Charles Dickens was born in one of the small towns in England.

    When Dickens was nine years old, his father found a job in London and the family moved there. Later on his father was put in to prison(监狱)for owing(负债). His mother could not supply(供应) enough food to him and his younger brothers and sisters. He had to do something for his family, so he could not go to school.  

    Only until his father was out of prison, Charles could go to school. At that time he was already twelve. But he did not finish school. Two years later he began to work in a factory.

    And at first he was a journalist(记者)and wrote for newspapers. The future writer often went to the library to read books. He read a lot. Then, at the age of twenty-two, Dickens began to write and he wrote a lot of novels and stories all his life.Dickens died over a hundred years ago，but people are still reading his books with great interest.

C

    John was traveling around the country in the town. One evening he was driving along a road and looking for the Sun Hotel. When he saw an old man at the side of the road, he stopped his car and said to the old man,“I want to go to the Sun Hotel. Do you know where it is?”

    “Yes,” the old man answered,“I'll show you the way.”

    He got into the car, and they drove for about twelve miles. When they came to a small house, the old man said,“Stop here.”

    John stopped and looked at the house and said,“But this isn't a hotel.”

    “No,” the old man answered,“this is my house. And now I'll show you the way to the Sun Hotel. Turn around and go back nine miles, then you'll see the Sun Hotel on the left.”

    Karen lived with her parents in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. The Karoo was famous for plant and animal fossils(化石) ,Karen's father was a paleontologist(古生物学家) ,and Karen enjoyed looking at the dinosaur bones in his office. She hoped to discover her own dinosaur someday.

    Every summer, Karen's father invited paleontologists from around the world to the Karoo. As they hiked through the dry land, he would show them fossil samples(样本) within the layers of sedimentary rock(沉积岩) and ash.

    This summer, Karen asked her father if she could go along on the hike. He agreed, but he asked her to stay close by. As they drove to the trail(小径) ,Karen's heart beat quickly with excitement. There were so many places to visit.

    The hike was interesting, but Karen was too curious to stay on the trail. Without asking, she ran down into a nearby ravine(峡谷) and looked among the rocks, Then, he heard her father's voice calling to her. She ran up the side of ravine. Suddenly, she spotted something white and shiny. "Dad!" she shouted excitedly.

    Karen's father stood at the top of the ravine with the other people. They looked worried until Karen pointed to the shiny object. All the paleontologists examined it. They nodded to each other in surprise. It was the skull(骨头) of a dinosaur nobody knew about! The paleontologists took pictures and shook Karen's hands. Her father smiled, "Karen." he said. "You are now the youngest paleontologist in the Karoo!"