Maria is a beautiful young girl. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. But she is still very insecure(缺乏信心的). She often thinks most of her friends are more beautiful than her. One day a new girl joined her class. Her name is Sarah. She has dark brown hair and green eyes. Maria thought the new girl was beautiful and wished she looked like her. One day she decided to take action.

    She went out and bought some hair dye（染发）. When she returned home, she told her mother what she planned to do.

    "It's your decision," said her mother sadly. "But I think you look beautiful as you are."

    Maria didn't hear what her mother said. She spent a few hours dyeing her hair dark brown. She felt much better and went to school happily the next day. As she reached her class she saw a new blonde girl sitting near the front. Later she knew it was Sarah. Sarah dyed her hair blonde. It was almost the same color as Maria's was before. Sarah turned around and Maria spoke to her.

    "Why do you dye your hair?" asked Maria.

    "Well, I always love your hair' said Sarah.

    Maria sat down and sighed(叹气).

    Summer vacation means long days, sleeping in or enjoying the summer sun. It is quite true for students to enjoy a rest after a long and difficult year. But more and more parents fear their kids forgetting a lot of knowledge, so they send their children to summer schools. Because summer schools have many advantages, they can help children go over the knowledge that they have learnt during the school year.

    In summer schools, students probably study in a more relaxing situation and can come up with interesting topics for discussion with their teachers. Usually, the number of. students attending summer schools is smaller, so this gives them a good chance to connect with other students and teachers better. If a student has failed a course, summer schools may help him or her. Moreover, they are building their creativity(创造力) and imagination(想象力) as well as learning social skills.

    On the other hand, summer schools bring children problems at the same time. It takes children the whole summer vacation to learn without playing. That is too long. As a result, it may make them less interested in school during the coming year.

    For many students, taking summer classes can be a tiring experience. Teachers teach the subject too quickly, where only harms the whole education of students. Summer schools are usually expensive. They usually offer only a few subjects. So many students have to take classes that they don't like.

    A summer school can be a good chance for students who need it, but it can be difficult for students who need a rest. So you can decide whether a summer school is suitable for your children.

    Hi! I'm Tom, the cat. The dog is Huck. We live with our master Miss Brown in New York. Miss Brown gives us the names after the book Tom Sawyer and HuckleberryFinn. In the book, Tom and Huckleberry are friends. Miss Brown hopes (希望) we can be friends too.

    I'm two years old. I like playing ball games with Huck. Huck is good at them too. Sleeping is also my hobby. I feel very good to sleep in the warm sun. Huck is a tall and strong dog. He likes running in the park with Miss Brown every afternoon. I don't go with them. I usually watch TV at home.

    Miss Brown likes travelling with us. We are going to California this summer. It is great, right?

    Mr. Johnson lives outside of the town. His wife is often ill and his six children are studying at school. He works hard but he is often short of money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One afternoon, on Mr. Johnson's way home, it suddenly began to rain. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} His wife washed the clothes and shoes for him and aired them outside. Before she went to bed, she brought the clothes into the room but forgot the shoes.

    The next morning Mr. Johnson couldn't find his shoes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then he went to the police station and told the policemen about it.

   "I paid ten dollars for my shoes, sir," said the man." Look! I have to wear such a pair of worn-out shoes now!"

    Several days later, the police caught a thief and found the shoes. They were worn-out, too.

    "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}" said a policeman." The shopkeeper told me a pair of new shoes like them costs only seven dollars!"

    "You're right, sir," said Mr. Johnson." I've had them for five years and I had them fixed six times. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"

    Hello, everyone. I have something important to tell you. There will be an open English class in the school hall next Monday. Mark, our new foreign English teacher, will give us the lesson. He is from Australia. He will talk about how to study English. All the other English teachers will be there. We should remember the following things. Keep the hall clean. Get everything ready before the class. It lasts forty-five minutes. Arrive there before 8: 30 am. Listen to the teacher carefully. Put up your hand when you want to speak. Be polite to all the teachers.

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