It takes a lot of skills and hard work to set a world record in pumpkin-carving(雕刻南瓜). Steve Clarke, a sixth-grade teacher from Pennsylvania, is a famous carver(雕刻师). Clarke has set many world records for carving pumpkins quickly. When he competes, he must cut our two eyes, two eyebrows, a nose, a mouth, and two ears as fast as possible. But Clarke knows something else about pumpkin-carving. It's easier to get a record than to keep it.

    He took the title in 2000 when he carved a pumpkin face in 74.8 seconds. That time was 19 seconds faster than what Jerry had set. From then on, Clarke broke his own records five times. In 2006, he set his best time in Florida. His winning time was 24.03 seconds!

    The only problem is that someone finally beat that mark. On October 7, 2010, David set the new record with 20.1 seconds. Clarke was not able to break that record this year, but he has planned to break the record. After Halloween, he will go to local pumpkin farms to practise designs and new skills.

    Clarke is popular because of his super pumpkin-carving skills. In 1999, he carved more than 30 pumpkins at the Halloween party for then vice-president Al Gore.

    Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York.

    As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible.

    Famous comedians (喜剧演员）went to see Rock's performances. One comedian (Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think.

    Today, Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called "Everybody Hates Chris." It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.

    I live on the twelfth floor of a building. One afternoon I am coming home from a friend's house. It is just after four o'clock. I get quickly into the lift and press Button(按钮) 12.

    The lift starts to go up, but very slowly. And then, half way up, it suddenly(突然) stops between two floors. I couldn't understand it. I press(按)an all the buttons from 1 to 14. I call for help very loudly. But nobody answers.

    Then suddenly the lights go out, and I am alone in the dark. I start to cry and beat the walls of the lift. I cry and cry until I have no voice left. Then, I feel hopeless, and press all the buttons with my open hands. And all at the same time, there is a bell far away. It rings and rings. It is the fire alarm(火灾警报). I think the whole building is on fire. I say to the God quietly, “Just get me out of here. I'll never be bad again.”

    Just then, I realize the lift is moving very slowly. On the ground floor it stops, and the door opens. A man is standing there. “How long have you been there? It is good that you press the alarm bell. But haven't you learned to read at your school? ” He points at a small piece of paper on the wall beside the lift. It says： “Attention (注意)： This lift will be stopped for repairs between 4 pm and 5 pm on Thursday, March 13.”

    Hershey chocolate is famous around the world. The man who began it, Milton Hershey, was glad to share the fruits of success with others.

    Milton Hershey was born on 13 September, 1857. In 1871, he started working for a local printer. But he didn't like this kind of work and ended the job quickly. Later, he helped make candy in a factory. After a few years, Milton knew that he was a good candy maker and he wanted to start his own candy business. In 1886, he started a caramel (焦糖) business, and four years later his business was very successful. After seeing how chocolate was made. Milton loved it right away. He got married and sold the caramel company for one million dollars and opened up a chocolate factory.

    Milton built a town with houses, schools, and stores so the workers in his factory could live nearby. As Milton made more money, he built a school for orphans (孤儿). When his wife died, Milton took all of his money and gave it to the school to help those children. He also set up the M. S. Hershey Foundation to help people get an education.

    Milton Hershey died in 1945, but the world remembers him for not only making chocolate, but for his work to help people. He is someone who built a town and helped people get jobs. He is someone who built a school for children who did not have families. He is someone who helped those who were sick and someone who made that chocolate, that delicious chocolate which most of us throughout me world enjoy.

    There was a man who had a big garden. He planted many fruit trees. Now he wanted to pick up the fruits and sell them to make money for his family.

    One day, when he picked fruits with his son, he saw a stranger sitting in a tree and picking the fruits. He shouted," "What are you doing in my tree? For a whole year I have taken care of these trees. You have no right to take the fruits, so come down at once!"

    The stranger in the tree answered, "This is the garden of God and I am the servant(佣人) of God, so I have the right to pick these fruits. "

    The gardener was very surprised at this answer. He called his son and said," Go to bring a rope(绳子) and get this man down from the tree," His son brought the rope and the gardener asked him to tie(绑) the stranger in the tree. The stranger began to shout, "You have no right to do this."

    The gardener answered, "This is the rope of God and I am also the servant of God, so I have the right to tie you." The stranger thought for a while and then said, "I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your garden and I shouldn't pick the fruits. Please set me free."

    The gardener smiled and said," Since you have realized your mistake, I will set you free, but remember that God has given all his servants rights and every person's right is in his own hands."

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