A terrible explosive noise was heard, immediately followed by strong shaking of the classroom building. Mrs. Li Lan, a country school teacher in Sichuan, who was giving a class, could hardly keep on her feet, and many of her pupils made panic cries. Mrs. Li realized at once that it must be a powerful earthquake hitting the area. Though she herself was scared, she managed (设法) to make the children calm down, opened the door right away and told the children to leave the classroom and get down to the playground as quickly as possible.

When all the children had left, she followed them to the first floor. The earth still kept moving violently (巨烈地). Some of the buildings nearby were falling down, and a great number of falling stones were rolling down from the hills behind the school. Suddenly, she found a little boy fell over and was hit by a big stone right on his body. She forgot the danger she was facing and ran over, trying to push the stone away. The stone was so big that it was not easy for her to move it. She kept pushing until the boy was pulled out, carrying him to the center of the playground. The boy was later sent to hospital and saved.

    A man lived in a village. He had an old cat at home. The cat couldn't run fast and bite，because she was so old. One day, when she saw a mouse, she jumped and caught it. But she could not bite it. The mouse got out of her mouth and ran away.

    Then the man became very angry and began to beat the cat. The cat said, “Don't beat your old servant. I know I'm old and can't kill a mouse. But I have worked for you for many years, and I still want to work for you. Be kind to the old, and remember what good work they did when they were young."

    When the man heard that, he realized that he was wrong.

    Deborah Ahenkorah comes from Ghana, a country in West Africa. She has loved to read since she was a little girl. But all the books she read when she was little were American books and they showed a world that was different from hers. When Ahenkorah grew up, she started Golden Baobab. It is an organization that provides African children with books written by African people.

    Golden Baobab does this in several different ways. First, it organizes programmes and workshops (讲习班). These workshops support African writers. In these workshops writers can learn new things and improve their writing. Second, Golden Baobab connects writers to publishers (出版商). Finally, it offers the Golden Baobab Prize. This is the most famous way in which Golden Baobab works. Any writer who is an African citizen (公民) can compete for the prize, and each story must happen in Africa.

    "Children need books they can relate to. When they see characters who are like themselves in a story, they know that their experiences are important," said Tiffany Morris, who works for Golden Baobab.

    According to Ahenkorah, Golden Baobab has already helped create over 850 stories. She wants to make Africa's book publishing industry a success. "We could have an industry of books, games, toys and characters that come from stories that are made just for African children," she said.

    This is a big dream and also a big challenge. But Ahenkorah and Golden Baobab are working to make it come true.

    Mr. Black decided to know more about the different jobs of his students' parents. But some of students were laughing as he talked with Mary. Betty shouted, "Mary's father is a garbageman!"Then everybody in the class laughed out loud. Mary felt her face tum red.

    "Be quiet! Stop laughing!"Mr. Black said," It is difficult but useful to be a garbageman. We should all be thankful to Mary's father."

    Mary's father came to walk her home from school as usual, but she didn't run up to him the way she always did. When they got back home, Mary went to her room and cried for a long time. Her father came into her room, "What happened? Why are you so sad?"

    Mary told her father what happened and looked at him sadly. He didn't seem angry or hurt, "Well." He said," They are right. Being a garbageman is a dirty job. Tomorrow's Saturday. Come to work with me, Mary."

    Mary wrinkled her nose because of the bad smell. "Don't worry. In five minutes you won't smell a thing." said her father.

    Everybody there was working hard, and they seemed to have a good time. Mary's father handed her a pair of gloves and told her to get the little plastic bags and throw them into the truck.

    It was fun, but also hard work. At last, no more garbage was left and Mary felt very proud and happy.

    "Garbage makes us uncomfortable and unhealthy but when we clear it away, everything is nice and clean. You can make yourself happy only by making others happy."

    Mary gave her dirty, smelly garbageman daddy a big kiss because she regarded him as an unselfish man. Now whenever someone asks Mary what her daddy does, she says, "He is a garbageman! Everyone makes garbage, but my daddy takes it away!"

    There were many plants in a forest. When spring came, a pine tree saw a red rose nearby and said, "What a beautiful flower! I wish I were that lovely."

    The rose proudly said, "It seems that I am the most beautiful flower in this forest." Then the rose looked at a cactus (仙人掌) and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns(刺)!"

    "What a proud flower!" thought the trees.

    As the days passed, the red rose often looked at the cactus and said bad words about it, like "This plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neighbor!"

    The cactus never got angry and even tried to advise the rose, saying, "God did not create any form of life without a purpose."

    Spring passed, and the weather became very hot. As there was no rain, the red rose began to wilt(枯萎).

    One day the rose saw birds put their beaks (喙) into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds were getting water from the cactus.

    "The cactus has water?" asked the rose.

    Yes, you can also drink some from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."

    The red rose felt too ashamed to ask for water from the cactus. But finally it did ask for help. The cactus kindly agreed.

    The rose learned a lesson and never judged (评价) anyone by their appearance again.