On May 12, a big earthquake in China hit Wenchuan, Sichuan. Buildings fell down and the city was destroyed. A lot of people lost their lives.

    Premier Wen Jiabao got on a plane to Chengdu 尽快地. He was leading rescue (救援) work there.

    During the earthquake, many school buildings fell down. Students were buried. But they didn't give up hope. Many got out with help. Here are some stories about the brave students.

    Jiang Dejia and Liao Li are both students from Shifang Yinghua Middle School in Deyang. They were buried in the school rubble(碎砖) for two days. Jiang and Liao didn't know each other before the earthquake. But they kept each other going during the two scary days. They were both rescued later.

    A Junior 1 girl called Deng Qingqing from Shifang Yinghua Middle School was buried under the rubble. She was cold and hungry. But the brave girl had a flashlight (手电筒). She used it to help her read books.

    Li Anning, 16, is from Beichuan Middle School. She and her classmates sang songs under the rubble to comfort each other. The PLA soldiers and policemen were trying to find people alive in the rubble.Helicopters (直升机) airdropped food, water and medicine. Medical teams went to the quake­ hit areas. People outside Sichuan were also offering money, blood and other things to help.

    Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you.

    Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p.m. and end at about 11 p.m. Ask you hosts(主办人) what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine(酒) as a gift.

    Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks. If you want to be very polite, say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember—It's not polite to ask how much things cost.

    In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests(客人).

    You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it.

    Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “thank you” letter. British and American people like to say “thank you, thank you, thank you” all the time!

    Mary is a girl. She is a middle school student. She is thirteen. She is in Class Three, Grade Two.

    There is a big picture in Mary's bedroom. It's the picture of the family. Mary's mother is a teacher of Chinese. She is a very good teacher. Mary's father is a worker. There is a big red flower on his black coat. He is at work from Tuesday to Sunday. Mary's brother is near her mother. He is a middle school student, too. He is fourteen. He is in Grade Three.

    Mary and her brother like books. They like school. They study hard. They are good students.

    Do you know Chinese movie legend Chow Yun-fat? Chow Yun-fat is a Chinese film and television actor, and is named "The Asia's greatest actor". Also, he is a photographer. Everyone likes him very much.

    Chow Yun-fat was born in Lamma Island, Hong Kong, on May 18, 1955. After his father died, his family became very poor. In his childhood, he helped his mother farm and raise chickens on the island. He was only at school for three years, and then left school to work as a porter, messenger, and salesman. In 1973, he was chosen to study in the third artist training class of the wireless TV station. He became a basic actor one year later. He went to Hollywood, the USA in 1995 and soon became the main actor in several films. He became a film superstar later.

    On October 15^th, 2018, Chow Yun-fat said he planned to give his total property $5.6 billion HKD (that's $714 million USD) to charity. "My dream is to be a happy and normal person, "Yun-fat told the reporter." The hardest thing in life is not about how much money you earn, but how to keep a peaceful mindset and live the rest of your life in a simple and carefree manner."

    Chow Yun-fat spends only $800 HKD ($102 USD) every month. He keeps frugal by taking a bus or train as often as possible and doing charity work instead of spending it on himself. He had a Nokia phone for 17 years. A few days ago, he had to use a smart phone, because his Nokia one stopped working. He always shops at discount clothing stores, because, he said: "I don't wear clothes for other people. As long as I think it's comfortable, then it's good enough for me."

    Tony is a seven-year-old boy. He has big eyes, a small nose and a small mouth. Tony is not a quiet boy and he likes climbing.

    He tries to climb up the fridge, but falls down(跌落). His mother sees him and says, "Be careful(小心)!Don't climb!" He tries to climb up the bookshelf, but falls down again. His father sees him and says, "Be careful! Don't climb!"

    But Tony doesn't listen. This day, he decides to climb the big tree in front of his house. This time, he is very careful. At last, he gets to the top of the tree.

    Tony's mother comes out and sees him. She asks Tony to get down from the tree, but Tony refuses. So his mother tries to climb the tree to get Tony down. But she can't climb the tree. Tony's father comes out and tries to climb the tree. But he falls down and lands on his head.

    Then Tony climbs down. He looks at his parents and says, "Be careful! Don't climb!"

    Science fiction is a popular kind of writing, and many people think of Jules Verne(儒勒·凡尔纳) as the father of science fiction. He was born in France in 1828. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but from his early 20s Verne decided to become a writer. At first he wrote plays for the theater. Then, in 1863, he wrote a story called Five Weeks in a Balloon. The success of this book encouraged him to write more stories such as A Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864) and From the Earth to the Moon(1865).

    In the 19th century, many people were interested in science and inventions. Jules Verne wrote about scientific subjects in his stories and, as a result, they were very popular. Verne's writing included many predictions(预言) for the 20th century and many of them came true. He described space flight, movies, and air conditioning, a long time before they appeared. These books were very successful and they made Verne rich.

    Jules Verne's books have been the subjects for many movies. 20, 000 Leagues under the Sea was a successful movie for Walt Disney. It was the first time that Disney movie had used real actors instead of cartoon drawings. Around the World in Eighty Days is another famous movie based on one of Verne's books. The main character is an Englishman called Phileas Fogg. For him, the most important thing is to be always on time!