Adam Braun set up the organization(组织) Pencils of Promise in2008. Its goal is to make sure all children have a chance for education. Six years later , the non-profit organization is building a new school somewhere every 90 hours.It has helped more than 22.000 children in Africa,Asia and Latin America.

 It all started when Adam Braun was a college student. He was visiting India when a boy stopped him and asked for money on the street, Mr. Braun asked the boy what he would want, if he could have anying in the world.

“I thought the answer was going to be  'a house' or 'a car' or 'a boat'.His answer was 'a pencil'.So I gave him my pencil and he was just happy and excited . I  realized he never had been to school before ,and that was the reality(现实) for 57 million children around the world. " Braun said.

 Adam Braun started working in finance(金融) after he graduated from college, But he never forgot the boy and the problem he realized.

“We live in a world in which every child can have a chance to get a good education ,because we have everything necessary already.We are able to educate every child .  So I promised to help create that world .” Braun said.

  Mr Braun raised money for his project. He paid for building the first Pencils of Promise school,in Laos, five years ago. Since then ,his organization has helped pay for more than 200 schools in the countryside of Laos,Nicaragua,Guatemala and Ghana.

　　 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!

C

    Autumn is a good time for children to go outside and see the changing colors of nature. The wind is cool, the days are short and the leaves are changing colors. Autumn is a great season for kids to play outside. What outdoor activities do children like?

    In China, students often have an autumn picnic held by their school. Usually, they will go to an amusement(娱乐) park or to places that are close to nature.

    What kinds of autumn activities are there for children in other countries?

    Japanese students often go hiking. It is a perfect way to get exercise while enjoying the scenes(景色). Mountain climbing in such nice weather is also a good choice(选择).

    Children in the USA like to go for bike rides in autumn. Take a mountain bike ride and you can explore new trails (探索新路). Playing in a leaf pile is popular, too. Kids jump into the leaf pile to see the colorful leaves fly all around. They also make leaf rain and leaf beds — all a lot of fun.

    In the UK, school kids like to camp outside with their parents. They make snacks over the fire and tell ghost stories.

    Students' Favourite Autumn Activities in D{#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Countries

    Four Simple Ways to Better Your Writing

    Keep It Simple

    My first tip for improving your writing is: keep it simple.

    Now, I know it's better to keep things simple and do it well, rather than over-complicate(使过分复杂) everything and do it badly.

    So, in English writing exams, you want to show off your English, but you want to show off your right English, not all this English that you don't know or haven't learnt yet.

    Have a Collection of Set Phrases(固定搭配)

    In order not to make mistakes, it's a really, really good idea to have a collection of set phrases and key words that you can use in the exam. Make sure that you have different ways to …

    Compare：in the same way, at the same time

    Give your opinion：from my point of view, in my view

    Add information : in addition, besides

……

    So, that's just a very brief list showing you exactly what you need to study to be fully prepared for any English writing exam.

    Reduce Your Word Number

    Use as few words as possible to reduce your word number.

Avoid pointless words like very, a lot. Replace them, instead, with a strong word. By using strong words, you can reduce your word number by a fair bit.

    Another way is avoiding there is and there are. We want everything to be as clear as possible. Thus, you can increase the quality of your writing.

    Check Your Work

    Tip number four. Students will make some stupid mistakes when they're writing. After being asked to correct the mistakes, they will say, "We already know this. So easy!" and it's because they don't check their work.

    I personally think it's much better if you write less and check more. Fewer words, high accuracy(准确率). Then you will make your writing better.

    Four Simple Ways to Better Your Writing

    It was too late at night when an old man came to a small town. He found a small hotel and wanted to stay there for the night. After he went into his room, the owner said to his wife, "Look at his bag, there must be much money in it. Let's take it away when he is asleep, shall we?"

    "No, no." said the woman, "He must look for his bag tomorrow morning. If he can't find it, he'll telephone the police. "They thought for a few minutes. Then the woman had an idea, "We have forgetful grass. Why not put some into his food? If he has the food, he will forget to take his bag away. "The old man had the food with the forgetful grass and went to bed. The next morning, when the owner got up, he found the door open, and the man had left with the bag. He was angry and woke his wife up, "What a fool! Your forgetful grass isn't useful at all."

    "No, I don't think so. He must forget something." She said. "Oh! I remember now!" cried out the man suddenly, "He forgot to pay for the night."

From the story we know the owner of the hotel wanted to {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the old man's bag when he slept. But his wife {#blank#}2{#/blank#} with him, and she {#blank#}3{#/blank#} up with a good idea that they put some forgetful grass into the food {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that the old man would forget his bag. The forgetful grass worked. The old man really forgot something—he didn't {#blank#}5{#/blank#} to pay for the night.

    My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren't too many travellers in October.

    We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn't understand the bus routes, and my wife didn't like travelling on the underground. She said it made her feel sick.

    We went to look at the places which all visitors visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, of course, was going to the theatre. We didn't have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is very bad. We didn't think so. It's true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.

    In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked(预订) again for this year. We're going to take an umbrella. I'm sure we'll need it sometimes.