A passenger told an air hostess(空姐) that he needed a cup of water when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water soon.

    Twenty minutes later, when the passenger's ring for service sounded, the air hostess realized it at once. She was kept so busy that she forgot to bring him the water. Therefore, the passenger was held up to take his medicine. She hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused it.

    In the following hours on the flight, each time the air hostess passed the passenger, she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never paid attention to her words.

    When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess to hand him the passengers' booklet(意见簿). She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp(苛刻的) words. But with a smile she handed it to him.

    Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and let out a smile, for the passenger put it: On the flight, you asked me if I needed help for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your twelve sincere smiles?

    That's right! It was the twelve smiles of the air hostess that moved the passenger.

    My grandfather Jack is 96 years old, and he has had an interesting life. He has traveled a lot in his life in the Far East He visited the Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids in Egypt. He hunted (狩猎）lions in Africa, and rode a camel in the Sahara Desert. He says the most beautiful place he has travelled to is Kathmandu in Nepal.

    Jack has married twice. His first wife died when she was 32. He met his second wife Maria while he was cycling round France. They have been married for 50 years, and they have lived happily in a small village since they got married.

    Jack says that he has never been ill in his life. The secret of good health, according to my grandfather, is exercise. He goes swimming every morning. He has done this since he was a boy. He also has a glass of wine every night Perhaps that is his secret!

"Spell ‘champion,'" Scott told his elder sister.

"C-h-a-m-p-i-o-n."

Unsure about it, Scott still cheered, "You'll win the spelling bee (拼写大赛)!"

Lucy thanked, happy but worried, wondering if her dog Senator would be looked after well when she was away for a week.

"Dad and I will keep him perfectly!" said Scott, dreaming of getting his own pet if he could prove himself.

It was time to leave. Dad wished Lucy good luck.

"See you in a w-e-a-k," Scott said.

"W-e-e-k," Lucy corrected him and said, "Bye!"

Each morning Scott woke up early to feed Senator, leaving a note to remind Dad. After that Scott continued to sleep.

A week later, Lucy returned and told the family she failed. Then she found her dog sick. Scott felt sorry but confused, because he'd been a strict direction-follower.

They came to the animal hospital. After the examination, Lucy was angry, "A terrible stomachache! How could Senator put on two pounds in such a short time?"

Dad said, "I only fed him two scoops of dog food every morning."

Scott shouted, "Dad! You fed him again? Didn't you read my note? It says I've fed him!"

It took Lucy a while to understand before asking Scott how to spell "fed".

"F-e-e-d? Scott! ‘Fed' is spelled f-e-d. But your note says f-e-e-d, telling Dad to feed the dog!"

"So Senator was fed twice?" Dad asked.

Scott said sorry, "I just wanted to be responsible so I could get a dog for my next birthday."

"OK. I'll teach you how to spell correctly and train myself for next year's spelling bee," Lucy said.

"You have a few months to practice before you get one for your birthday," Dad added. 

Scott burst into laughter.

"Having a little brother isn't so bad," Lucy told Senator, "if he can help f-e-e-d!"

It was the last day of our final exam. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering (工程学) students were 1 their exam, which would begin in a few minutes. There was 2 on their faces. This was their last exam—then on to graduation and jobs. After four years of college, they felt 3 to see the world. 

The exam, they knew, would be easy. The professor (教授) said they could bring any books or notes they wanted. They entered the room. The professor 4 the papers. And smiles became bigger as the students saw there were only 5 essay (论文) questions. 

Three hours passed. The professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. 6 they looked scared. The professor asked "How many of you finished all five questions?" Not a hand was 7 . 

"How many answered four?" Still no hands. "Three? Two? One; then?" But the class still stayed 8 . The professor put down the papers. "That is exactly what I expected, " he said. "I just want to tell you that9 you have finished four years of college, there are still many things you don't know. The questions you could not answer are about things you will work with every day."

Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, but remember——although you are now college graduates, your education has just started." Not everyone remembers this professor's name. But 10 of his students remember his final lesson. 

 Dawn Loggins was born in North Carolina, America. She had a hard childhood because of her {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (父母) problems. There was {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (从不) enough money for food and living, so the family often lived in buildings without power or running water. Dawn really wanted to learn, but {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (学习) at home was difficult with no lights.

 As she got older, Dawn {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (明白) that education was the only way to change her life. When her parents {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (突然) moved away to Tennessee, she was left behind and moved in with a woman. The woman was a hotel {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (经理). Dawn was finally in a normal home. To make money, she took a job as a school cleaner and worked every day before classes {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (开始). With great efforts, she always got A {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (在······期间) her teenage years and worked even harder. She hoped to get into Harvard {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (大学) one day.

 As the saying goes, "No pains, no gains." Her dream came {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (真的) and she studied biology there. This was a fantastic achievement for a teenager whose life had been far from easy.

 The Palace Museum, a widely visited cultural landmark in Beijing, announced new visiting rules on Thursday. These rules include a ban(禁令) on"interviews" and"commercial(商业的) photography". Without the museum' s permission, activities such as performances, on-site surveys and religious events are not allowed. The new rules will come into effect on June 30. Those who seriously break the rules will be listed as"uncivilized tourists".

 Fang Qiongqiong, a cultural sociologist in Shanghai, said these rules were made to prevent chaos(混乱) and improper behavior at historical sites like the Palace Muse um. She added that balancing the social and cultural role was a difficult task.

 Efforts to stop improper behavior at popular tourist spots in China have increased. The Palace Museum' s ban on commercial photo shoots is a noticeable change. A staff member said commercial photo shoots were often seen at the museum and sometimes put off the closing time.

 The museum's new rules, especially the ban on photography and filming, have become a hot topic on Sina Weibo. Netizens have different opinions. Some wonder if online streaming will also be banned. One netizen supports the new rule, saying the age of short videos is excessive and people can do crazy things in public places to attract attention.

 According to data, the Palace Museum welcomed 30,000 visitors on January 1, one of its busiest days. Tags like"Palace Museum' s autumn view" and"snowy Palace Museum" are popular on The Little Red Book. Chen remarked that the new ban might reduce the museum's exposure(曝光) on the Internet.

 The notice also said day tickets would no longer be sold at the museum entrance. All visitors must make reservations in advance with their real names.