Dear Alice,
I just received your letter. And I was very surprised to know that you decided to drop out of school and wanted to be a model （模特）.
Being a model for a living is not easy. In fact, a famous person like me has a lot of problems that you couldn't see. I can't eat what I like, even though I'm very hungry. Keeping thin makes me look more beautiful on the stage because no one would like to see a heavy model.
Besides, I have to wear a heavy coat in the hot sun, in a swimming suit in the cold air. And practicing walking nicely every day is tiring for me.
You might say I made much money from modeling. But my dear niece （侄女）, you have to know that money is, nothing, knowledge is everything. School is important and everyone should go to school for a certain period of time. The longer they stay at school, the better they will be. Very often, I hope I can give up my job and continue my studies at school. But it is very difficult for me to go back to school again. I am too old to go back to school now.
You are a pretty young girl with a bright future. You only have one year to finish your studies in high school. A year is really short. Please do consider my words carefully before you decide. Of course, there is only one thing I care about, and that is your happiness.
Love,
Emma

                                                                                  A

Last Sunday I saw the worst storm in years. It came suddenly and went on for more than three hours. After lunch, I went into my room to have a rest. The air was hot, and all was quiet. The strong wind started blowing into my room. Pieces of paper on my desk flew high into the air and some flew out of the open window. As I ran out to catch them, big drops of rain began to fall. When I came back into the house, it was raining harder and harder. I tried very hard to close the window. Then I heard a loud crashing（碰撞的） sound from the back of the house. I ran out of my room to find out what it was— a big tree had fallen down and broke the top of the back room.

    I was in the park with my elder sister, Cathy, on Friday. My sister left her jacket on a chair while we talked to some friends. When we went back to the chair, a girl in a red T-shirt was sitting there. She had some money in her hand. When she saw us, she stood up and walked away.

    I asked my sister, "Did you have any money in your jacket?"

    She said, "Yes, Anna, I did."

    I said, "Look in your jacket quickly."

    Cathy looked in her jacket, but her money was not there.

    "That girl stole(偷) it!" I said, and we both ran after her. We caught her quickly.

    My sister was very angry and she said, "Give me the money." The girl gave the money to Cathy and ran away. We both ran after her, but we lost her.

    Then we went home. But before we could tell our parents, my mother said to Cathy, "You left your money at home. It's on the table in the sitting room. You must be more careful with money."

    So the girl in the red T-shirt was not a thief! She probably thought we were thieves! We felt terrible.

    Please telephone us if you know this girl! We are very sorry for our mistake. We would like to say sorry to her and give the money back to her.

    Our number is 512667. My name is Anna.

    In 1961, a man found a strange cat on his farm in Scotland. The cat's ears were bent forward on its head. In fact, this was a new kind of cat. People named it the "Scottish Fold".

    The Scottish Fold has a round head and big eyes. Its neck and legs are short. Its body is generally round, which makes it look very cute. Interestingly, all the Scottish Folds are born with straight ears. And when they are growing up day by day, some cats' ears will begin to fold. So, the Scottish Fold comes in two types: folded ears and straight ears.

    Besides, there is a nickname for the Scottish Fold. It is the "Messenger of Peace". Why? Because the Folds are sweet and friendly animals. They can get along well with other cats. And unlike some other cats, they can even get along well with dogs. In many different environments, such as in a noisy house, or in a cat show, you can see them playing with other animals happily.

    Well, when you come to a new school, do you think it's difficult to adapt (适应) to the new environment? Perhaps you can learn from the Scottish Fold. That is: always be sweet and friendly to others.

    Esperanza lives in a poor Latino(拉丁美洲人) neighborhood in Chicago, .America. She dreams of having her own house one day. Her parents told her that when they moved from their last house, they would have a new' and shiny(亮闪闪的) house. But the house is small and old.

    Many people live in Mango Street in a big old house. Esperanza lives behind it with her family. A lot of the people who have come from Mexico don't speak English. Many miss their home country. Esperanza understands their sadness, but she also feels at home in America. She is an American, but her roots(根) will always be Latino,

    Esperanza is young. Like her friends, she has to grow up fast. She is stuck between being a girl and being a woman. In the poor and dangerous area where she lives, this is difficult for her. Mexican people usually live in a close neighborhood. This means that people live packed(挤塞的) in together. Everyone knows everyone else. So Esperanza knows other older girls that do things she is not comfortable doing. It is just a fact of her life.

    But Esperanza has good friends too. She becomes friends with two sisters named Lucy and Rachel. They ride bikes and have adventures together. Esperanza is also friends with a girl named Alicia. Alicia is afraid of the rats in her apartment. She shares her poems with Esperanza.

    Bill was a boy of 15. His parents didn't care about him. Bill often slept in class and always failed in his exams. Neither his teachers nor his classmates liked him.

    One day, Miss Jones, a new teacher, came to Bill's class. She began her lesson. She asked a question. "I'd like the smartest boy to answer my question. ''Then she said loudly, "Bill, please!”

    Bill was surprised. And he stood up without a word.

    "Just try it! I believe you can!" She encouraged(鼓励)Bill.

    After school, Miss Jones had a long talk with Bill. She told him that she cared about him and believed in him.

    Bill thought a lot that evening. From then on, he worked hard and Miss Jones helped him with his homework in the afternoon. She even cooked for him.

    Later, Bill had another exam. He was very excited to pass the exam. A change took place in Bill's heart.