Three1ago, my family got our first computer. 2 the beginning of this summer, I found it was too old and I wanted to get a 3 one. After my father and I talked for a long time, he 4 . We went to many shops and read many ads 5 we bought an HP computer.

    During the first week, I noticed 6 our computer had some problems. I spent many hours 7 to fix it, but it 8 work. So I 9 to phone the HP company and ask them 10 to work out my problem. They told me to wait until the next morning because all their workers were 11 that day.

    The next morning two workers came. It took them many hours to mend it, but the computer 12 did not work. My dad had no other way but to return the whole thing. A few days later, we decided that I should go on the Internet and order some parts to build a new computer by 13 .

    It was not an easy job for me to build a new computer. I tried many times, and in the end I was successful. From these setbacks(挫折), I have learned a lot. Now I believe that if the HP computer hadn't had any problems, 14 I would not have learned how to build the new one. Even though I spent lots of time on it, I know it wasn't 15.

B

    Do you like reading stories? Maybe you will answer, "No, I am not a child any more!" Yes, children all over the world always love stories.

    Chinese children are 1 in Monkey King's story. It 2 a popular bedtime story in China for many years. In fact, adults also love the story a lot. For them, Monkey King has become a very 3 part in the memory of their childhood. The clever and humorous monkey 4 the hearts of many Chinese people. British boys and girls all know Alice's Adventures in Wonderland well. As the name shows, it's a story full of dangerous but exciting trips. Children 5, cry and even get frightened(害怕的) with Alice together while reading the story. Most American kids have read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by the famous 6, Mark Twain. Everyone likes the brave boy who also has lots of 7. Some scenes(场景) of the story may make your heart go faster, for Tom and his friends meet some very bad men and are usually 8. Of course in the end, they beat the bad ones.

    You may also ask me 9 I like stories. Yes, I have liked them since I was very young. At that time, I often 10 all my pocket money on story books. For me, stories are much more delicious than chocolate! They help me learn a lot. So either young or old, let's enjoy stories.

    When I was young, I went to a boarding（寄宿）school in Edinburgh. It was far from home because I1on an island in the north of Scotland.

    It was a music school, and I studied the violin. At the end of the term, we all packed our bags and our 2  to go home for the holidays. Most kids went by train or bus. Some were 3  by their parents. But I had to go home by ferry—14 hours overnight on the open sea.

    One summer, after packing my suitcase and violin, I said4to my friends. I took the train to the ferry terminal（渡船码头）and then got on the ferry. But when the ferry started moving, I realized a(n)5thing! I left my violin on the train!

    Oh no! What should I do? What would my dad say? He'd be really6! I got so scared（害怕）that I didn't sleep all night.

    The next morning, I7the ferry to meet my dad. After I told him everything, he laughed. I looked at him and couldn't believe it.8was he laughing?

    I always had a label（标签）in my violin case with my address and a telephone number. My dad told me, "A cleaner found your violin on the train and took it to the police. They  9 me and put it on a plane. It arrived an hour ago." 10, my violin was safe.  I was so happy!

    London is such a wonderful city. It is very large. The Thames River runs 1the city from west to east. So the city has 2 parts: the South and the North. In the North, there are important buildings, shops, big parks and interesting places. The3in London is good. In winter it is not very cold and in summer it is not very hot 4 the city is near the sea. People say London is a foggy city and it often rains. It is true. Last year, when I 5 in London, I met one of the thickest fogs in years. You could hardly see your hand in front of your face. Cars and buses moved 6 with their lights on. When evening fell, the weather got even 7. The fog was as thick as milk.8 the buses and cars stopped. I happened 9 an important meeting on the other side of the town, but it was impossible to find a car. I had to get there 10.

    Muller was a butcher（屠夫）. He worked in his father's shop for many years. His father1working when he was very old，and Muller worked2. He had to work harder.

    Muller worked five and a half3a week. His shop closed at one o'clock on Thursday，and it was closed the whole of Sunday. Saturdays were the4days.

    One Thursday a young woman came into the shop at five minutes to one. "I'm5. I'm late. "She said, "Some friends called me just now. They wanted to come to6tonight and I need some more meat. "

    Muller had only one piece of good meat in the shop. He had sold all the rest7 in the day. He took the piece out and said to the woman, ""This is six pounds."

    "It's too 8, "the woman answered." Have you got anything bigger?"

    Muller went into the room behind his shop, opened the fridge, put the piece of meat into it, took it out again and closed the fridge with a lot of9. Then he brought the piece of meat back to the woman and said, "This piece is bigger and more expensive. It's 8 pounds. "

    "Good, "the woman answered with a smile." Give me10, please."

    Last year I had a chance1London. When I got there, I found the railway station was big and dark. I didn't know the way to the hotel. 2I asked a policeman nearby. I spoke slowly and3. To my surprise, he couldn't4me at all. I repeated my question several times and he understood finally. He answered, but I didn't know5. He was saying. My teacher never spoke English6that!' I'm a foreigner, 'I told him. Then he spoke7. I listened very carefully8I still couldn't understand him. The policeman and I looked at9and smiled and then he said, 'You'll soon learn English!' At last I knew that the English spoken by me was quite different10the English spoken by English people.