During all this time I never stopped thinking about escape. When I traveled across to the other side of the island (岛屿), I could see the other islands, and I said to myself, “Perhaps I can get there with a boat. Perhaps I can get back to England one day.”
So I decided to make myself a boat. I cut down a big tree, and then began to make a long hole (洞) in it. It was hard work, but about six months later, I had a very fine canoe (独木舟). Next, I had to get it down to the sea. How silly I was! Why didn't I think before I began work? Of course, the canoe was too heavy. I couldn't move it! I pulled and pushed and tried everything, but it didn't move. I was very unhappy for a long time after that.
That happened in my fourth year on the island. In my sixth year I did make myself a smaller canoe, but I did not try to escape in it. The boat was too small for a long journey, and I did not want to die at sea. The island was my home now, not my prison, and I was just happy to be alive. A year or two later, I made myself a second canoe on the other side of the island. I also built myself a second house there, and so I had two homes.
My life was still busy from morning to night. There were always things to do or to make. I learnt to make new clothes for myself from the skins of dead animals. They looked very strange, it is true, but they kept me dry in the rain.
I kept food and tools (工具) at both my houses, and also wild goats (山羊). There were many goats on the island, and I made fields with high fences to keep them in. They learnt to take food from me, and soon I had goats' milk to drink every day. I also worked hard in my corn (玉米) fields. And so many years went by.

    It is over a year now since Cathy came to China. She is now living in Nanjing and has worked in a computer factory for six months. The factory is in the north of the city, and her flat is in the south. But, she has never been late for work.

    Cathy is very popular in the factory. She is kind to everybody and gets on well with the Chinese workers. After work, in the evenings they visit each other and talk about almost everything.

    However, Cathy has made up her mind to leave the factory. She is going to find a job in a travel agency(旅行社). “If I work in a travel agency, I'll be able to meet more people. I can learn more about China，” she told her friends.

    One day last week she had a talk with the manager of the travel agency .He seemed pleased with her Chinese. At the end of the talk, he said, “I'll give you a ring in a week and tell you the result.” Now Cathy is waiting for the answer.

    In 1978, I was working as a nurse in a small town about 270km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unluckily, the one train a day to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I'd get a ride.

    I waited by the side of the highway for three hours, but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn't give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he promised me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made me sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.

    Twenty-five years later, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to get a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay(回报) someone for the kindness I'd been given many years earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.

    After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, "You haven't changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same."

    I couldn't remember where I'd met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.

    There are four people in Simon's family. They have different habits.

    ◆ Simon's father is a doctor. He works in a hospital. He likes reading books very much. There are many books in his bedroom. He doesn't like going to the cinema.

    ◆ Simon's mother is a music teacher. She likes listening to music, but she has no time to go to concerts.

    ◆ Simon's brother is seven years old. He likes watching cartoons. He usually watches cartoons when his parents aren't at home.

    ◆ Simon is a middle school student. He likes playing football. He often plays football with his friends after school. He likes playing computer games at home. But he doesn't like watching TV.

    Once Mr. King had a cat, and he loved it very much. He called it "Sky", because he thought "Sky" was the strongest (最强的) name in the world.

    One day he had a meal at a restaurant with his cat. He met his old friend. He told him about his lovely cat and its name. His friend said, "How silly you are! Sky is not the strongest thing in the world. My cat is called ‘Cloud' because cloud is stronger than sky." After hearing this, Mr. King called his cat "Wind" because he thought wind was stronger than cloud.

    After a few days he suddenly (突然) thought that "Wall" was stronger than wind. And "Mouse" was stronger than the wall. So he went to his friend to ask for an idea. His friend said, "Don't you think 'Cat' is stronger than the mouse?" "Yes, but…"

    The man thought and thought and then decided his cat's name had better be "Cat" because a mouse was always afraid of a cat. Don't you think Mr. King is very silly or funny?

    Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown work in the same office (办公室). One day Mr. Jones says to Mr. Brown, "I will have a small party at our house on Monday evening. Would you and your wife like to come?"

    Mr. Brown says, "Thank you very much. I'd love to, but let me ask my wife first." So Mr. Brown goes to the other room and telephones his wife. Then he comes back and looks very worried.

    "What's the matter?" asks Mr. Jones. "Is you wife there at home?"

    "No," answers Mr. Brown." She isn't there." My small son answers the telephone. I say to him, "Is your mother there, David?" and he answers "No, she isn't in the house." "Where is she?" I ask , "She is somewhere outside(在外面). ""What's she doing? ""She is looking for me."