A lot of boys and girls in western countries are wearing the same clothes, and many boys have long hair, so it is difficult to tell whether they are boys or not.

      One day an old man went for a walk in a park in Washington and when he was tired, he sat down on a chair by a swimming pool. A young person was standing on the other side of the pool.

     “Oh!” the old man said to the person sitting next to him, “Do you see the person with the loose clothes and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?”

     “A girl,” said the person, “She is my daughter.”

     “Oh!” the old man said quickly, “Please forgive me. I don't know that you are her mother. ”

     “I'm not,” said the person, “I'm her father.”

    One day a red rose blossomed (开花) in a forest. A pine tree(松树) not far away said, “You're so beautiful! I wish I could be lovely like you. ”

    The rose said, “I am the most beautiful plant in the forest.” Then the rose looked at a cactus(仙人掌) and said, “Look at that ugly plant. It is full of thorns (刺)!”Sometimes, the red rose would look at the cactus and say, “This plant is useless. I'm sorry I am his neighbor. ”

    Summer came and the plants and animals needed water, but no rain fell. One day the rose saw some birds stick their beaks(鸟喙) into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. The pine tree told the red rose, “You can also drink from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help. ”

    The red rose felt ashamed, but she still asked the cactus for help. The cactus agreed kindly and the birds filled their beaks with water for the rose's roots. Later on, the rose never gave her opinion about anyone by look again.

    I am Steve. I was born and grew up in South Wales. My favorite place to play was out on the hills where my imagination had plenty of space to expand(拓展).

    My family moved out of Wales when I was thirteen. I went to a new school. One of my subjects was French. Because I had never learned any French， my teacher told me to sit in the corner and write anything I was interested in. That's the time I started writing， just for myself， and I've been writing ever since.

    I have always loved BIG IDEAS， and so I enjoy writing fantastic stories. And I also write horror(恐怖的)stories. I think they are like the old fairytales(童话故事)， and can teach you important things.

    I am in my forties on the outside， twelve on the inside. I like rock music， Indian and Chinese food， and I enjoy drinking. I live in a small village with my wife Mary， ducks， cats， goats， hens and lots of rabbits. If you'd like to find out more about me and hope to buy my books， go to www.sbowkett.freeserve.co.uk.

    My grandfather Jack is 96 years old, and he has had an interesting life. He has traveled a lot in his life in the Far East He visited the Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids in Egypt. He hunted (狩猎）lions in Africa, and rode a camel in the Sahara Desert. He says the most beautiful place he has travelled to is Kathmandu in Nepal.

    Jack has married twice. His first wife died when she was 32. He met his second wife Maria while he was cycling round France. They have been married for 50 years, and they have lived happily in a small village since they got married.

    Jack says that he has never been ill in his life. The secret of good health, according to my grandfather, is exercise. He goes swimming every morning. He has done this since he was a boy. He also has a glass of wine every night Perhaps that is his secret!

    In 1254, Marco Polo was born in Italy, in the city of Venice. At that time Europeans knew almost nothing about other continents(大洲),except some areas of Asia and Africa(非洲)touching the Mediterranean Sea(地中海).

    In 1271. Marco Polo. His uncle. And his father started a journey to China. For four years they travelled on foot and on camels, across the deserts and through the mountains of Central Asia. Finally they arrived at the city of Kublai Khan(可汗),the Mongol(蒙古)ruler of China at that time.

    In China, Marco Polo found people with a very different culture from his own. He saw a new world with lots of wonders. After leaving China, Marco Polo traveled to Japan, Southeastern Asia, India, and Eastern Africa.

    In 1292-two hundred years before Columbus—Marco travelled back home. The stories of China he brought back quickly spread all over Europe.