It was Christmas Eve. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world was over for me. I didn't have enough money to buy myself the1 that I had wanted that year.

Dad came back in and there was ice in his beard（胡子)."You've been by widow（寡妇）Smith's house recently?"he asked. Widow Smith 2two miles down the road. Her husband died a year ago and left her with3children.

“I rode by just today,"Dad 4 “Little Jack was out looking for wood. They must have used up wood, Tom.”

We filled our sledge（雪橇）high with 5. Then we went to the store and Dad bought some food and a small pair of shoes. I tried to think about6Dad was doing. I knew we didn't have enough money, so why was Dad buying them so many things?

We 7 widow Smith's house and went in. "We brought you a few things, madam."Dad said, and 8 the bag of food on the table. Then Dad handed widow Smith the pair of shoes. At that moment, tears filled her eyes and started running down her face.

My throat seemed to be filled with 9, and there were tears in my eyes, too. Just then, my dream gift seemed very unimportant. Dad had given me the look on widow Smith's face and the smiles of 10three children. He had given me the best Christmas of my life.

    Where is Love? How can we find Love?

    Once a little boy wanted to find Love. He knew it was a long trip to where Love lived, so he got his things 1 with some pizzas and drinks and started off. When he passed three streets, he saw an old woman 2 in the park and watching some birds.

    She looked very 3. The boy gave her a 4 . She took it and smiled at him.

    The smile was so beautiful that he wanted to see it again, so he gave her a Coke. She smiled once again. The boy was very happy.

    They sat there all the afternoon, eating and smiling, but they said 5. When it got dark, the boy decided to leave. But after he walked a few meters, he 6, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. The woman gave him her biggest 7ever.

    When the boy opened the door of his house, his mother was surprised to see the8 on his face and asked what made him so glad. The boy answered, "I had lunch with Love. She has got the most beautiful smile in the world." At the same time, the old woman's son was also surprised at his mother's pleasure and asked why.

    "I ate a pizza in the park with 9," she said, "and he is much younger than I expected."

    If the world is 10 of love, we can enjoy a better life.

    It was a cold winter, with Christmas right around the corner. My kids and I were going shopping.1the way to the supermarket, I saw a man in an old and thin T-shirt. He was2a sign that said, "Lost my job. Family to feed. "Only a few people stopped and gave some money to him. It was clear that the man was3.

    My 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son4him, too. After understanding his situation, they felt5and said he must be feeling bad to stand outside in the cold wind.

    When we were in the supermarket, I asked my daughter to pick6she thought our "friend" outside would need. She picked some apples, hamburger, some cheese and a bottle of juice.

    Then my son asked, "Can we buy him a7?"

    I didn't expect that, so I had to8the suggestion carefully. We were not rich and we needed to buy lots of things, but... Well, sometimes helping others is just9we need to do!

    We talked about the fact that we could not buy something we planned to buy10we bought a jacket for the man. My kids11to take some snacks and toys off the shopping list.

    When we found the man, my kids12him the bag of food and the jacket. He was first surprised and then very glad. He13us and said we must be the angels sent from the God.

    I think this14has been a wonderful opportunity for our family.15of my kids agreed that helping others made them happier.

    Do you think doing housework is a hard task for you? Have you ever thought of inventing something to make it 1? A boy named Sam Houghton did and he 2 a two-head broom (扫帚).

    Sam was just three years old when he came up with his 3. He saw his father sweep up (打扫) garden leaves and 4 brooms while trying to gather large leaves and litter.

    Now he is the poster boy for a new show at the British Library in London called "Inventing the 21st Century." To celebrate 5 and encourage new inventors, the famous 6 is telling the story of the most special inventions coming out of Britain in the past 10 years. Sam's broom is produced by big companies, and the brooms are very7 in England.

    Young Sam Houghton is now eight years old and has another invention. He has made a balloon popping machine (气球爆破装置) for play centers. He said, "We don't want children to cry because of 8 bangs (爆炸声) of balloons. I used a box to 9 the bangs so that they can't scare (惊吓) the children."

    Have you ever wanted to be a great inventor? Watch 10, think it over and work hard. Maybe you will be an inventor. Do you think so?

    Becky had never been to the theater to see a movie before. She tried to 1 what it would be like. Mum said it was a really big screen. Dad said there were lots of speakers all around. She 2 what else she would, see and hear there.

    It was a long ride to the theater. Once inside, they stopped at the snack bar for a big bag of popcorn they could 3 and a large soda with three straws (吸管) in it. Then they went up to an entrance. A man checked their 4. Becky could hardly breathe. She was so 5!

    They went down a hallway with lots of cool posters and big cardboard advertisements for the newest 6. They found their theater and entered the dark room, going down another short walkway until they saw all of the seats. It was so big inside! "There must be hundreds of chairs," she thought.

    People came in, sitting in rows, eating popcorn and talking 7 the movie started. The lights were turned off soon after, and the screen came on. Wow, Mum sure was-right. Then the movie 8. Dad was right, too! Becky could feel the seats vibrate (振动) with the loud sound. It was an amazing experience.

    Over an hour later with popcorn gone, soda 9, and the movie over, Becky and her parents left the dark room. It was so bright outside. "Well? Did you like it?" Her parents asked as they got back in the car. "That was interesting. Let's come here 10 sometime!" Becky said happily.

    A small "shop" by the road in Japan has a dog "shopkeeper". It's selling roasted(烤的)Sweet 1there.

    The friendly dog is 2 Kenkun. Because the shop is a self—service one, what the dog should do is just to be cute for customers and he does well3that. The roasted sweet potatoes are kept in a heated "box" outside the shop. So customers can help4directly They need to5100 yen(日元)into the money box for each potato they take. It seems to be working fine now. 6, who would steal a dog? Actually, the three-year-old dog is a good "shopkeeper. It's 7cute and lovely that some of the customers come to see him and of course, they will leave with 8 one or two potatoes.

    People online have different opinions about this. Some of them think that's interesting and they say the dog is the 9 one they've ever seen. But others think it's crazy to keep a dog 10 near a "box" for several hours a day. In their opinion, dogs should run and play hers and there in the sun.