A little bear is called Harry. He doesn’t like brushing ________. Every day his mother says to him, “Harry, it’s time ________ you to brush your teeth and go to bed.” “I know, Mom.” says Harry unhappily. He goes to the ________ and turns on the tap (龙头). He keeps water running. His mother thinks he is brushing his teeth.

“Too many teeth! How can I brush all these teeth?” Harry feels ________. “Maybe I can do it tomorrow morning. It is too bad to brush teeth every day.” He looks at his ________ teeth and thinks, “I don’t want to brush my teeth today. I can brush them twice tomorrow. That will be OK.”

But the next day, he doesn’t brush his teeth. He always thinks he can do it tomorrow. One morning, when he gets ________, he finds all of his teeth have gone missing. He cries, “My teeth! My teeth!” His mother comes into his bedroom and says, “What’s ________?” “I don’t have any teeth now, Mom! I ________ to brush my teeth every day.” He cries again and again. His mother takes him to see the ________. The doctor says, “Oh, little bear! I am sorry to say you can’t eat any food now. There aren’t any teeth in your mouth.”

The little bear cries and cries ________. Suddenly he wakes up, “Oh, thank goodness! It is a dream. A terrible dream.” He gets up at once and goes to brush his teeth. He tells himself to brush his teeth every day.

Here are some ads from a newspaper. Please read them and then do the exercises below.

The cowboy is the hero of many movies. He is, even today, a symbol of courage and adventure. But what is the life of the cowboy really like?

The cowboy’s job is clear from the word cowboy. Cowboys are men who take care of the cows and other cattle (牛). The cattle are in the West and in Texas. People in the cities of the East want beef from these cattle. Trains could take the cattle east. But first the cattle have to get to the train. Part of the cowboy’s job is to take the cattle hundreds of miles to the railroad towns.

The trips are called “cattle drives”. A cattle drive usually takes several months. Cowboys ride for sixteen hours a day. Because they ride so much, each cowboy bring along about eight horses. A cowboy change horses several times each day.

Cowboys have to make sure that the cattle arrive safely. Before starting on a drive, they brand the cattle. They burn a mark (记号) on the cattle to show who they belong to (属于). But these marks don’t stop thieves. Cowboys have to protect the cattle from thieves. Thieves make the dangerous trip even more dangerous.

Although their work is very difficult and dangerous, cowboys do not earn much money they are paid badly. But cowboys like their job. They live in the wild and open country. They live a life of adventure and freedom.

Can you believe it’s already the fourth month of the year? April!     36    

    37    . Now the capital city of Italy, it was the capital of a large empire (帝国) thousands of years ago. Romans called the month “Aprilis”. It was the second month on the oldest ancient Roman calendar, and later became the fourth month.

    38    . Some people say it comes from the word “Aperire” in the Latin language—the main language of the Romans. It means “to open”, so it could refer to (指) the opening or blossoming of flowers in the springtime.     39    , the Greek goddess (女神) of love.

Today, April is a popular girl’s name.     40