Long, long ago there lived an old man. He had a very big orange tree in his garden. On the tree there were many fine oranges.

    One day the old man found one of the oranges was bigger than the others. It was as big as a watermelon. So he took the big orange to the king. The king was very happy and gave the old man a lot of money for it.

    When a rich man heard of this, he said to himself, "It is only an orange. Why did the king give him so much money? If I take my gold cup to the king, he will give me much more money for it."

    The next day when the king got the gold cup, he said to the rich man,"What a beautiful cup! I'll give you something for it. Please take the great orange."

    Is it difficult for you to get up in the morning? Are you often late for work or school? Yes? Then a scientist called Mike has a special bed for you. His Bed will get you up in the morning! Here is how it works!

    The bed is connected to an alarm clock. First, the alarm clock rings. You have a few minutes to wake up. Next, a tape recorder in the bed plays soft music and then your girlfriend's beautiful voice comes, “Wake up, darling, please.” A few minutes later, loud music comes from the tape recorder. At the same time, you may hear the voice of your boss. Your boss shouts angrily, “ Wake up at once, or you'll be late!” If you don't get up after that, you'll be sorry! A plastic “foot” is in the bed. It kicks you in the head. Then the bed waits for a few more minutes. What! You're still in bed! Slowly the top of the bed rises higher and the foot of the bed goes lower. Finally, you fall off the bed and onto the floor. You are out of the bed and awake!

    Mike made his bed because he wanted to take part in a competition. Mike won one of the top prizes for his bed.

How to Be the World's Best Guest

    Do you want to be a popular guest who gets invited back? Read our five top tips (建议) for being a good guest.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴If you are in a formal(正式) situation, dress smartly: a suit and tie for men, a long skirt and jacket for women.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵If you are going to stay in someone's house, don't arrive empty-handed. Bring a small present if you are staying for a short time, a bigger one for longer periods. Expensive chocolate works in most situations.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶To shake hands or to kiss? Wait to see what your host does.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷Always accept it when offered, whether it looks terrible or delicious. Try to eat all of it and say it tastes good. Most people are proud of their cooking even if they shouldn't be. Don't hurt their feelings.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸he most important tip for being a good guest is to know when to say goodbye. The secret is to leave while the host is still enjoying your company and wants you to stay longer.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Sometimes you can find a job easily, by walking into a local store and looking at its notice board(布告栏). Local stores often have areas for people to put small signs telling the services that they need or they can provide. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Another popular tool for finding a job is the Internet. For example, people around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy things, meet people or find a job.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Another useful way to find a job is through a university. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many college students like this way better.

    At times, some experts(专业人士)can also help people find a job. Susan Miller has her own company called California Job Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find a job by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So with her help, many people have succeeded in finding a good job.

    Hello, everyone! I will tell you something about my trip to the U.K.

    When I got to London Heathrow International Airport, I began my visit. First, I went to a senior high school. I was happy on the first night there because I lived with a kind family, the Whites. It was a big family. They were very friendly to me. They helped me do many things. When I wanted to write to my friends, they let me use their computer. When I lost my camera, they helped me look for it.

    After some days, I went to another two schools. I lived in the Smiths' house. There were four people in the family. I was surprised that the parents were from two countries.

    It was a nice trip and I was happy to be with the two families. They would be my friends forever.

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.