Have you read any books by Washington Irving？Now I will tell you a story written by him. The name of the story is Rip Van Winkle, and it is also the name of the hero in this story. There are three characters in this story, Rip Van Winkle and his wife, Dame Van Winkle and their dog, Woof. Dame Van Winkle is a sharp-tongued (说话尖酸的、刻薄的) woman. Both Rip Van Winkle and the dog are terrified of her, even of her voice.

        There is a scene that can describe how Rip Van Winkle and his dog feel in front of Dame Van Winkle:

          Rip had just one way of replying to his wife's talk:  he only put his head back on his shoulders, looked up toward heaven, and said nothing. . . True, in the woods, Woof was as brave as an honorable dog should be， but as soon as Woof entered the house, his head bent low, his tail lay on the ground or curled between his legs. He went around the house with a guilty look, watching Dame Van Winkle out of the corner of his eyes, ready to run from the room at the slightest sign of her displeasure.

       This was the time when England ruled America. One day, Rip Van Winkle went into the mountain with his dog for an escape of his wife. He drank something given by some strangers and fell asleep. That was 20 years! His wife died and America got freedom from England, and I think that's what the story wants to tell us:  both the poor man's independence and nation's independence.

         Why does Irving's story attract people?  Because he wrote so vividly（生动地）. That sets me thinking:  How he observed things so carefully?  If you read through this story, you can't help smiling or laughing from time to time!

B

    I'm Sara. I'm a middle school student. At school, we have nine subjects — math, English, Chinese, science, geography, history, art, P.E. and music. My mother is a Chinese teacher and she says Chinese is beautiful and important (重要的). I like Chinese. I always read Chinese books before I go to bed. I also like history. It is my favorite subject. Mr. Brown is great fun. In his history class, I can learn many interesting stories.

    Mr. Green is my math teacher. He says math is useful and interesting, but I think it is boring. My science teacher, Mrs. Smith, is nice. I listen to (听) her carefully (认真的) in class. But I can't do well in the science exam(考试). I don't know why. This subject is really difficult for me.

    We always have art, P.E. or music in the afternoon. For me, the classes in the afternoon are fun and relaxing. In P.E. class, I like to play ping-pong with my P.E. teacher Mrs Miller plays very well.

根据材料内容简要回答下列问题

    Hello, I'm Martin. My birthday is coming. And I⑴_______ (have) a party at my house this Sunday. I really want some of my friends to come to my birthday party, but it's not easy to find my house. I write something to them and tell them how⑵______ (find) my house.

    Go along Guangming Street and don't turn left or right. Just walk straight for about ten minutes and you can see a bus stop on your right. ⑶You can take the No.5 bus and get off at the third stop. Then you are on Happy Street. Walk along the street and you'll see a bank at the corner of the street. ⑷ 我家就在银行旁边。

    Have you ever been to Ireland? If not, you should think of spending a vacation there. The Republic of Ireland stands in the south of the island. There are about 4, 810, 000 people in the country and the weather is quite wet but warm. Falls of snow in Ireland are most unusual.

    Ireland is full of interesting things to do. You'll find restaurants and cafes everywhere. Most of them have a long list of Irish food and drinks. After your meal, you can take a walk along the shore. The countryside is good for horse riding. Other sports you may want to do are sailing, boating, swimming, fishing and golfing. Ireland is famous for its theaters and festivals. So why don't you stay longer for a party, an opera or a concert? The Irish people are kind and friendly. From mountains to beaches you will find people ready to stop and talk about the weather, the local geography or history and maybe about what you should see next.