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    A long time ago, there was an emperor. He had a beautiful garden. In the garden, there was a little nightingale(夜莺) singing very beautifully.

    One day, the emperor heard about this little bird's beautiful voice. He asked his guards to bring her to him. As soon as the emperor heard the nightingale's voice, he said, "Put her in a golden cage, so she can stay and sing for me whenever I want to hear her sing."

    The little bird was so unhappy about being kept in the cage that she stopped singing one day. The emperor was very angry. He ordered the scientists in his palace to make a robot bird for him. The bird could sing very beautifully, too. The emperor was pleased.

    Soon the robot bird became old. It no longer sang beautiful songs. Just at that time, the emperor became very weak. One morning, while lying in bed, the emperor wanted it to sing once again. But the robot bird couldn't sing any more.Suddenly the nightingale landed on the window. She began to sing her most beautiful song. The emperor was very happy! He became better and better each day.

    After the emperor was well, he changed a lot and became kind to his people. From then on, all his people cherished(爱戴) him for his love and kindness.

    We were on a visit to Monkey Island. Jim thought we should try water skiing(滑水).

    We can get a boat and ski at Monkey Island.

   Don't go water skiing near Monkey Island today,” said the woman standing near the boats. “There might be sharks（鲨鱼） in the water.”

    “I don't think so.” said Jim who thought he knew everything.

    “I wouldn't go water skiing in the sea near Monkey Island today,” said the man with the woman. “They saw sharks in the water yesterday.”

    “The sharks won't hurt me,” said Jim with a big smile on his face.

      Another man getting out of a boat said, “I'm sure we just saw a shark in the water a few minutes ago.”

    “Don't worry about me,” said Jim. “I don't worry about sharks.”

    Jim and his two friends, Bill and Bruce pushed the boat into the water. Jim was driving the boat. He drove very fast and sprayed water on everyone standing near the boat.

    Jim drove the boat to the middle of the sea near Monkey Island. Everyone could see him and the boat. He wanted to show everyone how well he could water ski.

    “You drive the boat, Bill,” Jim said. “Bruce, you watch me and the rope while I water ski.”

    “What about the sharks?” asked Bill.

    “Forget about the sharks,” said Jim. “I'm not afraid of sharks.”

    Jim got into the water. He was putting his feet in the water skis. Then Jim felt something large and hard touch his leg as it swam past him. Suddenly, a brown fin(鳍) moved through the water towards Jim.

    Later, when Bill and Bruce stopped laughing, they said, “We never saw anyone move so fast! You were running on top of the water to get back in the boat! You even left the water skis in the water.

    “There it is again! Shark! Shark!” cried Jim.

Everyone laughed—even the people standing on shore.

    The dolphin（海豚） came to surface again, took a deep breath, smiled at Jim and went back down into the deep water.

    Mary is an American girl. She is now in Beijing with her parents. Mary doesn't know much Chinese, but she is studying it. She often speaks Chinese with her Chinese friends. Sometimes they can't understand her, because she can't speak Chinese very well.

    It's Saturday morning. She goes out. She is walking in the street. She wants to go to the zoo to see the elephants and monkeys, but she doesn't know how to get there. She asks a Chinese boy the way. The boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen and a piece of paper. She draws an elephant on it, and shows the picture to the boy. The boy understands, and shows her the way to the zoo.

    A boy was sitting on the steps of a door one day. He had a stick in one hand,1in the other hand a large piece of bread and butter, which somebody had kindly given him. While he was eating it and singing a song happily, he saw a poor little dog quietly2not far from him. He called out to it, “Come here, poor dog!”

    Hearing this, the dog woke up, rose with its ears3and wagged its tail. Seeing the boy eating, it came near him. The boy held out to it a piece of his bread and butter. As the dog stretched out its head to take the4, the boy quickly drew back his hand and hit it5on the nose. The poor dog ran away,6loudly, while the cruel boy sat, laughing at the trick he had done.

    A gentleman, who was looking from a window on the other side of street, saw what the7boy had done. Opening the street door, he called him to8over, at the same time9up one dollar between the finger and thumb.

    “Would you like this?” said the gentleman.

    “Yes, if you10, sir,” said the boy, smiling, and he quickly ran over to seize the11.

    Just as the boy stretched out his hand, the gentleman hit12on the knee with an umbrella. “Why did you do that?” shouted the boy angrily. He made a very13face and cried, “I didn't hurt you, nor ask you for money.”

    “14did you hurt that poor dog just now?” said the gentleman. “It didn't hurt you, nor ask you for bread and butter. As you served it I have served you. Now, remember it can feel as well as you, and learn to behave15towards animals in future.”

    On Christmas Eve a few days ago, an English couple, the Hardens, got a very special call. It was only a 20-second call but it was very 1. The Hardens' 15-year-old daughter has gone 2 six months before. On Christmas Eve she rang them. ＂I'm phoning to wish you a happy Christmas,＂ she said, ＂I love you.＂ Ronals and Edwine Harden were so 3 that they started a special telephone service （服务）called ＂Alive and Well＂. The service helps 4 to get in touch with children who have run away from home.

    Young people can phone ＂Alive and Well＂ and leave a message for their parents. The telephones are answered by answering machines. So 5 can speak to the child or make him return home. Parents of runaway children who are 6 eighteen can ask the police to bring their children home. So children do not want to tell their parents where they are. Through ＂Alive and Well＂ they can telephone their parents and they do not 7 about this or give out their addresses.

    The Hardens and their helpers 8 the telephone messages and connect（联系）the addresses given. About 30,000 British teenagers have left home and many of them are probably in 9. For only two pence（便士）they can go into a telephone coin box and call their parents. They can dial 5675339 and 10 a parent worrying: Is he dead or alive?