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    Droughts(干旱) are common in Kenya. Before, they came every 10 years, but now they seem to be hitting us more often and for a longer time.

    We gave the droughts names "longoza" was the drought when many animals died; there  was the drought of the "planes" because food was dropped from the air by planes; and one particularly bad drought was called "man who dies with his money in his fist(拳头)", because, even if there was money, there was simply no food to buy.

    I was born in 1951 in Machakos. From what my mother tells me, when I was 7, there was a serious drought . I clearly remember the terrible weather and the hunger. I can't tell you how many times I went to bed without eating. "I slept like that," is how we described it. I can't count the number of days when "I slept like that," or describe the feeling of going to sleep hungry, knowing I'd wake up and there would still be no food for breakfast.

    My father would leave early in the morning carrying a little basket to ask for food on credit(赊欠). Each night he would return home around 10:00 pm. My mother would try to encourage me by telling me to keep the water in our pot boiling so that when my father arrived we could quickly cook any food he brought in the already prepared water. I would keep the fire burning and the water boiling, along with the hopes that we would eat that night. But my father would arrive frustrated and empty-handed. And I would sleep like that.

A Trip to the Forest

    One day Bob took two of his friends into the mountains. They put up their tents and then rode off to a forest to see how the trees were growing.

    In the afternoon when they were about ten kilometers from their camp（营地）, it started to snow. More and more snow fell. Soon Bob could hardly see his hands before his face. He could not find the road. Bob knew there were two roads. One road went to the camp, and the other went to his house. But all was white snow. Everything was the same. How could he take his friends back to the camp?

    Bob had an idea. The horses! Let the horses take them back! But what would happen if the horses took the road to his house? That would be a trip of thirty-five kilometers in such cold weather!

    It was getting late. They rode on and on. At last the horses stopped. Where were they?

    None of them could tell. John looked around. What was that under the tree? It was one of their tents!

The most meaningful club I joined in

A gentleman needed a young man to help him in his office, so he put recruitment(招聘)information in a newspaper. Nearly fifty people came to apply for the job. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the gentleman in a short time chose one and sent the rest away.

"I really want to know," said a friend, why did you like that young man who didn't bring a recommendation(推荐信) with him {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(good) among all the people?"

"You are mistaken," said the gentleman. "He had {#blank#}3{#/blank#} great many."

"I noticed the young man wiped(擦拭) his shoes at the door and closed the door {#blank#}4{#/blank#} him, showing that he was tidy and orderly."

"He took off his cap when he came in and answered my questions without delay(延迟), showing that he was polite and a quick {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (think) ."

"He lifted the book which I had purposely{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (lay) on the floor,and placed it on the table, while all the rest stepped over it, or kicked it aside, showing that he was careful."

"And he {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(polite) waited for his turn instead of pushing the others aside, indicating that he was modest(谦逊的)."

"When I talked with him, I found that  his shirt {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(wash) carefully, his hair in nice order, and his {#blank#}9{#/blank#}( tooth) as white as milk. When he wrote his name, I noticed that his fingernails were clean."

"Don't you call these qualities letters of recommendation? I do and what I can tell about by using my eyes for ten minutes {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(be) more important than all the fine letters he can bring to me."

Recently, a junior high school sent several students back home because they broke the school uniform(校服) rules. Should students wear school uniforms? The Young World magazine held a discussion on this topic. 

Kennedy: The school uniform is very important, because it always reminds me that I am supposed to go out of my way to study hard. It also helps prevent school bullying(欺凌). If everyone wears the same clothes, it is impossible to laugh at other people's clothing. 

Manson: The uniform has to be got through hard work. Students should start school with no uniforms. As they make progress at school, they start wearing it. I always think children need to be proud of their schools. The uniform is important for that. So, make students work hard to get it! If they don't behave(表现) well, they should not be allowed to get one. 

Moorhead: In my opinion, kids don't have to wear uniforms. There should be more choices open to kids in education. They should develop their own independence and just be themselves. Their personalities(个性) would be shown through their own clothes at school. And different dress could be one way of showing their understanding of beauty. Besides, they make the school lively and colourful. 

Patrick: I can see the advantages of wearing school uniforms. They play a very important role in managing schools. However, a school should not depend heavily on uniforms to improve students' behaviour. Teaching them how to express themselves with confidence is more important.