John is five years old now. He is a good boy. He is very clever and can read very well. But he can't tell the right time by clock. He doesn't say eight o'clock in the morning, twelve o'clock or four o'clock in the afternoon. He always says "breakfast time" for eight o'clock, "lunch time" for twelve o'clock and "tea-time" for four o'clock in the afternoon. His mother wants to teach him to know the time by clock.

    "Can you count, John?" his mother asks him. "Yes. Let me count for you. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve..." "That's good, John. Now let me tell you to say the time. Now, look! I put the long hand on twelve and the short hand on one. That is one o'clock. If I put the short on two, that's two o'clock. Do you know?"

    "Yes, I do." John tells his mother. "Good. If I put the short hand on four, what's that?" his mother asks and really puts the short one on four. "Tea-time, Mum. And I am hungry."

    More than anything else in the world, Lion liked being King of the jungle. He walked around, showing off his power and pride.

Each day Lion took a long lazy sleep under the shade of his favorite tree. He always dreamed of weaker animals bowing(鞠躬) before him.

    One day Mouse ran through the jungle and tripped over（被……绊倒） Lion's huge paws. Lion woke up with a start. ＂How dare you wake me up!＂ he shouted angrily. Lion grabbed(抓住) Mouse with one paw. ＂On the second thought, I'm in the mood for the snack, and you'll make a delicious meal.＂ he said.

    Mouse cried out, ＂King Lion, please spare（饶恕）me! If you let me live, I'll always remember your kindness. And, some day, I might be able to help you.＂

＂How could such a powerless little mouse ever help me?＂ That thought made Lion laugh so much that he decided to let Mouse go. A week later, Lion was walking through the jungle on the way to his favorite tree when he stepped onto a hunter's net. The net scooped him up. No matter how he twisted(扭动) and turned, he couldn't escape.

    When Mouse heard Lion's frightened shouts, he raced to help. Mouse quickly chewed（咬）through the ropes to make a hole in the net. Soon, Lion moved out and was free. Lion looked down at the little mouse. ＂Thank you for saving my life,＂ said Lion, smiling his widest smile. ＂I was mistaken. You are not a powerless little mouse. You are a great friend!＂

    I'll never forget that day on which my brother took me to stay at the street. Everytime I thought about his face, my heart shook strongly.

    "Got it? Just a couple of seconds later I will come back." Saying this, his figure went disappearing in the earth. At the same time I saw people sleeping with fear, suddenly realizing that persons didn't belong to anyone. And as time went by, I could never forecast(预想) what would be going on where I stayed.

    I watched the way my brother went on, thinking of something that happened when I was a kid. You know, I was not that outgoing, for which I always refused to talk to anyone including my parents. It is so weird that relations looked down on me and my parents ever sent me to the psychologist(心理医生). They never understood what I was really sick for.

    But something totally changed on a blue moon night. It's him, my brother. He knew the softest in my deep heart, being the first one to care for me. He would stay with me when my sleep was spoiled by horrible dreams; when I was down after something unpleasant occurred; when huge happiness surrounded(环绕) me and was needed to be spoken out to a listener. He gave me all these, on which the others didn't focus. I was moved.

    He always stayed. And kept staying. I was mixed in it. Which ever drove me crazy. But now I have to accept the truth that he has already gone. Like an opening petunias, come with charming smells, and then go with heart breaking. I don't feel sad, or any sense of bitterness. It's just like a two-people party, now it's time to end.

    Had someone given me a chance, could I let him stay? I think it's fate, unstoppable. His eyes are too small, not being able to fill me in. He's right. I shouldn't force him and myself.

    Today I live well. My life goes the right way. I will still miss him, imaging his life in heaven. Then it reminds me of that day. Eight years ago, he felt dying, then held me tightly, passing the beats and temperature to me. That street is in Wenchuan, on May 12th in 2008.

    Zheng He, the Columbus of the East, was an amazing man.

    He was born in 1371 and, 11 years later, was caught by the army of a rich young man called Zhu Di and made to work for him. Over time the rich man saw that Zheng He was very clever and strong and they became close friends. In 1403 Zhu Di was made the King of China and he asked Zheng He to join his new government.

    The King wanted to learn more about the world and show other countries his power. He ordered many new ships to be built and made Zheng He their leader. Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He led seven sea trips to different parts of the world. He certainly travelled to India, Africa and the Middle East. A few people think his ships may have even reached South America and Australia.

    Each trip lasted between two and four years and it is believed he sailed more than 50 000 kms during the years of his travels. With 28 000 men and over 300 ships, such as boats for food, water and even soldiers' horses, Zheng He led a fleet whose size would not be equaled by Europeans for over 500 years.

    On these trips he brought with him many Chinese goods like silk and medicine to give to foreign kings or to sell for local goods. He returned from each trip with boats filled with expensive things such as gold and jewellery, foreign guests and strange animals like a giraffe.

    It is a pity that we may never learn everything about Zheng He's travels. After he died in 1433, the new king, who believed these trips were unlucky and too expensive, had them stopped and he burned almost all the books about Zheng He's travels. It is only in the last 50 years that historians have begun to carefully study the adventures of the great Zheng He.

    A doctor entered the hospital hurriedly after being called in for an important surgery(外科手术).He found the boy's father in the hall waiting worriedly.

    On seeing him, the father cried out, "Why did you take all this time to come？Don't you know that my son is in danger？Don't you have any sense of duty？"

    The doctor smiled and said, "I am sorry. I wasn't in the hospital and I came as fast as I could after receiving the call and now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work."

     "Calm down？！What if your son was in this room right now？Would you calm down？If your own son dies while waiting for a doctor, then what will you do？"said the father angrily. The doctor smiled again and replied, "We will do our best and you should also pray for your son's healthy life."

    The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happily, "Thank goodness！Your son is saved！"And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running by saying, "If you have any questions, ask the nurse."

     "Couldn't he wait some minutes so that I can ask about my son's state？"shouted the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

    The nurse answered, tears coming down her face, "His son died yesterday in a road accident. He was at the burial(葬礼)when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial."