Jack is a twenty-year-old young man. Two years ago, when he finished middle school, he found work in a shop. Usually he works until ten o'clock in the evening. He is very tired when he gets home. After a quick supper he goes to bed and soon falls asleep. His grandma who lives downstairs is satisfied with (满意) him.

    One day, on his way home, he met Mary. They were both happy. He asked the girl to his house, she agreed happily. He bought some fruit and drinks for her. And they talked about their school, teachers, classmates and their future (未来). They talked for a long time.

    "Have a look at your watch, please," said the girl. "What time is it now?" "Sorry, something is wrong with my watch," said Jack. "Where's yours?" "I left it at home."

    Jack thought for a moment and found a way. He began to stamp his foot on the floor, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound woke his grandma up. The old woman shouted downstairs, "It's twelve o'clock in the night, Jack. Why are you still jumping upstairs?"

    Mrs. Brown lives in London.She has two sons.One is James and the other is Bill. They were born on the same day and they look the same. Mrs.Brown likes them very much and always dresses them in the same clothes，hats，shoes and even socks.

    One day James lost(丢失)his hat when he played football on the playground after school.His mother didn't blame(责备)him because she loved him so much.The next day after lunch she went to a shop with Bill's hat.She hoped to buy the same hat for James as Bill's.She wanted them to have the same kind.She asked the shopkeeper to bring out most of the hats.It took her more than an hour to find the same one.At last she chose(选择)one and said happily，"Excuse me，sir.Could you take it to my car，please？”

    "I'm afraid I can't，madam，" said the shopkeeper in a polite(有礼貌的)voice.

    "Why？"the woman asked in surprise.

    "It's your hat，madam，"the man said with a smile."You don't have a new one here."

    "Some gifts are tiny. Some gifts are needed. And some gifts... some gifts are priceless, "says 26-year-old Sarah Bricker of Minneapolis, USA. She had suffered from（受…之苦） hearing loss until she received the gift two years ago for Christmas --her first hearing aids（助听器）. They were from her parents. Here's what else she says:

    "I remember the moment they were fit to my ears. And I remember every first that came after--The first time I heard my mother's voice. The first time I heard my father cry as he realized 1 could hear my mother. The first time I listened to Winter Wonderland on the radio and heard every word clearly. The first time I heard my best friend's voice, calling from England to wish me a Merry Christmas.

    "My hearing aids are probably the best Christmas gift my parents have ever given to me. It might sound strange to say that, but until you lose your hearing, you never fully understand how unbelievablly valuable it is. How you miss the moment your partner says 'I love you. How you miss the jokes that everyone laughs at. How you miss- life. But now I don't miss life anymore."

    However, he hearing aids were more than Just about hearing. They gave Sarah self-confidence（自信）,more chances to make new friends, the courage to take on new challenges. "Every day, they return to me a moment, a sound, a voice. They return to me the kaleidoscope（万花筒） of a life I'd once thought forever dark."

    Do you know Zhang Yunlei? He is a crosstalk performer(相声演员) in Deyun Club. He learns from Guo Degang and is one of his best disciples(徒弟). Now many people like to go to Deyun Club to watch his shows.

    Zhang Yunlei is 27 years old this year. He is from Tianjin.  He is really handsome He is over 180 cm tall, and he is kind of thin. He has a long face, a big nose and he has small eyes. He doesn't wear glasses.

He is funny when he speaks crosstalk, but he is shy in his real life. He works hard to bring happiness to people.

    Abby's father was taking her to visit her grandmother. Abby was going to be away for three months. "I can't leave Tobias behind," she said. "You will have to," said her father. "You can't take Tobias into another country."

    Abby thought it was silly rule. "I will take him," she said to herself. So she put him in a sock and packed it in her bag.

    At the airport, Abby put her bag by the x-ray machine. Abby felt her legs shaking as the bag was going through the machine. She hoped Tobias in the bag made no noise. The woman by the machine smiled and said, "Have a good flight."

    On the plane, Abby waited until her dad and the woman next to her fell asleep. Then she opened the sock to look at Tobias. But he jumped out of the sock and landed on the woman's knee. The woman cried loudly, "A mouse!" Abby quickly put Tobias into the sock and back into her bag.

    Before they landed, Dad filled out a form, choosing no to: Are you bringing any live animals into the country?

    She saw the man frown (皱眉) as her bag went through the x-ray machine. She watched when he opened the bag and pulled out the sock.

"Come with me, please."

    Abby followed her dad into a small room. There was a police officer and Tobias in the sock was on the desk. The police officer talked to Abby's dad, "You have tried to smuggle (走私) an animal into this country." Abby felt fear came all over her body. "It's my fault (过错)," she said in a small voice. "I didn't want to leave him behind." "Have you ever been in trouble before?" the officer asked as he wrote "animal smuggler" next to her name. Abby opened her mouth but no sound came out.

    Tobias had to be in quarantine (隔离) for six months, which cost a lot of money. And Abby wouldn't be able to visit her grandmother again. Now, she learned there was a good reason for rules.