One morning, Mr Black was driving in the country and looking for a small hotel. When he saw an old woman on the side of the road, he stopped his car and said to the old woman, “I want to go to the Sun Hotel. Do you know it?”　

“Yes,” the old woman said,“I will show you the way.” She got into Mr Black's car and they drove about twelve miles. When they came to a small house, the old woman said, “stop here!” Mr, Black stopped and looked at the house.“But this isn't a hotel.” He said to the old woman.

 “No”the old woman answered, “This is my house. And I'll show you the way to the hotel. Turn round and go back nine miles. Then you'll see the hotel.”

    An eight-year-oldgirl heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was thathe was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation (手术)could  1 him now and there was no one to lend themthe money.

    When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle (奇迹)can save him now,” the little girl went to her 2 and pulled all her money from itshiding place and counted it 3.

    She hurried to a drugstore（药店）withthe money 4 her hand. 

  “And what doyou want? asked the salesman. “It's for my little brother,” the girlanswered. “He's really, really 5 and I want to buy a miracle.”

  “Pardon?” said the salesman.

  “My brother Andrewhas  6  badgrowing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So howmuch does a miracle 7?”

  “8we don't sell a miracle here, child. I'm sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.

  “Listen, 9 it isn't enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me 10 it costs.”

    A well-dressedman heard it and asked, “What kind of miracles does your brother need?”

  “I don't know,” she answered with her eyes full of  11. “He's really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can't pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”

  “Howmuch do you have?” asked the man. “$ 1.11, butI can try and get some 12 money,” she answered.

  “Well, what a luck” smiled the man.“$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for little brothers.” He took up the girl's hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your  13 and meet your parents. Let's see if I havethe kind of miracle you need.”

    That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, afamous 14. The operation was 15 and it wasn't long before Andrew was homeagain.

    A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin (顽童) was walking around the shining car. "Is this your car, sir?" he asked. Paul answered, "Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas."

    The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it did cost you nothing? Sir, I wish…" He hesitated (犹豫). Paul thought of course he knew what the boy wanted, but what the boy said surprised him greatly. "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

    Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said. "Would you like to take a ride in my car?" "Oh yes, I'd love to," the boy answered.

    After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Sir, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big car.

    But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled (残疾的) brother. He sat down on the step and pointed to the car.

    "There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm going to give you one just like it. Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

    Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed elder brother climbed in beside him and the three began an unforgettable holiday ride.

    An elephant and a crocodile were once standing beside river. They were disputing which was the better animal。

    "Look at my strength," said the elephant. "I can pull up a tree, roots and all, with my trunk"

    "Ah! But your skin is not nearly so thick as mine," replied the crocodile." No knife or tooth can cut through it."

    Just as they were coming to blows, a lion happened to pass.

    "My dear friends!" said the King of all animals, going up to them. "Let me know the cause of your disagreement."

    "Will you kindly tell us which is the better animal?" cried both at once.

    Certainly, "said the lion, pointing across the river." Do you see the soldiers metal hat on that wall?"

    "Yes!" replied the beasts.

    "Well, then," continued the lion, "go and get it, and bring it to me, and I shall be able then to decide between you."

    Upon hearing this, off they started. The crocodile, being used to the water, reached the opposite side of the river first, and was soon standing beside the wall.

    Here he waited till the elephant came up. The elephant, seeing that the crocodile had no way of reaching their goal, raised his long trunk, and took down the hat quite easily.

    They then made their way together back again across the river. The elephant was trying to keep up with the fast-moving crocodile in the water and became careless. When he was forced to turn sharply to avoid a floating tree branch, the elephant dropped the hat and it fell to the river bottom. The crocodile noticed the accident, so down he dived, and brought it up in his huge mouth. They then returned, and the crocodile laid the metal hat at the lion's feet. The King took it up, and turning to the elephant, said:

    "You, because of your size and trunk, were able to reach the hat on the wall but, having lost it, you were unable to get it back. And you, said the lion to the crocodile, "although unable to reach the hat, were able to dive for it and save it. You are both wise and able in your own ways. One is no better than the other."

    One dark night, two blind men were going home from work. "I need to buy some 1." said one of them suddenly.

    "OK!" replied the second man, "I think I'll buy two or three pairs for 2, too"

    In the shop, the salesgirl asked them. "What size do you wear, sir, and what color would you like?

    "Size eleven. Give me one pair of black socks and two pairs of white, please, answered one of them. "And you, sir?" the salesgirl asked 3 customer. "The same for me. I wear size eleven, too, And the same color the same 4, said the second blind man.

    A moment later they were back in the 5 streets. But just then, a boy riding a bicycle bumped into (撞上) them.

    The blind men dropped all the socks on the ground! All the six pairs- black and white all mixed up. The boy quickly said sorry and left. The two blind men 6 all the socks but couldn't tell which were black and which were white. 7 could they be sure that each of them got one pair of black socks and two pairs of white?

    They tried to ask for help. But 8 else was in the streets.

    One of them soon 9 the problem Can your guess how he made it? They separated each pair of socks and both took one sock 10 each pair. When they got home, each of them had two black socks and four white ones —just what they wanted. Weren't they smart?