English book Animal Farm (1945) tells a story about farm animals. They are fed up with ( 受够了) Mr Jones, the farmer. He treats them badly, so they decide to kick him off the farm and run the farm themselves.

    One day an old pig called Old Major gathers the animals around him. He tells them that all animals should stand together. He says they should take over the farm. They say that all animals are equal.

    After they get rid of ( 摆 脱 ) Mr Jones, two pigs become the leaders of Animal Farm. One pig called Snowball is a great speaker. He has big ideas for Animal Farm. The other leader is a pig called Napoleon. Napoleon is a crafty (狡猾的) animal. He brings together supporters by offering them advantages.

    Napoleon makes a war against Snowball and kicks him away from the farm. He turns Snowball into a big enemy. He says that Snowball is working with Farmer Jones and other farmers to destroy Animal Farm.

    But as it turns out it is Napoleon who is working with the enemies of the animals. He joins up with the old human enemies of the animals. But he tells the animals that he is working for them. Meanwhile the animals work hard. It seems that it is as bad to live under Napoleon as it was under Farmer Jones!

    Why is the story so important?

    Animal Farm is an excellent choice for learners of English because it's very short. The language is also simple.

    Like many famous stories Animal Farm is not just a book. It was played on the BBC radio in 1947. The big modern way of telling stories is in movies of course. Orwell's book has become a film twice. Perhaps it won't surprise you that the first one (1954) was a cartoon. In 1984 another film was made.

    This was a live-action (真人版的) film. The famous book has also been put on in the theater. In 1984 aversion was made and it toured a number of British cities.

    Most kids in Britain have pet bears. This animal is both furry (毛茸茸的) and friendly. But it cannot move or make any noise. That's because it is a teddy bear. Most teddies are in the shape of a small bear. They are usually brown and stuffed (填充) with cotton. Kids love them very much.

    Paddington bear is one of the most famous teddy bears in the world. Yet there are many types. Do you know Winnie the Pooh? He's another popular bear!

Cute, soft teddy bears were born in the 20th century. However, they don't have just one place of birth. Both American and German toymakers made the teddy bear at the same time!

    Teddy bears have long been a popular kids' toy. They are in songs, stories and films. There are even teddy bear museums around the world. And it's not even just kids who hold teddy bears. It's a popular present for lovers, usually on Valentine's Day.

    In the UK it is popular for a newborn baby to get a teddy bear as their first gift. The day I was born, my grandmother handed me a teddy bear. She made it herself. That makes him the same age as me! I took him everywhere I went, holding his arm at nighttime and falling asleep with him. And I still have that bear with me today. It is the best gift I have ever gotten.

    Victor's hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like England, Canada and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That's right-stamps.

    Victor's favourite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2004. He only needed one. That was a 1974 special edition. It was very hard to find.

    He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and relatives to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Victor very sad.

    "Don't worry. Never give up," his father said to him. If you have enough patience, you'll find it one day.

    "I hope so," Victor said

    Victor also liked writing. He had a penfriend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Victor's penfriend, Phillip, usually used new stamps to send letters. Sometimes, his mother gave him stamps to use. Once Phillip's mother gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Victor received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked carefully at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Victor was so happy. He told his sister, his mother and his father. "You see," his father said. "You did find your stamp. So it's good to have two things in life."

    "What are they?" Victor asked.

    "Friends and patience," he answered.