Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Jordan is the fourth of the five children in his family. His family moved to North Carolina when he was just a baby. As a young boy, his favourite sport was baseball, but he soon found that he could play basketball as well. At the age of 17, he began to show people just how talented he really was. Throughout his basketball career, Michael Jordan has won many scoring titles. Many boys and girls look up to Michael Jordan as their hero. Do you know he has a hero, too, when he was growing up? He looks up to his older brother, Larry. Michael Jordan, a basketball superstar, is not just a star on the basketball court. He also works hard to raise money for many children's charities. He encourages children to develop their talents by practice, practice, and practice!

    Sally was a student. It was going to be her mother's birthday. She wanted to buy her a gift that would be nice and useful but not expensive.

    A week before her mother's birthday， she went shopping after a quick and simple lunch. When she had been looking for half an hour， she found a shop that was selling cheap umbrellas， and decided to take a black one， since her mother had lost hers the month before.

    She thought， “You could carry that when you are wearing clothes of any color.” So she decided to buy a lovely black umbrella and took it back to school with her until her classes had finished.

    On her way back home in the train that evening， she felt hungry because she had such a small lunch that she went along to the buffet car（餐车） for another sandwich and cup of coffee. She had left the black umbrella above her seat in the compartment（车厢）， but when she got back， it had gone! When she had left the compartment， there had been no other passengers in it， but now there were three.

    Sally began to cry when she saw that the umbrella was no longer there. The other passengers felt very sorry for her and asked what the matter was. She told them that the black umbrella she had bought for her mother was gone， and that she had to get out at the next station. After the three other passengers heard it， they asked her for her mother's address so that they could sent the umbrella to her if someone had taken it by mistake and brought it back after Sally had got out of the train.

    The next week， Sally heard from her mother. It said， “Thank you very much for your lovely gifts， but why did you send me three black umbrellas?”

    It was nearly seven o'clock, when a man walked into a bar, ordered a drink and turned to watch the television.

    The seven o'clock news was on and it was showing a man standing on top of a tall building. He was looking down at the crowd of people below.

    On the ground, a police officer with a megaphone(扩音器)was trying to tell him not to jump.

    "Let's talk about your problem," the police officer was saying. "Perhaps we can help you."

    The man turned to the bartender(酒吧侍者)and said, "I bet you a hundred dollars he doesn't jump.

    The bartender looked at him. "You're offering me a hundred dollars if he jumps? Is that right?"

    "Yes. I don't think he'll jump."

    The bartender smiled. "OK. You've got a bet."

    The man turned back to the TV and watched it carefully. The bartender, however, did not seem to be very interested. He continued washing glasses and serving the other customers.

    Then, after about five minutes, the man on the building threw himself off the building and fell to the ground.

    The man in the bar turned to the bartender.

    "He jumped," he said. "You win."

    He held out a hundred dollar bill to the bartender, but the bartender would not take it.

    "I can't take your money," he said. "I knew I couldn't lose. That story was on the six o'clock news. I saw him jump."

    "Well, yes, so did I," the man said, "but I didn't think he'd do such a stupid thing twice."

    A young man with a large bag on his back came far away for a master (大师). He said "Master, I'm so lonely and so painful that the long trip makes me tired out, my shoes worn-out, my feet cut, and my hands also injured an bleeding .... Why can't I find the sun in the heart?"

    The master asked, "What do you put in you large bag?"

    The young man said, "It is very important to me, inside it including the pain each time I fall, the tears each time I'm hurt, the trouble each time I feel lonely ... Depending on it, I can come to you here."

    So the master took the young man to the river which they crossed in a boat. On the other side of the river, the master said, "Hurry on your journey carrying the boat!"

    "What, carrying the boat?" the young man was surprised, "it is so heavy. How can I carry it?"

    "Yes, my son, you can't carry it," the master just smiled and said, "when you cross the river, the boat is useful. But after crossing it, you will put down the boat and hurry on, If not, it will become a burden (负担). Pain, loneliness and tears—all these are useful to life. They can improve life, but if you don't forget them all the time, they will become the burden in life. Put it down! My son, life can't bear(承受) a heavy burden," The young man put down his bag and hurried on. He walked easily and happily, and much faster than before.

Once upon a time there was no tea at all in England. People there used to drink a light beer. No coffer or milk but large glasses of beer stood on the breakfast table!

When tea was first brought to England, an old couple got some as a special treat. But they did not know how it should be used they cooked the leaves in hot water, and spread them on a piece of bacon(熏肉)which they were going to have for dinner. They ate the leaves, and threw the tea away! However, tea is becoming as popular as coffee and milk in England today. 

Tea is the leaf of a plant which grows widely in China, Japan and some other countries. Tea farmers usually grow a great many tea plants on a large piece of land. When the tea leaves are ready to be picked, it is the busiest time for tea farmers in a year. They pull off the leaves and dry them. In their spare time, they pick out the best leaves and get them ready for the market. In China, whenever a visitor comes into a house, he is served with a cup of tea.