The hippo(河马) is the most dangerous animal in Africa, but that hasn't stopped a South African animal lover from making friends with one.

    Marius Els is 40 years old. He 1 around 20 different kinds of animals on his ranch(饲养场), in South Africa. He has a real soft spot for Humphrey, a 6-year-old hippo that's like a son to him. While all of his friends are too 2 to go near the animal, and his wife told him not to get too close, Marius climbs on Humphrey's back as he swims 3 the lake.

    Marius has kept the hippo 4 he was just five months old. And over the years, the two have 5 a special relationship that people just don't understand. Marius looks on Humphrey as a son, although the 1, 200 ton animal could 6 a person with ease. Only sometimes the hippo can throw Marius off his 7 in the water. Humphrey is very friendly to his owner, especially after Marius offers him a dinner of his favorite 8, apples.

    Humphrey feels very 9 in his life. He had another good friend, a goat, but she got eaten by a jackal, so now he's all by 10. Marius says he's been trying to get a female friend for Humphrey, but there's no such thing in Africa right now.

    Gary and Gavin were twin brothers who worked in a store owned by their father. After the father had passed away, they took over the store. Everything went well until the day a twenty-dollar bill disappeared. Gary had left the bill on the cash register (收银台). But when he returned, the money was gone.

    Gary then asked his brother Gavin, "Did you see that twenty-dollar bill on the cash register?' Gavin said that he had not. But Gary did not let it go and kept asking. "Twenty-dollar bills can't walk away by themselves! Surely you must have seen it." "I said I didn't see it!" Gavin replied with anger.

   The quarrel divided the young men and they could no longer work together. Later, a wall was built in the center of the store. For twenty years, hostility (敌意) never ended.

    One day, a strange man came to the store. He walked in and asked Gary, "How long have you been here?" Gary replied that he'd been there all his life. "Then you are the person I'm looking for," the man said. "Twenty years ago, I was totally broke and hungry. I entered this store from the back door and saw a twenty-dollar bill on the cash register. And I took it. All these years I haven't been able to forget that. I had to come back and apologize for that.

    The stranger felt shocked when seeing tears well up in the eyes of the middle-aged man in front of him. "Would you please go next door and tell the same story to the man in the store?" Gary asked. Then something surprised the stranger even more--after hearing his story, the two middle-aged men hugged each other and cried together in the front of the wall of the store.

    After twenty years, the wall that separated them finally came down.

Betty is not beautiful . She is too tall and thin. The kids in our class often laugh at(嘲笑) her, so Betty is 1 happy in school. 

I like making many friends, 2 I don't like talking with Betty. Just like other girls, I stay away from 3 , enjoying being with my group of friends. 

On the last day of the term, Mom says, "Ella, Betty will spend(度过) the 4 with us. "

"5 ? No one likes her. If my friends know it, they may 6 being friends with me. "

"Betty's father left. Her mom has to work. I must help her. She will come tomorrow. Treat her like yourfriend. OK?"

On the 7 day of the holiday, Betty comes over. We do homework, make meals and play chess, …We don't 8 a lot, but I get to know more about Betty. She's kind and she is good 9 making things. 

One sunny day, Betty says she wants to make a small treehouse in the old tree in the yard. I am interested in it. So when Betty does it, I 10 her. Finally, we work together to build the treehouse. It's so 11 that we can't move around freely but we feel warm here. 

From that day on, Betty and I spend hours in the 12 . We talk more—yes, we 13 . Most of them are true things that happen to us, so we know more about each other. 

But one day, a heavy rain comes to the village. Betty and I run 14 to save the treehouse but it is broken. I feel my heart is also broken. 

When the sun comes out, I still feel 15 , but Betty goes to help my parents to clean the yard. With tools in her hand, Betty says she wants to make another treehouse and fill(使…充满) it with more stories. Hearing this, I know that our friendship is stronger than the treehouse. 

Every year the students at Harry's school put on a concert. Their friends and parents go to the concert. Some students sing and dance. Others act in plays.

Harry likes to act. He also likes to write plays. For one concert he wrote a play about a spaceman. He called it Lost in Space. He acted in his play. He was the spaceman.

Harry made his own costume. It was a spacesuit. He used plastic bags to make the pants. He wore a shirt that belonged to his mother. It was an old shirt. It was made of silk. She did not want it anymore.

His shoes were an old pair of his father's. He didn't want them anymore either. They were made of leather.

Harry's helmet was an old motorcycle helmet. 

Harry painted his costume with silver paint. He looked like a spaceman. 

There was only one problem. No one could hear what he said! 

Frank and his classmates were taking a trip to a space museum. They were going to see what the planets and {#blank#}1{#/blank#} look like. 

When they arrived there, the tour guide, Mrs. Larson, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} students to a large room. After they sat down. Mrs. Larson said. "Look up at the ceiling（天花板）." Everyone looked up. but there {#blank#}3{#/blank#} unusual. They only saw a big white dome（圆屋顶）. "Now, watch what happens," Mrs. Larson said. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} , the lights went off and the dome looked like the night sky. Frank and his classmates felt unbelievable to see the moon and many bright stars. Sitting at such a quiet night. Frank felt more peaceful and relaxed {#blank#}5{#/blank#} ever. After a while, it was getting brighter and then a big sun came out. In order to keep the visit {#blank#}6{#/blank#} , many special materials（材料）were used to protect them. Students wouldn't get hurt and people knew more about the space. In another part of the museum. Frank and his classmates {#blank#}7{#/blank#} what it is like for astronauts to work and live in space. 

This was certainly {#blank#}8{#/blank#} educational trip for all students. It made Frank realize that China has made great {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in space. Now. Frank becomes more interested {#blank#}10{#/blank#} space. He hopes to make more achievements in space one day. 

Nick and I are in the same class. He doesn't study well and he never talks with us. He doesn't have many friends. Today is Tuesday. We are studying in the classroom.

"Hi, Tom. My birthday is on this Saturday. I'd like to invite you to my party. I think it must be cool," Nick says to me.

I am very happy and want to be at the party, but I'm afraid (害怕) my friends will laugh at me. "If you study well, I will go."

"Oh, oh, OK. Cool." Nick says. With his head down, Nick goes away.

In the afternoon, I know most of my classmates will go to the party. They say they want to be Nick's friends and help him. My face turns red. I want to say sorry to Nick tomorrow. And I will buy a birthday present for him.