Once there was a parrot on sale in a pet store. It was a beautiful red and blue bird. It sat on a perch in the middle of the store, so that everyone could see it when they came in. The owner was very proud of it and asked a high price for it.

    One day a man went into the store. “That's a beautiful bird,” he said to the pet store owner, “But why is it so expensive? Is it unusual bird?”

    “No, it's not very unusual. It's expensive because it can talk,” the pet store owner said.

    “I see. How can I make it talk?” the man asked.

    The pet store owner asked him, “Do you see those string tied to each of the bird's legs?”

    “Yes,”the man answered.

    “Well, you pull those strings,” the pet store owner told him. “That will make the parrot talk.”

    The man asked, “Do you mind if I try?”

    “Not at all,” the pet store owner said.

The man walked up to the parrot and pulled the string on its left leg. The parrot said, “Good morning.”

    The man pulled the string on the parrot's right leg. This time the parrot said, “How are you today?”

    “That's not very interesting, ” said the man. “Any parrot could do that.” Then he laughed, “But what would happen if I pulled both strings at the same time?”

    “I'll fall off my perch, you fool!” the parrot said.

    I'm a Russian student. Last year I came to China for a holiday. It took me 8 hours to arrive in Beijing by plane. It was 11pm when I arrived at the airport. I was tired and wanted to find a hotel.

    The airport was big and black. I didn't know where a hotel was. I saw a Chinese girl in front of me. I studied a little Chinese before, but I couldn't speak well. I spoke to her in Chinese. She couldn't understand me. I asked again and again. At last, she understood. She asked me in Russian, "Are you from Russia?" She could speak Russian well. She told me where the nearest hotel was and sent me to the hotel. What a friendly girl she was!