In November 1979, pupils in England were able to watch a new TV program called Monkey. Most of them were hearing this story for the first time. However, this story is not new to Chinese children. The Monkey King or Sun Wu Kong is the main character in the traditional Chinese book Journey to the West.

    The Monkey King is not just any normal monkey. In fact, he sometimes does not even look like a monkey! This is because he can make 72 changes to his shape and size, turning himself into different animals and objects. But unless he can hide his tail, he cannot turn himself into a man （汉译英）.To fight bad people, the Monkey King uses a magic sticks. Sometimes he can make the stick so small that he can keep it in his ear. at other times, he is able to make it big and long.

    The Monkey King has excited the children of China for many years. And as soon as the TV program came out more than 30 years ago, western children became interested in reading this story because the clever Monkey King keeps fighting to help the weak and never gives up.

    Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in 1835,in the state of Missouri. When he was four, his family moved to the town ofHannibal, Missouri. Hannibal was a port on the Missippi River, and Clemensloved to watch the big steamboats going up and down the river. He said that allthe boys in his school had one ambition in life: to work on a steamboat!

    His father died when he was just 12 yearsold, and Clemens then went to work for a printer to help support his family. Hetravelled around, and worked in many different cities. But when he was 22, heachieved his ambition—he got a job working on a steamboat. He sailed up anddown the wide Missippi River until the American Civil War began.

    He then moved around America, and triedseveral jobs. He was a soldier, and a silver miner. Then he started working asa writer for a newspaper. It was at that time that he decided to use a pen namefor his stories, and he chose the name "Mark Twain".

    The name is interesting. It comes from hisdays on the steamboats. He used to throw a piece of rope into the river. Therewas a heavy weight on the end of the rope, and the rope had some marks on it.He used the rope to find how deep the river was. Then he shouted out, "MarkOne" or "Mark Twain", meaning "Mark Two". Each markwas about two metres, so when he shouted "Mark Twain", it meant thatthe river was deep enough for the big boat.

    In 1865 Clemens wrote a story about ajumping frog. The story and the writer became famous. In 1867 he toured Europe.He married when he returned, and lived for most of the rest of his in Harfort,Connecticut. He wrote many books, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, whichhe wrote in 1876. He also gave many lectures, and became a very famous andpopular man.

    Once two of his friends decided to write tohim, but they had lost his address. So on the envelope they just wrote "MarkTwain, God knows where". Several weeks later, they received a replay fromthe writer. It just said, "He does!"

    Samuel Clemens died in 1910. He isconsidered to be one of America's most important writers.

Today is Grandma's 85th birthday.

"I'm giving her a photo," says Brian."I took it with my new camera (照相机). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}" he asks his brother Joey.

"I don't know." says Joey."I don't have a camera. So I can't take a picture."

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}His mom is busy making something." Mom, what are you going to give Grandma?"

"{#blank#}3{#/blank#}" says Joey's mom.

"I can't make cakes. I don't know how." says Joey.

Joey goes to the living room. His dad is sewing (缝) a blanket(毯子)."{#blank#}4{#/blank#}" Dad said.

Joey then goes and sits next to Grandma on the sofa." Everyone has a gift for you, but not me. I can't take a photo, make a cake or sew. I don't have anything to give you." says Joey.

Grandma put her arm around Joey." {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's what you can give me," says Grandma.

Joey smiles." Happy Birthday," he says.

Last year, we took a trip to New York City.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} we arrived at our hotel, it was around I am. My son Joseph looked out at the lights of Times Square and said he{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(want) to go outside.I told him it was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} late to go out, but he kept looking out of the window and said, "Just for two minutes."My wife and I just looked at each other, surprised and said "Two minutes". We got {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (dress) and walked to the center of Times Square. When we got there, my son pointed at {#blank#}5{#/blank#} lights and said "Dad, look!" and then started to fall asleep.

It took us {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(minute) to get ready for the 20 seconds we spent outside, but it made {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(we) son happy and that meant a lot to us. That night, I learned a lesson about this small experience.I used{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (find) an excuse(借口) to do something else,but in fact I could have happy moments in our lives.

Because of my son, I learned that I am {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(big) enemy to my own happiness in my life. Happiness is created{#blank#}10{#/blank#} ourselves. And it is a door that is always open. However, we are the ones who have to decide if we are going to walk through the door.

While walking through the desert, a young man came across a spring of delicious clear water. The water was so 1 . He put it into his leather container(皮革容器) so he could bring some back to his teacher.

 After a four- day journey, he 2 the water to his teacher. After the old man took a deep drink, he smiled 3 and thanked his student for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

 Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It had become bad because of the 4 leather container. The student asked his teacher," The water was really bad. Why did you show that you 5 it?"

 The teacher replied," You only tasted the water. I tasted the 6 . The water was simply a container for an act of loving- kindness and7 could be sweeter."

 We understand this 8 best when we receive gifts of love from young children. No matter what the gift is, it is natural to enjoy it and express thankfulness because we don't 9 the thing but the idea within the gift. After all, a gift10 the heart is really the gift of the heart. That's what we need to remind us.

Mr and Mrs Mallard are looking for a place to live.1 every time Mr Mallard finds what looks like a nice place, Mrs Mallard says it is not good. 

One day, they get to a new city. "2 at the lake in the Public Garden. And there is a(n)3 in the centre of the lake," Mrs Mallard shouts. "It's my place. We can 4 the night on the island." Mr Mallard agrees with her. 

Next morning, they are swimming in the lake to look for 5 when a boat with many people comes. Some people throw small pieces of  6 into the water, so the Mallards have a nice breakfast. "I 7 this place," Mrs Mallard says as she climbs out of the water and has a break on the grass. 8 , a boy riding a bike passes by and he nearly hits (撞到) Mrs Mallard. "So  9 ! The place won't be good for our baby ducks. We must 10 here," Mrs Mallard shouts. 

Finally, they find the Charles River. "That island in the river looks like a quiet place to hatch (孵化) ducks. It's far away from the 11 city," Mr Mallard says. They choose soft bushes (灌木丛) near the water to12 the nest (窝). Finally, Mrs Mallard produces 8 eggs and the baby ducks ha tch out. 

All day long, Mrs Mallard teaches her babies 13 to swim. She teaches  14 to walk in a line near the island. And she also tells her babies to come back  15 hearing her voice. Mrs Mallard is very busy, but she likes her life.