John likes chocolates(巧克力) very much, but his mother doesn't give him. They're bad for his teeth(牙齿), she thinks. But John has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves his grandson very much and sometimes he buys John some chocolates. Then his mother lets him eat them, because she wants to make the old man happy.

    On Sunday evening, it is John's seventh birthday. He says,” Please, God, make them give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday.” His mother says,” God can't hear you. Don't shout(喊叫).” “I know,” says the clever boy with a smile. “But grandfather is in the next room, and he can.”

    Joseph has written a letter to his cousins, James and Susan. Here is the letter.

    Dear James and Susan,

    I am writing to you again because I am at home in bed. I have a cold recently and I am unable to go to school. I've got a fever and a bad headache as well. In addition, I'm always thirsty, probably as a result of the fever. But, with a lot of effort, I'm writing a letter to you.

    The weather here in Toronto is horrible. I am sure the weather is much better in Hong Kong. Do you agree? The snow came a bit early this year and it was freezing cold. It's surprising to see kids playing in the snow happily and building "castles" and snowmen this morning. A few of them made snowballs by pressing snow together and threw them at each other.

    I am going to have my examination soon, I'm worried about it because I'm too sick to get out of bed to hold my text-books. What's more, I haven't attended school for nearly one week. I have to work hard to catch up with my classmates.

    I have got a new mate recently. That is Bobby, our cat. Uncle Tom gave him to me as my birthday present. He is rather disobedient and he runs here and there from time to time. However, I'm glad to have him as my friend at the moment.

    Please write to me if you have time.

Yours,

Joseph

A shoemaker sp ent his time in singing from morning till night. It was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear. He was very pleased.

However, his neighbor—a banker, who was very rich, sang little and slept less. When by chance he fell into a light sleep in the early morning, the shoema ker woke him up with his song. The banker complained(抱怨) sadly that God had not made sleep a saleable thing, like food or drink, that people can buy with money. At last he sent for the singer. He said to him,"How much money a year do you make, Master Gregory?"

"How much a year, sir?"said the happy shoemaker laughing,"I have never thought in that way, living as I dofrom one day to another; somehow I manage to reach the end of the year; each day brings its meal."

"Well then! How much money a day do you make, my friend?"

"Sometimes more, sometimes less. But the worst of it is that we can't work a few days in the year, or we willmake more."

The banker said with a laugh,"In the future I shall place you above what you want. Take these hundred gold coins, keep them carefully, and make use of them in time of need."

The shoemaker was surprised to have all so much money. Returning home, he buried(埋藏) his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing, he lost his voice at the moment he got his money. Sleep left him and cares, worries, and fears took its place. All day, he kept his eye on his money from time to time; and at night, if some cat made a noise, he thought someone stealing his money. At last the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor. He said,"____."

He was happy again.

Ding Chen, a teenager from Anhui Taihe No. 3 Middle School, invented (发明)a machine for the old to climb the stairs. And he1 the International Youth Gold Medal for his invention.

The Ding family lived in an old building,2 they had to climb stairs every day. His grandpa had difficulty climbing up the 3 . It became even 4 after he fell ill. When Ding Chen was a five-grader, he wanted to invent something for his grandpa to go up the stairs more5 .

Three years later, 13-year-old Ding 6 this problem. He invented a booster (助力器). People just need to set it on the stair railing (扶手) and hold it. Then it will pull people to go up. Ding's middle school teacher Zhang Gang helped him make his idea real.7 worked for about half a year to design the booster.

8 , Ding will try to make his invention perfect. If possible, he wants to find companies to9 it in the factories.

"I hope my invention can help all the people in 10 ," he said.

My name is Bill. I love animals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The Dog is black and the cat is white. They both look beautiful. My dog's name is Heihei. He is very smart. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He likes running around me. I take him to play sports in the park every morning，Mimi is the name of my cat. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}She often sleeps in the day. So she is very fat. She likes playing with balls.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}I give them something to eat and then play with them. They are good friends，but sometimes they fight. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}I like them very much.