TWO English phrases show what people think about mice and rats: "As quiet as a mouse", and "a dirty rat".

    People think rats are dirty because they live in sewers(下水道) and other unclean places. They also carry diseases(疾病). Having a rat in your house is bad news. They smell terrible and make a lot of noise.

    Calling someone a "rat" in English means they are not to be trusted(信任). Saying "Rats!" is also a way to show that you are angry.

    Mice, on the other hand, are seen as quiet and cute. They live in fields and as unwelcome guests in people's houses. They are small and often kept as pets. Walt Disney's famous character Mickey Mouse helped make them lovable to children. Jerry, from the Tom and Jerry cartoons, is smart and naughty. It makes everyone happy.

    Rats and mice are both classed as rodents(啮齿类). But people think about them in different ways!

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    Mr. and Mrs. Bell are very forgetful. For example, Mr. Bell sometimes goes to work on Sunday morning, for he thinks it is Monday. And Mrs. Bell sometimes forgets to cook supper for the family.

    One summer, they planned to fly to New York for their holidays. They got to the airport only ten minutes before the plane took off. So time was short. But suddenly Mrs. Bell said she must tell Alice, their daughter, not to forget to lock the front door when she went to school. As Alice was then at school, they couldn't tell her about it by telephone. So they hurried to the post office. Mrs. Bell wrote a short note to Alice when Mr. Bell bought a stamp and an envelope(信封). Soon the note was ready. They put the stamp on the envelope in a hurry and dropped the envelope into the letter box, but suddenly Mrs. Bell began to cry. The short note was still in her hand. She had put the plane tickets in the envelope.

The Monkey King

    The Monkey King was born from a stone. He wanted to live forever. He was really intelligent and knew what to do. ⑶他能够把他自己变成72种不同的东西, like a tree, a bird or an insect(昆虫). While he was changing himself, people just watched and couldn't believe it. He used the clouds in the sky   ⑷   around! One time he flew 108,000 miles on a cloud.

    The trouble was, the monkey thought he was the king. But he wasn't. The Emperor was. So, the real king decided to give the monkey a title(官职)to keep him quiet. ⑸But the monkey found out that everyone was laughing at him. He was extremely unhappy and decided to fight.  At last, the Emperor asked Buddha(佛) for help.

    The Buddha moved a great mountain to fall on top of him. As the mountain was falling on him, he nearly managed(设法) to get out of the way. He didn't, but he didn't die, either. The trouble was he couldn't move. Five hundred years later ,a monk(和尚) helped the monkey get out from under the mountain. That's when the real story began. You must remember it, don't you? It's a treat story.

    A man took a pair of shoes to a shoe repair shop and said to the shoemaker, "I'd like you to repair these shoes for me, please."

    "Certainly, sir, "the shoemaker said.

    "When will they be ready?" the man asked.

    "I'm a bit busy, but they'll be ready for you on Thursday." he said. "That's fine, "the man said, and left the shop.

    The next morning he received a letter, offering him a job in another country. Within 24 hours he was on an airplane to his new job.

    Twenty years passed and he returned to his home town. He remembered his shoes. "They were a good pair of shoes," he thought. "I wonder if the shoemaker is still there and still has them. I'll go and see. "He was pleased to see that the shoemaker was still in the same shop, although he was an old man by now.

    "Good morning, "he said to him." Twenty years ago, I brought in a pair of shoes to be repaired. Do you think you've still got them?"

    "Name?" the old shoemaker asked.

    "Smith, "the man said.

    "I'll go and see. They may be out back. "

    The shoemaker went out to the back of his shop and a few minutes later returned, carrying the pair of shoes.

    "Here we are, "he said." One pair of brown shoes to be repaired. I'm a bit busy now, but they'll probably be ready on Thursday."

    Cody and his sister April wanted a dog. They went to an animal adoption center. A nice old man, Mr. Smith. greeted（问候）Cody and April.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

    "We would like to adopt a dog," April said. "Ah, you have two dogs to choose from. One of them is a very big bulldog(斗牛犬)named Buster. The other is a very small Chihuahua(吉娃娃)named Teacup," Mr. Smith told her. April wanted Teacup. Cody wanted Buster. They walked outside to discuss(讨论)it, but they couldn't agree on which dog to get. April suggested they race (赛跑)home for it. The winner of the race would choose the dog. Cody thought it was a good idea.

    So they had a race. Cody ran very quickly. He really wanted that bulldog. He looked back. April was so far behind him. Cody finally won the race. He was tired but happy.

    They went back to the adoption center. However, they only saw Teacup, the Chihuahua. They asked Mr. Smith where Buster was Mr. Smith said that a few minutes after April and Cody left, two boys walked in and adopted the bulldog.

    Cody smiled sadly, "We'll adopt the Chihuahua, please."