One story about Jack, an Irishman（爱尔兰人）, who was not allowed into Heaven because he was stingy（吝啬） with his money. So he was sent to hell地狱. But down there he played tricks on the Devil (Satan) （魔鬼撒旦）, so he was kicked out of Hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern.

    Well, Irish children made Jack's lanterns on October 31st from a large potato or turnip（萝卜）, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside. And Irish children would carry them as they went from house to house begging for food for the village Halloween festival that honored the Druid god Muck Olla（督伊德神）. The Irish name for these lanterns was "Jack with the lantern" or "Jack of the lantern," abbreviated as " Jack-o'-lantern" and now spelled "jack-o-lantern."

    The traditional Halloween you can read about in most books was just children's fun night. Halloween celebrations would start in October in every elementary（小学校） school. Children would make Halloween decorations, all kinds of orange-paper jack-o-lanterns. we went together to neighbors' houses, ringing their doorbell and yelling, "Trick or treat!" meaning, "Give us a treat (something to eat) or we'll play a trick on you!"

    The people inside were supposed to come to the door and comment（评价） on our costumes. Oh! here's a ghost. Oh, there's a witch. Oh, here's an old lady. Sometimes they would play along with us and pretend to be scared by some ghost or witch. But they would always have some candy and maybe an apple to put in our "trick or treat bags." But what if no one come to the door, or if someone chased us away?

    Then we'd play a trick on them, usually taking a piece of soap and make marks on their windows. And afterwards we would go home and count who got the most candy. One popular teen-agers' Halloween trick was to unroll a roll of toilet paper and throw it high into a tree again and again until the tree was all wrapped in the white paper. The paper would often stay in the tree for weeks until a heavy snow or rain washed it off.

    No real harm done, but it made a big mess of both the tree and the yard under it. One kind of Halloween mischief.

B

    Last Friday, I agreed to meet some friends at 6：00 p．m. in a coffee shop.The weather was sunny, so I decided to walk there.I arrived ten minutes early.I ordered a cup of coffee and sat watching people.There were some boys playing football on the street, and a small boy was running after the ball as it rolled (滚) across the road.

    Suddenly (突然), there came a car.It was going very fast.When the driver saw the boy in his way, he braked (刹车) hard.But it was too late…The small boy was lying on the street without moving.To everyone's surprise, the car didn't stop.It drove away quickly.

    People ran to the boy.There was a cut on the boy's head and he lost a lot  of blood.The coffee shop owner (主人) telephoned the police.Soon an ambulance (救护车)arrived and took the boy to the hospital.

    At 6：30 p．m., the police arrived and started questioning people.About half an hour later, they asked me to go to the police station because I saw everything.I gave them all the information I knew because I really wanted them to catch the driver.I didn't leave the police station until 8：00 p．m. After that I went home because I didn't feel like talking to anyone.

    The next day, the boy's parents called me to say thanks.They also told me their boy was fine and the driver was in the police station now.

    Mr White was over 80 years old, but he looked younger than his age. He played Tai Chi in the park every day, so he was very healthy. It was 11:30. It was time for him to walk home. He usually got home thirty minutes later. One day, Mr White didn't get home when it was 12：30. His family worried about him. After a short while, a police car stopped in front of their house. What happened?

    "The old man was lost and he called us for help," the policeman said.

    When the policeman left, Mr White's daughter asked her father, "Dad, you go to the park every day. How can you be lost?" "I'm not lost at all. I'm just tired. I don't want to go home on foot," answered Mr White with a smile.

    There is a new cartoon movie called Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The story happens in a small American town. People there don't have enough food. They only have fish to eat. Luckily, an inventor comes to help people. Who is he? Read what he says: "Hi！I'm Flint. I'm an inventor. I invented a new machine to make food for our town. It changes water into food. It can make meatballs and hamburgers rain down. It can make whatever people want!"

    Flint has a monkey friend. He is very helpful. Read his self－introduction: "Hi, my name is Steve. I'm a monkey. I can talk with an animal translator. Flint invented it. I'm Flint's best friend. When he needs me, I'm a good helper. "

    What's more interesting is that there is a special weather reporter. She tells people when and where the food will fall down. Read what she says: "Hi, my name is Sam. I am a weather reporter. People love Flint's invention. They have a lot to eat. But it's raining bigger and bigger food pieces. The food can smash(砸烂) houses! Flint has to stop it."

    Will Flint stop the food rain? Go to see the movie and find out.

    Toby, an 11-year old boy, is playing with a ball. The ball goes into the street and Toby runs for the ball.

    A car hits（碰撞） Toby. An ambulance（救护车） takes Toby to the hospital in 30 minutes. The doctors at the hospital tell Toby's parents, "Toby is in a coma."

    Every day, Toby's parents visit him at the hospital. They sit next to Toby's bed and talk to him. But Toby never talks to them. He just sleeps.

   One day Toby's father says, "Wake up, Toby. Wake up, come home and play with Rusty." Rusty is Toby's dog.

    When Toby's father says "Rusty", Toby moves his arm（胳膊）. "Rusty!" Toby's father says again. Again, Toby moves his arm.

    Toby's parents have an idea. They tell the nurse,

    "We want to bring Toby's dog to the hospital." The nurse says "OK".

    The next day, Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital. When they put the dog on Toby's bed, Toby opens his eyes and hugs the dog.

    Toby's parents bring Rusty to the hospital every day. One day, Rusty jumps onto Toby's bed and scratches（抓） his arm. Toby says his first words, "Bad dog!"

    After eight weeks, Toby is well. He leaves the hospital and goes home.