A smuggler(走私犯) drove to the border. When a soldier looked in the truck， he was surprised to find six big bags.

    “What's in them?” the soldier asked.

    “Dirt，” the smuggler answered.

    “Take them out，” the soldier said. “I want to check them.”

    The smuggler opened the bags， and sure enough， each one of them was filled with dirt. So the soldier let him go.

    A week later， the smuggler came back， and once again， the soldier looked in the truck.

    “What's in the bags this time?” he asked.

    “Dirt， more dirt，” said the smuggler.

    Not believing him， the soldier checked the bags and， once again， he found nothing but dirt.

    The same thing happened every week for six months， and the soldier finally became so frustrated(沮丧的) that he left and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Then one night， the smuggler went to the restaurant and had a drink. The waiter saw him and said， “Listen! Drinks are free tonight if you tell me what you were smuggling all that time.”

    Slowly， the smuggler got close to the waiter and said， “Trucks.”

    Dianna was born in a rich family on July 1st,1961. On July 29, 1981, Diana married Prince Charles. Later she gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry.

    Dianna enjoyed taking part in  international Charities（国际的慈善机构）. One day in July 1991, she went to a hospital to see AIDS patients with Barbara Bush, the wife of the president of the United States at the time. Princess Diana talked to an AIDS patient who was unable to stand up. She even hugged(拥抱) him and encouraged him to fight against the illness(疾病). The patient was very grateful and said, “AIDS patients do need warm hugs.” Of course, she made it. Unfortunately, she died in August 1997. British Prime Minister, Tony Blair said in his speech that Diana was the People's Princess.

    After her death, people set up a fund(基金)to remember Diana and help those who need help.

DISCUSSION

    Chuck was not an ordinary frog. He did love eating flies, but he didn't like catching flies himself. He didn't like snapping them from the air while they were flying around. Some frogs thought Chuck was lazy. Others thought he was strange.

    That didn't matter to Chuck. Each morning, Chuck hid himself under the spider's web between the cattails. Then when Lady Eightlegs went off, Chuck ate flies from her web.

    One morning while Chuck was enjoying the flies, Lady Eightlegs returned and caught him. She cried, "Go and catch your own". Chuck jumped back into the pond.

    Now there was an idea! Why not make his own web? Chuck got some vines. He put them together until they looked like a spider web. He worked on his web for hours until mid-night. And then he fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was stuck inside and couldn't move.

    "Help!" he yelled.

    Lady Eightlegs got there and saved him.

    "No matter how hard I try,I can't spin a spider's web," Chuck said.

    " Of course not," Lady Eightlegs said. "You're a frog. Frogs can't spin spider's webs any better than spiders can swim, I guess. How I wish to swim in the middle of the pond and float (漂浮) peacefully under the sun like you!"

    Chuck smiled, "I have an idea."

    From that day on, Chuck carried Lady Eightlegs out to the middle of the pond, where they floated and played together. When they returned to shore, they shared a breakfast of flies. It wasn't exactly an ordinary friendship.

    After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son's school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.

    He was shocked. He didn't know what he should do for a while, and then he remembered the words he had said to his son, "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins (废墟).

    As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, "It's dangerous here! There's nothing you can do!" To them he replied with one line, "Are you going to help me now?" And then he kept on digging.

    He went on because he needed to know for himself, "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dug for eight hours… 12 hours… 24 hours… 36 hours… Then, in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son's words. He shouted his son's name. "Armand!" He heard back, "Dad?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me, and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what happens. I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad!"

    "What's going on there? How is it?" the father asked. "There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle (三角形) and it saved us."

    "Come out, boy!"

    "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me."

    My name is Mike. I live in America now. I am a twelve-year-old junior high school student. I go to school on foot every day because my house is close to my school. We have four classes in the morning.

    Each class lasts 40 minutes. The first class starts at 8:00 a. m. There is a ten-minute break between two classes. I study hard and do well in Maths, English and Science. Of all my subjects, I like Science best. I want to be a scientist in the future.

    Most of my classmates have lunch at school, but I usually eat lunch at home. After lunch, I can rest for half an hour. Afternoon classes begin at 2: 30 p. m., and end at 4: 50 p. m. We usually study PE, Art and Music in the afternoon.

    I like playing the piano very much. I often have an hour's piano practice after school. I always have a good time at school.