Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don't have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.

    Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1, 646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2, 159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.

    Why do people work so many hours？Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don't pay overtime. Their workers don't get more pay for more work. Some people think it's their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don't work more hours.

    Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull(迟钝的) boy. "If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.

    It's a fine day. The White family gets up at seven o'clock. They have breakfast at seven forty. And then they go to the park. They take a basket of food and a carpet (地毯). The park is not far from their home, so they ride bikes there. When they get to the park, it's half past eight. Mr. and Mrs. White are talking with each other. Their son, Ted, is playing with a ball. Their daughter, Jenny, is taking photos.

    After about an hour, Ted and Jenny sit down to relax. At that time, they see a squirrel eating a pine nut (松子) in a big tree. When they see the squirrel eating, they feel hungry. They go to help their parents take the food out of the basket. Ted has a hamburger. Hamburgers are his favorite food. Jenny has an apple. Mr. and Mrs. White have some bread. They have a great time in the park.

My day at school yesterday was a nightmare! I overslept because I had gone to bed late and forgotten to set my alarm o'clock. When I woke up，I got a terrible{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It was ten o'clock! I put on my uniform and ran to school.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}，while I was running，I slipped and fell into a muddy puddle （泥坑）. 

After I arrived at school，I apologized to my teacher，Miss Evans. She told me to go to the boys' toilets to clean myself up. When I was there{#blank#}3{#/blank#}，the headmaster walked in and saw me holding the cigarette. He called my parents and told them that I had been caught{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. 

My bad luck didn't stop during the lunch break. I was playing football with some friends when suddenly I hit the ball really far. It flew over the sports field and broke a classroom window. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}，yesterday was the worst day that I've ever had at school. I'm going to bed earlier，remember to set my alarm o'clock，and be more careful. 

Once, a king showed two men a large basket in the garden. He told them to fill it with water from a well. After they their work, he left them, saying, "when the sun is d{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, I will come and see yow work."

At last one of them said, "What's the use of doing this foolish work? We can never f{#blank#}2{#/blank#} the basket."The other man answered," That is none of your business." The first man said. "You may do as you like, but I am not going to work at nothing so f{#blank#}3{#/blank#} ."He threw down his bucket and went away. The other man said no w{#blank#}4{#/blank#}, and kept on carrying water. At last the well was almost e{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. 

As he poured the last bucket of water into the basket, he saw a bright thing in it. He picked it up. It was a beautiful gold ring. Just then the king came. As soon as he saw the ring, he knew that he had found the kind of man he w{#blank#}6{#/blank#}. He told him to keep the ring for himself. "You have done so well in this little thing, " he said," that now I know I can b{#blank#}7{#/blank#} you with many things."

My friend Jack is a taxi driver. He has done this job for ten years. It's a nice job most of the time. He can meet a lot of people every day. He usually goes home after two o' clock in the morning. There are some very strange things, which often happen at night.

 One day, Jack was taking a young lady back home from a party at three o' clock in the morning. She had her little dog with her. When they got to her house, she found that she had lost her key. So Jack waited in the taxi with the dog while she climbed into her house through the window. Jack waited for about half an hour outside, but the young lady didn't show up. So he decided to find out what was going on. He tied the dog to a tree and started to climb in through the window.

 At that moment some policemen came. They thought Jack was a thief who wanted to get into the house to steal things. Luckily, the young lady came downstairs. She went to sleep and forgot about her friend and the dog.

Sometimes I really want to know if （是否） there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy making money for our life. One day, my mother was sewing a quilt （缝被子）. "Mum, is there 1 between you and dad?" I asked. 

With surprise in 2 eyes, my mum stopped her work for a moment. Then she said, "Susan, look at this thread （线）. You can't see it easily, 3 it's really there. It makes the quilt strong. If life is a quilt, love should be a thread. Love is inside."

The next spring, my father 4 ill. After they were back from hospital, my mother helped my father walk 5 the country road every day. They were kind and happy. 

After two months, my father still couldn't 6 . "Dad, how are you feeling now?" I asked him one day. "Susan, don't 7 me," he said, "I just like walking with your mum. I like this kind of life." 8 his eyes, I knew he loves my mother 9 . 

Now I know that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside. It makes life strong and 10 .