People normally think of dogs as man's best friend, but to Brian Wilson, his two pet parrots are his best friends.

    It all began in 1995, when Brian was still a firefighter. A car accident caused serious damage to his brain. After several months of treatment, Brian's doctors said that he would never talk again and that he would have to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home.

    However, according to Brian, his two pet parrots didn't give up easily. They kept talking to him day and night, until one day, he said one word, then another, and all of a sudden was talking like a normal person again!

    Brian was so thankful that he decided to set up a home for birds which are not wanted by their owners. Now, his house is home to about 80 birds, including a great variety of birds like several macaws, cockatoos and African gray parrots. The birds fly around from room to room, some cackling (咯咯叫), others talking like humans. Though they all have big cages, Brian lets them fly freely inside the house.

    Over the years, Brian has developed a special relationship with birds. The birds that bite other humans, seem to like him and can get along with him well. He is now called a bird whisperer (鸟语者). Brian pays for most of the costs of looking after the birds with his own money, but has recently established a foundation (基金会) to accept donations. He and his birds also earn money by performing at birthday parties, weddings and other social events.

    For people who want to adopt (领养) Brian's birds, they have to volunteer at the foundation for three months before they can take the pet home.

    I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store. A nicely dressed little girl was 1 the teddy bears beside her father 2 she saw a little boy walk in and stop in front of the Pokemon toys. His jacket was obviously too small. He had money in his hand. However, it looked no more than five dollars at most. He was with his father, and kept picking up the Pokemon video games. Each time he showed 3 to his father, his father shook his head, "No".

    Rather disappointed, the boy gave up the video games and chose a book of stickers 4. After they walked away, the little girl ran over to the Pokemon video games. She excitedly picked up one 5 on top of the others, and ran toward the check-out. I picked up my purchases（购买物）and 6 the girl and her father.

    Then, much to the little girl's satisfactory（满意）, the little boy and his father got in line 7 her and me. After the video was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier（收银员）and said something to her in a low voice. The cashier smiled and put the 8 under the counter（柜台）. I was putting things in my bag when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier said, "Congratulations, you're my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!" and she handed the boy the Pokemon game. The boy could hardly believe his ears. It was, he said, 9 what he had wanted! The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway, and I saw the biggest and prettiest smile on that little girl I have seen in my life.

    I suddenly understood that the world is not 10 into the strong who care and the weak who are cared for. We must each in turn care and be cared.

Two men were travelling together through the forest on a lonely path. Before the travelling, they said they would help each other when there was danger. They had not gone far when a bear rushed towards them from some bushes.

One man was a good climber, and quickly climbed up a nearby tree. The other man tried to climb the tree but failed. Looking at his friend in the tree, he shouted loudly for help. The man in the tree was afraid that his friend under the tree would pull him down, so he didn't give his friend a hand.

The man under the tree, seeing that he had no chance alone against the bear, fell to the ground and pretended to be dead. The bear came nearer and nearer. It made his blood run cold.

The bear came to him, lowered its great head, smelled him all over and touched him with its nose. The bear thought the man was dead, so it went off into the forest again without hurting him. After the bear left, the other man came down from the tree, and smilingly asked his friend what the bear had said to him. "For I could see," he said, "that he put his mouth close to your ear."

"He told me to tell you," replied the other, "that you were a great coward(懦夫), and that it is dangerous to travel with a friend who leaves you behind when there is danger."

Many middle school students don't know how to spend their free time. When they have holidays, they always have nothing to do and feel bored. How can you spend a perfect holiday? Here are some suggestions(建议).

If you like to stay at home, you can do these things. First, you may listen to some light music which helps relax yourself after working for a long time. Second, you can play some indoor(室内的)games such as chess, cards, and able tennis. Third, you can also plant some trees and flowers in your garden to make your home beautiful. Finally, it is also a good way to keep a pet and talk with it. For example, you can chose to keep a dog.

If you don't like to stay at home, you can go for a picnic with your family or friends, take a walk with your parents in a park, or play some sports out of the house. Go out of the house, and you can take some fresh air and keep healthy.

Just have some hobbies(爱好)and you will feel happy during a long holiday.

In space, there was a little grey planet. It looked very 1 , because the people who lived there didn't look after it. They polluted (污染) the whole planet heavily 2 rubbish. As a result, there were few plants and animals left.

One day, a little boy, Jim, was 3 on the planet. When he passed a cave (山洞), he 4 a small red flower inside. The flower was very ill — almost dying, so Jim 5 dug(挖) up the flower. Then he started looking for a 6 to take care of it. He searched all over the planet, but everywhere was polluted so much that there was 7 the flower could possibly live in. Then he looked up at the 8 . It seemed that maybe the plant could live there.

Jim decided to go there. He 9 a spaceship and put the little red flower in the back. Then they 10 to the moon. Far away from all that pollution, the flower soon grew up, giving 11 to others, and these other flowers spread onto other flowers. Soon the flowers 12 the whole moon. When the little boy's flowers came out, the moon gave out a soft red light. It was the most 13 scenery (风景) the boy had ever seen.

Maybe the story is telling us 14 we don't look after the planet, a day will come when flowers can only grow on the moon. So we must be 15 to the planet that we are living on now.