Mrs. Black was worried because she couldn't stop her son, Jack, from betting (打赌). Jack spent all his money betting on horse races. And even worse he would bet on everything. So Mrs. Black asked her family doctor, Mr. Dodd, for help. The doctor was an old funny man with a beard (胡须). He said, “I've stopped many people from betting before. I can help your son, too.”

    The next day Mrs. Black took Jack to see the doctor. While they were talking, Jack was looking at the doctor's beard. Suddenly he said, “I bet you $50 that your beard is not a real one.” “Oh, no,” the doctor said. “Can I pull your beard and find out?” the boy asked. “OK, if my beard is real, you will pay me $50.” Then the boy pulled it and soon found out it was real. The doctor laughed.

    Two days later, the doctor telephoned Mrs. Black, “I think I've stopped your son from betting.” He told her the story. But Mrs. Black said, “You've made him worse.” “Why?” the doctor asked. “Because before he went to see you, he bet me $100 that you would ask him to pull your beard!”

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.

    Do you know He Jiong? Lots of young people in our country know him and the programme Happy Camp.

    He Jiong was born in 1974. When He Jiong was in the high school, he was famous as a radio host(主持人). In 1990, he worked for Hunan Economy(经济) Radio. He began to study in Beijing Foreign Language University in 1992. After graduation in 1997, he worked in the university as a teacher. In 1998, he began to host a programme on Hunan TV. It's called Happy Camp. Stars from all over the country come to this programme. They tell their stories or play games with the viewers(观众). The programme is so popular that it wins many prizes.

    Hayao Miyazaki(宫崎骏) was born in Tokyo on January 5, 1941. As a boy, he liked to read and draw cartoons. After graduating from university in 1963, Miyazaki joined the Toei Animation(动画片制作) Company. At Toei, he worked on many animated movies, like the famous Puss in Boots. In 1984, he made Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (《风之谷》), which was based on a comic book he wrote. Because this movie was so successful, Miyazaki was able to start his own animation company, Studio Ghibli.

    One of Miyazaki's most loved movies is My Neighbour Totoro(《龙猫》), made in 1988. It is a children's movie, but many teenagers and adults like it too. The movie is about two sisters who become friends with a big supernatural (神奇的) animal named Totoro. It is a very warm-hearted story, with many strange and interesting characters such as Cat Bus, a cat which is also a bus. Miyazaki's 2001 movie, Spirited Away, was even more popular than My Neighbour Totoro.

    All of Miyazaki's movies have strange but charming people and creatures. Many of his stories happen in worlds that are different from ours. However, they still show his ideas about real life. He often points out how humans hurt the natural world. He thinks people should change the ways.

    On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway(快车道). He looked to be in his late 40s but was probably a lot younger. He had shoulder length straight black hair and a short beard.

    Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, while coming off the ramp(坡道). So did he. Sometimes the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, "I'm blessed!"

    Then one day I was called into my boss's office and was told that I was being laid off. For the rest of that day all I could think of was "how am I going to provide for my kids as a mother, how am I going to pay rent?"

    Needless to say that on my way home that day I was very sad and upset. I didn't remember to look for my spare change and keep it ready like I usually did. Yet there he was as always, as I turned the ramp. He set his eyes on me, while still smiling and waving at others as usual.

    While I was waiting for the red light to turn, he strolled(闲逛) over to my car. He had a big smile. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, "Today I will give you a dollar." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.

    You see that day he taught me a valuable lesson more than a dollar bill. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your choice to be joyful. Every time I'm faced with challenges, I think of the homeless man's valuable lesson and remember that I am blessed.