Tom woke up on Monday morning, he felt 1. He always felt sick on Monday morning. He had to go to school for five 2 every week! He almost wished there were no weekends. 3 was even more difficult for him to go back to school!

    He 4 in bed and wondered what excuse he could make this time. He looked at his body, but could find 5 wrong. A little headache? 6. He had used that excuse many times. Then he realized that one of his teeth was loose(松动). Good! He was just going to start groaning（呻吟）7 he thought that Aunt Polly would pull the tooth out. That would 8! He looked for something else. Suddenly he remembered what the doctor had said about a certain problem with his toes（脚趾）. He pulled his right foot out and looked at it. 9 of the toes was really hurting. Tom began to groan.

    "What is 10 with you?" Aunt Polly asked.

    "My toe hurts."

    The old lady fell into the chair, 11 a little, "Tom, you frighten me. Now shut up at once and get out of 12."

    Tom felt like a thief being caught. "Well, it seems all right. It hurts so much 13 I forgot my teeth. One of them loses and it hurts 14."

    "No problem," answered Aunt Polly. "I can pull it out."

    "Please, Auntie! Don't pull it out. It has15 hurting. Please!"

    "No way! Well, you will have your tooth out or you will go to school."

    Maxime and Lise are a young French couple. They are ready to travel across China from Beijing to Yunnan Province on a tandem bicycle (双人自行车). They have two main purposes and one of them is that they want to encourage green 1 through it.

    Maxime, 26, works helping farmers raise their cows2 his wife Lise, 26, is a teacher. The two also like sharing their travel stories on Facebook.

    “We choose a tandem bicycle because it makes it3 to communicate with each other about interesting people and things we come across during the journey4bicycling is healthier. And it's a cheaper and more environment-friendly way of traveling than5 cars, motors and so on,” the couple said.

    As for the other 6of their journey, the two said they wanted to get people's good ideas on topics such as health, economy (经济) and politics. When they were asked7they chose to visit China, they said it was because they often talked about its long history and beauty and how much of the country is competitive (有竞争力的) in the world.

    “We know China is a country with a large population and will be the 8 of the economy around the world in the future. We want to get a better understanding of the country and its people. We9 the country,” they said.

    The couple will be on their journey to China soon. We hope they can make more people further10 China by sharing what they see and hear on the way. Meanwhile, we hope they enjoy their travel in China.

    After school on Friday, I waited at the school gate lo walk home with Jemma, as usual. Then I saw 1 talking and laughing happily with some other girls. She glanced (瞥了一眼) at me and left me alone there I knew fight then that I had 2 my best friend.

    At dinner, Mom asked. "Is Jemma coming by tomorrow?"

    I shrugged (耸肩) and said nothing.

    The next morning. Mom asked. "Today is 3. What are you and Jemma going to do?" I shrugged again. "4 is Jemma?"

    Mom took a look at me. Them she said, "Will you take these magazines to Grandma, please?"

    5 I walked down the street, a new girl in the neighborhood came towards me, smiling. But I just went 6 her.

    Grandma welcomed me at the door with a warm hug.

    Sitting on the sofa, I noticed a(an) 7 of kids in old-fashioned clothes on the table . Grandma pointed at a girl with short fair hair.

    "That's Beth Lambert," she said. "My best friend. Until a week before we took this photo." I was 8 at that.

    "Beth and I were best friends in school. We did everything 9. Then one day, she made new friends and said she didn't want to hang out with me anymore. Nothing hurt 10 that."

    I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I knew I'd start 11 if I opened my mouth.

    Grandma hugged me again. "Simone, sometimes friends grow 12. It might happen to anyone," she continued. "Then, see him?" Grandma's finger 13 to a boy with glasses in the photo. "He lived near me. When I was walking home by myself 14 this boy was, too, I said 'hello'. And we became friends."

    "So, if we want to start a new friendship," she smiled. "One 15 is all it took."

    As I was heading home, that new girl appeared again. I went towards her and spoke, "Hello."

    Frank was a very talkative boy, He never saw a new thing without asking a lot of questions about it. His mother was very kind and1. When it was proper to answer his questions, she would do so.

    The first time Frank saw an hourglass, he was very much2, but he did not know what it was. His mother3, "An hourglass is made in the shape of the figure 8. The sand is put in one end, and runs

4 a small hole in the middle. The sand put into the glass will go through5 an hour."

    Frank watched the little stream of sand. He was impatient, because it would not run faster." Let me 6 it, Mother," he said. "It is lazy, and will never get through."

    "Oh yes, it will, my son," said his mother. "The sand moves 7 ， but it moves all the time. When you look at the clock, you will find the same. 8 you are playing, the sand is running, grain by grain, and the hands of the 9 are moving, second by second. At night, the sand in the hourglass has run through twelve times. The hour hand of the clock has moved all around 10 great face. This is because they keep working every 11 . They do not stop to think how much they have to do, and 12 it will take them to do it."

    Later, Frank's mother wanted him to learn a poem, but he said," Mom, I13"His mother said," Study all the time.14 care about the time it will take. You will be able to say it very soon.

    Frank followed his mother's 15. He studied line after line, and in one hour and a half he knew the poem perfectly.

    My parents used to tell me how important school was for me, but I didn't think so. I paid little attention to it. But one thing let me finally 1  what my parents meant.

    One day, when I 2 a mobile phone store, I saw an advertisement on its door. It was hiring new workers!

    "Sir, are you hiring people?" I went 3 the shop and asked. "Yes, but you should be the man who we need," the manager answered. He looked at me for a few 4 from head to foot. "Do you have a high school diploma(文凭)?" 5 he, "Or do you have any work experience?"

    I felt so ashamed and 6 that I didn't know what to say, so I just turned around and left.

    I could not fall asleep that night, and I thought a lot about my 7. "I must go to school or I can't do anything without a good education," I 8 to myself silently. I never went back to the store again 9 I finished my study and got a diploma.

    10 looked the same when I returned to the store: the same people and the same design. However, compared with last time, I had more 11. The manager told me they needed new 12. So it was a great chance for me.

    I 13 my diploma to the manager. He looked at it and said, "Great, you are in."

    Now I am still working in the same store. With this experience, I always 14 people to attend school. Education helps you have a bright future. Now I am not worried about my future because I'm still 15 in my spare time.