Peter is thirteen years old. He is in Grade Two this year. He likes to play football and watch football matches. And he often reads newspapers. He does his best to know where and when there is going to be a football match. Now Peter is having lunch. He is listening to the radio, too. He is very happy because there is going to be a nice football match on TV at four this afternoon. He wants to watch it very much. But he is going to have English and Chinese lessons. He thinks hard and finds a way.

    “ Hello, Mrs. Black,” Peter says to his teacher on the telephone, “ Peter is ill in bed. He wants to ask for half a day's leave ( 请半天假 ).”

    “ Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.” says Mrs. Black, “ But who's that?”

    “ It's my father, Mrs. Black.”

    Issumboshi was a one-inch boy, and he was so small that he could not do any useful work on the family farm. His grandfather became tired of feeding such a useless man and sent him away to the city.

    “Learn to become a warrior(武士),”he told his grandson.“Then perhaps you will grow into a man of normal height.”

    To help the little man on his way, his grandfather gave him a cup to use as a boat on the river, his mother gave him two long grains of rice to use as oars and his father gave him a pin to use as a sword.

    Issumboshi's journey was long and dangerous. However, because he was so brave and clever, he at last reached the city safely.

    To his surprise, the streets were empty. The people of the city were hiding in their houses from a powerful giant.

    Immediately, brave Issumboshi went out to meet the giant. The giant tried to pick him up and eat him, but Issumboshi was so small and quick that the giant could not get hold of him.

    Issumboshi struck again and again at the giant with his sword. Before long, the giant fell to the ground and died from a thousand wounds.

    “Oh, what a great warrior he is!”the people of the city shouted as they came out of their houses.“What a great hero this young man is!”Hearing this, Issumboshi felt so proud that he stood up straight. He told himself, “I am already taller than I was. How wise my grandfather was to send me to the city!

    Today is the first day of the week. It is in the afternoon. Mr. Read is driving his car to his sister's school. Now he is very near the school. But he doesn't know the way to it. At this time, he sees a young woman. Mr. Read comes out of his car and goes to her. "Excuse me! Where's the school, please?" he asks. The young woman says, "It's very near here. I want to go with you."

    Now the young woman is sitting in the car. Soon they come to a small house and she says, "Stop, please!" Mr. Read stops the car and says, "But this is not a school." "No," says the young woman, "this is my house. I want to get home early before dinner time. Thanks for driving me home. The school is behind the factory. So go back to the factory and then turn right, you can find the school."

    Bob was only seven years old. One night Bob was at home alone while his parents were out for a party. He had often stayed alone before, so he wasn't afraid. As he waited for his parents to return home, he watched a film on TV. His eyes became heavier and heavier as time passed by.

    Suddenly Bob's eyes opened wide- what was the sound in the next room? Bob heard the window being opened slowly. For a minute, Bob was so frightened that he could not move, and his body felt like ice. He knew that he couldn't lose his head and began to think of the things he could do.

    Again he heard the sound of someone trying to climb into his home through the window.

    Bob's drums were standing in the corner near the TV. "Wait, maybe there is something I can do," thought Bob. He beat his drums as hard as he could. The sound was so terrible that Bob surprised even himself. He also surprised the man in the window, who ran away as fast as possible. How clever he was!

    Mrs. Smith is a teacher. Her house is not far from her school and she walks to school every day. All the students like her. Mrs. Smith walks to school on a very cold and windy morning. The cold wind cuts her face, and big tears go down her face. She arrives at the school and goes into the classroom. It is nice and warm there and Mrs. Smith is happy. But then a small boy looks at her and puts his arms round her and says, "Don't cry, Mrs. Smith. We all love you."