Most kids in Britain have pet bears. This animal is both furry (毛茸茸的) and friendly. But it cannot move or make any noise. That's because it is a teddy bear. Most teddies are in the shape of a small bear. They are usually brown and stuffed (填充) with cotton. Kids love them very much.

    Paddington bear is one of the most famous teddy bears in the world. Yet there are many types. Do you know Winnie the Pooh? He's another popular bear!

Cute, soft teddy bears were born in the 20th century. However, they don't have just one place of birth. Both American and German toymakers made the teddy bear at the same time!

    Teddy bears have long been a popular kids' toy. They are in songs, stories and films. There are even teddy bear museums around the world. And it's not even just kids who hold teddy bears. It's a popular present for lovers, usually on Valentine's Day.

    In the UK it is popular for a newborn baby to get a teddy bear as their first gift. The day I was born, my grandmother handed me a teddy bear. She made it herself. That makes him the same age as me! I took him everywhere I went, holding his arm at nighttime and falling asleep with him. And I still have that bear with me today. It is the best gift I have ever gotten.

    Look at the boy. His English name is Frank Smith. His Chinese name is Wang Lei. He is from England. He is 12. My name is Li Dong. David is my English name. I am from Qingdao, Shandong Frank and I are in grade seven. But I am in class Four and he is in Class Five. We are good friends. He often helps me with my English.

    These are our schoolbags. They are black. You can see two pens, a ruler and four books in Frank's school bag. In my schoolbag, there are three pens, two rulers and five books

    Ted is not old, but he does not have much hair. His wife, Kay, has thick black hair. They have a son. His name is John, and he is three years old. There is a photo of Ted in the living room, and John looks at it for a long time and then says to his mother, "Mum, why does Dad have little hair?" "Because he thinks a lot, John. He's a clever man. "John looks at his mother's thick black hair for a few seconds, and then he asks, "Mum, why do you have a lot of hair?"

    The doctor handed me my medicine and said sorry to me because his register had already closed. He asked if I would mind using the register at the front of the store. I told him not to worry and walked up front. One person was in line ahead of me, a little girl no more than seven with a bottle of medicine on the counter. She held a little green and white coin purse closely to her chest.

    The purse reminded me of the days when, as a child, I liked dressing myself up in my grandma's clothes. One day, wearing her large clothes and hat, I went out to buy something. I gave a fake dollar to the shop owner, but he handed back some real coins for my purse. "Keep the change!" he told me with a smile.

    Now, with both hands shaking, the little girl pulled out a dollar bill and some coins for her medicine. As she tried to count her money, I could see right away that she was about a dollar short. Quickly, I put a dollar bill onto the counter. The child collected her change into her coin purse and ran out.

    As I walked to my car, I felt a tug on my shirt. There was the girl, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. She gave me a smile, and put out her little hand. It was full of coins. "Thank you," she said.

    "That's OK," I answered, smiling. "Just keep the change!"