There are two mice. They are called Bill and Paul. They are good friends. One mouse lives in the country; the other mouse lives in the city. On a sunny day they meet in the street.

Paul: Hi, Bill! Have a look at my house in the country. I'm sure you can enjoy yourself.

Bill: I'd love to. But I hear that the food is not delicious, and your house is not good. Is it so?

Paul: No, that's not true. Go and see!

Then Bill goes to the countryside with Paul.

Bill: Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone. You would have better food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city.

Paul: Thanks! Maybe you are right. I'll visit your house one day.

____days later Paul goes to Bill's house in the city. The house is big and beautiful. They are sitting in the sitting-room, having a big dinner comfortably. Suddenly, there a great noise.

Bill: Run! Run! The cat is coming!

Paul: Oh, no! It's terrible! Both the house and the food are nice, but I do not like living in the city. I enjoy living in my hole in the field, for it is nice to be poor but happy than to be rich but afraid.

    Mr. King was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday night, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr. King said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy.

    Mr. King wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a very small room, was empty. He asked them if they would share a room. The three men said they would. Mr. King said the room would be thirty dollars: ten for each one. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room.

    Mr. King soon began to feel sorry. "Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as price for that small room. " he thought. He called his assistant over and said, "Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room."

    The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, "How can three men divide five dollars? I'll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back, and Mr. King will never know. " So the assistant returned one dollar to each man.

    Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had paid nine. There were three men, $ 9 ×3 = $ 27. The assistant kept $ 2. $ 27 + $ 2 = $ 29

    Where is the missing dollar?

    It was raining heavily as I was walking up the hill towards the station at six o'clock on a Saturday morning. Just as I was crossing the road near the top of the hill, a car came around the corner. It was traveling very fast. Suddenly it hit a lamp post (路灯杆) and turned over.

    I ran to the car to help the driver at once. He was badly hurt and there was a lot of blood on his face. Many people came to see what had happened and there was nothing we could do. A young woman hurried into the station and phoned for an ambulance (救护车). A policeman arrived a few minutes later and asked me a lot of questions about the accident. After a while the ambulance arrived and the driver was sent to the hospital.

    On Monday morning I went to the hospital to see the man. The doctor told me that he was much better, and he would leave the hospital after a few days' rest.

Gift giving is an important practice that can show a number of different meanings. Here are some gift giving traditions from a few different countries. 

◆ In Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, it is common to ask for a gift straightly. When a gift has been bought even without asking for it, the worst thing you can do is to refuse(拒绝) the offering, even if the giving family is poor.

◆ In Japan

The Japanese show a great importance of the act of gift giving. For example, people don't like uncovered (裸露的) money. So whether you're sending money as a gift or just leaving a tip (小费), put your money in an envelope (信封). 

◆ In India

As people think left hands are unclean in Indian culture, acts such as touching, passing money, or giving gifts must be done with your right hand.

◆ In Russia

Vodka (伏特加酒) might seem a perfect gift for a Russian, but in fact, a lot of them would see it as an unimaginative (缺乏想象力的) gift. Many even think the idea is terrible. 

◆ In Ireland

Don't be astonished if your gift is refused a couple of times in Ireland. This tradition comes from a time when they didn't have enough potatoes to eat in the 1840s, and because of this, the receivers are making sure that you can really part from the thing that you are offering. 

Seeing blood in a horror movie might make you cover your eyes，but real blood isn't scary at all. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} That's why blood donors are considered lifesavers. 

Blood donors are those giving blood﹣usually about 200 ml at a time﹣to blood banks or blood donation（捐赠）centers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example，someone may have lost blood in accidents，or have a serious illness that requires his blood to be replaced. Hospitals and blood banks store the blood and try to keep enough on hand. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Medical workers ask donors several questions to make sure the blood is safe to use. Then the donors relax，often reading a magazine or talking as their blood is drawn. Afterward，the donors may receive some juice or water and maybe fruit to give them energy. The process is simple，not scary. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. 

To give blood，a person must be at least 18 years old and must meet certain other requirements. Students of all ages，though，can learn more about the donation process by visiting a local blood donation center. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It is also an easy way to help a community.