U2 is the name of a band from Ireland. It's one of the most famous rock bands in the world.

    In l978, a l7-year-old high school student, Larry Mullen, looked for some musicians to make a band. Finally, he found another three boys and they set up a band. The four boys named their band U2.

    They travelled a lot and gave concerts in many countries. More and more people got to know them and love their music. Many of their songs, such as Beautiful Day and Walk On, were popular. In the l980s, the band became famous.

    Now the four members of U2 are still good friends and their music is still popular. People in the world still enjoy their music.

    Barbara Finch, from England, started a friendship with Elizabeth Martin from New Zealand when the two were just 14 years old. And they have been penfriends for the past seventy years.

    "Seventy years is a long time and such a lot has happened," says Barbara. "I've lost my husband and my son, and she's lost her husband and her daughter. With things like that, her friendship means a lot to me."

    The two started writing letters to each other in November 1947. At that time, Barbara was a pupil. In her school. there was an exchange(交换) teacher from New Zealand. She helped her students to find penfriends from her country. Among the many penfriends, Barbara and Elizabeth were the only pair to form a long-term friendship.

    Now both 84, the pair continue to send weekly e-mails to tell each other about their daily lives. Barbara, who's a proud great-grandmother, has kept every single letter and card Elizabeth sent her over the years.

    "We e-mail each other now rather than write letters, partly because it's quicker but mostly because there's no cost," Barbara says.

    The pair not only write to each other, but they also meet face to face. They have visited each other 15 times. Barbara flying to New Zealand 10 times and Elizabeth flying to England 5 times.

    "Her family has become a second family to me. She says I am the sister she never had." Barbara says.

    In ancient times, there was a king who loved flowers. His palace was always decorated with beautiful orchids(兰花)and other flowers. As the king grew older, he knew that one day he would have to give up his throne(王位). He had to find someone new to rule the country.

    He came up with a competition. He asked his servants to travel to every part of the country and give every person a flower seed. He then announced that whoever grew him the most beautiful flower would take his throne.

    Everyone in the country then got their own seed. One young man named David was especially excited about the competition, as he had experience growing flowers himself,

    David planted his seed in a pet and put it in a place where it would get lots of sunlight. He took care to water it every day. But as hard as he tried, his flower simply would not grow.

    Finally, it was time for everyone to show their flowers to the king. David took his empty pot to the palace.

    "Your Majesty, I am sorry to say that I could not grow a flower this time at all, ________,"he said.

    The king was quite satisfied with David's honesty. Although he did not choose David as the new king, he gave David a job as a judge(法官). He believed that David's honesty would make him the right person to make sure the justice(公正)in the country.

     A young man graduated(毕业) from college. He wanted to own a sports car, so he told his father his dream. Several days later, his father called him into his room and gave him a beautiful gift box. The young man opened it and found a Bible(圣经). He was very angry. "You give me a Bible?" Then he ran out of his home, leaving the Bible.

     Since then, he lived alone. Many years passed, one day, he got a letter telling him his father had passed away. When he arrived at his father's house, he began to look for his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible. He opened the Bible, suddenly, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. The key to the sports car is just he wanted. At that moment, he knew how much his father loved him.

    This afternoon Alan and Frank do their homework in Mike's house. At five, Mike and Alan go and play baseball. Frank can't play it. He doesn't go with them. He sees some things on the desk. "Let me tidy it up(整理),"Frank says. "The black pencil and the yellow eraser are Mike's," he says and puts them in Mike's schoolbag. Then he puts the green pencil and the purple ruler in Alan's schoolbag.

    At six, Mike and Alan come back(回来).

    "Where is my green pencil?" Mike asks.

    "It's in my schoolbag. Is my black pencil in your bag?" Alan says.

    "Yes, it is. And your yellow eraser is in my schoolbag, too," says Mike.

    "I'm sorry, boys," Frank says.

    "That's all right, Frank. We should thank you. Next time we will tidy up the desk," Mike says.