I am off on a trip on my own. Yes ! Alone! I can't wait to get going to Europe to see some cities I really want to visit. It is great because I can choose what I want to do in each city. I am going to travel by train on the Eurorail.

     The train trip was fast and the views of the countryside were amazing. Now I am in Salzburg, Austria. The quiet hills of Austria are a great place to relax. The movie The Sound of Music was filmed around this area. Mozart, the famous musician, was from here. I listened to some of his classical music.

     The train ride to Amsterdam was a long one. It gave me time to write some postcards to send back home. Amsterdam is a fun city, full of friendly locals and many tourists. I spent the whole day visiting the art museums here. The museum about the famous Dutch artist Van Gogh is filled with history and beautiful art. I took a boat ride and saw local people in traditional dress. I even got to taste some delicious Dutch cheese.

     Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the safest places in the world. I spent a busy and nice day at the Tivoli Amusement Park. It is a huge park which even has concerts and dance shows. Hans Christian Anderson, a famous writer of children's books, was born in this city. I found a lovely bookshop and bought two of his fairy tale books, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. My travels alone are done! What an adventure this trip has been! I love it.

    Dog, Cat and Fox(狐狸) are friends.

    One day, Dog and Cat see some apples. They don't want to tell others. At this time, they meet Fox. They ask him not to tell others. But Fox tells other animals. The animals eat up all the apples. Dog and Cat are not happy.

    The next day, Dog and Cat find some food again. But Fox tells it to other animals again.

    Dog and Cat decide to teach Fox a lesson. They say to Fox, “We have some fish.” Fox tells it to other animals, but they don't find the fish. They beat Fox.

    Long ago, a wolf called Howler lived in a valley where lots of fruit trees grew. He often tried to climb up the trees to eat the fruit, but couldn't reach.

    In the valley, an old man named Martin also had a few fruit trees that he looked after very well. But as he was getting older, he noticed that he didn't have the strength to pick the fruit.

    Martin had the most beautiful fruit trees in the valley, which was why Howler had his eye on them. One day he decided to steal the fruit and started jumping up and down the tree.

    Martin looked out of the window and realized that the wolf was trying to steal fruit from his beautiful trees. Howler jumped and jumped, but he couldn't reach even the lowest branches of such a big tree.

    Seeing this, Martin had a great idea: he offered Howler a ladder to climb up, but in return the wolf would have to give him half of the fruit. Howler accepted the deal and began to collect the fruit. For the whole morning, he went up and down the ladder filling his basket with the fruit.

    Howler soon realized that he could eat all the fruit if he didn't give Martin some. He thought up a new and secret plan. Martin, on the other hand, trusted Howler and even began to think they would be friends forever.

But the wolf stole the ladder and went off to other trees in the area for more fruit.

    Realizing that the ladder was missing, Martin went looking for it. Martin felt very disappointed at the trick and no longer trusted Howler. Though he wasn't angry with the wolf and they became friends again, he never made any more deals with him.

    At last, Howler learned that he shouldn't trick people and he should keep promises. He also learned that if he had been honest and not greedy, he would still have been able to enjoy more delicious fruit.

    When I was about 12, I had an "enemy", a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings（缺点）. Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn't a good student. Sometirmes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with（忍受）her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

    He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, "Are the things she said true or not? Mary, have you ever wondered what you're really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said. "

    I did as he told me and I was very surprised to discover that about half the things were true.

    I took the list to my dad. He refused to take it. "That's just for you," he said. "You know the truth about yourself better than any other people. When something said about you is true, it will be helpful to you. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but remember the truth and do what you think is right."

    Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure（珍惜）all your life！

    "My dear lady," says Holmes. "You're shivering. Are you cold? Do you want a cup of hot tea?"

    "I'm not cold," the woman replies. "I fear for my life!"

    "We are here to help you. Don't worry about anything. I don't know you. But I know many things about you. For example, I know how you travel. You came to London by train. You also rode to the train station on a horse­drawn wagon(马拉车). "

    "Why, yes. You're right. But how do you know these things？"

    "I see a return ticket in your glove. I see fresh mud on the left arm of your dress. Now tell us your problem. "

    "My name is Helen Stoner," she states. "My mother and father are dead. I am living with my stepfather, Dr Grimesby Roylott. He comes from a rich family. But they are no longer rich. They have nothing except a small piece of land and a huge old house. We are living in the house. Dr Roylott is using my mother's money for expenses(开支). Part of it was for my sister and me. It was for our marriages."

Holmes is sitting in his chair. His eyes are closed. He is listening carefully to Helen's story. He hears every detail.

    Helen continues. "My stepfather has no friends. He fights with everyone. He is strong and gets angry quickly. Everyone is afraid of him. "

    "He has no friends at all?" asks Holmes.

    "No. He talks to no one except the gypsies. They are poor people who travel from place to place. A band of gypsies is staying on our land right now."

    "Are you and your sister afraid of the gypsies?"

    "My dear Mr. Holmes. You are making me so sad. My sister is dead. That is why I am standing here in this room."

 Carol is a middle school student. She does 1 in only one subject. That is 2 . Carol always does her history homework well and 3 good grades(分数) in history tests. She likes her history teacher Mr. Aragon very 4 . She feels that he is like her 5 .

 At 6 parent- teacher meeting, Carol's mother has a7 with Mr. Aragon.8 says that Carol doesn't do well in 9 subjects. She hopes Mr. Aragon can 10 her." Oh, I didn't know that. She is 11 . I' ll try to talk to her," says Mr. Aragon.

 When Mr. Aragon talks with Carol 12 her problems(问题), Carol doesn't feel good, 13 she is grateful(感激的). She knows that Mr. Aragon is 14 trying to help. Carol 15 his ideas and tries to do well in those subjects.