Hans Christian Andersen, a great Danish (丹麦的) writer, is very famous for his fairy tales(童话). He wrote a lot of best-known stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling. His fairy tales have brought happiness to children across the world. The tales have versions (版本) of over a hundred languages.

    Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. When he was still a young boy, he was already very clever and imaginative (富于想象力的). He created a small toy theatre and made clothes for his puppets (木偶). He also loved reading.

    In 1816, his father died and he learned to be a tailor (裁缝). Later he worked in a factory. At the age of fourteen, Andersen moved to the capital of Denmark to become an actor and gave performances (演出) in the Royal Danish Theatre. However, his voice changed when he grew older, so the job had to stop. Then he began to write poems and fairy tales.

    In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and didn't get well again. He lived until 1875 and died peacefully at the home of his close friends.

    John gets up early from Monday to Saturday, because he must go to school before 7:30 on weekdays and go to the Drawing Club at 8:00 on Saturday mornings. He usually goes to the bookshop on Saturday afternoons, and after supper he watches TV until(直到) midnight.

    He doesn't get up early on Sundays. John's parents both work on Sundays. John always watches TV after he gets up. Then he usually goes to KFC to have a hamburger and some juice for lunch. After that, he goes back home and starts to play computer games until his parents come back. He does his homework after supper. He usually has lots of weekend homework, so he must spend three hours on it. He usually goes to bed at about 11:00 p.m. on Sundays. He often complains(抱怨) he has too much homework to do.

    It's Sunday. There are many people in the bus. And an old man is looking here and there. He wants to find an empty sea（t  座位）. Then he finds one. He goes to it. A small bag is on the seat. And a young man is sitting beside it.

    "Is this seat empty（空的）?" asks the old man.

    "No, it's for a woman. She goes to buy some bananas." says the young man.

    "Well," says the old man, "Let me sit here please. When she comes back, I will leave here." The bus starts（启动）.

    "She doesn't come, but her bag is here. Let me give her the bag." Then the old man throws the bag out of the bus window.

    The young man jumps up and shouts, "Don't throw（扔）! It's my bag!"

    Sharon Reasonover first started volunteering at the age of 16. She hadn't really understood the meaning behind doing something for others until that summer day.

    Sharon got to the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Dallas, Texas. RMH is a "home away-from-home" for families so they can spend little money or no money to stay close by their sick children.

    Sharon remembered her first time walking into RMH-nervous and afraid of doing something wrong. After only 5 minutes, she began to communicate with families. "That day, I played with kids, laughed with their parents, and heard so many stories," says Sharon.

    Now Sharon is a 21-year-old student at the University of North Texas. She is still volunteering with RMH. "I met so many people there, and they changed my life," she says.

    A smile that Sharon will always remember came from a girl named Caroline. Caroline was badly ill, and she had great difficulty in eating. One day, Caroline's mom was angry with her, because she refused to have dinner. To help, Sharon said to Caroline that if she ate 5 bites. Sharon would do whatever she wanted. Little Caroline ate dinner that day, and Sharon had to dance in front of everyone! Although Caroline has passed away (去世), Sharon will never forget her smile.