Betsy was born in Brooklyn, New York. Most of her childhood {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (spend) in New York City, in a house filled {#blank#}2{#/blank#} books. It was then that she grew to love books and reading.

    Before she became a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (write), Betsy taught kindergarten and first grade. The best part of the school day for her {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) story time, when she could share her favourite books with the class. She decided {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (try) writing her own children's books after she met her husband, illustrator (插图画家) Giulio. Together, they have created many books. She writes the words, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} he draws the pictures.

    Betsy believes that writers should always edit their own work and then ask someone else to look it over. "Your editor can be your teacher, one of your parents {#blank#}7{#/blank#} elder brother or sister, or someone in your class who is good at writing. Your editor will see your work {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (different) from the way you see it, so you will get a new point of view (见解)."

    Betsy and her husband like to travel, and they sometimes do research for their books on {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (they) trips. They also enjoy talking to students when they visit schools and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (library).

    Tina woke up at midnight.  She saw something dive towards the ground. The next morning Tina mentioned it {#blank#}1{#/blank#}her brother Tom. They decided {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  (explore) after school. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 6 p. m., they reached the forest. They heard some voices {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (speak) a strange language. There was an alien standing next to a long spaceship. The children were {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (frighten). Suddenly another alien appeared from the bushes in front {#blank#}6{#/blank#} them. The children ran {#blank#}7{#/blank#}in fear. The next morning the children told their parents about the strange {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(creature), but their dad refused

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(believe) them. Tina and Tom spread their wings and {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(fly) to school together. Their dad looked at the piece of paper with the strange marks written by Tom. It said "EARTH".

    A father and his daughter were flying a kite in the park. When they stopped, the young daughter saw an old man {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (sell) apples. She asked her father to buy her an apple. Her father didn't bring much money {#blank#}2{#/blank#} him, but it was enough to buy two apples. So, he bought two apples and gave them to his{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    His daughter held one apple in her left hand and the other in the right hand. Then the father {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (ask) her if she could share one apple with him. When the girl heard this, she {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (quick) took a bite from one apple. And before {#blank#}6{#/blank#} father could speak, she took a bite from the second apple quickly, too.

    The father was {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (surprise). He wondered why his daughter did like that. He thought maybe his daughter was too young to understand about {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (share) and giving. A smile disappeared from his face.

    But suddenly his daughter with an {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in her left hand said, "Dad, please have this one. This one is much {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (sweet). "The father's smile came back after knowing why his daughter quickly took a bite from each apple.

    Don't judge anything too quickly. Always spare some more time to understand things better.

    Dennis is a middle school student. He is very tall and he runs very fast, so the coach asked him to {#blank#}1{#/blank#}the school basketball team when he was in Grade 7.

    At first, he didn't play {#blank#}2{#/blank#} and the coach didn't let him play in the games. So he practiced very hard.

    One Saturday afternoon, there was basketball game{#blank#}3{#/blank#}his school and the No.5 Middle School in his city. Dennis didn't think he could play in the game, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}his coach asked him to play in it. Dennis was excited. He waited and watched the game in a chair until the coach called him.

    Dennis did a good job. He{#blank#}5{#/blank#}the ball to others at the right time He got many scores(分数){#blank#}6{#/blank#}his team. The score was 42:44. Just{#blank#}7{#/blank#} the game stopped, Dennis made a shot(投篮). The ball went into the basket and he{#blank#}8{#/blank#}the game for his team! Everyone in the team was happy.

    Round eyes, round head, round ears and round body! He looks like a bear, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} he is not a bear. He's a Koala.

    People in Australia love Koalas. They have set up places for them to live {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (safe). No one kills them for their fur. When a koala is born, he has no fur. The mother koala has a pocket in the front of her body. The baby stays in this warm pocket for six {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (month).

    When the baby koala leaves the pocket, he has much fur. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (climb) onto his mother's back. There he learns from his mother how to find food. Mrs koala is {#blank#}5{#/blank#}good mother. But when the baby is naughty (淘气的), she beats {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (he). The baby cries just as a small child does. If he keeps on crying, his mother beats again.

    The koala can't live without a special kind of tree. The tree is the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (important) to the koala, because it gives him both home and food. For most of the day the koala sleeps in the tree. At night the koala looks {#blank#}8{#/blank#} food. He likes only the bark and the leaves of the tree. He eats nothing else. He eats more than two pounds each night.

    I like the koala best, because I think {#blank#}9{#/blank#}a cute animal the koala is! In the future I want {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(go) to Australia to see the real koala.