A shark(鲨鱼)sees a monkey. It says, “Hello, my friend, would you please come to my house? My mother and the others of my family want to see you.”

    “That's very good.” the monkey says, “But I can't swim.”

    “Oh, sit on my back. I'll take you there.” On the way, the shark says, “I must tell you my mother is ill, she wants to eat your heart.”

    “But I'm sorry, I don't bring it with me. I put it in the tree. Take me back and get it.” says the monkey.

    “Let's go back.” shark says.

    When they return, the monkey climbs up the tree and leaves the shark waiting for him in the water.

    One sunny day, I decided to go for a walk with my husband. I was wearing a special1 ring that day. It was my 20th birthday gift from my grandmother.

    As we were walking in the park, I just looked 2 at my hand and found the diamond on my ring was missing. I was really 3 so I went back to look for it. I knew how small the chances were of finding it, but I still wanted to give it a try.

    As I was fixing my eyes on the ground, I ran into an old gentleman 4.

    “What's the matter, love?” he asked nicely.

    “Sorry that I ran into you,” I said. “But I lost something important. I'm really nervous.”

    I explained about the missing diamond and showed him the5 in my ring.

    “That's not going to be easy to find it,” he said. “Tell you what, love, I take a walk here every day. I'll6 my eyes open for it.”

    I thanked him, expecting7. However, a few days later, my husband and I met the old man again in the park.

    “Guess what,” he said. “I found your diamond!”

    I couldn't believe what I saw when the gentleman handed the diamond back to me. Then my husband8him money for his help, but he refused.

    As the diamond is worth several thousand dollars, the old man could have easily kept the diamond 9sold it, but he did neither of these.

    Now thanks to this man, I always look at my ring and remind10 that there are still kind and generous souls out there. I'll spend more time trying to do something equally nice for other people.

    Zhang Heng was a famous scientist in the history of China. His invention Hou Feng Seismometer was a great success and it helped us understand the world better.

    After a while attention to Tom ended, and the usual school murmur(嗡嗡读书声) rose upon the boring air once more. Now the boy began to steal secret glances(偷看) at the girl. She noticed it, made a face at him and gave him the back of her head for the space of a minute. When she slowly faced around again, an apple lay before her. She pushed it away. Tom gently put it back. She pushed it away again, but with less animosity(敌意). Tom patiently returned it to its place. Then she let it remain. Tom wrote on his paper, "Please take it. I got more." The girl glanced at the words, but made no sign.

    Now the boy began to draw something on the paper, hiding his work with his left hand. For a time the girl refused to notice, but her human curiosity soon began to show itself by hardly noticeable(明显的) signs. The boy worked on, seemingly not aware. The girl made some non-committal(含糊的) efforts to see, but the boy did not display that he was aware of it. At last she couldn't bear it and whispered: "Let me see it."

    Tom partly uncovered the picture of a house with some smoke rising from the chimney(烟囱). Then the girl's interest began to fasten itself upon the work and she forgot everything else. When it was finished, she gazed a moment, then whispered:

    "It's nice! Draw a man."

    The artist created a man in the front yard. She was satisfied, and whispered:

"It's a beautiful man—now draw me in it."

    Tom drew an hour-glass(沙漏) as the body, a full moon as her head and some arms added to it. The girl said:

    "It's ever so nice. I wish I could draw. No one has ever taught me that."

    "It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll teach you."

    "Oh, will you? When?"

    "At noon. Do you go home for dinner?"

    "I'll stay if you will."

   "Good, that's a deal. What's your name?"

    "Doctor Johnson, I don't want to eat now, that's because nothing has a taste for me. It's been like this for long. In fact, I didn't have a delicious meal after I caught a terrible cold last month, What can I do?"

    "Here are some medicine, Mrs. Harris. Take three pills three times a day for seven days and come back and see me. But remember, don't eat anything during the week, or you can just drink some water."

    Next week an upset Mrs. Harris came into Dr. Johnson's office. "Doctor! I'm doing it just as you told me, but delicious food is still tasteless for me. I don't know what was in those pills, but the problem is worse! What do you have to say for yourself?"

    "But when and how do you take these pills?" asked the doctor.

    "At first, I took these pills three times a day, just before dinner," continued the woman, "but these pills are too bitter (苦). So I had to take these pills after three meals."

    "Calm down, Mrs. Harris," said the doctor soothingly. "Now that we've fixed your taste problem, It's OK now, we'll work on your hearing!"