Elena jogged with her dad in some empty lots(空地)at the edge of town. These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish.

    One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, "New City Park. " Elena was excited.

Maybe the park would have a jogging trail(小路)！Elena told her parents about the sign.

    "I read about the park in the newspaper, "said Elena's father. " The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. "

    "Will they build a jogging trail? "Elena asked.

    " No, the paper didn't mention a jogging trail. "

    "Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they'll put in a jogging trail, "said Elena.

    On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking rubbish. Some were moving rocks. "I want to volunteer, "Elena told a man, "What can I do? "

    "This is not a job for children, "said the man. " You'd better go home. "

    Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish. She could move rocks. A lady was pulling a bag of rubbish. Elena saw a box of rubbish bags. She took an empty bag. " I'll take this bag to the Dumpster, "said Elena, "Here's a new bag. "

    "Thanks, "said the lady. " Keep those new bags coming. "

    Elena dragged rubbish bags. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail.

    Elena went to the area every week. Soon everyone knew her and she told everyone how wonderful a jogging trail would be.

    Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field and the baseball diamond. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. There was no sign of a jogging trail.

    The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor said, "A jogging trail won't be hard to build. Let's do it！"Everyone clapped and cheered. Elena cheered loudest of all.

    I was in a hurry as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn't be late for! A PhD student without a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers.

    I found myself at a checkout counter 1 an elderly woman who was going to pay for her groceries. The woman stopped emptying her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile-warm and comforting-and I smiled back.

    "It must be a special lady to get those beautiful flowers," she said.

    "Yes, she's special," I said, and then to my surprise, the words kept 2 

    "It's only our second date to meet, but somehow I am just having the feeling she's the one'. " Jokingly, I added, "The only problem is that I can't figure out 3 she'd want to date a guy like me. "

    "Well, I think she's very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is clearly in love with her," the woman said, " My husband used to bring me flowers every week-even when times were 4 and we didn't have much money. Those were unforgettable days; he was very romantic and-of course-I miss him since he's passed away,"

    I paid for my flowers as she was5her groceries. Almost immediately, I walked up to her and said," You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady. " I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice talk.

    It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just bought. " You have a wonderful evening," I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart6as I saw her smelling at the beautiful flowers.

    I was a it late for my date that night and told my girlfriend the above story. She smiled. Two years later she told me it was that night that I won her heart.

    Mr Brown was at the theatre. He had got his ticket at the moment, so he had not been able to choose tis seat. He now found that he was in the middle of a group of American ladies, some of them middle-aged and some of them quite old. They clearly all knew each other well, as before the curtain went up on the play they bad come to see, they all talked and joked a lot together.

    The lady sitting on Mr Brown's left, who was about sixty years old, seemed to be the happiest and the most amusing of the American group, and after the first act(幕)of the play, she apologized to him for the noisiness of her friends. He answered that he was very glad to see American ladies so obviously enjoying their visit to England, and so they had a friendly talk. Mr Brown's neighbour explained what they were doing there.

    "You know, I have known these ladies all my life, "she said. " We all grew up together back in our hometown in the United States. They have all lost their husbands, and call themselves the Merry Widows(寡妇). It is a sort of club, you know. They go abroad every summer for a month or two and have a lot of fun. They always go everywhere together. I have wanted to join their club for a long time, but I didn't qualify(具备……的资格)for membership until the spring of this year. "

    A few years after World War Ⅱ finished, scientists spoke with great eagerness about the use of nuclear power as a source of energy. Within twenty years, they said, nuclear would take the place of coal, gas and oil as a source of power at home and in industry. This promise has never been carried out(兑现)and there are serious doubts that it ever will be. Nuclear power plants are used to produce energy in some wealthier countries, but the cost is high.

    Although safety measures have been taken, radiation leaks have taken place and workers have been killed or affected. The problem of getting rid of the nuclear waste has proved most difficult. There is a limit to the amount of waste materials which can be buried in the ground or poured on the sea-bed. These methods may also cause more problems. Waste materials polluted by radiation may remain dangerous for 200 years or more.

    It is no surprise that scientists have now turned to the sun and the sea as sources of power. The sun shines day after day almost wastefully, providing us with energy far be yond all our needs.

    "I can't believe this is happening. " I thought as I saw Jane walk into the restaurant. She hadn't changed at all. She was still tall and beautiful, with wavy blonde hair and bright green eyes. I smiled and thought of how my life had changed since we had last met.

    It all started when I noticed her at a party in a friend's house. I followed her to the dining room and started talking to her about the food. "You seem very interested in food, " she laughed. "Well. I'm a great cook, "I told her. It was a lie, but I had to find an excuse to see her again. "Why don't I cook you dinner sometime? "

    Two days later, Jane came to my house. However, the dinner party was very embarrassing(尴尬的). I ordered food from a nearby restaurant, but I told her that I had cooked it. After dinner, she offered to wash up and found the delivery boxes in the kitchen. She laughed at me and I felt awful. Angry with myself, I decided then and there to learn how to cook.

    I never saw Jane after our terrible dinner date. I started a cookery course and found that I was good at it after all. I went on to train to be a great cook. I worked hard and saved up until I was able to open my own restaurant.

    Now. she had walked into my restaurant. Feeling very happy, I pretended I was a waiter and walked to her table. "Ready to order, madam? "I asked.

    After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.

    During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉营养不良). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.

    I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, "Why me? "He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, "You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you. "

    Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before: Dear Dick,

    My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don't have tong to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can. I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will newer get to do that. But I know I'm a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show, it to you. Thank you for loving me.

Your friend,

Matthew

    For several years, Americans have enjoyed teleshopping, watching TV and buying things by phone. Now, teleshopping is starting in Europe. In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop for clothes, food, toys and many other things.

    Teleshopping is becoming p  in Sweden. For example, the biggest Swedish company sells different kinds of things on TV in fifteen European countries, and in one year, I makes $ 10 million. In France, there are two teleshopping channels, and the French' spend $20 milion a year to buy things t  those channels. In Germany, until last year teleshopping was only possible on one channel for one hour every day. Then the government allowed more teleshopping. Other channels can open for telebusiness, i  the largest American company and a 24 hour teleshopping company. (German businessmen are hoping these will help them sell more things.

    Some people like teleshopping b  it allows them to do their shopping without going out. With all the traffic p  in the cities, going shopping is not an easy thing. But at the time, other Europeans don't like this new way of buying things. They call teleshopping "junk" on the air. Many Europeans y  worry about the quality of the things for sale on TV. They think high quality is the most important thing, and they don't believe they can be sure about the quality of the things on TV.

    The need for high quality m  that European teleshopping companies will have to be different from the American companies. They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell. They will also have to work harder to sell things.

My Hobby

My Views on the Housework

①去旅游，亲近大自然；②参加娱乐活动，比如: 听音乐、看电影…；③进行体育锻炼；④你的建议。

How to Relax Ourselves After the Exams

    It is necessary to relax ourselves after the exams. …