Do you suppose Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all time, really did fools' (傻瓜的) experiments? Or did he do experiments that were so simple and basic (基础的) that other people just thought they were foolish?

    Sometimes, people think they already know the answer to a question or a problem．Sometimes, they really do know an answer, but without thinking it is important．

    Charles Darwin didn't just think he knew something．And, he believed all things could be important no matter how simple they seemed to be．

    Suppose you drop pieces of paper that are of exactly the same size and shape．If you drop them at the same time in the same place, they will fall in the same way．Now make one of the sheets of paper into a tight little ball and let it drop along with the other pieces．What happens? You have done an experiment that is so simple that you might think it couldn't be worth anything．

    But this simple experiment is important．It explains part of our present day understandings of physics (物理学) ideas that were worked out long ago by Galileo and Newton．And these understandings set aside some of ancient Greek (古希腊的) physics．

    The scientist sometimes stops to look at very simple things and to think very hard about them．Even the simplest idea, which we might think is foolish, can shake the foundations (基础) of science．

    I was walking down the street the other day when I suddenly saw a small purse lying on the ground. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find the owner's name. There was nothing inside it except some money and an old photo of a woman and a young girl about twelve years old. The girl looked like the woman's daughter. I put the photo back and took the wallet to the police station. There I gave it to a policeman. Before I left, the policeman took down my name and address so that the owner could write to me and thank me if the policeman found the owner.

    That evening I went for dinner with my aunt and uncle. They also invited a young woman, so there were four people at the table. Her face seemed familiar. I was quite sure that we had met before, but I could not remember where I had seen her. During the talk, the young woman said that she had lost her purse that afternoon. At once I knew where I had seen her. She was just the young girl in the photo though she was now much older. She was very surprised, of course, when I was able to tell her what her purse was like.

    My uncle said that we should go to the police station at once to get the purse. As that policeman handed it over, he said it was an interesting coincidence(巧合). I not only found the purse, but also made friends with the person who had lost it.

Today is Sunday. Bob{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) free, so he goes to the zoo. There he sees many{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (animal) like monkeys, tigers and elephants. He likes monkeys and he{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (think) they are clever.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} his way home in the afternoon, he meets{#blank#}5{#/blank#} little girl. She can't find her mother. Bob wants{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (help) her. The girl is about three years old and{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (she) name is Betty. She doesn't know her{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (mother) telephone number. She tells Bob her mother has long yellow hair. Bob sees a woman with long yellow hair,{#blank#}9{#/blank#} she isn't the girl's mother. At about 4 o'clock, Bob finds the girl's mother. The mother says thanks to Bob. "It's very kind{#blank#}10{#/blank#} you. Thank you very much." Bob is happy to help Betty.

I was feeling a little blue because my mother had lost her job.

One day, while I was 1 in the street, I heard the piano music and singing rising above the noise of the people. I walked more slowly to 2 where it was coming from. Then I saw a young lady siting at a piano.

She was singing songs about love, 3 yourself and keeping on trying. The way she was singing made me a little comfortable. I stood there 4 , watching her playing on such a crowded square. I thought that she must be 5 enough to perform in front of so many people. She noticed me. I walked over and told her how good her 6 sounded. "Thank you," she said.

"I have been going through a hard time recently, 7 you've made me hopeful again," I said to her.

"I'm glad that I could help," she replied. "Why are you so 8 ?"

"Well, my mum has lost her job, and I'm not sure what to do…"

"Did you notice the 9 you were walking? Your head was down," she said. "Don't be upset, because 10 comes in different ways and if your head is down, you might not see it. You should 11 more, and lift your head up."

I looked 12 her, amazed at how she was encouraging （鼓励） me. "13 are you playing the piano here?" I asked her with a smile. She 14 that she saw a lot of unhappy people in the world and she tried to cheer 15 up by playing music.

I smiled a little wider, realizing that no difficulties could stop me from going on.

We all need good friends and want to get on well with them.  But what do you do when you and your best friend have 1 ideas? At first, I didn't know what to do when this happened to my best friend Karina and me. 

When we first met at a summer camp, we got along so 2 that we shared stories, laughed a lot, and quickly became inseparable (形影不离的) friends.  But then something happened at a picnic.  "Did you hear the news about the shopping center?" asked one of our friends Levar.  "Some people plan to3 many trees to make room for a shopping center. "

"That's terrible! It will be bad for our environment (环境).  We have to 4 that," I said. 

"I don't think so," said Karina.  "The shopping center will give people new jobs. "

"But animals will 5 their homes!" I said.  "I want people to have 6 , but it doesn't have to do such a terrible thing. "

I wanted Karina to join me in 7 trees, but she didn't want to.  I was so angry that I didn't 8 her for days.  Later, my mother knew it and said to me seriously (严肃地), "No two people are the same.  You should 9 each other.  Don't let the 10 make you lose a good friend. " After listening to my mom's words, I said sorry to Karina.  Now we're still good friends. 

 Dad drives me to school nearly every day. However, he was busy {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(工作) this morning and could not drive me there. I had to t{#blank#}2{#/blank#} the bus. On the bus I saw an old man. He looked very weak. Today there were {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(更多) people on the bus than before, but no one gave him a seat. Is{#blank#}4{#/blank#} up and gave my seat to him. He thanked me and asked me about my n{#blank#}5{#/blank#} and my school. We talked {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(开心地). 

 Later, in the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(第三) class, Mr. Xu came in and asked me to go to the front. I was a little {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (害怕的). Then he told the class what I did on the bus this morning. He knew it because he got a phone call f{#blank#}9{#/blank#} the old man. Mr. Xu said that I could be a good example(榜样) to my classmates. I was so glad! It was r{#blank#}10{#/blank#} a good day for me.