Long long time ago, the Jade Emperor, organized an animal race. He told all the animals that the first 12 animals to win could get a place in the Chinese Zodiac (十二生肖), and have a year named after them.

    The cat and the mouse both asked the ox to wake them up early on the day of the race. That day, the ox tried to wake them up, but without success. So the kind ox carried them on his back and started running when the race began. The mouse woke up just when the ox was going to across the last river. He knew that he could never beat the cat. So he pushed the cat off the ox's back. When the ox reached the other side of the river, the mouse jumped off and ran to the finishing line, just before the ox.

    So the 12-year cycle（循环） begins with the mouse. The ox comes after him. The tiger follows the ox. The rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig come after them. The cat didn't get a place in the Zodiac. That's why the cat hates the mouse and always wants to kill it.

    Yes Man Changed My Life

    Yes Man is the best book I've ever read. It's the true story about the life of Danny Wallace. Before Danny Wallace became the 'Yes Man', his life was boring and he felt old. So he decided to make things more exciting. He started saying “Yes” to every question people asked him. And he did it for a whole year. From the day he started, it completely changed his life.

    It's an interesting story. When I finished the book, I also wanted to change my life. So I had a holiday and became a 'Yes Man' for a week. This is what happened.

    I started on Saturday morning. At 10 in the morning, I got my first question. I saw a poster in the window of a travel agent (旅行社). I needed a holiday so I went in. A lady asked me where I wanted to go. But before I could answer, she said, “A beach holiday, sir?” In fact, I don't like beaches, I like cities. But I said, “Yes.” Five minutes later, everything was ready. My flight was the next day.

    I arrived at my hotel at lunchtime. It was very, very hot. I just wanted to have a rest, but the guide said, “we have a bus to the beach in ten minutes. Do you want to go?” I said, “Yes.”

    It was about 40℃ at the beach. A man asked me “Sunglasses? Do you want sunglasses?” I had a pair of sunglasses in my bag, but I said “Yes.” Five minutes later, another man came，“ Beautiful hat, sir?” I said, “Yes.”

    Three hours later, I had two pairs of sunglasses and three hats. It was difficult to carry all my new things back to the bus.

    I decided: no trips tomorrow, just rest. When I got back, the guide asked, “Oh, there's a water skiing course tomorrow. Do you want me to book a place for you?” I can't swim very well and I don't like the sea. I wanted to cry.

AFamily Bakery

It's 3:00 in the morning. Angela is ready to start the day at the family bakery(面包房). Vincent and his wife, Angela, are its owners(主人).

Everyone in the family works in the bakery. The oldest daughter, Claire, is good at making cakes. Maria is the middle child. She works at the counter(柜台),and sometimes she makes cookies. Paul, the youngest, is 14,and he makes bread. Vincent says, "Paul has good hands for bread." All the family work in the bakery ,but the children only work there before or after school.

The bakery is open every day. The bakery sells cookies, cakes and bread. Mr. Martin is a regular customer(常客) ． He goes to the bakery every morning. He always takes the round loaf of bread with no butter. He says it's good. Mrs. Salerno is also a regular customer. Every Friday, she buys two loaves of Italian bread and a large box of cookies. Her six-year-old daughter, Laura, always gets one free cookie. Mrs. Salerno says Vincent's bakery is the best in the city.

I see a photograph in a magazine. A male lion is sitting on the 1 . Beside him is a baby lion, 2 the baby lion is giving him a painful bite on the back. But papa lion doesn't get angry, and he doesn't even try to 3 the baby away. He just sits there and allows 4 to be "attacked (攻击). "This is what dads do-they endure (承受) all the 5 .

A few years ago, at a baseball game in America, a/an 6 lost control of his bat. The 32-ouncewooden bat flew into the stands (看台). 7 hid (躲藏) under their seats to protect themselves except for one young boy--he hadn't been paying 8 . At the last moment, a 9 reached out and knocked the bat away 10 the boy's head. It was the boy's father. This is what dads do--they protect their children. 

I don't have 11 kids, but my brother has two daughters. They both have jobs and live away from home. One day, his elder daughter had a flat tyre while 12 on a busy highway. It was a/an 13 place for something like that to happen, but she didn't have to think twice about whom to call for help. My brother dropped what he was doing and drove 20 miles to 14 the tyre. This is what dads do--they help their children throughout their lives. 

Thanks to all the dads who endure, protect and help. They are the everyday 15 that their children need. 

Li Mei is a student in my class.  She likes her daily life 1 school. 

Every morning, she gets up 2 at 6:00.  Then she goes to 3 in the park for thirty minutes.  Before 7:00 a. m. , she eats a delicious 4 .  After that she goes to school at 7:40 a. m.  Her school is not far, so she always 5 to school.  There are four 6 in the morning.  Among them, she likes Physics (物理) best, because she wants to be a scientist (科学家) when she grows up.  She eats lunch at 12:00 p. m.  She likes noodles for lunch.  Classes 7 at 4:00 p. m.  After school, she goes to the swimming pool to 8 there for an hour.  She goes home at 5:30 p. m.  Then she has dinner with 9 family.  She goes to bed at 10:00 p. m.  She thinks it is 10 for her to sleep early.