I am from South Africa. I didn't at all know the weather here was so cold, but I am glad to say that I have all the clothes for this freezing weather.

When I First got to know that l would be attending this international conference here in Finland, I had no idea what kind of clothes I should take along. I didn't know what to do when I thought of this two-week stay here, with a very formal dinner, a few parties, social gatherings and a dance during the conference.

    Luckily, my friend Julia has been to northern Europe. Yes, she was a great help. She helped me with my biggest problem. She placed an order for some warm suits and dresses, business-type clothes, of course, of dark colors. She also bought me some skirts and blouses so that I could wear the same clothes in several different ways. A couple of lively colored dresses will give me a nice change from time to time. She also helped to choose a very warm raincoat and a pair of boots.

    Oh, how lucky I am to have such a helpful friend. She saved me a lot of trouble, nothing worries me about my meeting, nor my clothes.

D

    Huw Thomas fell in love with Megan. But then an accident changed his life, and he had to move to Canada. Megan promised to write to him. But Huw never heard from her … until one day a letter arrived.

    He saw the letter came from where he and his father had lived in their early years. Who was writing to him? He turned the envelope over in his hands several times. Then he took out the letter and read:

Dear Huw,

    I don't know if this letter will reach you, and I don't really know why I'm writing to you after all these years, but …

    Huw turned to the end of the letter and saw:

Best wishes

Megan

    He couldn't believe it. He turned back to the first words of the letter and read:

    …after all these years, but I've just found your letters to me from Canada. Believe me, this was the first time I'd read them and they made me cry, even after 50 years. I found them in a box of my father's papers. They were never opened.

    Huw, I never knew that you'd written to me. I thought your new life in Canada had made you forget me. Now I realize that my father kept your letters. I can still remember asking him if there was any letter for me, and he always said   ▲  , my girl. I told you he was no good. Finally, after about a year, I believed him.

    But why did he keep the letters? Do you think he wanted me to find them when it was too late? Anyway, he's dead now, so I can't ask him. All I can say is I'm sorry. Sorry for what my father did, sorry that you never heard from me and sorry for… everything.

    I hope that at least this letter reaches you. Of course, I'll understand if you don't want to write back to me, but if you do, I am still Megan Jenkins, and I still live at the same address.

Best wishes,

Megan

    Huw read the letter again. Everything with Megan came back to him. He had never forgotten her. He couldn't. Every day he looked at her face on the wall. He had a drawing of her. It had traveled everywhere with him. But to hear from her again …

    “Are you all right, Dad?” asked Mike, coming into the room.

    A university professor recently made several tests with different animals to find out which was cleverer than other animals.

    In one test the professor put a monkey in a room where there were several small boxes. Some boxes were inside other boxes. One small box had some food in it. The professor wanted to watch the monkey and to find out how long it would take the monkey to find the food. The professor left the room. He waited a few minutes outside the door. Then he got down on his knees and put his eye to the keyhole (钥匙孔). What did he see? To his surprise, he found himself looking into the eye of the monkey. The monkey was on the other side of the door and looked at the professor through the keyhole.

    Issumboshi was a one-inch boy, and he was so small that he could not do any useful work on the family farm. His grandfather became tired of feeding such a useless man and sent him away to the city.

    “Learn to become a warrior(武士),”he told his grandson.“Then perhaps you will grow into a man of normal height.”

    To help the little man on his way, his grandfather gave him a cup to use as a boat on the river, his mother gave him two long grains of rice to use as oars and his father gave him a pin to use as a sword.

    Issumboshi's journey was long and dangerous. However, because he was so brave and clever, he at last reached the city safely.

    To his surprise, the streets were empty. The people of the city were hiding in their houses from a powerful giant.

    Immediately, brave Issumboshi went out to meet the giant. The giant tried to pick him up and eat him, but Issumboshi was so small and quick that the giant could not get hold of him.

    Issumboshi struck again and again at the giant with his sword. Before long, the giant fell to the ground and died from a thousand wounds.

    “Oh, what a great warrior he is!”the people of the city shouted as they came out of their houses.“What a great hero this young man is!”Hearing this, Issumboshi felt so proud that he stood up straight. He told himself, “I am already taller than I was. How wise my grandfather was to send me to the city!

    People sometimes like to read stories of dogs very much. They think that dogs are much cleverer than cats, sheep, cows or other animals in their homes.

    One of my close friends, Bob, has a very large police dog named Jack. Every Sunday afternoon, Bob and Jack have a walk in the park nearby. Jack likes these walks very much.

    One Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to Bob. I stayed there for a long time. Bob and I had much more talk with each other than ever before. Soon it was time for them to take a walk in the park but we forgot that. Jack became worried about it. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of me and looked at me. But I still paid no attention(注意)to him. I went on talking with Bob. At last, Jack could not wait any longer. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down in front of me again. But this time, he held my hat in his mouth.

    Suddenly, I understood what Jack meant and my friend understood, too.