It's Really a Miracle (奇迹)

    Mr. Clarke works in New York and he brought his family to China last summer. They visited many places of interest and had a good time here. Before they left for New York, the Clarkes climbed the Great Wall. It was the greatest project over two thousand years ago. They took a lot of photos there and then they had a picnic under a big tree. Suddenly it began to rain and they hurried to the car. And when they returned to the hotel, they couldn't find the bag in which their expensive camera was. They were all sorry for it. They could buy another camera but had no time to go to the Great Wall again. They could not miss the plane!

That evening they didn't have supper. Mr. Clarke hoped to make them happy, so he said, “Well, let me tell you a story. An old man lived in a sixty-story building. One day he fell down from it when he was cleaning the window. But he didn't hurt himself.”

  “It was a miracle!” called out his children, “Why?”

  “Because he lived on the first floor!”

    They all began to laugh while two policemen with a bag came in. They said a Chinese boy found it under a big tree and he asked them to find out who lost it.

  “It's really a miracle!” the Clarkes said happily.

    I'm Sam. My hobby is playing chess（棋）—one of the greatest games in the world. My mom taught me how to play when I was 7. She beat (打败) me every time for the first year. But then on my eighth birthday, I won for the first time. I nearly always beat her from then on.

    It takes about a day to learn the rules (规则). But if you want to be good, you have to practice for years. You don't need much to play chess—just a chess set (棋具) and someone to play with.

    Chess sets can be quite cheap, or very expensive. Some people collect chess sets as a hobby, but some prefers playing.

    There is a chess club in our school, and we meet every week to play with each other. I'm the best player in the club, and the captain of the school chess team. This year we won the All English Schools' Championship (锦标赛), and I had to go up on stage (台子) in front of the whole school to accept the trophy (奖品).

    I'm saving up my money to buy a chess computer. It's very expensive, but very good for practice. In that way, I'll always have someone to play with. One day I will be the world chess champion (冠军).

    I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.

    Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. "But the desk," she said again, "it's for Elizabeth."

    I never saw her anger, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me. She showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

    They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was "too emotional". But she lived "on the surface".

    As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.

    I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.

    My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace-it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

    Now the present of her desk told, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside-a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠)and refolded many times.

    Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always choose the act that speaks louder than words.

    One day I happened to meet an Englishman in the street and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be very surprised, gently shaking his head and saying "You don't say!". I was puzzled, and I thought, "Perhaps this is not a right thing to talk about." So I said to him, "Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? Have you ever been there?"

    "Certainly! Everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave here without seeing it. The Great Wall is wonderful!" "Yes, it is one of the wonders in the world. And people of many countries have come to visit it." As I went on telling him more about it, he stopped me again, "You don't say!"

    I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it?"

    "Well, I didn't ask you to do so," he answered, greatly surprised.

    "Did you say 'You don't say!'?" I asked again.

    Hearing this, the foreigner laughed loudly. He began to explain," 'You don't say!' means 'Really'. Perhaps you know little about English idioms."

    Wow! How foolish I was! Since then I have been careful with English idioms.

Tani moved away from his home town with his family years ago. When they got to the United States, a churchman {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(warm) helped place them in a homeless shelter(收容所) in New York. Tani's dad worked as a driver {#blank#}2{#/blank#} his mum studied hard to become a nurse. Tani started going to the primary school. There, he learnt {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(play) the game that would change his life: chess. 

At the age of eight, Tani {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(win)a state champion(冠军) for his age. He beat other 73 players. Some had practised with private chess teachers, but Tani had practised on {#blank#}5{#/blank#} floor of the homeless shelter alone. 

A reporter wrote an article about Tani. In three weeks, thousands {#blank#}6{#/blank#} people gave away over $250, 000 to Tani and his family on GoFundMe. Some also left {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(message). One person wrote, "Tani,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} as uperstar you are!"

Recently, Tani and his family {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(decide) to give away all the money. "Thanks to others' help, we live a much {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(happy) life than before, "Tani's father said. "Now we want to help poor people. "

On Sunday, Leo and {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (he) friends go to the West Hill Farm. It's far from their school, so they go there on their school bus. They take some food and drinks with them. When they get to the farm, the farmers {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (be) very glad to see them.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} the farm, they see many kinds of {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (animal), like cows, rabbits and chickens. Look {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the rabbits. They are so cute! The girls help the farmers feed the {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(goose) and the boys get some water for the farmers. In the afternoon, the students go to play on the hill. Bob {#blank#}7{#/blank#} David fly a kite with their dog. Kate and Lucy sing some {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(song) with Jenny. Leo {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (play) games with Alan near the hill. They all have {#blank#}10{#/blank#} happy Sunday.