Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York.

    As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible.

    Famous comedians (喜剧演员）went to see Rock's performances. One comedian (Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think.

    Today, Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called "Everybody Hates Chris." It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.

    Smokejumpers are special firefighters. They jump from planes into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot, like the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can.

    At a fire site, smokejumpers first check the land and decide how to fight the fire. They try their best to stop a fire from spreading. Using their tools, smokejumpers clear the land of burnable things like dry grass and leaves. They usually carry some water with them.

    In the US, although most smokejumpers are men, more women are joining. The important thing is that your height and weight must be within a certain range(范围). For example, smokejumpers in the US must be between 120 and 200 pounds, so they don't get hurt when they land, or get blown by strong winds.

    Smokejumpers must also be able to live in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and make simple tools.

    The work is dangerous, and the hours are long. But for smokejumpers, smokejumping isn't just a job. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 28-year-old proud Russian smokejumper Alexi Tishin says, "This is the best job for brave people."

The Sixth Time I Went to the Principal's Office

    When I was in the seventh grade, I had problems behaving. My heart was in the right place, but I couldn't always follow the rules. I played many tricks on my schoolmates. Once, I even pulled a girl's hair on the school bus to get her attention. As a result, I was repeatedly sent to the office of the principal（校长）.Although I hated going there, I did not hate the principal, Mr. Ratcliff.

    Mr. Ratcliff was a kind, elderly man. When he spanked（打屁股） me for putting some ants into a classmate's pencil box, it didn't hurt at all, but it did hurt my feelings. I thought so much of him and moments like that seemed to prove I was hopelessly bad.

    When I got called to Mr. Ratcliff's office for the sixth time, I had no idea what I had done. I felt disappointed as I walked down there. I went into his office, sat down, and looked at the floor. Then he said the last thing I expected to hear:" Kevin, I've heard you've been behaving really well lately. I want you to know how proud I am of you, and I just called you down to my office to give you a peppermint."

    "Really?" I was surprised.

    "Yes. Now you can take that peppermint and go back to class."

    I carried the peppermint with me as if it was a gold coin. When I got into my classroom, I bragged （吹嘘） to my classmates about my turnaround, excitedly. I wasn't so bad after all.

    Mr. Ratcliff was really kind. He made me realize that I was just a kid who had problems with behavior. He bought some peppermints and took the time to notice me when I got something-anything-right. Mr. Ratcliff gave me some hope by giving me some love. I will just remember him for the rest of my life.

    What do we do when we go camping? First, we make a plan. We take food, clothing, a knife, and things for cooking and eating. We take things to keep us away from(远离)insects(昆虫) and the sun.

    Then we put everything into the car and we drive to the woods(森林). We look for a place for campers(露营者) and we look for a good place for our tent(帐篷). The place should have a lot of moving air. This will keep some insects away. High land with water on both sides of it is good. Then we put up our tent. We put everything into the tent, and we are ready for fun. We can swim in the lake, walk in the woods, climb a mountain, row a boat, or go fishing.

    In the evening we come back to the tent, and we build a big fire because it can keep the insects away. We sit around the fire and talk. We may tell interesting stories or we may sing songs.

    At night we lie down on the grass. We can look up at the stars. It is a busy day, so we try to go to sleep early.

    Everything is dark. Everything is quiet. We hope we won't hear music from the radio in the next tent. We hope it won't rain.