The hippo(河马) is the most dangerous animal in Africa, but that hasn't stopped a South African animal lover from making friends with one.

    Marius Els is 40 years old. He 1 around 20 different kinds of animals on his ranch(饲养场), in South Africa. He has a real soft spot for Humphrey, a 6-year-old hippo that's like a son to him. While all of his friends are too 2 to go near the animal, and his wife told him not to get too close, Marius climbs on Humphrey's back as he swims 3 the lake.

    Marius has kept the hippo 4 he was just five months old. And over the years, the two have 5 a special relationship that people just don't understand. Marius looks on Humphrey as a son, although the 1, 200 ton animal could 6 a person with ease. Only sometimes the hippo can throw Marius off his 7 in the water. Humphrey is very friendly to his owner, especially after Marius offers him a dinner of his favorite 8, apples.

    Humphrey feels very 9 in his life. He had another good friend, a goat, but she got eaten by a jackal, so now he's all by 10. Marius says he's been trying to get a female friend for Humphrey, but there's no such thing in Africa right now.

    Mike worked for the Canadian government.One day, he was 1 to learn more about wolves.Do wolves kill lots of caribou (北美驯鹿)? Do they kill people?

    They gave him lots of food and clothes and guns.Then they put him on a plane and 2 him to a far-away place.The plane put him down and went away.There were no houses or 3 in this place, but there were lots of animals and lots of wolves.

    There are many 4 stories about wolves.Wolves are said to like to kill and eat people.Mike remembered these stories, and he was afraid.He had his gun 5him all the time.

    Then one day, he saw a group of wolves.There was a mother wolf with four baby wolves.A father wolf and another male wolf, younger than him, lived with them.

    Mike watched these wolves every day.The mother was a very good mother.She gave milk to her babies.She gave them lessons about life.They learned how to 6 food.The father wolf got food for the mother.The young male wolf 7 the children.They were a nice, happy family—a wolf family! Mike did not need his 8 any more.In a short time, he got on well with the family.Mike 9 them for five months.He learned that many stories about wolves were not true.Wolves do not eat people, and they do not eat many large animals.And he also learned bad things about 10.It was men who killed many caribou and wolves.

    Later, Mike wrote a book about wolves.He wanted people to understand them and stop killing them.

    On Christmas Day, all family members gathered at our parents' home. No member had ever1Christmas Day with our mother and father. Only this year, things were2. Our father passed away on November 26th, and this was our first Christmas3him. Mother was doing her best to be glad, 4I could tell this was especially hard for her.

    A few months earlier, I had painted my parents. I'd planned to give them5Christmas gifts. While painting one day, my father came to visit me. I wanted to show him, but suddenly I realized I should give him a6. Yet something urged（促使） me to share this moment with him. He walked closer to appreciate（欣赏） the portraits（肖像）.Then he stepped back to eye them at a distance. Finally, with a tear7down one cheek, he said, "Look! How beautiful your mother is! Will you let me have them framed（镶框）? "

    Then one night in November the phone8, and I was told father passed away. I finally9to call about the portrait framing and thanked God my father had got a10 to see the pictures before he died. I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me my father had11and had the gifted wrapped（包装）.Even though we had lost father, everyone12to be cheerful. As I looked into my mother's sad eyes, I13to give her Daddy's and my gift. As she got rid of（去除） the wrap, there was a small card inside. With tear-filled eyes and a wide14, she said, "I knew Daddy would be with us on Christmas Day!"

    I read the words written by my father, "Mother: Our daughter 15me why I am so blessed（幸福的）. I'll be looking at you always—Daddy.

    Joy was working in a factory far away from his home. One day he wanted to send a(n) 1 to his wife. But he could not read or 2, and in the daytime he had to work. So he could only 3 somebody to write his letter late at night. A letter-writer called Johnson lived near here. But it was 4 when he found Johnson's house.

    Johnson was already in 5. He said," It is late. What do you want?" Joy answered," I want you to write a letter to my 6." When Johnson heard that, he was not 7. He thought for a while and then said," Does the letter have to go 8?"

    "What does that matter?" answered Joy.

    " Well, my writing is very strange, 9 can read it except(除了) me. And it will cost you a lot of money 10 I have to go a long way to read the letter to you wife." Hearing these words, Joy went away.

    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."

English is very important to us. Here are two tips of learning English.

Read an English book, newspaper or magazine.

Reading is a necessary part of learning a new language, so don't forget to read! Find something you are really interested in whether that's a famous English novel, a copy of The New York Times, or a fashion magazine, and then start working your way through it. If you find the content(内容) boring, you will be less inclined(倾向于······的）to continue with it.

Again, make an active effort to actually understand what you're reading;don't just skim over it. Mark any words or phrases that you don't understand, and then look them up in the dictionary.

If you're alone, you could also try reading aloud. You will get the benefits of reading aloud.For example, this will allow you to improve your reading comprehension(理解力)as well as your pronunciation.

Keep a diary in English.

Besides reading and listening comprehension,you should also spend some time improving your written English skills. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of your language learning, but it is really important. Writing in English will help you to work on your sentence structure,grammar and spelling.

Try to keep an English diary in which you write down a few sentences every day. It doesn't have to be deeply personal. You could write about the weather,what you ate for dinner or what your plans are for the day.If you feel comfortable with it, get a native speaker to look over what you've written and check it for any mistakes. This will help you to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.