— I think it is colorful, _________ I am always busy.

— Sorry, sir. I ________ about the passing away of the great man Yuan Longping.

Gareth Ellis, 13, is the youngest son of Alan, an engineer, and Kath, a teacher. His older brothers work in banking and computers, but Gareth's dream was always to become a clown（小丑）.Three years ago, Alan, Kath and Gareth joined the circus（马戏团）, "People laugh when we tell them" says Kath. "But it's true, Gareth has wanted to be a clown since we took him to the circus when he was three."

When Alan lost his job, he and Kath decided to see if they could find full-time circus jobs. They both got jobs with a famous circus and Gareth began training to become a clown. He calls himself Bippo. They travel with the circus during the summer and return home for the winter. Gareth's brothers are old enough to look after the house while they are away.

"I can't say it was easy," says Kath. "There was a lot to think about and organize. We only had a car and a very small caravan（拖车）to sleep in, and we were leaving behind our lovely house. The only thing Gareth missed was his long, hot baths."

"People ask about my education," says Gareth, "but from the beginning, wherever we go, someone has always come to teach me. I follow the same books as everyone back at school and I've got a computer. I`ve never fallen behind my classmates."

And the future? "It was a difficult decision," says Kath, "but there was no other way to teach Gareth about being a clown. I'm happy to say it's working, and we`re enjoying it." And Gareth? "I'm going to be the main clown in a circus one day, he says, perhaps Bippo's circus."

A: What are you doing?

B:

A: I have read it before. What do you think of the story?

B: Yu Gong found a good way to solve his problem.

A: Really? It seems impossible to move a mountain.

B: But the story is trying to show us that anything is possible if you work hard. Yu Gong kept trying and didn't give up.

A: I think we should try to find other ways to solve a problem.

B: But what could Yu Gong do except (除了) moving the mountains.

A: He could build a road.

B: We have different opinions about the story. There are many sides to a story and many ways to understand it.

A: Yes, that's fine.

If you like reading fairy tales(童话故事), don't miss the book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane(《爱德华的奇妙之旅》). It's a famous story by an American writer Kate DiCamillo in 2006.

People, the young and the old, love this book. And it's so popular that it's one of the "Top 100 Books for Children" in the US.

The story is about a journey of a china rabbit called Edward. He lives with his ten-year-old owner named Abilene. Abilene loves him very much but Edward doesn't love her. During a holiday on a ship, Edward is lost. After spending 297 days in the sea, he reaches a beach and a man takes him home. Then Edward travels from one place to another, meeting many people. His name keeps changing, such as Susie and Maloney. Soon he begins to miss Abilene and wait for her. One day Edward falls into pieces. Someone repairs(修理)it and sells it in the market. Many years later, Abilene and her daughter come to the market and take Edward home. Finally, Edward is with his owner again.

There are many pictures in the book, so we can follow Edward's journey easily.

You can learn that Edward learns to love and never stops waiting for Abilene. This is why they meet each other at the end of the story. The warm and sweet story will make you know more about love.

Once upon a time, there was a wild donkey(驴) and a tame(驯养的) donkey.

The wild donkey was thin and small. He1 his life outdoors. The grass on the hill was his food all the year round. Sometimes, he had to walk miles to find fresh water 2 at night there was always danger from wolves. The tame donkey was 3 and strong. During summer he ate the rich grass while in winter he had corn and hay (干草)to eat. There was always fresh water for him to drink and at night he stayed safely in 4 stable (马厩).

The wild donkey always wished he5 live like the tame donkey.

One day, the wild donkey 6 food on the hill. Looking down, he saw the tame donkey 7 slowly along the road, carrying a heavy load of wood. As he watched, the tame donkey stopped 8some grass by the roadside. Suddenly, his owner began to beat him 9 a stick.

"I've changed my mind about your way of life, " thought the wild donkey. "I see that you have to pay 10 for the food they give you. "

A long time ago, there was an emperor(国王). He had a beautiful1. In the garden, there was a little nightingale(夜莺) singing very beautifully.

One day, the emperor heard about this little bird's beautiful2. He asked his guards to bring her to him. When the emperor heard the nightingale's voice, he said, "Put her in a golden 3, so she can stay and sing for me whenever I want to hear her. "

The little bird was so unhappy about being kept in the cage that she stopped4one day. The emperor was very angry. He ordered the scientists in his palace to make a robot bird for him. The bird could sing very beautifully, 5. The emperor was pleased.

Soon the robot bird became old. It no longer sang beautiful songs. Just at that time, the emperor was ill and he became very weak. One morning, while6in bed, the emperor wanted it to sing once7. But the robot bird8sing any more. Suddenly, the nightingale landed on the window. She began to sing her most beautiful song. The emperor was very happy! He became9each day.

After the emperor was well, he changed a lot and became 10 to his people. From then on, all his people cherished(爱戴) him for his love and kindness.

One day, a poor man was cutting a big piece of wood near a river. Suddenly his old axe(斧子) fell into the water. He felt very sad because he lost his only axe. Then all at once a beautiful fairy(仙女) came out and asked the man what was the matter.

"I have lost my axe," he said. "It fell into the water when I was cutting the wood. " The fairy showed him a gold(金) axe and asked, "Is this yours?"

"No," said the man.

The fairy then showed him a silver(银) axe and asked again, "Is this yours?" "No," again answered the man.

Then she showed him the old axe.

"Yes, that is mine," called out the happy man.

"I know it well enough," said the fairy, "I only wanted to see if you would tell me the truth, and now I'll give you the gold axe and the silver axe besides your own one. "