George Stephenson was born in 1781 in a poor family. He had to start work when he was only eight. When George was fourteen，he became his father's helper. He spent a lot of time learning about engines. On holidays, he often took one engine into pieces and studied each piece carefully. Soon he became a very good worker though he could not read or write.

    He began to learn the English letters when he was seventeen years old. Every day after he did twelve hours of hard work，he walked a long way to have lessons from a young teacher.

    On his eighteenth birthday, he wrote his own name for the first time in his life. George invented many things in his life. The train was the greatest one among them. Today when we watch or take trains from one place to another, we will think of this great man—George Stephenson.

    A smuggler(走私犯) drove to the border. When a soldier looked in the truck， he was surprised to find six big bags.

    “What's in them?” the soldier asked.

    “Dirt，” the smuggler answered.

    “Take them out，” the soldier said. “I want to check them.”

    The smuggler opened the bags， and sure enough， each one of them was filled with dirt. So the soldier let him go.

    A week later， the smuggler came back， and once again， the soldier looked in the truck.

    “What's in the bags this time?” he asked.

    “Dirt， more dirt，” said the smuggler.

    Not believing him， the soldier checked the bags and， once again， he found nothing but dirt.

    The same thing happened every week for six months， and the soldier finally became so frustrated(沮丧的) that he left and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Then one night， the smuggler went to the restaurant and had a drink. The waiter saw him and said， “Listen! Drinks are free tonight if you tell me what you were smuggling all that time.”

    Slowly， the smuggler got close to the waiter and said， “Trucks.”

    One day, Jack received a call. It was his mother: "Mr Depp died last night," his mother said. Memories flashed through Jack's mind like an old film. He sat quietly remembering his childhood days. It had been so long since Jack thought of the old man who used to live next door. In fact, he had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his family.

    "Well, he didn't forget you," his mother continued. "Every time I saw him, he'd recall the days you spent with him."

    "He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important," Jack said. "Mum, I'll be there for the funeral."

    Though Jack was very busy, he kept his word. He flew to his hometown. After the funeral, Jack and his mother looked at the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack stopped suddenly.

    "What's wrong, Jack?" his mother asked.

    "The box is gone," he said. "There used to be a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most'."

    About two weeks later, Jack received a parcel (包裹). On it, the name Harold Depp caught his attention. He couldn't wait to open it and a small gold box appeared in front of him. In it, there was a beautiful gold pocket watch with a note. Jack's hands shook as he read these words: Jack, thanks for your time! Harold Depp.

    "The thing he valued most…was…my time." Jack held the watch for a few minutes, and then called to cancel his appointments (预约) for the next two days.

    "Why?" Janet, his assistant, asked.

    "I need some time to spend with my mother, wife and son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet…thanks for your time!"

    Mr. and Mrs. Turner live outside a small town. They have a big farm and they are always busy working on it. Their son, Peter, studied at a middle school. The young man studied hard and did well in his lessons. It made them happy.

    Last month Peter finished middle school and passed the entrance examination (升学考试). Mrs. Turner was very happy and told the farmers about it.

    Yesterday morning the woman went to the town to buy something for her son. On the bus she told one of her friends how clever and able her son was. She spoke very loudly. All the people in the bus began to listen to her.

    "Which university (大学) will your son study in?" a woman next to her asked.

    "In the most famous university in our country!" Mrs. Turner said happily.

    "The most famous university?"

    "Oxford University (牛津)."

    Most of the passengers (乘客) looked at her carefully. Some of them said to her, "Congratulations!"

    A woman said, "I'm sure he'll know Fred Smith."

    "Who's Fred Smith?"

    "He's my son."

    "Does he study in the university, too?"

    "No," said the woman. "He is one of the professors."