Chuck was not an ordinary frog. He did love eating flies, but he didn't like catching flies himself. He didn't like snapping them from the air while they were flying around. Some frogs thought Chuck was lazy. Others thought he was strange.

    That didn't matter to Chuck. Each morning, Chuck hid himself under the spider's web between the cattails. Then when Lady Eightlegs went off, Chuck ate flies from her web.

    One morning while Chuck was enjoying the flies, Lady Eightlegs returned and caught him. She cried, "Go and catch your own". Chuck jumped back into the pond.

    Now there was an idea! Why not make his own web? Chuck got some vines. He put them together until they looked like a spider web. He worked on his web for hours until mid-night. And then he fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was stuck inside and couldn't move.

    "Help!" he yelled.

    Lady Eightlegs got there and saved him.

    "No matter how hard I try,I can't spin a spider's web," Chuck said.

    " Of course not," Lady Eightlegs said. "You're a frog. Frogs can't spin spider's webs any better than spiders can swim, I guess. How I wish to swim in the middle of the pond and float (漂浮) peacefully under the sun like you!"

    Chuck smiled, "I have an idea."

    From that day on, Chuck carried Lady Eightlegs out to the middle of the pond, where they floated and played together. When they returned to shore, they shared a breakfast of flies. It wasn't exactly an ordinary friendship.

    Imagine this. Somebody hides free books in the subway for you to find and read. Sound exciting? Well, British actress Emma Watson, 26, is doing it! She is known for acting as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies.

    Watson hid 100 copies of a book called Mom & Me & Mom (2013) in London's subway. The book is an autobiography（自传）from US writer Maya Angelou. It tells about the writer's relationship with her mother. These books were put in different places in the subway. People saw Watson doing the same thing in the New York Subway this month.

    With each book, there is a handwritten note by Watson. She asked people to "take special care" of the books if they find them. She also wrote that "when you are finished, please leave it on the subway again for someone else to find".

    Watson's work is part of a movement called Books on the Underground. It calls on people to leave their books on the subway so other people can enjoy them too.

    Hollie Belton, a woman in London, started the movement in 2012. She loves reading on the subway. She noticed that a lot of people shared her habit, so she got the idea. Over the years, Belton has left over 2,000 books of her own. The movement has attracted more and more people.

    Watson is a book lover as well. That's why she tried it. Earlier this year, Watson set up her own online book club Our Shared Shelf. She reads a book every month with others. Mom & Me & Mom is the club's book for November.

    Your English teacher has introduced a play to your class. Read the play.

    Characters: Benny, student, 14 years old

    Peter, students, 15 years old

    Susie, student, 14 years old

    Grace, student, 14 years old

    Time: One Sunday afternoon in autumn

    Place: Sunny Park

    (The four teenagers have just finished the picnic. They are tidying up.)

Benny: Wow! That was a great picnic. I'm so full that I can hardly move.

Grace: That's no excuse for not tidying up, Benny. Come over here and help me pack up the leftover food. Peter, can you put out the fire, please? And clean up the plate.

Peter: (Speaking unhappily to himself) How can I always get the dirty and difficult jobs?

    It's not fair.

    (Peter throws a bit of water on the fire. Then he picks up the ashes (灰烬) with an old newspaper and wants to throw them into the long grass. )

Susie: (Sounding surprised) What are you doing, Peter? That's d…

Peter: Whoops…the newspaper has caught fire.

Susie: And the grass… Benny, Grace, help! Help!

    (Benny and Grace come over quickly. They help put out the fire completely.)

Peter: Oh, no. What have I done?

Grace: You know that we should do everything carefully, don't you?

Peter: (With his head in his hands) Yes. What have I done? What have I done?

    Our monthly talks start at 19: 30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21: 00.

    November 7th The Canal(运河)Pioneers(先驱者), by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers".

    December 5th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering.

    Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.

    February 6th An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroud water Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

    March 6th Eyots and Aits—Thames Istands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

    Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York.

    As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict), and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible.

    Famous comedians(喜剧演员)went to see Rock's performances. One comedian(Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think.

    Today, Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called Everybody Hates Chris. It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.