An old man lived with his little grandson. Every day the old man got up early to read books. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every 1 he could.

    One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I want to read books as you do. But I don't understand it, and I always forget 2 I close the book. What good does 3 do?"

    The grandfather quietly turned back from putting 4 in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

    The boy did as his grandpa said, but all the water leaked (漏) out before he got back home.

    The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to walk faster next time."

    The next time the boy ran faster, but the basket was still empty before he 5 home. The boy said, "see, Grandpa, it's 6 to do the work!"

    "Is it of no use?" the old man said. "7 the basket."

    The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was 8. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was 9 inside and out.

    "My child, that's what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but the 10 will change you inside and out. That is the work of reading in our lives."

An old carpenter was ready to retire. His boss was 1 to see the good worker go. He asked the carpenter 2 he could build one more house. The carpenter said yes, but his mind was no 3 on his work.

    He used poor materials and worked on the house 4. When the carpenter finished his work, the boss 5 the front-door key to him. "This is your house," he said. "A 6 for you."

    What a surprise! What a 7! If he had known he was building his 8 house, he would have done it differently. Now he had to live in the house he had poorly built.

    9 it is with us. Sometimes we build our 10 carelessly. At important points we do not try our best. Then with a pity we look at the situation we had 11. We find that we are now living in the house we have poorly built. But we don't have a 12 to make it all over again.

    Think of 13 as the carpenter. Think about your life. Build it 14. It is the only life you will ever build because life is a do-it-yourself project.

    Your life today is the 15 of your attitudes and choices you made in the past. Your life tomorrow will be that of your attitudes and choices you make today.

Today is the last day of my spring vacation, so I want 1 a little story about it. I really like to stay at home with my family and 2 I like to hang out with my friends. When I am at home, I like to eat, play games with my sister, read, ride my 3 and kick a ball around. The first night of my vacation, Tony and I didn't go to bed 4 very late and had lots of fun! The next morning we all went outside and rode our bikes. Tony tried to ride his little sister's tricycle(三轮车). He was 5 big!

After a few days, I went to my friend Ivan s house. But before I went there, he came to my house and we went golfing. Guess what? He 6 , while I lost! And then we had hot dogs! 7 fun we had!

Yesterday we went over to 8 friend's house. Her name is Kathleen. She is one of my 9 friends. Oh yeah, my sister's name is Kathryn. Sorry, I didn't tell you that earlier. We 10 there for a few hours and we had a good time. 

The policeman slowly walked along the street. It was about ten o'clock at night. The wind and light rain had kept most people at home. 

Halfway down the street, the policeman saw a man leaning against(斜靠着) a door, with an unlighted cigar(雪茄) in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him, the man spoke quickly. "It's all right, officer, " he said. "I'm just waiting here for an old friend. It's an appointment（约会） that was made twenty years ago. You think it funny to plan a meeting like this, don't you?"

The man lit (点燃) his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes. He was very well-dressed. 

"Twenty years ago tonight, " the man went on, "I had dinner at a restaurant nearby with my friend Jimmy Wells. I was going to the West to try my luck, but Jimmy wanted to stay. We agreed to meet here again exactly twenty years for that date and time. That's why I'm here. "

"What happened to your friend?" asked the policeman. 

"I'm not sure, " said the man. "We wrote to each other for a while and then stopped. But I'm sure if he is alive, he will keep his promise. We said we would meet at ten o'clock. "

"OK, I'll be on my way. Good night. " The policeman continued on his way, Bob waited about twenty minutes. Then, a tall man went straight to the waiting man. 

"Is that you, Bob?" asked the newcomer. "Is that you, Jimmy?" cried the man in the door. "You've grown so tall. Let me have a good look at you. You don't look anything like Jimmy. " "You're right, " said the tall man. "I'm a police officer. You are wanted by the New York police. But, before we go to the police station, here's a note from your friend Jimmy Wells. "

Bob opened the small piece of paper. His hands shook as he read. 

"Bob, 

I was on my way to meet you as we had planned. However, when you lit your cigar, I saw it was the face of a man that is wanted by the police. Somehow, I couldn't do it myself. So I sent another police officer to do the job. 

Jimmy"

 When did you last say"I love you"to your father? If you can't remember, then you can get the chance this Father's Day in June.

 Generally compared to a mother, a father represents (代表) qualities like independence, confidence, courage and adventure. Also, a caring father can help their children get along with others, according to a study on Live Science. Fathers not only lead their children into their social circle but also teach them how to act and control(控制) their feelings.

 For example, Microsoft founder Bill Gates was quiet and didn't like to talk with others when he was a little kid. So his father often held family parties and let Bill play games with family members. "Games like soccer and swimming seemed to be silly at that time but they improved my ability of leading and getting along with others, " Gates once said in an interview.

 The US actor Will Smith learnt important lessons from small things taught by his father. His father once planned to pull down a wall of their shop and rebuild it. But little Will thought it was impossible. After a year and a half, they did it. "You say,'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.' You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall, "he said on a TV show.

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters, "the British poet George Herbert(1593—1633) once said. Do you agree?