Sometime ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn't think there would be any difficulty in getting it repaired, as there are a lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception.  I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.

    The second shop, though a little more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth. I realized that my approach must be wrong so I decided to try another way. I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind.  I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, "Would you like to buy a chair? Twenty pounds," I said. "OK. I'll give you twenty pounds for it,"he said. "It's got a slightly broken leg," I added. "Yes, I saw that.  It's nothing," the shopkeeper replied.

    Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. "What will you do with it?" I asked. "Oh, it will be easy to sell after the repair is done.""I'll buy it," I said.  "What do you mean? You've just sold it to me," the man asked in surprise.  "Yes, I know. But I've changed my mind.  I am sorry. I'll give you twenty-seven pounds for it." "You must be crazy," he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. He shouted, "I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair." "You're right,"I said, "And what would you have said if I had walked in and asked you to repair my chair?" "I wouldn't have agreed to do it. We don't do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble.  But I'll repair this for you.  Five pounds will be the cost,"the man answered. He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.

    “Homestay is a form of study abroad program．It allows visitors to rent a room from a local(当地的)family to better understand the local lifestyle．It also helps to improve the visitor's language ability，"said a teacher during a school meeting last term．“Students who wish to learn more about foreign cultures or to get foreign experience should join this kind of holiday．I am sure you won't be disappointed(失望的)．”

    After this special meeting，I always thought about this kind of holiday．Last month I had a chance at last to go on such a holiday with some of my schoolmates and we went to London．a place where I had wanted to go since years ago．

    As we were still young，we had a group leader who planned things for us and looked after us．After we got to London. we went to stay with different families．I was lucky that my host family(寄宿家庭)was a white couple who had a daughter about my age．They treated me as a daughter of their family during my stay there．They were interested in me and I learnt a lot of things from them，too．

    The holiday was filled with activities every day．After breakfast，a local teacher would come to take us in his car．Then we would have classes or go on a sight—seeing trip to different places of interest like the Big Ben，the London Bridge，and the Buckingham Palace．We would go back to our own homes after the activities．

    The holiday was a valuable experience for me．I enjoyed every minute of it．Yet，time really flew fast．Three weeks later，we had to leave “home” for Hong Kong．

    Do you know George? He is a little monkey. He lives in a deep forest. He likes jumping and climbing trees. He is happy every day. But he has a shortcoming（缺点）. He is curious（好奇的）.

    One day an old man went by the forest. He cared a lot of hats. George saw the old man, and the old man saw George, too. The old man said to himself, what a lovely monkey! I will catch him. I will take him home.

    The old man sat down and thought over. George saw and also sat down. The old man had an idea. He put a hat on his head, and put other has on the ground, Then be pretended(假装)to sleep.

    George was curious and looked at the hats. "I will be nice if I put a hat on my head, "George thought. Then be climbed down from the tree, picked up a hat and put it on. The hat was too big, and covered George's eyes. George couldn't see. And the old man got up at once and caught him quickly.

Poor George!

    I'm not much of a crier most of the time. But recently when I was reading a book on a plane, l started crying. Of course, it came as a big surprise when tears came up, no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to control myself.

    Oh no, not this now, I thought to myself. But even as the thought entered my brain, I felt the first hot drop of salty water coming down my face. I put my head down, hoping that I could go on reading.

    In fact, the harder I tried, the more team pushed their way out of my eyes. You could guess how surprised the man next to me looked.

    I dropped my head in shame. He must think I was crazy. Maybe I could turn toward him, hold up the cover of the book and say in my crying voice, "Pm sorry, sir. It's just a really good book!" But I didn't say anything. Instead, I just put my head back against the seat and let the team run. Do you know what decision I made while I was crying? My decision was that it was okay if he thought I was crazy. I'd rather be crazy than be the kind of person who wouldn't cry when the situation called for it, or who wouldn't let herself feel anything at all.

    I've been that girl who has spent so much time trying to make sure people didn't think 1 was crazy. But now I don't want to be that girl any more--that bored and sad girl. I'd rather be this girl who is able to forgive(原谅), love and act, even if it means being disappointed or being hurt again and again.

    A farmer loses his watch in the barn (谷仓). He is worried because the watch has many stories for him.

    After looking carefully everywhere for a long time, he can't find it Then he asks for help of a few children playing outside the barn. He says, "If you find my watch, I can give you a lot of money."

    Hearing this, the children run into the barn to look for the watch, but they can't find it. Then, a little boy says he wants to look for it again.

    The farmer looks at him and asks him to look for it again. After a few minutes, the little boy comes out with the watch in his hand! The farmer is happy and surprised. He asks the boy about it.

    "I do nothing," answers the boy, "I just sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I hear the ticking (滴答声) of the watch and then find it."