One day a red rose blossomed (开花) in a forest. A pine tree(松树) not far away said, “You're so beautiful! I wish I could be lovely like you. ”

    The rose said, “I am the most beautiful plant in the forest.” Then the rose looked at a cactus(仙人掌) and said, “Look at that ugly plant. It is full of thorns (刺)!”Sometimes, the red rose would look at the cactus and say, “This plant is useless. I'm sorry I am his neighbor. ”

    Summer came and the plants and animals needed water, but no rain fell. One day the rose saw some birds stick their beaks(鸟喙) into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. The pine tree told the red rose, “You can also drink from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help. ”

    The red rose felt ashamed, but she still asked the cactus for help. The cactus agreed kindly and the birds filled their beaks with water for the rose's roots. Later on, the rose never gave her opinion about anyone by look again.

    Last weekend I went camping with my dad and my brother, Jim. We took a tent, sleeping bags, flashlights, water and food. We reached the campsite (营地）on Saturday afternoon. There was enough room to build a campfire. Jim and I collected some dry leaves, small sticks and Dad started a campfire. Then we cooked potatoes and cabbages for our supper and had some apple cakes. Everything tasted delicious.

    Soon it was time to put up the tent. We helped Dad pull the tent out of the bag, but unluckily, we found no poles (杆子）to hold it up. “Oh,” cried Jim, “I left them at home.” What could we do? Dad looked up the starry (星光璀璨的）sky. The night was clear and the air was warm. “It's OK, we don't need a tent.” Then he put the sleeping bags on the ground.

    We slept well that night. The sun was shining on us when we woke up the next morning. I think it was my best camping trip.

    I did something wrong today.

    While at the beach this afternoon, I met a boy called Bob. We talked a lot. He said that it was fun playing on the cliffs(悬崖). I told him that I was not allowed to go near that place. Mum and Dad had always told me it was dangerous to play there. He called me a coward. I wanted to prove to him that I was just as brave, so I agreed to go with him.

    We wanted to make our way down to explore(探索) the area, so Bob started to climb down and I followed him. Unluckily, some rocks came down after us. One of them nearly hit my head. We could not get back up. We shouted and shouted for help, but for a long time no help came. I was really scared. I wanted to cry. Then, we heard some sounds. Someone had heard us. A woman tied (系) a rope around herself while a man at the cliff top held the rope. She made her way down to save us.

    My parents were relieved(宽慰) that I was unhurt , but they were angry that I had done such a risky thing. I apologized and promised that I would not do anything like that again.

    Grandfather always tells Jane stories before she goes to bed at night. Soon, her love for reading grows. She starts borrowing books from the school library.

One day, Grandfather told Jane, "Here, my dear, your birthday is coming. This is a very special book and I want you to have it as your birthday present. I am sure that you will enjoy reading it."

    Jane was excited to get the book. She put down all the other books she had and started reading it day and night. The more she read the book, the more she liked it.

    Soon, she finished the book. She thought it was a great book so she asked Grandfather who the writer was.

    "I wrote the book, my dear," Grandfather said with a smile.

    "This is really a great present!" Jane thought. "I will take good care of it and show it to Baby John when he grows up."

    The famous scientist and thinker, Charles Darwin, was born on February 12, 1809. His family lived not far from the River Severn, England.

    Darwin's father was a well-known doctor and the son of an still greater doctor and scientist. Darwin's father hoped that his son would also become a doctor.

    As a boy, Darwin liked to go for walks in the fields and forests. He watched nature, and compared what he saw with everything he had read in science books. He also liked collecting very much. He collected many things, birds, eggs, stones and leaves. His father did not like that, a Darwin not studying very well at school.

    At the age of sixteen, Darwin was sent to Edinburgh University to study in order that he could become a doctor. But he was interested in the history of nature.

    Then he was sent to study in Cambridge University. There he studied until 1831.

    Some time later he heard that the ship Beagle was going on a trip to South America and needed a centrist. His professor advised him to go. He said the trip would be just for Darwin, So when the ship left England in December 1831. Darwin was on it. He research lasted almost five years. The Beagle studied the waters in the sea near South America. It also visited New Zealand, Australia and islands in the Pacific. Darwin saw many new plants and animals. He collected all kinds of plants.

In 1842 Darwin went to live in Kent, where he continued his studies of changes in nature. Darwin understood that plants and animals are not always the same, and that they really change.

    By 1859 Darwin had finished his famous book "The origin of Spedes "（《物种起源〉）. It made a great hit in the world of science. He was opposed by the church and even by some scientists. But later, more and more scientists agreed with him.

    Robert Fredy was general manager of a large hotel in Ashbury Park, New Jersey. One cold day two years ago when he stopped his car at a traffic light, Stephen Pearman; an out-of-work taxi and truck driver, walked up to Fredy's car hoping to earn some change by washing his windshield(档风玻璃) , Like many motorists who try to keep the beggars off. Fredy turned on the wipers to show he wasn't interested.

    Pearman put his head close to the window. "Come on, mister. Give me a chance. I need a job, "he said. Something in Stephen Pearman's voice moved Robert Fredy. In the seconds before traffic started moving again, Fredy handed Pearman a business card and told him to call if he was serious.

    "My friends told me he was just pulling my leg," said Pearman. But I said. No, he's a businessman. I need to give it a shot."

    Two days later, 29-year-old Pearman appeared in the manager's office of the big hotel. Fredy gave him a job and lent him packet money while training him.

    Today, Pearman works full-time setting up the hotel's dining halls for business meetings. In the past two years, he has found a flat, married and repaid Fredy's loans (货款).

    "Mr Fredy gave me a second chance." says Pearman. "And I took advantage of it. I could have just come here a while and left. But there is no future washing wind-shields."

    Fredy always keeps away from the street people, "But Pearman seemed so honest and open, asking for a chance rather than just money," Fredy says. "I don't hand my business card to just anybody. But I'm glad I did in this case."