Joe was an old man. The 75-year-old lived very happily in a village and had a beautiful family. Joe had four grandchildren, and they visited him during their holidays.

During one vacation, Joe was preparing his home for the kids: cleaning and buying their favorite foods. After he finished working, he realized he lost his favorite watch. The watch was a gift from his wife when their first child was born. Joe loved the watch very much, especially after his wife's death. He was very upset about losing it.

    Once his grandchildren came, they promised him they would find the watch.

    One granddaughter asked: "Grandpa, do you remember when you saw the watch last before it went missing?"

    "I guess when I was cleaning the barn(谷仓)!" Joe replied.

    The children looked for more than two hours with Joe, but they could not find it. The kids were now also sad, but they tried to comfort(安慰) their grandfather.

    One grandson went back to the barn to search again. Joe asked why he was going there a second time. But the little boy just asked the others not to follow him and to remain silent.

    He was there for about fifteen minutes and then rushed to his grandfather. He found the watch and happily gave it to Joe.

    Joe was surprised and asked how he was able to find it. The little boy replied: "I sat there without making a noise, and the barn was so silent. After a few minutes, I heard the ‘tick, tick' sound and found the watch."

    Joe hugged and thanked the little boy.

    When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it home for the holidays. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood, there were lights, all colors, and ornaments (饰品) shining against the green of a pine.

    “Where did it come from?” I asked.

    “I asked the Gates boy to cut it,” my mother said. “I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but when in great need…such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon.”

    The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal Star was in its place. A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly(难看) at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.

    “It's not like the one you used to find,” my mother went on. “Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better one. But I couldn't be fussy because he had tried his best.”

    “Don't worry,” I told her. “It's perfect.”

    It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: all Christmas trees are perfect.

    A farmer had a friend and his friend was famous for growing wonderful apple trees.

    One day, the farmer's friend gave him a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.

    The farmer loved the gift. But when he got home, he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the apples. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the apples. Finally he planted the tree in his wood. Nobody could see it, but there was no sunlight in his wood, the tree soon died.

    Later, the friend asked the farmer why he planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily, "If I plant the tree near the road, strangers may steal the apples. If I plant the tree in one of my field, my neighbors may come at night and steal the apples. If I plant the tree near my house, my children may take the apples."

    "Yes," said the friend. "but at least someone could enjoy the apples. Now no one could eat the apples, and the apple tree died!"

Zhou Chu was born about 1, 700 year ago. He was tall and strong. However, he had a bad temp er （脾气）. He had lots of bad 1 . Everyone was afraid of him. They tried not to talk to him.

Slowly he started to feel 2 .

One day, Zhou Chu saw some old men talking in the street. He went up and asked, "Hey! Why are you looking so 3 ?"

One man replied, "We are worrying about three evils（魔鬼）around."

"Oh! Tell me and I'll 4 them!" Zhou Chu waved his arms to show his strength（力量）.

"Well," said 5 man, "first, there is a tiger in the South Mountain. It often takes away our animals and even 6 people. Then there is a flood dragon 7 the bridge. It often makes big waves（浪）, breaks our 8 and kills many people."

"So, what's the third one?

The men looked at each other, but 9 spoke.

"What is the third evil?"

Zhou Chu shouted 10 .

One men said, "It's you!"

"Me?" Zhou Chu was very angry.

The mans said, "You are 11 doing bad things! Are you different from the tiger or the flood dragon?"

Zhou Chu's 12 burned with shame（羞愧）. He said to himself, "I 13 stop acting like this. I'll get rid of（除掉）all the three evils!"

The next day, Zhou Chu found the big tiger and killed it. Then he went for the flood dragon. They 14 in the river for three days. Finally, he killed it.

From then on, Zhou Chu got 15 changed. With hard work, he became a famous man and was loved by people.

Hangzhou is a good city to live and visit. Many places like the West Lake and Lingyin Temple are very 1 . There are millions of people visiting them every year. But to me, I 2  Xixi Wetland Park. It is about ten kilometres from the West Lake. And it is China's first national wetland 3 . I didn't go there until last year 4  I have worked in Hangzhou for about 7 years. 

Last June, I got ill and had to have a 5  for days at home. The doctor saidI should get close to 6  often. He said the natural world would be better for my 7  than medicine. I listened to him and 8  the park with my husband for the first time. 

Tall trees, green grass and fresh air made me 9 . I forgot my busy work and illness. When I saw fish 10  freely in the river, I felt like I was a fish. My 311  said, "There are many rivers, 12  and marshes(沼泽) in the park. In fact, the waterways are over 100 km 13 . Over 50 kinds of fish and aquatic(水生的) animals are 14  here. This park is home to many animals. "

I'm not sure if the plants, fish and birds like the wetland park, but I 15  it. It really makes me relax.