Jodie's Daddy is a Garbageman (垃圾清理工)

      Mr. Swales wanted to find out what his students' parents did. He had just called Jodie when some girls burst out laughing. Shirley shouted, “Jodie's Daddy is a Garbageman!”

      Everybody in the class laughed out loud, except Jodie. She felt her face turn red.

      “Silence!” Mr Swales said, “Being a garbagemen is a difficult and useful job. We should all be thankful to Jodie's father.”

      Jodie's father came to walk her home from school as usual, but she didn't run up to him the way she always did. When they got back home, Jodie went to her room and cried for a long time.

      Her father came into her room, “What happened, Jodie? Why are you so sad?”

      Jodie told her father what had happened and looked at him. He didn't seem angry or hurt. “Well,” he said, “they are right. Being a garbageman is a dirty job. Tomorrow's Saturday. Come to work with me, Jodie.”

      The place really smell too good. Jodie wrinkled her nose. “Don't worry, kid. In five minutes you won't smell a thing.” said her father.

      Everybody there was working hard, and they seemed to have a good time. Jodie's father handed her a pair of gloves and told her to get the little plastic bags and throw them into the truck.

      It was fun, but also hard work. Jodie's arms soom got tired. At last, no more garbage was left and Jodie felt very happy.

      “Garbage is disgusting, but when we clear it away, everything's nice and clean. You can make yourself happy only by making other happy. That's why I like being a garbageman so much.”

      Jodie give her dirty, smeely garbageman daddy a big kiss(吻). She said, “When I grow up, I will be a garbagegirl!”

      Now whenever someone asks Jodie what her daddy does, she says, “He's a garbageman! Everybody makes garbage, but my daddy takes it away!”

    A group of old classmates, who have succeeded in their work, got together to visit their teacher. Their conversation soon turned to complaining(抱怨) about the stress(压力 ) in their work and life. The teacher went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and many cups. Some of the cups are expensive and lovely, but some are cheap and not beautiful.  The teacher told them to help themselves to the coffee.

     When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the teacher said, "Have you noticed all the nice looking expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the cheap ones? It's OK for you lo want only the best for yourselves, but that is why you have the stress in your work and life even if you're very successful now. "

    "All of you really wanted the coffee, not the cups, but you cheese the beast cups and were eyeing each other's cups.

    "Now think about this: life is the coffee, and money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold life. They do not change the quality (质量) of life. Sometimes, we just care about the cups, and we fail to enjoy the coffee. So, don't let the cups drive you; enjoy the coffee instead. "

    Have you ever been to America? I was only an 11-year-old girl when my parents 1 me that we would soon move to America. We were on the bus then. I cried. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never 2 the radio programme for school children again which I listened to every morning.

    In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying 3 to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving, I even felt a little 4 because I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures.

    The first four years in America taught me the 5 of optimism (乐观), but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost. I had to study in three schools and spent most of my time learning the English language. I hardly had any time for 6. Sometimes I did not quite know what l was or what I should be. My mother 7 and things became even harder for me. It took me some time to get used to staying with my stepfather (继父). I was often 8, and saw no end to "the hard times". I had to do many things for the family since I knew English better than everyone else at home.

    9, things got better and better later and almost all common troubles 10 at last. From those experiences I have learnt one important rule: Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little.

    Hello! I'm Emma Brown. I'm 13 years old. My phone number is 621-9843. Look at this picture. The boy and the girl in the picture are Dave Green and Mary Green. Dave Green and Mary Green are brother and sister. Dave Green is my aunt's son, and he is 12 years old. His phone number is 230-0963. Mary Green is my aunt's daughter, and she is 10 years old. Her phone number is 230-0965.