Aesop (伊索) was a slave living around 550 BC. We call the stories he wrote fables, as every story has a moral. Almost all the fables he wrote are {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (humor) and entertaining, appealing to people {#blank#}2{#/blank#} all ages. Till now, Aesop's fables {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (translate) into many languages and are known all over the world. Not only {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the fables themselves lived for nearly 1500 years, but the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (express) from them have entered various languages.

    One fable, for instance, is about a farmer who was driving his cart along a country road. The cart got {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (stick) in the mud, but the farmer made {#blank#}7{#/blank#} effort to get it out. Instead, he began to pray to the gods for help. The god Hercules finally appeared and told {#blank#}8{#/blank#} man to get busy and push {#blank#}9{#/blank#}. “Push your shoulder to the wheel.” Hercules advised.

    The moral of the story is clear. We mustn't rely on others for help. Another saying which has come from the fable is “God helps those {#blank#}10{#/blank#} help themselves.”

The Language of Love

    Music is a universal language, which has the most powerful magic in the world. Music is a sweet language to show love to those who love us and those who{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(love) by us. Music is also a friendly language for unfamiliar people to show kindness. It is living everywhere and all the time in our daily life.

    I learned this while{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(take) care of a seagull unfortunate enough to swallow a hook. After calling the wildlife rescue center and learning that all its{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(vehicle) were out on other business, I carefully{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(wrap) (裹住)the wild bird in a towel and carried him to my friend's car. The only way{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(keep) him calm was by singing. For 30 minutes, I sang{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(soft) to the small creature until finally delivering(递送) him{#blank#}7{#/blank#}those who could help. I'm not certain {#blank#}8{#/blank#}happened afterwards, but for that brief period, we two vastly different species connected, bridging{#blank#}9{#/blank#}gap between us through songs.

    {#blank#}10{#/blank#}doesn't matter whether there will be difficulties in communication，for love is always the theme of each piece of music.

    A father was worried about his son{#blank#}1{#/blank#}was sixteen years old but had no courage (勇气) at all. So the father decided to look for a Buddhist monk(僧侣){#blank#}2{#/blank#} (train) his boy.

    The Buddhist monk said to the boy's father, “I insist that your son should be left alone here. I'll make him into a real man within three {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (month). However, you can't come to see him during this period.”

    Three months later, the boy's father {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (return). The Buddhist monk organized a boxing match (拳击赛) between the boy and an {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (experience) boxer. Each time the fighter hit the boy, he fell down, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}at once the boy stood up; and each time a heavy blow knocked him down, the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, “{#blank#}7{#/blank#} do you think of your child?”

    “What a shame!” the boy's father said, “I never thought he would be so {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (easy) knocked down. I needn't have him stay here any {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (long)!

    “I'm sorry that that's all you see. Don't you see that each time he falls down, he stands up again instead of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (cry)? That's the kind of courage you wanted him to have.

    Smokejumpers are a special type of firefighter. They jump from planes into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot. When they arrive there, they first examine the land and decide {#blank#}1{#/blank#}to fight the fire. Their main goal is to stop a fire from {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (spread). They will use basic equipment to clear land of plants and other dry materials. The work is dangerous, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} they love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 38-year-old Alexi Tishin, who {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (work) as a smokejumper for 15 years, says, “This is the best job for tough guys.”