Our village carpenter（木匠）, John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill（账单）for his job.

My wife said to me quietly, “That's his ninth cup of tea today.” But she said in a loud voice, “It's a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?” “I'll decide about that when I see the bill,” I said. John laughed and gave me his bill for the work. I read:

One dining table                        10^th November, 2011

      Cost of wood                  ＄17.00

      Paint                         ＄1.50

      Work, 8 hours(＄1 an hour)       ＄8.00

      Total                         ＄36.50  

When I was looking at the bill, John said, “It's been a fine day, hasn't it? Quite sunny.”

“Yes,” I said. “I'm glad it's only the 10^th of November.”

“Me, too,” said John, “you wait—it will be a lot colder by the end of the month.”

“Yes, colder—and more expensive! Dining tables will be ＄20 more expensive on November 30^th, won't they, John?”

John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.

“If it's not too much trouble, John,” I said, “please add it up again. You can forget the date…”

I paid him ＄26.50 and he was happy to get it.

    Once a traveller came into a village which was suffering from hunger. The villagers asked him to leave, for they feared he wanted them to give him food. They told him that there was no food. The traveller explained that he didn't need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with them instead. The villagers watched suspiciously as he built a fire and filled a pot with water With great ceremony(仪式), he pulled a stone from a bag, and dropped the stone into the pot of water. After a moment, he smelt the soup and shouted with excitement, “How delicious the soup is!” As the villagers began to show interest, he mentioned how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brought out a cabbage to share. This episode(情节) repeated itself until the soup had cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets—indeed, a full pot of soup that could feed everyone in the village was ready. This story describes when there are not enough resources(资源), humans will store things. We do not want to share. The story of stone soup helps us realize that, in doing so, we often prevent ourselves and everyone else from having a feast(盛宴).The meaning of this story goes far beyond food. We keep to ourselves ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer, but in fact we make the world, and ourselves, poorer. The traveller was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the ability to inspire(激发) them to give. In this way, they created a large meal that none of them could have created alone. Are you like one of the villagers? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a feast that can feed many.

    English book Animal Farm (1945) tells a story about farm animals. They are fed up with ( 受够了) Mr Jones, the farmer. He treats them badly, so they decide to kick him off the farm and run the farm themselves.

    One day an old pig called Old Major gathers the animals around him. He tells them that all animals should stand together. He says they should take over the farm. They say that all animals are equal.

    After they get rid of ( 摆 脱 ) Mr Jones, two pigs become the leaders of Animal Farm. One pig called Snowball is a great speaker. He has big ideas for Animal Farm. The other leader is a pig called Napoleon. Napoleon is a crafty (狡猾的) animal. He brings together supporters by offering them advantages.

    Napoleon makes a war against Snowball and kicks him away from the farm. He turns Snowball into a big enemy. He says that Snowball is working with Farmer Jones and other farmers to destroy Animal Farm.

    But as it turns out it is Napoleon who is working with the enemies of the animals. He joins up with the old human enemies of the animals. But he tells the animals that he is working for them. Meanwhile the animals work hard. It seems that it is as bad to live under Napoleon as it was under Farmer Jones!

    Why is the story so important?

    Animal Farm is an excellent choice for learners of English because it's very short. The language is also simple.

    Like many famous stories Animal Farm is not just a book. It was played on the BBC radio in 1947. The big modern way of telling stories is in movies of course. Orwell's book has become a film twice. Perhaps it won't surprise you that the first one (1954) was a cartoon. In 1984 another film was made.

    This was a live-action (真人版的) film. The famous book has also been put on in the theater. In 1984 aversion was made and it toured a number of British cities.

It was a snowy day. I 1 the friend who sat with me on winter evenings, talking about our experiences and thoughts—a true 2 .

I had almost given up hope of finding another friend like that after I 3 to this city. I wanted to invite a woman I'd met only twice to come share my dinner, 4 she lived an hour away, and it was snowing. I was sure she wouldn't 5 to come. However, I decided to have a try. So I made the 6 .

"Don't feel you have to come if you don't want to."

"Is it snowing? I have a7 , and I'm in bed. I'll think about it later, if that's OK with you."

"Of course it is. And here are your choices, if you decide to come. I've just been shopping, so I can8 you macaroni (意大利粉) and cheese or fresh vegetable salad."

There was a 9 for a moment. She was thinking. 

 "Since I'm sick, not the macaroni and cheese. Too rich for a cold. I 10 the vegetables," she said, "Vegetables. If it's not snowing too hard."

An hour before dinner, the phone rang. 

"I've got up. I've been in bed all day. Looking forward to the 11 ."

I was happy. 

An hour later, she 12 , holding a piece of chocolate. 

We sat by the fireplace, eating and chatting. The smell of the vegetables filled the house. And we 13 love, art and travels. Everything was warm and good. 

As she left, she said. "Those vegetables were delicious. They kept me from 14 I didn't choose macaroni and cheese."

"Next time," I promised. And I went inside, quite satisfied, because I knew there would be ad next time, and I didn't feel 15 anymore."

It was a lovely 1 afternoon. My classmates and I were playing happily on the playground when I let out a 2 , "OW! OW! Something in my shoe is biting me."

Everyone was shocked by the cry. They took me into a classroom and3 take off my shoe. "Which foot is it?" one asked. "Let us have a look."

Suddenly, I remembered the holes in my socks. My family was very poor during those years. I wore welfare socks, which 4 only a little, but those cheap welfare socks didn't 5 long. Soon there were holes at the bottom. 

I refused to take off my shoe. I couldn't 6 others seeing the holes in my sock. I tried to7 my tears. Yet, each time the thing in my shoe bit me, tears raced down my face. 

My teacher, Miss Diane, hurried into the 8 . "What's wrong?" she asked. 

"Something is biting her right foot,9 she doesn't let us take off her shoe," one of my classmates answered. 

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

"Oh, yes, it must be a sock-eating ant," she said,11 she had already seen the thing inside the shoe. "I had a bite from one of those ants. By the time I took my shoe off, it had eaten 12 the whole bottom of 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 shoot them over the dustbin. Two red ants 14 into it. 

"Just like what I thought, the ants have eaten part of her sock." When she placed an alcohol (酒精) cotton ball on the bites, she added, "You are such a brave girl to take so many bites."

The alcohol made me feet cool on the hot afternoon and a little girl's 15 was saved by the "sock–eating ant" story.