landed on the floor, too.

    "Let me help." I said to her.

    I 6 her suitcase over my left shoulder, put her bags on my right and asked, "Where to?"

    "Gate 20," she said, and showed me her ticket. Seat 24B

    "Oh, we are on the same flight."

    Boarding started, and I7that she needed the first class ticket. "It looks like you could use the first-class ticket more than me. I know how   8it can be flying with a kid. Why don't we trade tickets?"

    "Are you sure?" she asked.

    "Yes, just take my ticket and give me yours. I really don't9. I'm just going to be working the whole time, anyway."

    "That's very kind of you." she said, and expressed her10as we traded our tickets.

    Then we boarded the plane. I was surprised at the good 11it give me while watching her sit down in seat 1A. In fact, seat 24 B or12I was sitting didn't seem that bad at all. At one point during the flight I wanted to see how she was doing. So I13, walked to the first-class section, and had a look. There she was with her baby,14asleep. Seeing they were sleeping in big and 15seat 1A. I felt like a million bucks. I've got to keep doing this kind of thing.