Sports are important in English life. The people of England are sports lovers. Some of the world's famous sports began here such as football and cricket(板球).

    Football is a fast game played in winter and early spring. Lots of people play football in parks or playgrounds just for fun. With hundreds of years' history, it's one of the most popular sports in England. The English love football very much and they turned most of their main players into famous persons. David Beckham and Bobby Charlton became heroes（英雄） for many children. The most interesting part of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May.

    Cricket is a national sport in England. It is a very popular summer sport. It is a game played on grass(草地 )by two teams of eleven players. Players wear white clothes and score points（得分） by hitting（击打） the ball with a bat(棒子). People can sit around the green, enjoying the sun, having drinks and watching the team games.

    An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation (手术) could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money. When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother， “Only a miracle (奇迹) can save him now，” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully. She ran to a drugstore（药店）with the money in her hand.

    “And what do you want?” asked the salesman.

    “It's for my little brother，” the girl answered. “He's really， really sick and I want to buy a miracle.”

    “Pardon?” said the salesman.

    “My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?”

    “We don't sell a miracle here， child. I'm sorry，” the salesman said with a smile.  

    “Listen， if it isn't enough， I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”

     A well-dressed man heard it and asked， “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

    “I don't know，” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He's really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can't pay for it， so I have brought all my money.”

    “How much do you have?” asked the man.

    “$ 1.11， but I can try and get some more，” she answered.

    “Well， what luck，” smiled the man. “$ 1.11， the price of a miracle for little brothers.” He took up the girl's hand and said， “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”

    That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong， a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn't long before Andrew was home again

    How much did the miracle cost?

    If you like reading fairy tales(童话故事), do not miss the book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane(《爱德华的奇妙之旅》).It is a famous story by an American writer Kate Dicamilo in 2006．People, the young and the old, love this book. And it's so popular that it is one of the " “Top100Books for Children” in the US.

    The story is about a journey of a china rabbit (瓷兔子) called Edward. He lives with his

    ten-year-old owner (主人) named Abilene. Abilene loves him very much but Edward doesn't love her. During a holiday on a ship, Edward is lost. After spending 297 days in the sea, he reaches abeach and a man takes him home .Then Edward travels from one place to another, meeting manypeople. His name keeps changing, such as Susie and Maloney. Soon he begins to miss Abilene andwait for her. One day Edward falls into pieces. Someone repairs (修理)it and sells it in the market.

    Many years later, Abilene and her daughter come to the market and take Edward home. Finally

    Edward is with his owner again.

    There are many pictures in the book, so we can follow Edward's journey easily.

    You can learn that Edward learns love and never stops waiting for Abilene .This is why theymeet each other at the end of the story. The warm and sweet story will make you know more aboutlove．

    I was driving after school on Monday from Dublin to Drogheda and on my way home, I saw a wallet lying on the roadside. I thought the wallet must belong to the driver in front of me, because he had smoked there. I sounded the horn twice but he didn't hear. So I stopped and picked up the wallet. I checked the wallet to see if I could get any phone number to call. I found and called two numbers but I was told they were wrong numbers.

    Later, I found a driving license and decided to drive to his house in Termonfeckin according to the address on the license. It is a 30-minute drive away from Drogheda. When I got to his house, I saw his wife and the first thing she asked was if I had found a wallet. I started smiling and said yes. The lady was really happy and called her husband. He ran to us at the gate and welcomed me to their house. After giving the wallet to him, he checked to see whether everything was inside. They offered me 20 dollars for gasoline(汽油) but I refused.

When I was about 14, I had a friend who liked to tell me my shortcomings(缺点). For example: I was very1 , I wasn't a top student, I talked too much. I was too proud and soon. I became so2 that I couldn't stand her at last. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

My father3 me quietly and asked, "Are the things she says true or not? Jane, didn't you ever want to know what you're 4 like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said." I did a she told me. To my great surprise, I5 that about half the things were true. Some I couldn't change, like being very short. But many I could and I wanted to change. For the first time, I had a better understanding of 6 .

I brought the list back to my father7 he refused to read it. "That's just for you," he said, "You know better than any other person the truth about yourself. When people say something true, you'll finally find it will be 8 to you. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but only hear the truth and do what you know. It is the 9 thing to do.

Father's 10 have returned to meat many important moments. In my life, I've never had a better piece of advice.