Casey was painting the sets (粉刷布景) for the school play (戏剧). When she worked, the actors practiced on stage (舞台). A girl named Amelia played an important role in it. Now she was singing.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}She saw the actors practice again and again. She remembered the words to all the songs by heart.

    Casey's friend Kareem helped her paint. "You should try out for the next play," he said. "You're good."

    Casey said, " {#blank#}2{#/blank#}"

    The next day, Casey and Kareem finished painting the last part of the sets. They were cleaning up their brushes and paints.

    "It's too bad!" Ms. Brown came in and said. " {#blank#}3{#/blank#}She can't be in the play. What will we do?"

    Kareem and Casey heard this. "You know all the words to the songs. You can take over Amelia's part!" said Kareem

    "No, I can't," said Casey.

    "Sure you can. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You must do it!" said Kareem.

    Casey really wanted to act on stage. She thought, " {#blank#}5{#/blank#}" Then she took a deep breath (深呼吸) and walked to Ms. Brown, "I know what we can do!"

    There was a tree in my garden. One day, two birds came to the tree and built a house for their three babies. One day, I heard the sound of these birds. I ran to the garden and found two babies eating food on the ground. A few minutes later, the father bird and the mother bird came back. They brought some food for the third baby. The father bird put the food on the ground，far away from the third baby. To get the food, the baby had to fly to it.

    The third baby was hungry, but she was afraid to get out of the nest. To my surprise, the father bird and the mother bird just stood there and did nothing.

    After about ten minutes, the third baby bird didn't have any other choice. She slowly went to the border (边缘) of the nest and began to fly. Finally, she landed safely on the ground and enjoyed the food. Just like the birds, if you want to get something you want, you must depend on yourself.

A. Interview with Andy Griffiths

    Andy Griffiths is well known as a writer of children's books. Here are some interesting things, you might not know about him!

    What do you like to do after a long day of writing?

    I go for long runs and bike rides beside the beach. An hour of exercise after a long day of writing gives me energy. Then I'm ready to write some more.

    Do you write using a computer or by hand?

At first I write the stories by hand, and then I transfer(转录)them onto a computer. I like to write by hand when I travel. I find it very easy to lose myself in my diary when I am away from my usual activities.

    What super power would you like to have?

    X-ray vision(影像)if I can control it.

    What is your favourite food?

    Fro never happier than when I'm drinking banana milkshakes. And I love fish. But I don't like drinking fish milkshakes - they are just terrible!

    What is your favourite book?

Alice in Wonderland. It has so many surprises and such silliness in it.

    Do you write for adults too?

    Only if I really have to. T much prefer the freedom and fun of writing for children.

    What do you say to kids who say, "Why should I read?"

As Dr. Seuss says. "The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go."

    It's important for each of us to be healthy and happy. Do you want to improve (改善) your health and feel better? Here are some ways.

    Eat whole foods. Eat some healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and a little meat. If you have a healthy eating habit, you'll be happier.

    Exercise. Take up a sport you really like. If you want to keep healthy, try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, twice or three times a week.

    Get enough sleep. It is best to get eight hours' sleep a day. A cup of milk before sleeping may help you get a good sleep.

    Keep yourself busy. This is very good because it stops you from having bad habits. To keep yourself busy, you can walk around the house, spend time with your pets, do sports, or do a hobby you enjoy.

    Spend time with your friends. Spend time and have fun with them. Talk with them. But you shouldn't talk about anything bad. You should stay with the people who are healthy and happy.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴Helen wants to go to a beautiful place. There she can enjoy beautiful natural scene.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Lucy would like to go to a theme(主题) park and buy some souvenirs(纪念品).

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶Jack wants to go fishing by boat or ship.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷Li Mei is from Zhejiang. She wants to go to the north to see the snow.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸Peter is interested in history and he likes traveling in the city.