A Little Horse Crossing the River

    There is an old horse and a little horse on a farm. One day the old horse asks the little horse to send the wheat to the mill(磨坊）。The little horse is very happy. He carries the wheat and runs toward the mill. But there is a river in front of the little horse. He stops and doesn't know {#blank#}1{#/blank#} to do next. Just then Aunt Cow is passing by.

    The little horse {#blank#}2{#/blank#},”Aunt Cow, please tell me. Can I cross the river?”

Aunt Cow answers.” It's not deep, you can cross it.”

    When the little horse begins to cross the river, a little squirrel(松鼠）shouts to him,” Little horse, don't cross it, you will be drowned. Yesterday {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of my friends was drowned in this river.”

    The little horse is very {#blank#}4{#/blank#} .Finally he {#blank#}5{#/blank#} to go home and asks his mother.

    The old horse asks,”{#blank#}6{#/blank#} do you take the wheat back? What's wrong with you, my child?”

    The little horse answers sadly,” There is a river in front of me. Aunt Cow said it was not deep, but the little squirrel said it was deep. What shall I do?”

    The old horse says,” My child, you should try to cross the river by   7    . If you don't try, how do you know the river is deep or not.

    The little horse carries the wheat and    8      to the riverside. At last,he succeeds in   9    the river. Now, he knows    10    deep the river is.

    Do you like reading stories? Maybe you will answer, “No, I am not a child any more!” Yes, children all over the world always love stories.

    Chinese children are 1in Monkey King's story. It 2a popular bedtime story in China for many years. In fact, adults also love the story a lot. For them, Monkey King has become a very 3part in the memory of their childhood. The clever and humorous monkey 4the hearts of many Chinese people. British boys and girls all know Alice's Adventuresin Wonderland well. As the name 5, it's a story full of dangerous but exciting trips. Children laugh, cry and even get frightened with Alice together while reading the story. Most American kids have read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by the famous writer Mark Twain. Everyone likes the brave boy who also has lots of 6. Some scenes of the story may make your heart go faster, for Tom and his friends meet some very bad men and are usually 7. Of course in the end, they beat the bad ones.

    You may also ask me 8I like stories. Yes, I have liked them since I was very young. At that time, I often 9all my pocket money on story books. For me, stories are much more 10than chocolate! They help me learn a lot. So either young or old, let's enjoy stories.

    One night a man came to my house. He told me. "There is a family with eight 1. They don't have anything to eat." After I asked him where the family was. I took some 2 with me and left.

    When I finally got to that family, I 3 those little children were so hungry that they could not 4 anything. There was no sadness in their eyes, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the food to the mother. She took half of it, and then went out. When she 5, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple 6, "To my neighbours'. They are also 7!"

    I was not surprised that she gave the food to others, because poor people are always very 8. But I was surprised that she knew her 9 were hungry when she was also in need of food. Usually, when we are in trouble or in danger, we always 10 ourselves first, and we have no time for others.

    Last autumn, my 80-year-old grandmother was having problems with her heart. My family sent her to the1.

After a careful examination, a famous doctor told my grandmother, "You have such a2 heart condition that you should have an operation."

    "But the complications (并发症) can happen." the doctor3my grandmother and looked at her worried face.

The doctor went on to say that she would have a 40 percent possibility of having a heart trouble 4the operation, a 35 percent possibility of being unable to stand up, and even 20 percent of5on the operating table because of her old age.

    My grandmother was terribly surprised and quickly said, "Doctor, since you're talking about these 6, I have one for you: there is a 100 percent possibility that you won't operate on me!"

    7these words, my grandmother got up and8the doctor's office.

    The next day, my grandmother went to9doctor's office. There she was also told she needed an 10. The doctor also said that her11might cause some problems. 12 he was quite sure about the success of operation.

    My grandmother might be brave, but she is not silly. She then asked the doctor, "If I am your mother, what will you13?"

    The doctor walked up to her, smiled, put his arms14her, and said, "Mom, let's have the operation!"

    My grandmother had the operation and came out15! Her positive attitude (乐观的心态) added many wonderful and happy years for her and enjoy living with my family.

    After school on Friday, I waited at the school gate to walk home with Jemma, as usual. Then I saw 1 talking and laughing happily with some other girls. She glanced (瞥了一眼) at me and left me alone there. I knew right then that I had 2 my best friend.

    At dinner, Mom asked, "Is Jemma coming by tomorrow?"

    I shrugged (耸肩) and said nothing.

    The next morning, Mom asked, "Today is 3, what are you and Jemma going to do?"

    I shrugged again. "4 is Jemma?"

    Mom took a look at me. Then she said, "Will you take these magazines to Grandma, please?"

    5 I walked down the street, a new girl in the neighborhood came towards me, smiling. But I just went 6 her.

    Grandma welcomed me at the door with a warm hug.

Sitting on the sofa, I noticed a (an) 7 of kids in old-fashioned clothes on the table. Grandma pointed at a girl with short fair hair.

    "That's Beth Lambert," she said. "My best friend. Until a week before we took this photo."

    I was 8 at that.

    "Beth and I were best friends in school. We did everything 9. Then one day, she made new friends and said she didn't want to hang out with me anymore. Nothing hurt 10 that."

    I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I knew I'd start 11 if I opened my mouth.

    Grandma hugged me again. "Simone, sometimes friends grow 12. It might happen to anyone," she continued. "Then, see him?" Grandma's finger 13 to a boy with glasses in the photo. "He lived near me. When I was walking home by myself 14 this boy was, too, I said ‘hello'. And we became friends."

    "So, if we want to start a new friendship," she smiled. "One 15 is all it took."

    As I was heading home, that new girl appeared again. I went towards her and spoke, "Hello."