The Man of Many Secrets

    Harry Houdini was one of the greatest American entertainers(表演者·演艺人员) in the theater this century. He was a man famous for his escapes－from prison cells(囚室), from wooden boxes floating in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.

    Of course, his secret was not magic, or supernatural powers. It was simply strength. He had ability to move his toes as well as to move his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.

Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in a New York club. They called themselves the Houdini brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant, but for a long time they were not successful. Then Harry performed his first prison escape, in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspaperman to watch. It was the publicity(名声) that came from this that started Harry Houdini's success.

    Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs(手铐) and toes trained to escape from ankle chains（脚镣）, but his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck－and a small skeleton key（万能钥匙）, which is a key that fits many locks passed quickly from her mouth to his.

    Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local jail of every town he visited. In the afternoon the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? Worldwide fame, and a name remembered today.

I was not surprised when my 89-year-old father called me and said that he wanted to come to my farm. He always liked1and being busy.

He asked, “Peg, I hear you are going to pull sick cows out of the cowshed (牛棚) for2. Do you think I can help pull them out?” He asked me twice after my long silence. I just didn't want to3him, so I had to reply, “Dad, you can come over here and try it.”

We continued to do work on our cows. When there were three left, my father4. I helped him put on the protection suit. For an old man, it was a really5task, but he finally made it. I noticed Dad's tears sparkling in his eyes, which were the tears of6that he still managed to pull three cows out.

My workers were all moved and admired him very much. I also felt7that I had such a great father. During those years, my father worked as a pilot, a pilots' trainer, a husband and a father. He treated everything8. He set an example to me that I should create a better life with hard work,9and responsibility. Bearing this in mind, I went from an ordinary farm worker to an able farm10. I owed all this to my father.

Hello! My name's Mike. I'm a robot(机器人). I'm from China. I live (住) in a nice Chinese family. And there are 1 members(成员) in our family: my father, my mother, Bob and I. In our house(房子), Father, Mother and Bob are very 2 . So I help them.

On weekday mornings, I give morning calls to everyone. Then I cook(烹饪)3 for them.   My father's favorites are eggs, milk and bread. My 4 likes fruit j uice and bread. Bob has beef(牛肉), milk and bread for breakfast. So you can see they all like 5 . After they go to work and school,I wash the dishes(盘) and clean 6 rooms. I have a good rest(休息) and then cook lunch for my family. In the afternoon, I cook dinner for my family. At night, I ask Bob to finish homework(家庭作业) and 7 on time. And I read newspapers for Father and Mother.

On weekends(周末), my family are at home 8 me and play games. We often have 9 weekends because of me. I can find all things in my head and do the things at the right time every week because there is a small 10 in my body(身体).

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