On the first day of the school, our teacher made us know somebody. Looking out, we found an old woman1at the door. She came in and said, “Hi, my name is Susan. I am seventy years old”. All of us were2that she took this3 at her age. She said with a smile. “I'm here to meet a rich husband, get 4, have two children and travel together. ” Hearing this, all of us laughed. “ In fact, ” she went on, “I have always5of having a college education, and now it comes6! ”

    After class we had chocolate and milk together. We became good7. I often listened to this “time machine” as she shared her8with me. At the end of the term we invited Susan to give a9in the class. When she was in the front of the classroom, suddenly she found she took the wrong paper. She felt a little10and said, “I am sorry. I am so nervous. I can't get my ready talk11, so I have to tell you12I know. “

    In her speech she told us “We don't stop playing as we are old, we grow old13we stop playing. The secret of staying 14and being happy is that we should laugh and find something 15 to do every day. I think there is a great16between growing old and growing up. I am seventy now. If I17in bed for one year and never do anything, I'll become seventy-one. Since(既然) anybody can grow older, my18 is to grow up by always finding the chance to change. Growing older can't be avoided, growing up can be19. It's never too late to be all you can possibly be. ”

    During the four years' study, it was so easy for Susan to make friends20she went. In the end, the wonderful woman finished all her courses and got the college degree (学位).

    Every year, a magazine called Executive Travel organizes a competition to find the best airline of the year. Travelers from all over the world are invited to vote for the most punctual(准时的), the safest and the friendliest airline. The competition also invites them to tell their most frightening stories during their travels. Now let's read some travelers' tales of1 flying experiences.

    One traveler shared his story which happened on an African airline. The flight had been overbooked(超额预定).The flight staff picked the2 out by saying that all passengers with boarding cards run around the plane twice; the 3 getting the seats.

    Another overbooked flight that was going from Heathrow Airport to America gave a traveler a bit of a shock. Dressed only in trousers, a shirt and socks, the traveler had been allowed to leave the plane to see 4 he could get a friend aboard. But when he 5a few minutes later, he found the plane closed up and about to start moving—with his shoes, wallet, passport and luggage on board. Striking heavily on the door, he was allowed to get back inside.

    Luggage is also a rich source of horror stories. There was the unlucky traveler who left Chicago where the temperature was-11℃. He was going to attend an important meeting in Dallas where the temperature was as 6 as 26.7℃. Unfortunately, his suitcase had gone to Los Angeles and wasn't able to be sent to him before the meeting. So he had to attend the meeting in a thick suit, a heavy overcoat and a fur hat.

    An old man went to India. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit for sale, but much of it was very 1. Only a big basket of red fruit was cheap.

    "How much per kilo?" the old man asked. "Two rupees(卢比，印度货币单位), "the shopkeeper answered. Two rupees in India is almost2, so the old man bought a whole kilogram and started eating it.

    However, as soon as he started eating, his3began to burn, his eyes began to water, and his whole face became as4 as the fruit. As he coughed and struggled to breathe(呼吸), he5up and down, screaming(尖叫)："Ah！Ah！Ah！"

    And yet he6to eat the fruit！

    Some people saw him and said, "Those are chili peppers(红辣椒)！You can't just eat them by the handful！"

    The old man said, "I7for them, so I must eat them."

    This old man must seem pretty stupid. But are we much smarter？All of us have8money, time and effort(努力)into something maybe a relationship, or a business, or a job-and sometimes, 9we know there's no hope that things will change, we still continue with it. Why？Because we've put in all that money, time and effort.

    What we can learn from the old man is this：If you've lost a lot for something that doesn't work, let it go and10. It's better than continuing to lose.

Mobile phones are becoming more and more popular not only with adults but also with students. However, they also have become a problem for middle schools in the last few years.

Some children have got mobile phones as Christmas or birthday gifts, and more will ask their parents to buy phones for them.

Many students like mobile phones because they are easy and quick. Some parents feel it convenient because they can get in touch with their children. Some teachers think using mobile phones is a distraction(分心的事)to students during school hours and mobile phones also give them much trouble in their classrooms. Sometimes students send phone messages to cheat(作弊)during exams. A new study says that some teenagers even hurt their fingers because of the over-use of mobile phones. They keep using mobile phones for more than ten hours during a day.

Many teachers suggest that students should not have phones at school, but if there is a good reason, they can leave their phones at the school office. Many people think they understand why parents would want their children to have them, but they agree school should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.