Frank was clever, but he never liked to work hard. He often said to his friends, "If you work hard, you will make a lot of money, but it is not so good. I want easy work and a lot of money. That's the most interesting thing in the world."So he could only be a thief. But he still thought it was too much work, so he only told his friends what to do and got money from them.

    One day, Frank sent one of his friends to a very large and beautiful house. He told him to get money from that rich family. It was evening, and a man and a girl were in the room. They were playing a duet（二重奏） on a piano. Then the thief came into the house. 

    When he returned, Frank asked him what he had got. But he said, "I didn't take anything. That family can't have much money. You know, two people were playing on the same piano there. They did not have money to buy another piano."

B

    July 4, 2015 was American's 239th birthday. This country had an International Hot Dog Eating Competition for the big day.

    Since 2007, Joey Chestnut is always the winner of the competition. His best show was in 2009. He ate 69 hot dogs in ten minutes. This year, Chestnut's winning history came to an end. Matt Stonie, a 23-year-old man won the competition by eating 62 hot dogs. He ate two more than Chestnut. Stonie took home 10,000 dollars as a prize.

    Though it was the young man's first win here, Stonie already won some other eating competitions. He once got the first place in eating the most birthday cake (5.5 pounds in nine minutes).

    Women took part in the competition too. The 2015 women's winner was Miki Sudo who ate 38 hot dogs.

    It is said the competition started on July 4,1916. Now it is one of the traditions (传统) on America's National Day.

    When most 8-year-old children are in school or playing, little Anna Wang from China is looking after her grandmother and great-grandmother.

    The family lives in a poor house in the remote mountains(偏远山区) of Huling, Rui'an. Her mother and father leave her when she is only 3 months old. She has a grandmother and a 92-year-old great-grandmother. Her grandmother is ill(生病的), so she can't look after herself. Anna cooks for them, and helps them with housework every day. Every morning, she gets up early and cooks breakfast for her family. She often cleans the house, and helps them to the toilet(厕所). She has no other family to help her.

    A neighbor(邻居), Lin Feng, with a farm usually gives Anna vegetables, and he helps her carry them to her home. Sometimes he even buys clothes for her and her family. Also Lin Feng teaches her to read and write.

    Little Anna says she does the housework happily because she wants to. She always says "I should be ready to help my family and other people because we should love everyone all over the world."

    Garrison had been treasuring his last piece. All he had left now was a sheet of the beautiful brown paper Pa had brought back from his last sailing trip.

    "You've been quiet," Pa said, "Could I see your picture?"

    Garrison handed over his sketch. Pa studied it, then looked at his son. "You're ten now, eh?" Garrison nodded, hoping Pa wouldn't say that he was too old to be fooling around with pencils and paper.

    "When I was ten, I wanted to work on my father's ship," Pa said, "When Thomas was ten, he asked me to let him plant the corn."

    Garrison's throat (嗓子) tightened. "I know I'm not like either of you." Pa looked at the drawing again.

    "No, you are like both of us. You work hard, like Thomas. And you're like me, too. I have wandering feet, but you have a wandering mind. We need to see things differently.

    Garrison frowned. "I'd rather love the land, like Thomas, or the sea…"

    Pa patted his hand. "Thomas cares about our family very much-that's why he's worked so hard to bring us food. And my love for the sea makes good money. But there's more in life than food and money. There's happiness, for one. Does it make you happy to draw?"

    Garrison nodded.

    "And it makes me happy to look at your drawings. Not many folks can catch happiness on a piece of paper. Some might say drawing's a waste of time, but they don't understand how things are. Why, asking you to stop drawing like asking Thomas to stop farming, or me to stop going to sea. It would be like asking us to stop breathing, wouldn't it?"

    Garrison considered this, then replied, "No, sir. Not quite like breathing. If I couldn't draw any more, it would be… like someone took away my voice." He hung his head. In his mind he could hear Thomas laughing, "It's not like you ever speak up, anyway."

    But Pa patted his shoulder and said, "That would be a pure shame. Your voice is important, Garrison, whether it's out loud or on paper. And speaking of paper…" Pa smiled. "Take a look in my bag."

    Garrison reached into the bag and found a sketchbook. For a moment he was speechless happiness seemed to fill his body and stick in his throat. Then he managed to find his voice. "Oh, Pa-thank you."

 One day, Mario drives(开车) from his house to his mother's house with his dog, Zoe. Because it is his mother's birthday. But his car can't work in the desert(沙漠).

"Who can help me?" Mario says. "No one can help me..."

 Zoe looks at Mario and runs away(离开). Mario is not happy about that.

 The sun is very hot and it's 40℃ every day. Mario doesn't have water or food.

"It's the last day. I will die(死). I can't meet my mother..."

"Woof! Woof!" "Here! Here! There is a man!" Frank runs to Mario.

"You have a good dog. He finds me and I find you."

"Thanks, my Zoe."