Once in a village, there were two best friends. They spent most of the time resting under a tree and thinking about what they should do in their life. One day they 1 that the women in the village used to bring water pots from the far-away river. It was 2 enough for the family daily needs, so the villagers had to do the same work many times every day. They told the 3 they would bring water pots for them for 25 cents per pot. 4 liked the offer and their business grew fast. They started to make 50 to 100 rounds daily. After 10 years, they were the 5 men in all the close villages.
6 , one of the friends realized that they would not stay so rich forever. 7 they were not healthy and young any longer? The 8 one didn't care at all. He just wanted to enjoy his life.
Some days 9 , in a neighboring village, the first man saw a potter making pots with long necks. He thought it would be great if they made a large long pine (管子) of clay to offer water to the village. The other friend thought it was a 10 idea to make a clay pipe and didn't think it would work.
So the first man began to make his idea come true 11 his own. Of course. lots of problems came in the way. Although the pipe broke many times, he never 12 . He kept trying for 6 to 7 months and 13 made it.
As a result, there were pipes all around the village and life for the villagers became 14 than before. He could offer a thousand pots every day, so he lowered his 15 to 10 cents per pot. More money started to go into the first man's pocket while the other man became jobless.
How to spend Spring Festival gift money
Song Qian, 14 I can partly decide how to use my gift money. I got 3,600 yuan this year. I would like to use the money to buy some books and school supplies. The money will also be useful for after-class activities and study projects. |
Zhang Ping, 13 During Spring Festival, I got over 2,000 yuan in gift money. I can decide how to use the money. I chose to put all of it in the bank. I hope to use it if I have a chance to study abroad in the future. I know that studying abroad is expensive. |
Li Ai, 12 The gift money I got this year was over 1,000 yuan. I gave most of it to my parents. They will use the money to pay for some of my school fees. Of course, I still have some left for myself. I am planning to buy gifts for my parents on their birthdays. |
Li Lei, 14 I can use part of my gift money. I saved 3,000 yuan in the bank this year and left 700 yuan for myself. I will use the money to buy textbooks, snacks and to go to the movies. Also, I am a big fan of sci-fi. The first book I will buy is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. |
a. buy her parents gifts
b. buy books and school things
c. go see movies
d. pay for after-class activities and study projects
After leaving home and starting his first job, David made sure to stay in touch with his mother. They had grown very close after David's father passed away the year before.
David had just moved into his first apartment in the city, far from their village home. He thought that he should invite his mother to the city and show her around. He called her and made plans for her to come to the city on July 7—a Tuesday.
July 7 came around and David went to the train station to pick up his mom. Strangely enough, she didn't show up. David called her and asked what was going on. She said, "Oh, my goodness. I checked my calendar, and it said July 7 was a Sunday! I'm sorry dear. Can you come back to pick me up on Sunday?"
Of course, David didn't mind. However, he did worry about his mom, who had always been good at remembering important dates. Was she starting to lose her memory? He asked, "Mom, how did you confuse the date? You said you looked at your calendar...?"
"Yes, dear. The thing is, I'm still using last year's calendar. I know it's silly, but it's the last thing your dad gave to me before he passed away. When the new year came, I didn't want to throw it away. I've missed a few appointments (约定) here and there, but I don't miss them nearly as much as I miss your father."
Franz Kafka (1883—1924), a famous writer, never married and had no children. Once, at the age of 40, when he was walking through a park in Berlin, Germany, he came across a young girl crying. She lost her favorite doll (玩偶).
He helped her look for the doll, but they couldn't find it. Kafka told her to meet him there the next day and they would look for the doll again.
The next day, when they still had not found the doll, Kafka gave the girl a letter "written" by the doll that said, "Please do not cry. I have gone on a trip to see the world. I'm going to write to you about my adventures (历险)."
Thus began a story that continued to the end of Kafka's life.
When they would meet, Kafka read aloud the letters (which he had written, of course) of adventures that the girl found exciting. Finally, Kafka read her a letter in which the doll said it had finally returned to Berlin. Then, he gave her a doll that he had bought.
"This does not look like my doll at all," she said. Kafka handed her another letter that said, "It is my trips that have changed me." The girl hugged (拥抱) the new doll and took it home with her. A year later, Kafka died.
Many years later, the now grown-up girl found a letter hidden inside the doll. The tiny letter, signed by Kafka, said, "Everything you love is very likely to be lost, but in the end, love will return in a different way."
Have you ever wondered how many ants (蚂蚁) there are on Earth? Scientists at the University of Hong Kong certainly have. In a new study, they estimated (估计) the number of the world's ants is about 20,000,000,000,000,000 (20 with 15 zeroes)!
That means for every human, there are nearly 2.5 million ants. If you put all the ants on a scale (秤), they'd weigh more than all the wild birds and mammals (哺乳动物) on Earth.
How did they count such a big number? In the past, many scientists have counted ants in different areas. They collected fallen leaves and earth and dried them to force the ants to come out for counting. Based on 465 studies that cover all continents, the new study made the estimation.
According to Wang Runxi, one of the authors, the number and distribution (分布) of ants can be valuable predictors of environmental changes.
"Ants play an important role in the ecosystem (生态系统)," Wang told Science and Technology Daily. "They help loosen the soil (松土), spread seeds, break down things and form a part of the food chain (食物链). They are everywhere on Earth except for the coldest places."
"Compared with big animals, little ants are more sensitive (敏感的) to environmental changes," Wang added. Most ants live in tropical (热带) and subtropical (亚热带) areas. But in recent years, ants have been moving toward the two poles because of global warming. Changes in forests, such as too much logging, also affect the number of ants, the study showed.
"Our global map of ants allows us to better understand and predict ants' responses to worrying environmental changes," scientists wrote in the study.
A. One day, a rich man stopped at the inn. The innkeeper looked at the guest's fat money belt and thought, "Oh, if only all that money could be mine!" The rich man asked for the most expensive room at the inn, and he went up to his room to dress for dinner.
B. Soon, the rich man went down the stairs to have dinner. The innkeeper could hardly hide her delight (高兴) as she served him dish after dish of ginger (生姜) buds. "Delicious!" said the rich man. When dinner was finished, he went to bed, happy and full of ginger buds.
C. In the morning, the innkeeper saw the rich man off at the door. Then she raced up to his room and looked for the money belt, but she couldn't find it. Suddenly, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor. It was the rich man's bill. He had forgotten to pay it. She ran down the stairs, out the front door and up the road, but the rich man was already far, far away.
D. Now, all around the inn there grew beautiful Japanese ginger plants. Many people say that eating buds of ginger makes a person forgetful. This gave the innkeeper an idea. "This evening for dinner I will serve ginger buds!" she thought, "Then, when the rich man leaves in the morning, he will be forgetful and leave his money belt behind!" She ran into the kitchen and started cooking the most delicious ginger buds she had ever made.
E. Once upon a time, in a beautiful mountain inn (客栈), there was a greedy (贪婪的) old innkeeper who was always thinking about money.
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Laughter is good for you and that's no joke! A good laugh helps you right away. When you laugh, happen in your body. For example, you take in more air than , which is good for your heart. A good laugh increases your heart rate. When you laugh, your brain also releases chemicals that make you feel happy. Laughing can also make you feel relaxed for to 45 minutes. Laughing is also great exercise. Research that laughing 100 times is as good as a bike for 15 minutes. So why don't you try laughing out loud every day?
My favorite novel is Little Women by Louisa May Alcot. It is the four March sisters during the American Civil War. They face challenges (brave) and pursue their dreams.
The story is full warmth and love. I learned that we should keep positive attitude (态度) in difficult (time). We don't have to be rich or to be happy a simple life can be joyful on (it) own. What's more, I was touched by the spirit of Jo, the main character. She represents women's (independent) and confidence. Women have the right to struggle for themselves.
Little Women is (education) and touching. I strongly recommend .
Opinions: 1. it's not right. 2. it's harmful (有害). 3. be against the school rule… 4.... | Suggestions: 1. explain to the teacher.. 2.ask…for help… 3. take homework seriously… 4…. |
注意：(1)邮件内容必须包括上表所有的信息，可适当增加细节；(2)词数：80—100：(3)邮件开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I often see my classmates copy others' homework in the classroom.
Yours,
Li Ming
