Sam's dad told camping stories all through dinner. "Once I saw a snake outside my tent. Did I tell you about that?" Sam shook his head and tried not to look impatient. In fact, he really wanted to get out to the tent in the backyard (后院). His friend, Kent would go there.

    Finally, everyone finished dinner. Sam asked if he could go out. "I think you should help do the dishes first," said Mom. Sam washed all the dishes and helped clean the kitchen, and then he ran to the tent.

Kent was waiting for him. "Have you been waiting long?" asked Sam.

    "Not long,"said Kent. "Oh, well, we're here now. Let's get ready." "Ready for what?" asked Kent.

    "For anything that is going to happen," answered Sam. They played cards for some time in the tent. Then they read some books. After that, Sam told some of his dad's camping stories. When they got tired, they turned out the light ( 灯) and listened for noises in the dark. But they didn't hear any noises for a very long time ...

    Finally, Sam heard something at the tent flap ( 帐篷门帘). He felt very scared and kept his eyes closed.

    "Hey, get up, boys! Breakfast is ready." It was Sam's mom.

    Sam opened his eyes and looked at Kent. He was still sleeping. Sam sighed (叹息道), "We slept through the night, and nothing happened!"

A neighbor of mine, while visiting his mother in Boston, took her to a shoe store to buy a new pair of shoes. While she was trying on different styles, my neighbor took the manager（经理）beside him. "When she picks out a pair that she likes,' he said, "just tell her that the price is 12 dollars. I'll pay the regular price. I don't care how much it is.'

The following week, my neighbor was walking by the shoe store and the manager recognized (认出)him and called him in.

"What's the problem?' asked my neighbor as he entered the store.

"Wasn't my check any good?'

"That's not it,' answered the manager, "The problem is that your mother is bringing all her friends in for those 12-dollar shoes!'

Frank doesn't have many friends. He doesn't know why.

One day, Frank tells Bill,"I'd like to have a party this Saturday evening. You sing well. I hope you can come and sing for us."

"OK! I'd love to," said Bill.

" Don't forget to sing You Are My Sunshine. I like it best," says Frank.

Then Frank asks his friend Betty to bring a cake." You make the best cake in the world, Betty, and I like your cake best!" says Frank.

Frank also invites some other friends to come to his party. He remembers to ask each of them to bring something. He even asks Mary to let him have the party in her house!

Everyone has a good time at the party. The guests(客人) say" Thank you" to Bill for the song, to Betty for the cake, to Mary for the house. But they say" Thanks for the invitation(邀请)" to Frank.※. He doesn't know why.

 There once was a king. He decided to do an experiment (实验) like a scientist. He made someone put a big rock right in the middle of the road to see who would move it out of the way. 

 First, some rich people walked by. They walked around the rock, complaining (抱怨) that the king didn't look after the road very well. 

 Then a farmer came over. He was going home with his arms full of food for his family. When he saw the rock, he put his things down and went to move it away. The rock was heavy. It took him some time to move it, but he made it at last. 

 When the farmer was about to leave, he found a bag lying near his things. He opened the bag to find that it was full of money, along with a letter from the king. It said that the money was a reward(报酬) for him because he spent the time and energy moving the rock out of the road. What he did helped others. 

 If you see a job in front of you, don't leave it to the next person. Instead(代替, 而不是), get the job done to help the people who come after you.