"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms and she moved the cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped(吃力地喘着气). The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Luckily, time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. Though the misfortune(不幸)happened to him, he grew into a handsome boy. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others.
    "You should get in touch with other young people," his mother told him, with a kindness in her heart. The boy's father talked with the family doctor about his ears. "Could nothing be done?"the father asked. "I believe I could give him a pair of outer ears, if they could be got," the doctor replied.
    Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need, but it's a secret."The operation is a big success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交的) service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her."
    "You could, my son," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet."
    The years kept their secret, but one of the darkest days did come. He stood with his father over his mother's casket(棺材). Slowly, the father stretched forth(伸出) a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
    "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"

    I started my school life at the age of six．At first the school for me，a boy，meant play，play and more play instead of sitting in the classroom and learning something．However，I changed the way I used to behave(表现)at school with the help of my teachers．I tried my best to do well in my schoolwork and follow the school rules．

    Growing and learning were great fun．Every year we had different kinds of school trips．Not only could we learn many things from them，but also we were given many projects(课题)as homework.  It helped US know more.  At the same time，we made many good friends．In Grade 8，I won prizes in drawing and English speech competitions．Ⅳhen I was in Grade 9，I realized that I should give all my attention to my studies because l was going to take the exams to get into senior(高级的)middle school．

Whenever I think of my school life，I feel very happy and I think in everybody's school life there are many ups and downs(苦乐；盛衰)that influence his life．School is a place where all of US learn to care and share．"School''is not just a place，but a large building made up of rules，knowledge and love．I think in everybody's success，school plays a key role．I can describe my school in"Three Ss"．They are：Small，Sweet and Simple．My school was the best，is the best and will always be the best．

    Have you ever saved money to do something special? Cindy Evans and her third-grade class are sure to answer, "Yes!"

    Cindy Evans works at Big Beaver Elementary School in Big Beaver, Pennsylvania. One day, she and her third-grade class read about the Great American Smokeout in Weekly Reader. The Smokeout is an event to help people give up smoking. The American Cancer Society runs it.

    "We read that about l million people give up smoking each year," said Ms Evans. Then her students asked her. "What does 1 million look like?" Ms Evans told her class the best way to see 1 million was to collect 1 million things.

    "I was thinking about collecting 1 million small things like erasers," said the teacher. But her students had a better idea: to collect 1 million pennies (分) and give them away to the American Cancer Society. Soon the class started their big job.

    Many people in the neighbourhood joined the students. According to Ms Evans, the bank in their neighbourhood had to keep more pennies because so many people were collecting them.

    That June, the class went to the office of the American Cancer Society with 1,177,500 pennies, or$11,775. They hoped that the money could help more people keep healthy.

    Andrew Holleman, a 12-year-old boy, loved playing in the open land near his home. The land was wet and forested, and made a home for birds, other animals and many different plants.

    It made the perfect place for him to study and get to know nature. He had seen some red-tail hawks, red foxes, wood turtles and other animals. He also found special native flowers.

    Suddenly it was reported that the "empty" land would be improved by a lot of houses on it. The plants would be removed, the animals would run away and most would probably die. Then the wet soil would be covered with extra grounds.

    When he heard about the news, he was not happy. He was very worried that the land and water would be polluted. Andrew wrote down clearly all the research he had done about the area, and how the houses would affect(影响)the local environment. He sent letters to members of local government and television reporters. He also called on his neighbors to oppose the building of the houses.

    Although he was only 12 years old, he had the courage and wisdom of a person much older.

    Andrew's teachers described him as a gentle, shy and active. His classmates also admired how much he knew about local animals and plants, and the environment. Each day after school, Andrew went door-to-door, to ask the people to sign(签字), who did not want the houses to be built. In only one month, he got the signatures of 250 people.

    In the end, the land remained a safe place for birds, animals and plants that belonged there.

    Andrew won many prizes for his brave and great work to stop the houses being built, and he helped save the environment.

    Years ago a heavy rain hit Chongqing and made the Yangtze River rise.

    When the rain stopped, people found that a dog, later named Huahua, swam across the river to an island(小岛)twice a day for two weeks. Why? Because Huahua's four children were there. The mother dog swam there every day to feed her babies. This story touched many people

    Not only humans but animals are responsible. Animals know love as we humans do, and Huahua is only one of them. British scientist Jane Goodall spent 14 years living with chimpanzees(黑猩猩) in Africa. She found that chimpanzees cared for each other when others got hurt or lost parents.

    Two birds in Chengdu showed their parental love. Their baby was hurt and fell on the street in the centre of the city. Cars were driving past but the brave parents flew down to the road and took the little bird away with their claws(爪子).

    Animals not only love their own children, but also care for other animal babies. A chimpanzee named Anjana in an American animal research centre takes care of a baby lion. She feeds the lion carefully every day. "They are just like mother and son, "said a worker at the centre.

    One day King Henry was hunting in a forest. Towards evening he told his men to ride home by the main(主要的) road while he went home by another.

    As he came out of the forest, he saw a little boy. "Well, my boy," said the king. "Are you looking for your father?" "No, Sir," answered the boy. "I am looking for the king. They say he is hunting in the forest." Oh, if that is your wish, "said King Henry, "I'll take you to the place where you will see him."

    The boy got up and sat behind the king. On the horse, the king and the boy began to talk. "They say that King Henry always has many men with him," said the boy. "How can I know which he is?" "Oh, it's easy. All the other men will take off their hats, but the king will keep his on." "Do you mean that the one with his hat on will be the king?" "Of course." Soon they came into the main road. The king's men greeted the king by taking off their hats. "Well, my boy," said King Henry, "Which do you think is the king now?" "I don't know," answered the boy," it must be either you or I, because we both have our hats on"