Tom's father has a big farm. On New Year's Day, his father asked him, "Could you work on the farm when you're free this year, Tom?"

    "Farming is not my work, Dad. I have much school work to do," Tom wasn't glad at it.

    "If you help me work on the farm, I will give you anything you want."

    "OK," Tom agreed happily.

    So Tom gets up early and works hard on the farm in his free time this year, just like other farmers. His wheat grows very well.

    Time flies. Today is the last day of the year, December 31st. The father is talking with his son.

    "I'm happy to see you work hard on the farm. Tom, now tell me what you want as the gift(礼物)."

Tom shows his father a big piece of bread. He makes it with the wheat on his farm. "I have already gotten your gift, Dad. You're trying to give me a lesson— no pain, no gain.

    Right?"

    John is thirteen now. He began to study in a middle school two years ago. His home is in a small village and it's nearly five kilometers from the school. He has to get up early in the morning.

    After a quick breakfast he has to run to school and get there on time. His father hopes to borrow some money to buy a bike for him, but he knows his mother is always ill and his father spends much money on medicine. He doesn't agree with his father and keeps running there every day. Now he's very strong. He is never late for class and his teachers often praise him.

    Last week there was a sports meeting in his school. John ran faster than any other boy and won the boy's 800 meters, 1, 500 meters and 3, 000 meters. The whole school knew him. He was very happy. He told his grandma about the good news as soon as he got home.

    "I broke two school records（记录）today, Granny," called out the boy.

    To his surprise, the old woman wasn't happy. She thought for a while and said, "I'm sorry to hear that. We have no money to pay for them, you know!"

We {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the oven (烤箱) from the spaceship when my sister said she was hungry. So we went to have a snack. The smell of food in the restaurant also made me {#blank#}2{#/blank#} hungry, so we had a piece of pizza. While we were eating the pizza, my sister was attracted to the {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, so we bought some. Don't worry! We have left some for you. You {#blank#}4{#/blank#} them! They look like rockets and taste like honey.

After lunch, we explored more of the museum and stayed there {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the rest of the day. They were turning off the lights when we left!

Have you ever been to a museum?

See you soon,

Helen

We provide summer English courses and you will enjoy learning about American culture and improve your English. The courses last for 4 weeks. They start at the beginning of July and August. Our teachers are very experienced. They teach English classes for 4 hours a day. You can choose between small groups of 2 or 3, or larger groups of up to 15. We provide weekly tests to see the progress you're making with your language skills. We also provide books and other materials.

As well as learning English, we want you to experience life in the USA. You live with an American family and take part in American life. You have meals with them and do some activities with them, too. This is the most interesting part of the course. Many families create friendships with the students. Of course, if you prefer, we can arrange hotel accommodation.
Of course, you can do many things in Los Angeles. Every day we have activities after class. You can choose to take trips to Hollywood, Disneyland or the famous beaches around LA. You can also go to various shopping centres, sports centres, movies and concerts. There are also weekend visits organized to San Francisco and other places of interest in California.

Well, if you're interested, please fill in our application form where you will also find our list of prices. The course must be paid for one month before it begins.

Charlotte Liebling considers herself a "world watcher"-someone who carefully sees the world around her. When Liebling was in college, she volunteered at a 1 that sold secondhand goods. She saw people bringing in objects to donate, including soft toys. 

Liebling knew that the toys held great sentimental(情感的) value for their owners. So she felt 2 when the toys were sold very cheaply, or worse, thrown away.

One night when Liebling got home from work, she started doing some research. She 3 this wasn't happening only in her town. Millions of toys 4 in landfills(垃圾场)every year in the world. "If we can change the idea that soft toys lose their 5 after they've been used, then we can show people that these toys still hold important worth and can be passed on to others. That's how the Loved Before Company 6 ," Liebling says.

When someone wants to donate a soft toy, he can take it to the company. He is encouraged to write down the name of the toy and a story about it This can include the creature's likes and dislikes, and an adventure it's been on. Liebling believes that sharing what makes the toy7 helps new owners understand its value. Then the toy is cleaned, photographed, and packed 8 with its name and story. Every Monday, Liebling 9 the toys on the Loved Before website.

Since the company started in 2019, Loved Before has sold more than 50, 000 soft toys. But the company's 10 is more than "just trying to save some toys from landfills," Liebling says. "We hope to teach kids about the value of loving secondhand things again."