I am 13. It's my first time to go to New York. I go there with my friend Emma. We get to New York at about 10pm, and we want to do some sightseeing(观光). So we go to the Empire State Building. But the 86^th floor(层) is cold. A long time later, we go to the hotel(酒店).

    On the second day, we go shopping in the morning, visit the Statue of Liberty at noon, and go shopping again in the afternoon.

    It is rainy on the third day, but we get up early in the morning. We have some bread and go to Rockefeller Center. We see the whole city there. I feel like I am on top(顶部) of the world. In the evening, we walk around Times Square, watch all the people and the street performers(街头艺人). At 11pm, Emma and I go back to the hotel. We go back home the next day. New York is really a good place.

    Just as I came back home, I heard a sound coming from the bedroom upstairs-it was from my favourite violin.

    "Thief!"

    I rushed upstairs and saw a boy in dirty clothes pulling my violin down. At first sight, I found a new pair of shoes missing. It seemed he was surely a thief.

    However, when I saw his eyes full of fear, my anger disappeared. I smiled and asked," Are you Mr. Ram's student Rubens? I'm his butler (男管家). I've heard Mr. Ram say his student will come. It must be you."

    "Has my teacher gone out?" the boy said, "I think I'd better visit him again in a while."

    I nodded and asked him, "Do you like playing the violin?"

    "Yes, but I'm too poor to afford one." the boy replied.

    "Then, I'll give you this violin." The boy looked at me surprisingly, but he picked up the violin. While going out of the room, he suddenly saw a huge photo of me playing the violin at the Grand Theatre of Sydney on the wall. His face turned pale. He stood there for a moment and ran out. He must have understood what had happened because no master (主人) would put up the butler's photo on the wall of his living room.

    A few years later, at a music competition in Melbourne, I was invited to be the judge (评委). Finally, a violin player called Merritt won the first prize.

    After the prize-giving, Merritt ran to me holding a violin box, his face red, and asked," Mr. Brian, do you still know me? You gave me the violin, which I have treasured ever since! Today, I want to say sorry and give back this violin to you without regret…"

    He was just the "Mr. Ram's student"!

    Mary likesto run. Ever since she was in the third grade, she has been training to runlong distances. Now that she was in her eighth grade, her parents agreed to lether run in the Banana Classic. The Banana Classic is a ten-kilometre race. Ittakes place every year in Mattydale. The winners get a lifetime supply (提供) of peanuts and fruit juice.

    Marypractised by running ten kilometres, twice every day. On the average (平时的) run, she would finish inthirty minutes. Last year's winner finished the race in twenty-six minutes andten seconds!

    On the dayof the race, Mary ran faster than she ever had in the past. As she came acrossthe last kilometre, she was in the fourth place. She picked up the pace (步伐) and quickly reached the secondplace, just as she could see the finishing line. She ran as fast as she couldin a mad dash (冲刺) to the finish line, but she justwasn't fast enough to get ahead of the leader.

My name is Linda.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is a birthday party for me. Now, it's five o'clock.Everything is OK.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is beautiful. And some apples, oranges and pears are on the table, too.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} On the sofa, there is a red card on a white box.The card says"{#blank#}4{#/blank#}". After opening(打开)the white box, I see a yellow skirt.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} How beautiful the skirt is!I want to say "Thank you, dear Mom. I love you!".

A.They are all my favorite fruits.

B.Happy birthday to you,Linda!

C.Today is my twelfth birthday.

D.Happy birthday to you,Mom!

E.A big birthday cake is on the table.

F.It's a gift(礼物)from my mom.

In her house, Zhang Rong, a mother of a first-year primary school boy, spends hours every day reading many children's books one by one and 1 dividing them into groups. 

2 mother has noticed a great need for used children's books among parents. So, she started her own company3 secondhand books. 

" Children need to read a lot of books, but4 you buy them all it will add up to a large expense (费用). I hope more parents can afford picture books for5 children and the price won't be high, " Zhang said. "A new picture book can cost6 than 100 yuan, while a secondhand one is usually 20 percent of that price. "

She often looks online and in stores for used books to give to her son and his friends, but it is not easy to find high-quality books. She sometimes7 friends in the United States to help buy picture books for children. 

" When I studied in Philadelphia, secondhand bookstores8 everywhere. 

They are now appearing in some9 in China, and people are fond of secondhand books, " she said. 

More and more parents ask her for advice on choosing used picture books, so she knows about their needs. "English-language picture books are very popular10 parents in China because they can help children learn English, " Zhang said.