A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees he grew.

    One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but he did not know where to plant it.

    He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbours would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his woods. But without sunlight and good soil(土壤), the tree soon died.

    Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily and then told what he had thought.

    "Yes, "said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed(毁掉) a good apple tree!"

    Do some colours makes you feel calm while others give you energy? Scientists have studied the connection between colour and mood(心情) for a long time. Many believe that colour can influence our moods.

    Warm, bright colours such as yellow and red are positive colours. They can give people a pleasant feeling. Cool colours such as blue, purple, and green are relaxing colours. They help people experience calm feelings.

    Many public places are decorated(装饰) with certain colours in order to create certain moods. Orange makes people feel hungry, and many restaurants are painted in this colour.

    People use colour in their homes to create moods as well. Blue is a peaceful colour. It helps you rest, so it is a very good colour for a bedroom.

    Colours can also create bad moods. Some types of blue make people feel sad. Red can make people feel angry.

    What is your mood right now? Now look at the colour of the walls round you. Does it match your mood?

    Attention, please. We have exciting news for you today. Our yearly Short Story Competition for teenagers is now open.

    The regular（常规）subjects "friendship" and "hobbies" are still choices, but this year we have a new subject "travel". Your stories should be fewer than 2,000 words. You can send your stories to the organizer, Mr. Smith in Room 209. There is an amazing prize for you. The best story will be printed in the magazine, New Writers. Don't forget to hand in your stories before September 30^th.

    And you will know the results on October 15^th.

    So get your thinking hats on. For more information, visit our school website.

    Earthquakes often happen and you may hear about the earthquake in Songyuan of Jilin Province these days. So we must know some advice about protecting ourselves.

⑴You should do earthquake practice and teach your children about earthquake safety. Everyone in the family should do some earthquake practice often. It's very important.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

⑵It's necessary to prepare yourself and your family. All family members should know how to turn off gas, water and electricity and know useful telephone numbers(120, 110, 119, etc)  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

⑶If you are indoors, quickly move to a safe place in the room such as under a strong desk or a strong table. The purpose is to protect yourself from falling objects. Stay away from windows, large mirrors and so on. If you are cooking, turn off the gas.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

⑷If you are outdoors, move to an open area like a playground. Move away from buildings, bridges and trees. If you are driving, stop the car as soon as possible, stay away from bridges and tall buildings. Stay in your car.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

⑸Once the shaking has stopped, DO NOT run out of the buildings at once. It's better to wait and leave when it is safe. If your building is badly broken, you should leave it.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Nowadays, reading is becoming more and more important, so teachers always encourage(鼓励)their students to read more famous work like The Little Prince, Charlotte's Web and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and so on .

    Among them, the students like Charlotte's Web best. It's written by American author E.B. White .The novel tells a story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte on a farm. When Wilbur is in danger of being killed for his meat by the farmer, Charlotte writes a message to praise（表扬） Wilbur in her web and saves him. Wilbur becomes famous in the village and he is safe in the end. When it came out in 1952, the book was welcomed by adults and children. And it's still very popular today.