A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees he grew.

    One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but he did not know where to plant it.

    He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbours would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his woods. But without sunlight and good soil(土壤), the tree soon died.

    Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily and then told what he had thought.

    "Yes, "said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed(毁掉) a good apple tree!"

    Over the last few centuries, there have been many changes in our lives.

    To start with, people were not able to travel such a long distance in such a short time in the past. Planes were not very popular at that time because they used to be a very expensive way to travel. Nowadays, we have fast, comfortable cars, and more and more people can travel by plane.

    Secondly, in the past, people had to work much harder because they did not have the tools that we have today. Today, most of the difficult and dangerous work is done by computers and machines.

    Thirdly, in the past, the living conditionswere not as good as they are now. There were no bathrooms or running water in many houses, and many people could not buy things like fridges, TV sets or washing machines. Now, most families have several of these things.

    Finally, nowadays, more and more people have the chance to get a good education. In the past, there were fewer schools and the quality of education was much poorer. Also, it is much easier to find the educational materials that you need on the Internet now. 

    The scientific and technological development in the world is amazing. Life now is much faster and busier than it used to be. And we are still creating new things to make our lives better and easier.

    Fires do happen. If there is a fire, you might not have much time to decide what to do. Being prepared and knowing what to do early can save your life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Your family should practice this getting﹣out plan.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}  If you have such a meeting place outside, you can quickly make sure that everyone is out of the house.

    You should also remember that smoke is usually far more dangerous than the fire. A person can die after just a few minutes in a smoke filled room.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Finally, before you open any doors, always feel the door lock first. If the door lock is hot, fire must be on the other side of the door.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You will have to find another way out. These are simple suggestions.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

Smoke alarms(报警器)

    House fires cause many deaths each year and a large number of these fires are unfortunately set by children.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Kids must understand that they, d better not play with fire. You should keep matches and lighters out of their reach.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The main job of such an alarm is to protect you while you're asleep. You should have a smoke alarm outside each bedroom and on each floor of your home. You ought to have two plans for getting out of your house if there is a fire and practise these plans in the dark with your family.

    A smoke alarm warns you of the danger. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Take action immediately. When you come to a closed door, check it with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, there may be smoke or fire behind the door, so take care. Once you are out of your house, call the fire department from a neighbor's house. If a family member or a pet is caught inside, you shouldn't go back in. Firemen know how to perform rescues safely {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Change the batteries at least once a year. You should use the test button each month to see if the alarm and batteries are still working. A smoke alarm lasts about ten years. You ought to change it even if it seems to be working.

    About two out of three fire deaths happen in homes with no working smoke alarms.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Most of these deaths can be avoided.

B. But when you hear it, you don t have much time.

C. A smoke alarm is only good if it's working properly.

D. So, it's important to teach them that fire is a tool, not a toy.

E. A smoke alarm greatly reduces your chances of being hurt in a fire.

    My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren't too many travellers in October.

    We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn't understand the bus routes, and my wife didn't like travelling on the underground. She said it made her feel sick.

    We went to look at the places which all visitors visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, of course, was going to the theatre. We didn't have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is very bad. We didn't think so. It's true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.

    In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked(预订) again for this year. We're going to take an umbrella. I'm sure we'll need it sometimes.