Who Is Cleverer, the Son or the Father?

Mr Clarke works in a middle school. He likes reading and often _________ some books from the library. He enjoys _________ to the radio every morning and reading _________ after supper. So he knows much and teaches well. His _________ worship(崇拜) him very much. Mike, Mr Clarke’s little son, is only nine. He _________ likes reading books. And he often asks his father some questions. Mr Clarke always thinks he’s too _________ to understand him and chooses(挑选) the easiest ones _________. Of course the boy is not happy with it.

One day Mike reads _________ about the electric lights(电灯) and is _________ in it. When his father tells him to do some housework, he is thinking of it. He asks him __________ questions, and his father answers all. Then his father says proudly(自豪地), “Fathers always know more than sons!” The boy thinks __________ a while(一会儿) and says, “ __________ !”

“Oh? Why?”

Mike doesn’t answer __________ asks instead(反而), “Who invents(发明) the electric lights?”

“__________” answers Mr Clarke.

“Why doesn’t his father invent them, then?”

Looking at his son, Mr Clarke doesn’t know __________ to answer!

Happy Middle School is a bilingual (双语) school for children of 6—15. If you want to find a job, join us!

Where do you like to live? For this question, different people have different answers. Some people like to live in a city because there are many shops and supermarkets. They think it is convenient（方便的）to buy things. But some people think it is good to live in a quiet town because they don't like the dirty air in the big city. They dislike pollution in the city.

Today, some people like travelling, so they would like to buy house cars. House car is both a house and a car. You can't buy it with a little money. There is a driving area in the car. You can do lots of things in the car. There is a bed and a lamp in the bedroom. You can make dinner in the kitchen You can also find a fridge and a sink in it. You can listen to music and watch TV in the sitting room. If you are tired, you can have a shower or a bath in the bathroom. You can do most things you want to do. Life is travelling. Do you want to live in this kind of car?

Very soon after Roberta wrote to the old gentleman, the three children were walking through the tunnel(隧道) when they heard a cry. The children ran deeper into the tunnel and they came to a boy called Jim. He was lying on the ground and he was injured.

“The 11:15 train is due soon,” Peter said. “We must get you out of here.”

“I’ve been here for two hours,” Jim said. “I was on my way to the station to catch the train. It’s quicker through the tunnel than along the road.”

“It’s also more dangerous,” Roberta said.

The children took the boy home and also sent for the doctor. They wrote to his grandfather. To their surprise, Jim’s grandfather was just the old gentleman. The old gentleman knew some important people in the government, and he also knew children’s father. He thought their father was innocent（无罪的）. “It’s impossible that a guilty（有罪的）man could have such wonderful children,” he said. He promised Father would soon be free.

Two weeks later, the old gentleman helped to get Father out of prison. The family was all together again.

The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the "Happy Birthday" song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.

In China, on a child's second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what profession the child will choose later in life.

For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At this age, there is a special celebration Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). The priest (僧侣) gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home.

In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony (仪式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.

Eighteen is the traditional 'coming of age'- the age when (in many countries) you have the right to vote(选举), join the army and (in Britain) drink alcohol or buy a house.

In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to!

Bill Gates’ House

Bill Gates has a nice house on a hill by Lake Washington. Inside the house, there are seven bedrooms, twenty-four bathrooms, six kitchens and six fireplaces. It even has a theatre, a library, an exercise room and a swimming pool. You can say the house is very big. However, it doesn’t look so big from outside, because a large part of it is in the hill.

The house is famous for many reasons. One reason is its large size, and another is its amazing electronic systems. Before a visitor goes into the house, he/she gets a chip(芯片) at the gate. The chip sends information about the visitor to the electronic systems in the house. When the visitor goes into the house, lights turn on automatically(自动地). When the visitor goes into a room, the temperature will change to make the visitor comfortable. When the visitor goes from one room to another, he/she can hear music all the way because there are many speakers under the wallpaper.

In 2006, the value of the house and the land was $125 million. Bill Gates has to pay a tax(税) of $991,000 for the house every year.

The next n    81     Peter and the Lost boys fly with Wendy, John and Michael go back to the house of Mr and Mrs Darling. But Peter wants to play a trick on Wendy so he and Tink arrive b    82     the others.

“Quick, Tink,” Peter whispers. “C    83     the window! That’s right. Now Wendy can’t come in . She must come b    84     to Neverland with me.”

Mrs Darling is playing the p    85     in the nursery. She is playing a s    86     song. Peter looks through the door. Then Mrs Darling stops and Peter sees two big tears (眼泪) in her eyes.

“She loves Wendy,” he thinks. “But I love Wendy, too. We can’t b    87     have her.” And he feels angry.

He looks at Mrs Darling a    88    . The tears are still there.

“Oh, all right,” He says at last and he opens the w    89    . “Come on, Tink!” He cries. “We don’t need a mother.” And they f    90     out into the night.

96. 俗话说“远亲不如近邻”，请根据以下提示，用英语写一篇短文介绍你的邻居。