Liu Mingxiao, 13, is a pretty and smart girl. She comes top in her class. But many students try to stay away from her because her mother has AIDS(艾滋病). Liu's father has died of AIDS. But Liu didn't get it.

    AIDS means fear(惧怕)for most people. “Nobody wants to play games with me. They call me bad names behind my back. Even a teacher who used to like me turns her back on me now. It makes me feel sad.” said Liu.

    Liu's mother didn't know what happened to her daughter until one day Liu came back home with her nose bleeding(流血的)，“ She fought with a boy who said something bad about her father.” said Liu's mother. “My heart really hurts. My daughter did nothing wrong!”

    For many of these children, the biggest problem they now face is how other people look at them. Many of them have to drop out of school(辍学)because they can no longer stand others' indifference(冷漠).

    “People are afraid of AIDS because they know little about it,” said Wang Chongrun, head of a group to help children living with AIDS. Wang went to the villages and gave lessons about AIDS to the people there.

    “Many of these children are just as healthy as others,” Wang said.

    “Even if they have AIDS, it's still safe to eat and play with them. They need our love and understanding. A friendly smile means a lot to them!”

    A young lady was driving alone through the street. It was dark and rainy. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding up her hands as if she wanted a lift(搭便车). “I can't leave her out in this weather,” the young lady said to herself. She stopped her car and opened the door.

    “Do you want a lift?” she asked. The old woman nodded and got on the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, “Have you been waiting for a long time?” The old woman shook her head, “Strange” the young lady thought. She tried again, “Bad weather, isn't it?” The old woman nodded.

    Then the young lady noticed the old woman's hands, which were large and hairy. Suddenly she realized the woman was a man! She was frightened at first. Then she stopped the car. “I couldn't see out of the rear screen(后挡风玻璃),”she said, “Would you mind cleaning it for me?”

    “The old woman” nodded and opened the door. As soon as “she”got out of the car, the frightened young lady drove off as fast as she could.

    When she got home, she noticed “the old woman” had left her handbag behind, she picked it up and opened it. Inside there was a gun.

    Henry was an office worker in a big city. He worked very hard and enjoyed travelling during his holidays.

    He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an advertisement in a newspaper." Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at West Hill Farm. Good food. Fresh air. Walking. Fishing. Cheap and interesting."

    "This sounds a good idea," he thought. "I'll spend a month at West Hill Farm. I think I can enjoy walking and fishing. They'll make a change from sitting by the seaside and swimming."

    He wrote to the farmer. In the letter he said that he would like to spend the whole July there. Then on the first day of July, he left for West Hill Farm.

    But four days later, he returned home.

    "What was wrong with West Hill Farm?" his best friend, Ed. asked him. "Didn't you enjoy country life?"

    "Country life was very good," Henry said. "But there was another problem."

    "Oh. What?"

    "Well," he said, "on the first day a sheep died, and we had roast mutton (烤羊肉) for dinner."

    "What's wrong with that?" Ed asked. "Fresh meat is the best."

    "I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner."

    "Lucky you!"

    "You don't understand," Henry said. "on the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner."

    "A different kind of meat every day," Ed said loudly, "and you are complaining!"

    "Let me finish, "Henry said. "on the fourth day the farmer. died, and I didn't dare (敢) stay for dinner!"

    Mr White works in an office. He is very 1 and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes back from his office, he's always tired and wants to go to bed early, 2 his wife often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after supper. She doesn't stop talking until he falls 3. But it's usually too late and Mr White has to 4 early in the morning when she is asleep.

    One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work. He decided to go to 5. And Mrs White went with him. Before her husband said 6 was the matter with him, the woman had told the doctor all and the doctor said to her, "The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the pills are for you." "For me?" the woman said in surprise, "I'm fine. I don't need 7 medicine."

     "I don't think so, madam," said the doctor. "They are sleeping pills. Your husband will soon be all right if you take them."