An old saying goes ”Laughter is the best medicine.”It's true that laughter is really good for our health. So, the next time you're feeling stressed, try to laugh a lot, ①develop a sense of humor and watch funny films.

The Comic Relief charity, an organization that helps people in need, uses laughter to raise money. Every two years in spring, many English people put on a red nose, make a fool of themselves and do "silly” things to make themselves and others laugh. Examples of silly things you can do are:

• Invite friends round to your house to watch funny films. They have to pay to watch the films—those with the most comfortable chairs pay more—and for food and drinks.

• Hold a talent show at school and ask your friends and teachers to sing, dance or tell jokes. Sell tickets for the show to the rest of the school.
• Have a red nose party at your house. All your friends come dressed in red—including red nose—and your serve red food and drinks. If they don't wear red, they have to pay a fine.
  
• Get the students in your school to make funny sculptures(雕塑)using all kinds of materials. Sell tickets to your Red Nose Day exhibition and part of the money goes to Comic Relief.

      The organization has helped people for more than 20 years. And how much have they collected since the first Red Nose Day? Over￡600 million!②             . In New Zealand, for example, people have made big red noses which they put on the front of cars and even buildings.

    In a cold winter, a couple had to move out from the luxury (豪华的) house because of bankruptcy（破产）. The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife. So she thought, "He doesn't love me any more. He just cares about his business ...... not me".

    One day, she began to take a bath, but he stopped her at the door, "Let me take it first, okay?"

    "Why not let me shower first," she asked.

    "I was tired, sweetie! You take it later, okay?" She was totally discouraged. (泄气的)

    On a tiring day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer, a few words blurred(使……模糊)her eyes. It was his diary:

    Today, I was quite sad. She asked me why I was always taking the bath first, and I said to her that I was tired out. She was unhappy, in her mind, to think I treated her not as well as usual. But what can I do? I was not as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, and there was only a shower in the bathroom. It was so cold to take a shower in such a freezing winter. But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get warmer, so every time I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer, at least 1℃, 2℃ or 3℃. Now I can't give her comfortable life, bring her the luxury restaurant, buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃ love.

    After reading the diary, the wife was deeply moved.

    Most elephants are grey. Only a few are white. It's difficult to see a white elephant. When people find a white elephant, they feel excited.

    Long ago, a white elephant was taken to the king. Only the king could have a white elephant. And the white elephant must be a very good one. People wanted to take a look at the animal. On its way to the king, the white elephant attracted(吸引) many people. They ran into the street and shouted, “A white elephant is coming!”

    All the people liked the cute elephant. Some gave it water to drink. Others sang songs to the elephant. A boy put a red hat on the elephant's head.

    Then the elephant came to the king. At last the king saw the white elephant. The king gave it a name himself. The elephant ate from gold dishes and it began a new life.

    Do you know Stephen Hawking? Stephen Hawking was born on 8 January, 1942 in England.When he was older,he went to Oxford University.Stephen wanted to study maths, but maths was not available(可得到的) at University of Oxford. So he studied physics instead. After three years , he went on to do research at Cambridge University.    ①   After leaving the Institute of Astronomy in 1973 , Stephen came to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.

    When he was 21 years old, he caught a serious disease.He had to“walk”in his wheelchair living his life.   ②    He continued to do his research in the field of science and he got his Ph.D. He devoted himself to his scientific research. He continued to explore the universe and travelled around the world to give lectures. In 1988, he wrote the book A Brief History of Time. Readers were pleased and surprised to find that a scientist could write about his work in a way that ordinary people could understand. The book explains how science works , tells the readers how the discoveries work and how they change the world.

    In 2002, Hawking visited China and spoke to university students in China. He told the students about his theories and thoughts on some of the greatest questions,“What is time, how did the universe begin, and what exactly are black holes?”

    Stephen Hawking died on 14 March ,2018.He was one of the greatest scientists in the world.We can learn his exploring spirit from him.

    Mr. Smith is a teacher. Yesterday he did a survey of what his students did on their last day off and this is what he learned.

    Linda went to see her grandparents. Her grandparents live in the countryside. They are very old. But they don't like to live in the city. They want to have a quiet life. Tom helped his parents do some housework. He cleaned the room, took out the trash, washed all the clothes. At noon, he helped his mother cook lunch. Mary look after her little brother because her mother was ill. Her father had to look after her mother in the hospital. Mike studied history at home. He isn't good at history. He thinks it is too difficult for him. His father helped him. Both his father and his mother hope that Mike can be good at all his subjects. They want him to study in a famous university one day.

    English is the first language of several countries. However, it has many differences. British, American, and South African English are all spoken differently. In many English language courses, the British and American differences are taught. There are important differences between the two.

    Probably the biggest difference between American and British English is the vocabulary. Different words and expressions are used to talk about the same thing. For example, in the United States, people throw their garbage into the trash can. In England, people throw their rubbish into the dustbin. In Britain, people take a lift to the fifth floor. In America, people take an elevator.

    American and British grammar can be also different. For example, speakers of British English will ask "What did you do at the weekend?", but Americans usually say "on the weekend." In the United States people usually say "I've gotten a new car.", but in the UK they will say "I've just got a new car."

    The pronunciation in American and British English is also different, even when the spelling is the same. The word "tomato"—pronounced "to-mah-to" in British English—is a classic example of this.Vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are three ways English is different in different parts of the world.

    Learning all these is not easy, so English learners should just know that they are always there.