I have tried to write a ghost（鬼魂） story that won't make you unhappy with yourselves，with each other，with the seasons，or with me．I hope it haunts（飘荡） your houses pleasantly．

    By Charles Dickens One Christmas Eve，old Scrooge and Bob were working busily in his office．It was a cold，foggy day．The fog was so thick that the houses opposite were like ghosts．It was only three o'clock in the afternoon，but it was already quite dark．

    "Merry Christmas，Uncle!"cried a happy voice．It was Scrooge's nephew（侄子）．

    "Bah!"said Scrooge，"Humbug（骗人的话）!"

    "Christmas is a humbug？Surely you don't mean that，Uncle．"said his nephew．

    "I do，"said Scrooge．"Merry Christmas!What reason have you got to be merry？You're poor．"

    "OK，then，"replied the nephew cheerfully．"What reason have you got to be sad？You are rich．Don't be angry，Uncle!"said his nephew．

    "What else can I be？"answered the uncle，"I live in a world of fools!Merry Christmas!What's Christmas time to you？It's a time for paying bills without money？!It's a time for finding yourself a year older，but not richer．

    Everyone who goes around saying 'Merry Christmas' should have his tongue cut out．Yes，he should!"

    "Uncle!Please don't say that!"said the nephew．"I've always thought of Christmas time as a good time，a kind，and a charitable（慈善的）and happy time．And so，Uncle，Christmas has never put any gold or silver in my pocket，but I think it has done me good．And it will do me good．I'm sure．"

    Bob，standing in the corner of the room，applauded．He realized his mistake very soon，and went quickly back to his work，but Scrooge had heard him．

    "One more sound from you，Bob Cratchit，"said Scrooge，"and you'll celebrate Christmas by losing your job!"

    "Don't be angry with him，Uncle．Come and have dinner with us tomorrow．"said Scrooge's newphew．

    "No．"said Scrooge．

I'm sorry you don't want to celebrate Christmas．But I do．So a Merry Christmas，Uncle!"

    "Good afternoon!"said Scrooge．

    "And a Happy New Year!"said his nephew．

    "Good afternoon!"said Scrooge again．

    His nephew left the room．He stopped to wish Bob a Merry Christmas．And Bob replied，"A  Merry Christmas to you，too．"

    One day a young man was standing in a crowded place, shouting that he had the most beautiful heart in the world. Most of the people who saw his heart were amazed at the beauty of his heart. It had no little flaw (瑕疵).

    Suddenly, an old man appeared and said, "Oh, my son, your heart is not as beautiful as mine."

    The old man showed his heart to the young man. It was beating strongly, but full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in. But they didn't fit quite right, and there were gaps and rough(崎岖不平的) edges. Some places have never been filled in.

    The young man laughed, "My dear old man,   ▲   Comparing your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is full of scars."

    The old man said, "Dear boy, my heart is just as beautiful as your heart. You see, each scar shows where I have given my love. Sometimes people give me a piece of their heart back, and it fills the space as best it can. Other times, I give my love and get nothing in return. Those are the empty spaces. They hurt, but they show me that I can love and love again. "

    The young man stood still. His eyes were filled with tears. He walked up to the old man, tore a piece of his heart and gave the piece to the old man.

    The old man placed it in his heart, and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever.

    Jim goes to Tokyo. He wants to see his aunt. But when he walks out of the station, he can't find his way. The city is now quite different. He sees a man outside a police station, so he goes up to ask him for help. The man looks at him for a long time, then says, “I'm sorry, sir. I'm from another city. I'm standing here and want to find a policeman. He may tell you the way.”

    Most children love toys. But do you make your own toys? Seventh-graders at Central Middle

    School in Connecticut, US, really did. They made toys using a 3-D printer(打印机) in science class.

    They made a red and blue soccer table, a catapult(弹弓) and a scooter(踏板车).

    But these toys are not for themselves. They will donate them to poor children in Haiti. "By doing so, students feel that they can help others," science teacher Kate Bruzinski told the Greenwich Time.

    Bruzinski teaches the students how to use 3-D printers. They printed(打印) parts of toys. They worked in groups of four. It took them six to seven weeks to make the toys. They drew pictures for the toys, found materials(材料) and then built them.

    Soon, these toys will meet their owners in Haiti. Students are happy about that.

Anne is a newspaper reporter. She chose this 1 so she could travel around the world. The work has taught her many 2 lessons. She has seen wars, earthquakes and death. But she has also seen courage, 3 and happiness.

Last year, she won an award(奖) for her reporting in Africa. She was very proud 4 it. At first, she thought she got the 5 because of her good work. But then she realised that she should thank many other people for 6 help.

Anne was born in Jamaica. Her family was not poor, but it was not 7 either. Her parents had to 8 hard so that she could go to school. At school, Anne was not a good student, 9 she enjoyed writing. Because her English teacher always said, "Anne, you are a

wonderful 10 ." The teacher 11 her all the time.

Later, Anne went to university in Canada and then 12 a job. It was very difficult. Then, one day, she went to see a 13 of a newspaper in Ottawa. The director gave her a job. "Everyone needs a 14 at first," he said.

Anne was very 15 and accepted the job.

A walk in the forest

I'm Grace. I live on a farm with my parents and take Benji, my pet dog, for a walk most days after school.

Wednesday

As I was going through the forest it started raining hard. Suddenly, I slipped and fell on the ground. Ouch! That hurt. Then a voice said, "Are you all right? That was a bad fall." I looked up and saw a boy about my age. He helped me up. "I haven't seen you at school. Do you live near here?" I asked. "No, I'm from Manchester," he said. "Listen! I have to go. Are you OK to walk home? Do you need help?" "No, I'm fine. Thanks!" I said, then the boy walked away.

Back home, Mum was watching the news.

"Hi, Grace. Have you heard about this boy, Mark?" she asked. "No, what boy?" I said. "A boy from Manchester. He's run away from home. Look! This is his dad."

There was a man on TV sitting next to a policeman. He was crying and looked as if he hadn't slept for days. Then they showed a photo of the missing boy. I knew him. It was the boy in the forest. He was Mark. "Should I say something? No, I mustn't say anything. Maybe he has a good reason. I have to talk to him first." I said to myself.

Thursday

I found Mark in the forest. I said, "Your dad was on TV last night. The police are looking for you." He looked shocked and asked, "Did you say anything? Have you told them?" "No," I said. "I wanted to talk to you first. Why have you run away?" He looked at the ground and said, "I had a big argument with my dad. My mum died four years ago. It was very hard for me and for Dad. But then he met someone new. Mel's her name. She wants my dad for herself and isn't interested in me. My dad keeps telling me to make an effort with her, but I can't. The night I ran away, he told me that we would all move to London because Mel's from London. But my grandpa and my friends are in Manchester. I don't want to move to London. We both got angry. So I took my tent and left in the middle of the night."

I felt sorry for Mark, but I thought of his dad crying on TV and felt sorry for him too. "What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I don't know. I need time to think," he replied. 

"    ▲        ."