Chores weren't popular at my house. My children didn't like to do chores. They always saw me do chores, but they hardly ever helped me dothem.

    A year ago, I made a game called "The Endless ChoreGame". It's really great. Here's how the game works.

    I make a card with forty squares(方框), and I write adifferent chore on each square. These chores can be easy and interesting likemaking dessert. Then my family roll the dice(骰子)to decidewhat chores we have to do. The card also has a few squares with fun things, like watching TV and singing. If you're lucky, you can watchTV when the others are doing the chores.

    My son likes the game very much. He goes to the kitchen happily every morning to do the game. It's really a good way to make my children do chores. You can have a try if you have the same problemas me.

    Alan, a boy from India went to study in the UK two years ago. He found a part-time job in a restaurant. Many British students also worked there. Their job was washing the dishes. It was an easy job, but the boss said, "You must wash every dish seven times." At first, Alan was careful. The boss was happy with him. After one month, he found that the boss didn't check very often. He thought there was no difference between five times and seven times. So he just washed five times. He worked very fast. The boss was even happier. One day, a British student asked him why he could wash so fast. Alan told him the secret. The British student was surprised but didn't say anything. A few days later he told the boss about it. The boss fired (解雇) Alan.

    Alan went to other restaurants, but all of them said, "Go away! You are not honest. We don't need you." Alan was sad because he could do nothing.

    Most children like the summer holiday. It is usually long. During the summer holiday, children like to have a good time outdoors (在户外).

    Jimmy is a 15⁃year⁃old American boy. His summer holiday is coming. It is from July 1st to August 20th. He wants to travel. He usually travels in America, but this summer he wants to do something different. He learns a lot about China on the Internet, so he wants to take a trip to China. He also wants to learn about Chinese history, so he plans to visit Beijing and Xi' an. He is going to leave on August 3rd and take a plane to Beijing first. He plans to stay in the two places for 10 days. During these days, he plans to visit the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑) and Huashan Mountain. He hopes he will have a great time in China. He can't wait!

    At midnight Mr. King coughed again. He got up and took some medicine. Before he lay down again, he smoked. And he couldn't go to sleep any longer. He found the medicine book and began to read it. He was afraid he had lung(肺) cancer (癌). He seemed to see death was waiting for him. Tears(眼泪) ran down his face. He didn't see his wife was standing by him.

    “What's wrong with you, dear?” asked the woman.

    “Nothing,” the old man answered and covered his face with his hands.

    The old woman opened the book and understood at once. She said, “You must stop smoking right now.”

    “I began to smoke when I was nine, you know. How can't I do that?”

    “But I think health is more important.”

    Mr. King coughed again and his wife said, “Go to see a doctor tomorrow. He will be able to help you, I think.”

    The doctor told Mr. King to have an Xray examination(检查) of his lungs. And then he looked at the Xray carefully for a long time.

    “Tell me the truth, doctor.” said Mr.King, “Do you see any shadows(阴影)in my lungs?”

    “No, I don't see anything.”

    “Yes?” the old man said happily. “Really?”

    “Yes. Your lungs are turning black. How can I see any shadows?”

    Once there was a famine（饥荒）.A rich cook sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town and said to them, “In this basket there is a piece of bread for each of you. Take it and come back to me every day at this hour for more.”

    In a hurry the hungry children got together around the basket, and fought over the bread because each wanted the largest piece.At last they went away without even thanking the good cook. Mary, a poorly-dressed girl, did not fight with the other children,but stood quietly in distance.When the badly-behaved children had left,Mary took the smallest piece,which was all left in the basket.She kissed the cook's hand and went home.

    The next day the children were as badly-behaved as before. Mary got a piece of bread almost half the size of the one she got the first day.When she came home,her mother cut the bread open. Many new, shining pieces of silver fell out of it.

    Her mother was very worried, and said, “Take the money back to the cook at once.The silver must have fallen into the dough（面团）by accident. Hurry up, Mary” When the little girl gave the rich man her mother's message, he said, “It was no mistake.I had the silver pieces put into the smallest bread for you as a prize. Always be as satisfied, peaceable and thankful as you now are. Go home now, and tell your mother that the money is yours.”