In a small town, a shopkeeper works hard every day. But one day he closed his shop in the

    1and went home. He was very tired, he didn't have supper and went to bed at once. At that time the telephone 2 . A man said, “What time do you open your 3 ，sir?” The shopkeeper was unhappy. He thought the man played a trick on him. He did not answer it and went 4 to bed. A few minutes 5 the telephone rang again. He 6 and went to pick up the phone and found that voice (声音) was the 7 man and he asked the same question. The shopkeeper 8 answered. “You needn't ask me that because I can't let you 9 my shop. It's late now.”

    “No. I want to go out.” the man said, “My wife 10 me at home for dinner now.”

    Hello! I'm John Brown. I'm an English 1, my Chinese name is wang Pen.2to meet you. I have a good family. There are five people in my3. My parents are teachers, they work(工作) 4China. My sister is 14, my brother is 15, I'm 13, we5 go to the same school. Look! This is my room. You can6my books and tape player in the bookcase. My schoolbag is on the7, my computer is on the desk, too. Next to the computer is a8. Two boys are in the photo. Do you know9the boys are? Well,10are my cousins, Bob and Tim.

    It was a lovely spring afternoon. My classmates and I were playing happily on the playground when I let out, “Ow! Ow! Something in my shoe is biting me.”

    Everyone was shocked by the cry. They took me into a classroom and were about to take off my 1. “Which foot is it?” one asked. “Let us have a look.”

    Suddenly, I remembered the holes in 2 socks. My family was very poor during those years. I wore welfare socks, which cost only a little, but those 3 welfare socks didn't last long. They soon had 4 at the bottom.

    I refused to take off my shoes. I 5 stand others seeing the holes in my sock. I tried to hold back my tears. Yet, each time the thing 6 my shoe bit me, tears raced down my face.

    My teacher, Miss Diane, hurried into the 7. “What's wrong?” she asked.

    “Something is biting her right foot, 8 she doesn't let us take off her shoe.” one of my classmates answered.

    Miss Diane lived next door to me. She 9 everything about my family. She put both hands on my shaking shoulders and 10 into my painful and hopeless eyes.

    “Oh, yes, it must be a sock-eating ant,” she said, as if she had 11 seen the thing inside the shoe. “I had a bite from one of those ants. By the time I got my shoe off, it had 12 almost the whole bottom off my sock.” My classmates nodded while they were listening to the teacher 13, although they all looked a little puzzled.

    Miss Diane took off my right shoe and sock and shook them over the dustbin. Two red ants14it.

    “Just what I thought. The ants have eaten part of her sock.” When she stroked an alcohol cotton ball on the bites, she added,” You are such a 15 girl to take so many bites.”

    The alcohol felt cool on the bites and a little girl's pride was saved by the “sock-eating ant” story.

    My mom lives alone (独自) and works at a hotel. One day, on her way home from work, she saw a 1 It was very small and had white and black hair. At first, she just walked by quickly – it was a really windy afternoon. But the cat 2 my mom a long way. It seemed very hungry and 3  . At last it walked into my mom's heart and life.

    A week later, I went to visit my mom. She told me excitedly 4 her little cat. I saw it for the first time. The cat wasn't afraid of 5 at all. When I called its name, it looked at me with its big eyes and said "meow" to me, and then walked over slowly. It was so cute that I 6 it right away.

    This cat makes my mom laugh. She is always happy with the cat around. The cat will stay in the room 7 it feels cold or just doesn't want to be outside. My mom loves it and always tries to make it feel 8 The cat loves my mom, too. It must think of my mom as its mom. It is really attached to (依恋) her. It makes her 9 full of love and happiness. It makes me happy, too, because I love to 10 the smile in my mom's eyes.

    A poor woodcutter and his wife lived in the forest in a small hut. It was 1small that it was only large enough for him and his wife2 in.3a cold night, somebody knocked at the door.4woodcutter opened the door and wanted to let the stranger in. His wife said, “I'm afraid we don't have that much space.” The man laughed5 said, “Two can sleep well, three can sit.” And then the stranger6 to come in and they all sat telling stories to each other.

    Then came7 knock. The woodcutter told the stranger, “Friend, open the door.” And the man said, “But there is no space.” The woodcutter said, “8 three people can sit 9 four people can sit a little10”.

    The stranger opened the door, and a man entered. Suddenly, a strange knock11did not seem to be human's was heard! The woodcutter said, “Open the door. I know who12. It is my donkey.” Everyone said, “13is the donkey going to stand?” The man said 14 all stand when the donkey15 in.

    My father was a self-taught mandolin(曼陀林琴) player. He was one of the best players in our town. He could not1music, but if he heard a tune(曲子) a few times, he could play it. When he was young, he was a2of a small country music band. They played at local dances and played for the local radio station on a few occasions.

    At home Dad often took out his mandolin and played for the family. We three children sang along.3played the mandolin like my father. He could4your heart with the music that came out of that old mandolin. He seemed to shine when he was playing. You could see his5in his ability to play so well for his family.

    But Dad had to find another6in a factory later because the money he made at the band wasn't enough to7the family. Unluckily he had an8one day and lost one finger. He couldn't play as9as before. From then on, every time we asked him to play, he would make up excuses to 10 down our request. However, we missed his performances so much.11, he agreed and said, "Okay, but remember, I can't hold down the strings (琴弦) the way I12 to."

    When he played the old mandolin, it carried us back to a13, happy time in our lives. Dad was that kind of man,14 was what he was doing all his life. If he could give 15 to others, he would, especially his family. He was always there, sacrificing(牺牲) his time to see that his family had enough in their life.