Alan worked in an office in the city. He worked very hard and really looked forward to his holiday. He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an ad in a newspaper Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at William Farm. Good food, fresh air, horse riding, walking, fishing.

    "This sounds like a good idea," he thought, "I'll spend a month at William Farm. I'll go horse riding, walking and fishing. It'll be different from the seaside." Four days later, he returned home.

    "What's wrong with William Farm?" his friend Jack asked him. "Didn't you enjoy country life?"

    "Country life was fine, "Alan said." But there was another problem."

    "Oh, what problem?"

    "Well, the first day I was there, a sheep died, and we had roast（烤好的）mutton for dinner. "

    "Fresh meat is the best."

    "I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner."

    "Lucky you!"

    "You don't understand, "Alan said." On the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner. "

    "A different roast every day, "Jack said.

    "Let me finish, "Alan said." On the fourth day a farmer died and I didn't want to stay there for dinner. "

    For years I wanted a flower garden. I'd spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

    But then we had Matthew, and Marvin, and the twins, Alisa, and Alan, and then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

    Money was tight (拮据的), as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, "Do you see a money tree in the yard？Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."

    Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.

    Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow (垂柳), because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on — and I couldn't believe what I saw.

    There was a money tree in my yard!

    I went to have a look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. There was also a note among them, "Thank you for your time, Mom. We love you."

    Later, my children bought me tools, a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.

    That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and take care of my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.

    I live in a city where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out of my window and think of the flowers, I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes— every time.

    I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!

    Hello, I am Linda. I am from Class 1, Grade 7. My Chinese teacher is Miss Zhou. She comes from Shanghai. She is very thin. She likes reading. My math teacher is Mr. Chen. He is strong. He is good at swimming and running. My English teacher is Miss Li. She has long hair. She is friendly. She likes playing the piano. Mr. Wang teaches us PE. He is very tall. He likes playing basketball and volleyball very much. He often plays volleyball with us on the playground.

    Thomas Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be in the dark. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the motion picture camera and more than 1, 000 other things. About every two weeks he created something new.

    Thomas Edison was born in 1847. He attended school for only three months. His mother taught him at home, but Thomas was mostly educated. He started experimenting at a young age.

    When he was 12 years old, he became a newsboy on a train. experiments on the train in his spare time. Unluckily, his first work experience did not end well. They fired him when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the train. Then Edison worked for more than five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued spending much of his time in experimenting.

    Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard to hear others, but he thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations of every 24 hours. Sometimes his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat.

    Thomas Edison died at the age of 84. He left a great many inventions that greatly improved the quality of people's life all over the world.