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    Mrs. Brown is a woman about forty-five. Her husband has a factory in the town and gets much money. Her three children are all intelligent and they work in their factory. She has nothing to do at home and lives a happy life. Mrs.Brown likes meat and cakes very much. Her husband and children often buy some for her. And she doesn't like sports and often gets up at eleven o'clock in the morning. So she gets fatter and fatter and now it's difficult for her to walk. Sometimes she thinks something is wrong with her heart. She went to see a doctor one day. The doctor looked her over carefully and said, “You have got a heart disease, Mrs. Brown. It's bad for your heart to eat much sugar and meat. You'd better eat a piece of bread for each meal.”

    “That's easy, doctor,” said the woman. “But when do I have to eat the bread, before a meal or after a meal?”

    A beautiful and very successful actress played the lead role in a new musical show. Her home was in the countryside, but she did not want to go back there every night, so she bought an expensive house in the centre of the city, she got some beautiful furniture(家具) and had a man to paint the rooms in new colours.

    It was very difficult to get tickets for her show, because everybody wanted to see it. So she decided to give the painter two of the best seats. She hoped that this would make him work better for her. He took the tickets without saying anything, and she heard no more about them until the end of the month, when she got the painter's bill (帐单). At the bottom of it were these words: “Four hours watching Miss Hall sing and dance : 3 pounds,” with this note: “ After 5 p.m. I get 15 shillings (先令) an hour instead of 10 shillings.”

Alice in Wonderland

Chapter 2

    Alice was not hurt, so she jumped to her feet in a moment. She looked up, and found the White Rabbit was still in sight. She was close behind it when she turned the comer, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen. She found herself in a long, low hall.

    There were doors all around the hall, but they were all locked.

    Alice walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.

    Suddenly, she came upon a little three-legged table. There was nothing on it but a tiny golden key, and Alice's first idea was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall.

    But, alas! Either the locks were too large, or the key was too small. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before and behind it was a little door.

    She tried the little golden key in the lock, and she was pleased to find it fitted!

We all know it's important to encourage children's interests. But Maryland mom Charmaine Britt took support to a whole new level when she gave her daughter Breana Britt the green light to start her own baking business five years ago—- when "Bree" was just 12 years old. "She kept asking me, so I finally said, 'Well, you can start it online with you baking and me doing deliveries(运送)and we'll see how it goes,'" Charmaine, 38, said.

    Things went well. The now 17-year-old Bree's Sweet Treats had grown from a little online cupcake-and-cookie business became a full-service bakery plus café that delivers to the entire Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. "She makes great baked goods so I just thought it could be a good way to help her become financially responsible," says Charmaine. "I never thought it would become this."

    Bree, on the other hand, said she never had any doubts. "I love doing this," says the junior. "And I just think, if I'm doing something I love, I may as well make money." Bree makes about $1,500 a month.

    "When we opened the store I took some time and thought: Is this what I want?" Bree says. "And it was." She admits there have been rough patches (困难时期). There have been times where we get frustrated（受挫）. Am I willing to give up a bit of time with friends for this?" She says. "But I never regretted having this business. It's been a part of me for so long."

    Charmaine is already thrilled with what her daughter has accomplished. "over the years I've seen her become a leader and I'm so impressed with her dedication (奉献), especially for someone her age." says the mom.

    I'll never forget the little boy called Dick. At that time, I worked in a hospital. There was a little girl. She was badly ill. The only chance to make her healthy again was a blood transfusion (输血) from her five-year-old brother Dick.

    The doctor told the boy about that and asked whether (是否) he would like to give his blood to his elder sister. Thinking of his sister, he thought for a moment, and took a deep breath. He said, "Yes, I will do this, if it saves her life."

    The moment came. His sister was lying on the bed next to him. The boy looked at her and smiled, but gradually his face became pale and his smile disappeared. He asked the doctor in a low voice, "Doctor, will I start to die right now?"

    The doctor smiled and said, "Of course not. You'll be stronger than before soon."

    The little boy thought that if he saved his sister, he would die, but he still chose to save her. What a brave boy!