Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don't have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.

    Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1, 646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2, 159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.

    Why do people work so many hours？Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don't pay overtime. Their workers don't get more pay for more work. Some people think it's their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don't work more hours.

    Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull(迟钝的) boy. "If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.

"I'm going shopping in the village," George's mother said to George on Saturday morning. "So be a good boy and don't get into trouble. And don't forget 1 good care of Grandma." Then she well out.

Grandma 2 in the chair by the window when she opened one little eye and said, "Now you heard 3 your mother said, George." "Yes, Grandma," George said.

George was bored to tears. He didn't have a brother or a sister. His father was a farmer, and the farm they lived on was miles away from anywhere, 4 there were never any children to play with. He was tired of staring (注视) at hundreds of pigs, hens, cows and sheep. He was especially tired of having to live in the house with his grandma. Looking after her all by himself was hardly 5 way to spend a Saturday morning.

"Go and make me a cup of tea for a start, 6 sugar and milk." Grandma said. Most grandmothers are lovely, kind, helpful old ladies, but not this one. George's grandma was a woman who was always complaining (抱怨) about something or other. She spent all day 7 on her chair by the window.

George was told that Grandma used to be a gentle lady, but as she grew older, she was not able to look after 8 and even worse, she was easy to get angry.

"We 9 be nice to the old, George," His mother always told him.

Thinking of this, George went into the kitchen and made Grandma a cup of tea with a teabag. He put one spoon of sugar and some milk in it. He stirred (搅拌) the tea well and carried it into the living room 10 .

As a writer, I ever volunteered as a "Reading Mum" in a primary school. A boy called Ronny attracted my attention. He 1  every other kid in the first-grade classroom but he was different — he had a speech problem. 

Every time it was Ronny's turn to 2  he sat very close to me and opened the book as if he was opening a box of treasure. I watched his fingers move 3  under each letter as he tried his best to speak. If he read a word with a 4  pronunciation successfully, the biggest smile would spread across his face. After several days, Ronny made great progress, although he was still 5  the level of his grade. 

A few weeks before the school year ended, I 6  Ronny a book — one of those Little Golden Books that only cost $5. He was so surprised at my gift that tears ran down 7  face. 

A few days later, I 8  Ronny on a chair near the playground, the book open in his lap. His teacher said, "9  you gave the book to him. he read it every day. Do you know that's his 10  book he's ever actually owned?"

Hearing that, I felt so 11 . I walked towards Ronny and asked, "Will you read me your book, Ronny?" He 12 . 

And then, for the next few minutes, he read to me more clearly than I'd ever thought. When he finished reading, Ronny closed his book and said with a great 13 , "Good book!" What a powerful contribution the 14  of that Little Golden Book had made to the life of a disabled child!

At that moment, I knew I should do 15  a writer should do — care enough to write a story that could change a child's life; care enough to make a difference.