Lasting a Lifetime

      Sidney Wilson's watch was old and it did not work well. It was either too fast or too slow. It spent more time in the repair shop than on his wrist (手腕). So he decided to buy himself a new watch.

      He went into a jewelry shop and said to the saleswoman behind the counter.

      “I want to buy a new watch, please. Show me the best watch you have.”

      The saleswoman smiled happily. This was the kind of customer she liked.

     “Certainly, sir,” she said, and showed Sidney a gold watch.

      “This watch is made of gold and has twenty-four jewels,” she explained.

      “How much is it?” Sidney asked.

      “$5,000,” the saleswoman said.

      “Oh,” Sidney said. “I'm sorry. You did not understand me. I want to see the best watch you have for under $100.”

      The sales woman now lost interest in Sidney. She pushed some cheap watches at him. “Choose one from these,” she said rudely.       “They are all under $100.”

      Sidney picked up one of the watches, “Will it last me a lifetime?” he asked.

     “Of course,” the saleswoman said.

     “Then I'll buy it,” Sidney told her. He paid for the watch and left the shop.

      Two days later the watch stopped. Sidney could not make it work again. He took it back to the shop.

      “This watch is broken,” he said to the saleswoman. “You told me it would last me a lifetime.”

     “When you bought it, sir,” the saleswoman said, “you didn't look very well.”

Choose the best answer to each question about the story.

    Jack Brown, an office worker, lives in Washington. He inherited（继承）a million dollars when he was 23, but he wasn't happy at all. When his college friends were looking for their jobs, he didn't have to. Jack decided to keep living a simple life like everyone else. He gave $ 10,000 of his money to a charity to help poor children live a happy life. Today he is 36. He still wears cheap shoes and clothes and drives a small car only, but he is very happy.

    Up to now Jack has helped some children from poor countries all over the world, by sending them each $200 a month. The money is used for the children's study, food, medicine and clothing. Jack receives a report each year on the children's progress(进步）They can write to each other, but usually the children do not speak English.

    When Jack first heard about these children, he wanted to help them. “It was nothing special,”he said.“Until I went to these countries and met the children I was helping, I didn't know anything about their life.” Once Jack went to meet a little girl in Africa, he said that the meeting was very exciting. “When I met her, I felt very, very happy,”he said.“And I saw that the money was used for a good cause. It brought me happiness. I want to do everything I can to go on helping these children.”

    Mr. Zhang and Mr. Wang work in the same office. They're good friends.Mr. Zhang says to Mr. Wang in the office,“I would like to have a small party in my home on Sunday evening. Would you and your wife like to come?”

    Mr. Wang says,“Thanks a lot. I'd like to. Let me tell my wife about it.”So Mr. Wang goes to the other office and calls his wife. About half an hour later, he comes back and looks very worried.

    “What's up?” asks Mr. Zhang,“Is your wife at home?”

    “No,” says Mr. Wang.“She isn't at home now , but my little daughter is in .My little daughter says her mother goes out to look for her.”

    There once was a man and a woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other…except that the old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet and she told her husband never to open it or ask her about it.

    For an these years the husband had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would never recover.

    In trying to sort out things they had, the little old man took down the shoe box from the top of the closet and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed it was time that he should know what was in the box.

    When he opened it, he found two beautifully crocheted (钩针编织的) doilies (装饰垫) and some money. He counted the money. It was $25,000 in total. He asked his wife about the unusual contents.

    "When we were married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily."

    The little old man was so moved, and he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He was filled with joy and happiness.

    "Sweetheart," he said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all this money? Where did it all come from?"

    "Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies."

    The famous fat and lazy cat Garfield is coming to China. Garfield, the movie opens in cinemas around the country on Friday.

    In this American movie, Garfield acts with real actors. He makes trouble and dances like a star. He will make you laugh with his clever and funny words.

    Drawn by American cartoonist Jim Davis since 1978, Garfield has fans all over the world. He likes eating, sleeping and watching TV. He hates doing exercise! "I'm lazy and fat. But I'm proud of it," he says.

    Garfield always sits in front of the TV eating lasagna(烤宽面条), his favourite dish. Sometimes, he's rude to his owner Jon Arbuckle.

    One day, Jon brings Odie, a homeless dog, into his home. Odie is cute. He gets all Jon Arbuckle's love. This turns Garfield's world upside down. Garfield wants the dog out of the house, and his life.

    One night, he kicks Odie out of the house. But later Garfield finds that Odie has been kidnapped(绑架)by a TV star! The man wants to use the dog in his shows.

    Garfield feels sorry for Odie. He sees he has done something wrong. He wants to make up for(弥补)it. So Garfield gets off his favourite chair to try to save his friend.