It was last June. I went into a supermarket to buy some vegetables, when a young man asked me, “Can you tell me where the  1 counter is?”

  “Well, the milk is in the lower right corner,” I replied. Picking up my things, I finally came to the milk counter where I met the same man. He was 2 almost 10 bottles of milk in his hand. I asked, “Do you need a 3?” “Sure, thank you.” he answered.

    I was 4 he was still picking more bottles and after a few minutes his trolley had 24 bottles of milk. I laughed and asked, “Why so many bottles?” He smiled and said, “These are 5 my street dogs. Today I want to be a Santa for them.”

    I said, “Well, it's too 6 for you to be a Santa. It is still June and Christmas comes in 7.” He 8 at me for a second, but he left the counter without 9 anything.

    10, we met again at the bread counter. “So these bread and cakes are also for the street dogs, Mr. Santa.”  He smiled and said, “Yes. These are also for the dogs and I love to be Mr. Santa in the month of June. Santa is a representation(象征) of surprises and 11. We always hope Santa comes before 12. But in real life there is a Santa in each one of us. He is always ready to help us at any time, no matter(不管) which month it is. Maybe when you offered a trolley to me, there was a Santa in you. When we 13 food to a poor man or a(n) 14 to someone who is caught in the rain, we are being Santa there. So when you offer help to others or get help from others, just think that Santa has come all the way for you.”

    He left and I was 15 that I met him. It was right to understand that Santa can come before Christmas. We just need to know that he is around us by giving happiness and love to others.

    During our business trip in the New Jersey, we visited quite a lot of places. I was always the 1 whose responsibility is to provide our driver with the most time—saving route and plan everything in the travelling.

    Every time one day 2 our trip, I will search on the Internet for the information about the place we will 3 Usually, the local government or some travel agencies(代理）have their own web sites which can 4 us plenty information, such as the famous sites, special scenes, delicious food or some interesting custom. 5 , on the Thanksgiving of 1999, we went to the Washington DC, Baltimore and Annapolis. I 6 before that in Baltimore, there is an aquarium that ranks second in US; in Annapolis, there is a Navy Academic(海军学院) from which many famous generals(将军)7.

    Another tool internet can provide us is the 8 map. If we want to go to a place that we have never been to, all that I need 9 is to input the start point's zip code(邮编)and the end point's zip code. The web site will provide me with several 10, some is most time—saving, some can help us avoid the possible traffic, some can save us the Toll fee we have to pay otherwise.

    George Mallory was an English school teacher who loved 1 . In 1924, Mallory and a team of British climbers tried 2 the top of Mount Qomolangma, the highest mountain in the world. No one had ever done it before.

    Mallory had already tried to 3 the top of Mount Qomolangma in 1921 and 1922, 4 he didn't succeed both times. In 1924, he started to climb again. On June 8th, 1924, he and 5 climber, Andrew Irvine, were only a few hundred meters 6 the top of the mountain. The other members of their climbing team watched 7 Mallory and Irvine climbed slowly up towards the top. However, the weather 8 was terrible, and soon the two men disappeared(消失). They never returned.

    In 1953, Edmund Hillary from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal, 9 reached the top of Mount Qomolangma. Most people thought that they were the 10 men to do this, but some people 11 whether Mallory and Irvine had got there first.

    Many years 12, in 1999, Mallory's body was found on Mount Qomolangma, about 13 from the top of it. However, it is still unknown if he and Irvine 14 reached the top of the mountain.

    Someone had once asked Mallory why he wanted to climb the most 15 mountain in the world. "Because it's there, "he answered.

The clever monkey

    Once upon a time, there was a clever monkey. He lived on a beautiful island, in an apple tree.

    One day, a crocodile(鳄鱼)swam to the island. "I'm 1"he said. So, the monkey threw a red apple to the crocodile. The crocodile ate it 2.

    The next day, the crocodile came back. "Please, may I have two apples?" he asked. He ate one and gave one to his 3.

    The crocodile went to see the monkey every day. He wanted to be 4 just like the monkey. The crocodile's wife had an idea. "Why don't you5his heart? Then you'll be clever, just like him!"

    The next day, he said to the monkey, 'To thank you for the6, please come to my house and have lunch with me together. But when the monkey 7, the crocodile said, "I want to eat your heart, so I can be as clever as you!"

    The clever monkey thought quickly and said, "But my 8 isn't here. It's on the island."

    They all 9 to the island. "Wait here. And I will get my heart." said the monkey.

    The monkey quickly 10the tree and sat at the top. "Oh, Crocodile, you are so greedy(贪婪地). Of course, you can't have my heart. And now, you can't have my apples!" And the clever monkey laughed and laughed.

    John was so lazy that he stayed at home and watched television all day instead of working. One day his 1saw a" Help wanted" advertisement in the supermarket window. The supermarket needed2to put things on the shelves. She told the manager that her husband didn't have a job but he was very 3. She told him that John would come to apply for(申请)the job.

    When she got home and told John about the job, he was just watching television attentively. It made her so angry that she4 the TV and ordered him to go and see the manager of the supermarket. John didn't want his wife to be angry, so he went there.

    On the way, John thought if the manager5  him the job, he wouldn't be able to stay at home and watch television all day long. He would have to work in the supermarket every day.

    Then he had an idea he decided to tell the manager that something was wrong with his shoulder so he could not raise his arm above his head. He was6  the manager wouldn't give him the job. When he arrived at the supermarket, he told the manager that he needed the job." Are you strong?" the manager asked.

    John explained that he couldn't raise his arm above his head. John told him that he7 an accident at home while digging in the garden.

"How 8 can you raise your arm?" the manager asked. John lifted his arm 9"Only this high "he said." And how high could you raise it10 the accident?" asked the manager." This high" said John. And he lifted his arm above his head.

    I saw my first butterfly of the spring today. I was 1 some food and other things into my house when suddenly the little lady 2 right down in front of my face.

    3 stayed there for a long time, gently dancing in the air. She was so beautiful that my eyes became filled with tears and my heart 4 with love. Then she left for some delicious flowers growing in my garden. I smiled, wiped my 5 and felt thankful for the wonder of life.

    Butterflies have held a 6 place in my heart since I lost my mother to cancer when she was 7 fifty-five years old. She used to love it when the butterflies would land near her while she worked in the 8. She would even speak to them 9 her musical voice. After she died l would 10 her whenever I saw one of those gentle angels(天使)flying by. I even told my young children that every time they saw a 11 dancing in the gentle wind, it was their grandmother saying "Hello" from 12.

    When today's butterfly dropped in to say "Hello", I once again felt joy beyond words. I felt like l was dancing on the clouds with my mother 13 a thousand angels were singing. Someone 14 say I'm cheating myself, but I know this isn't so. Cheating doesn't fill your heart with 15.The next time you get your own" Hello" from heaven ,just welcome it into your heart and let it help you to be a loving person.