Tom has a strong and faithful dog, Bruce. The dog likes playing with Tom. Sometimes he also follows Tom's father to work.
One morning when Tom's father worked in the field, he took off his coat and put it on the ground under a big tree. He turned to the dog and said,“Watch my coat, Bruce!”
   Bruce sat down on the coat. Later Tom's father remembered he had to buy some food. So he hurried to the shop. After shopping, he went home directly and forgot all about his coat and the dog.
   Late in the evening Tom looked for his dog everywhere in the house, but he couldn't find him. At this time Tom's father suddenly remembered his coat and the dog. He went back to the tree at once. He found that Bruce was still sitting on the coat!

    Steve visits the nursing home near his house two afternoons each week. On one of those days, he reads to his friend Martin. On the other afternoon, he plays cards and talks with Mrs. Johnson. Steve enjoys spending his extra time this way. He is a volunteer. A volunteer is a person who helps another person or has a job for which he or she does not get paid. A volunteer donates his or her time for free.

    Everyone else in Steve's family is also a volunteer. Steve's mother Mary volunteers one afternoon each week at the local hospital. She talks to patients, delivers flowers, and helps the nurses with odd jobs. Steve's sister Gina volunteers two afternoons at the museum. She welcomes visitors and answers their questions. Steve's father David also is a volunteer. He is a volunteer fire fighter for the town in which they live.

    Steve's family thinks volunteering is very important. Steve's parents think being a volunteer helps to teach values. Steve and his sister learn how to be kind and respect other people.

    Steve's family does volunteer work to give something back to the community. They want to help people who are not as fortunate as they are.

    A family of volunteers

    There is an apple tree, and it loves a little boy. The boy also likes to come and play around it. One day, he needs a toy, but he has no money, so the tree asks him to sell all the apples on the tree. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Then the boy grows up(长大). He becomes a man.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The tree is very sad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} “Come and play with me!” the tree says. “No, I have to work because I must buy a big house.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}” the man asks. “Sorry, I have no house, but you can cut down all my branches(树枝) and the trunk(树干). You can build the house with them,” the tree answers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After many years, the man becomes older, and he comes back again. “I only have the stump(树桩), but you can have a rest.”

    Remember to love your parents at any time !

Can money buy anything?

    In today's world many people seem to be hungry for money. ⑶Money does have its most useful effect on the poor. But even if a person has already got plenty of money, he may not be happy.

    If money were everything, all millionaires(百万富翁) would have real love, true friendship, good health and a long life. However, this is not always true.

    Nothing else is more pleasant than the three words "I love you" .But can love be bought? I'm afraid not. Love means giving, not taking. To every person, good health and a long life are probably the best things. Well, can health and a long life be bought with money? The answer is "No".

    ⑷Of all the long— lived people in the world, few of them are millionaires. True friendship can't be bought, either. In a word, being greedy for money can cause brothers to quarrel, marriages to end, lovers to hate each other, and strangers to fight. No matter how much money you have, you won't become a happy person if you have no one to laugh with, no one to cry for.