Hi! I'm Harry. Life used to be kind of difficult for me. The muscles(肌肉) in my arms and legs are weak. I have to be in a wheelchair all day. I can't use my legs at all, and I'm not too great with my hands. If I drop something it stays dropped until someone picks it up for me. I can't open doors or switch lights on and off. Carrying everything I need for school is a problem too.
Now things are easier. I have a helping hand. Pete is a golden dog that has been trained to help kids like me. Pete was at dog training school for two years to learn how to do different tasks. I had to be trained too. I had to learn how to give Pete instructions and how to take care of him.
When Pete is working he doesn't play around. My friends know they are not to pet him or call him when he is working. He can pull my wheelchair and pick up things I drop. Pete carries my books and lunch on his back. He pushes the button on the school lift and opens some kinds of doors. He even knows how to switch lights on.But best of all, Pete is here when I need a friend.

    The Man of Many Secrets — Harry Houdini — was one of the greatest American entertainers(表演者) in the theater. He was a man famous for his escapes（逃走；逃生） — from prison cells（囚室）, from wooden boxes floating（漂浮） in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.

    Of course, his secret was not magic, or supernatural powers. It was simply strength. He had the ability to move his toes as well as his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.

    Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in club in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant. But for a long time they were not very successful. Then Harry performed his first prison （监狱）escape in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded（说服） a detective（侦探） which to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.

    It was the publicity(宣传) that came from this that started Harry Houdini's success. Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs(手铐) and toes trained to escape ankle chains. But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck — and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks, pass quickly from her mouth to his.

    Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local prison of every town he visited. In the afternoon, the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? Worldwide fame, and a name remembered today.

    Old George buys a pair of black gloves for just $7. They are soft and warm. George takes good care of his gloves, so they look new. But George loses his gloves on New Year's Day.

    In winter, he must need a pair of gloves. He is upset(心烦的)that when people find things on the road, they don't return them.

    After the holiday, poor George decides to buy another pair. Before buying it, he goes into Value Mart again to see if his gloves have been returned to the Lost and Found Office.

    "What colour are they?" the woman in the office asks again.

    "Black, "he gives the same answer. She looks into her drawer and takes out(拿出)a pair of men's gloves, "Are they yours?"

    "Yes! They are mine!" George says, with great joy in his eyes.

    I am a fifteen-year-old girl in a junior high school. I have a problem now. I hope you can give me advice. Three months ago, I knew a boy on the Internet. I found that he had the same hobbies as me, so we got on well soon. Two weeks ago we began to talk on the phone. We both felt comfortable when talking to each other, as if（好像）we had been good friends for a long time. Last week we met because he doesn't live far from my home. We talked a lot and enjoyed ourselves together in the gym.

    However, some of my friends said that I shouldn't make friends on the Internet. They also said that the boy might be dangerous. I don't know what I should do. I don't want a close relationship with him, but I'm really happy with him. Should I talk about this problem with my parents or teachers? I'm afraid that they would be angry and think I'm a bad girl. So I am turning to you for advice. Please help me.

    Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything-tutors, cards, special learning centers in short, everything they could think of. Finally they took Tommy to a catholic(天主教的) school.

    After the first day, little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread(铺开) out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before.  This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.

    Finally, little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His morn looked at it and to her surprise, little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity(好奇心). She went to his room and asked, "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns(修女)?" Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head, "No." "Well then," she asked again. "WHAT was it?"

    Little Tommy looked at her and said, "Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed(钉) to the plus sign(加号), I knew they weren't joking."