Considered one of the greatest English writers，Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30，1865，in Bombay, India．Young Kipling was especially close to his mother．For Kipling，India was a wonderful place．He learned the language and connected with the country and its culture．

    However, at the age of six，Kipling's life changed when his mother, wanting her son to receive a good education in British schools，sent him to Southsea，England，where he attended school and lived with a family named the Holloways．

  These were hard years for Kipling．Mrs．Holloway was a strict woman．She beat and laughed at the young man，who also tried to be good at school．

Kipling's solace(安慰)came in books and stories．With few friends，he made himself busy in reading，but Mrs. Holloway always took away his books．

    Kipling's mother finally knew about her son's hard life．She rushed back to England and placed him in a new school in Devon．There，Kipling discovered his interest in writing，later becoming editor(编辑)of the school newspaper．

    In 1882，Kipling returned to India and worked for a magazine，writing poetry and stories in his spare time．In 1892，he married Caroline Balestier．Then，the couple lived in America．Kipling seemed to love his new life，which soon saw the Kiplings welcome their first and second children．As a writer,too，Kipling wrote The Jungle Book(1894)，The Naulahka：A Story of West and East(1892)and The Second Jungle Book(1895)．Kipling was delighted to be around children．His books enchanted(使着魔)girls and boys all over the English—speaking world．In 1907，he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature(文学)and became the first English author in the Nobel history．

  Kipling's The Jungle Book was adapted(改编)to a Disney film in 1967．A new live—action version(改编本)of the movie came out early this year ,which has proved to be a success．

    Once upon a time, a hippo (河马) lived in a river next to a big tree.

One day, a bird came and nested (筑巢) in the tree. The songs of the bird filled the hippo with so much envy (羡慕) that he couldn't think of anything else. Every day he would think why he wasn't born to be a bird even though the bird told him many times he was so lucky to be so big and such a good swimmer.

    Finally, the hippo made up his mind that he would come out of the river, climb the tree, and start singing. However, when he tried to climb the tree, it was very clear that the hippo didn't have wings, nor claws to climb with.

    Realizing that he would never climb up the tree, he angrily hit the tree until it came down to the ground. Then he stepped onto the leaves of the fallen tree, and began singing.

    Unfortunately, hippo can't sing, either. All that came from his mouth were terrible noise, and when the other animals heard this, they all came around to make fun of the hippo.

    He was so ashamed (羞愧的) by this. He also felt bad about having knocked the tree over. He used all his strength to raise the tree back up again, and look after it until it completely recovered. (康复)

When Claire Vlases of Montana was in Grade 7，she learned about plans to modernize（使现代化） her middle school.Claire asked the school board（董事会）（太阳电池板） to the project because，she believed

The board liked the idea but said it could offer just ＄25，000.It was only one—fifth of the cost of the solar panels.So Claire organized a group of kids and grown—ups to try to get the rest.They sold their second—hand books，put on talent shows and asked for donations（捐赠），the group paid for the solar panels，which now provide one—fourth of the school's electricity needs—saving thousands of dollars for the neighborhood.

"My favorite part about this project was that one person could start something small and then the project could grow and have a big influence on the community（社群），"Claire said. "There are always going to be hard parts.But never forget why you set off.Make a determined effort to stick to your goal.When there's a challenge in front of you，you can learn from it and use it as chance to improve yourself."

To be honest, I didn't like my dad. My favourite {#blank#}1{#/blank#} instrument is the guitar. I used to play it for two hours after school. However, Dad asked me to finish homework and study for my {#blank#}2{#/blank#} as soon as I came home. I wanted to do {#blank#}3{#/blank#} work for the people in need. But Dad said, "It's not important for a student to do that. You shouldconsider how to improve your marks{#blank#}4{#/blank#} of paying attention to other things. " That was his thought, and also his {#blank#}5{#/blank#}   word. I really disagree with him but I don't know what should I do. 

Not long ago, I decided to read a lot of books to {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（增长） my knowledge. So I went to the library and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（返回） with several books. But after a few days, I felt I was not {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（耐心） enough. It was impossible for me to calm down to read a {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（整个） book. I didn't know how to deal with this problem. Then suddenly one day, I had an idea: why not make reading fun?

From then on, I knew what I {#blank#}5{#/blank#} （确切） needed, so I started reading books widely. I read different kinds of books, like storybooks, science books, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}（小说） and so on. And I also made a list of books I read every month. When I read books, I tried to understand the writers' {#blank#}7{#/blank#} （快乐） and sadness. And I also read books in different places. Sometimes I liked reading in the library. Sometimes I liked reading{#blank#}8{#/blank#} （在……旁边） a peaceful lake. After reading books, I made myself understood by expressing my ideas more {#blank#}9{#/blank#}（清楚）. Now I am more interested in reading. And books have become a part of my life. Books are great wealth for me.

Books are like our friends. They are very {#blank#}10{#/blank#} （帮助） to us. We can learn a lot from the books we read. They can also give us a lot. So start reading now, or one day you will regret not having read enough books.

17-year-old Girl Rides to School

Kacey Tucker, a 17-year-old girl, comes from Saudi Arabia. The girl rides her horse to school every day.

"My family has two horses, Jacob and Donald." she says, "My sister, Melissa and I often ride them to school."

After finishing all her middle school classes in Saudi Arabia, Kacey 

goes to a university (大学) in America now." My cousin's university has a really clean and big barn （畜棚）," says Kacey, " And I'm very happy to study there."

Kacey gets another horse, Winston in America. And she rides the horse to and from the university every day.

"That's so cool. I'd like a horse, too!" one of Kacey's classmates says.