Long long time ago, the Jade Emperor, organized an animal race. He told all the animals that the first 12 animals to win could get a place in the Chinese Zodiac (十二生肖), and have a year named after them.

    The cat and the mouse both asked the ox to wake them up early on the day of the race. That day, the ox tried to wake them up, but without success. So the kind ox carried them on his back and started running when the race began. The mouse woke up just when the ox was going to across the last river. He knew that he could never beat the cat. So he pushed the cat off the ox's back. When the ox reached the other side of the river, the mouse jumped off and ran to the finishing line, just before the ox.

    So the 12-year cycle（循环） begins with the mouse. The ox comes after him. The tiger follows the ox. The rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig come after them. The cat didn't get a place in the Zodiac. That's why the cat hates the mouse and always wants to kill it.

阅读下列短文,从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳选项。

    The idea for the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came to Joanne Kathleen Rowling in 1990. It took her seven years to finish writing it. During those seven years she had a number of jobs, including one job as an English teacher.

    Rowling sent the book to four publishers (出版社) before one of them bought it. She was very happy to sell her book because it was her life's dream to be a published writer. Before she sold her book, Rowling was living in a small apartment with her daughter and was so poor that she could not afford heat in the winter.

    Harry Potter became very successful with children and adults in England. The book also really took off in the United States. After her second and third books were published, the three Harry Potter books filled the top three places on many newspapers' lists of best-sellers. Then the books were made into popular movies. Without question, Rowling's life had completely changed, in just three years.

    Harry Potter books have now sold more than 30 million books around the world and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. In 1997, Rowling was earning ￡70 a week.

    By the end of 2001, she had earned over ￡150 million, making her one of the most successful female writers of all time.

    Barbara Finch, from England, started a friendship with Elizabeth Martin from New Zealand when the two were just 14 years old. And they have been penfriends for the past seventy years.

    "Seventy years is a long time and such a lot has happened," says Barbara. "I've lost my husband and my son, and she's lost her husband and her daughter. With things like that, her friendship means a lot to me."

    The two started writing letters to each other in November 1947. At that time, Barbara was a pupil. In her school. there was an exchange(交换) teacher from New Zealand. She helped her students to find penfriends from her country. Among the many penfriends, Barbara and Elizabeth were the only pair to form a long-term friendship.

    Now both 84, the pair continue to send weekly e-mails to tell each other about their daily lives. Barbara, who's a proud great-grandmother, has kept every single letter and card Elizabeth sent her over the years.

    "We e-mail each other now rather than write letters, partly because it's quicker but mostly because there's no cost," Barbara says.

    The pair not only write to each other, but they also meet face to face. They have visited each other 15 times. Barbara flying to New Zealand 10 times and Elizabeth flying to England 5 times.

    "Her family has become a second family to me. She says I am the sister she never had." Barbara says.

    There is an old tiger in the forest. He doesn't want to look for food now. He often asks other animals to get him something to eat.

    One day, he sees a monkey and says, "I am hungry, monkey. Go to the village and get me something to eat. "

    "I can't do that now, tiger," the monkey says, "There is another tiger over there. He will not let me get anything for you to eat. I am afraid of him. "

    "What?" cries the old tiger. "Take me to that tiger. I will talk to him."

    The monkey and the tiger get to the bridge over the river. "Now look down at the water." says the monkey. "Do you see the tiger?"

    "Yes, I do," cries the old tiger. "I will eat him."

    With these words, the tiger jumps into the river.

    On a Friday night, a poor young violinist was playing his violin at the entrance(入口) of the subway station. He played such great music that people slowed down to listen and put some money into his hat.

    The next day, the violinist came to the entrance again. He put down his hat as usual. Beside the hat was a piece of paper with some words on it. It said, "A George Black has put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Welcome to claim(认领）it." Soon the people were all interested in the words and wondered what it could be. After a while, a man rushed into the crowd, took the violinist's shoulders and said, "I knew you would certainly come." The violinist asked, "Did you lose anything?" "Lottery(彩票)." The violinist took out a lottery ticket with Black's name on it.

    Black took it and danced happily.

    Black was an office worker. He bought the lottery and won a prize of $500000.But when he gave $50 to the violinist for his wonderful music, the lottery ticket was thrown in, too. The violinist was a college student.  That morning he was going to fly to Vienna for high education. However, when he found the ticket, he put off the flight and went back to the entrance.

    Later someone asked the violinist why he didn't take the lottery ticket to pay for his high education. He said, "Although I don't have much money, I live a happy life. If I lose honesty, I won't be happy forever."