John was a farmer. He mostly ______ on the farm, but sometimes he went to the town market to sell fruit and vegetables. One day, a terrible sound attracted (吸引) him in the town market. He saw ______ old cow for sale. The cow was white and black. It was looking at John in fear. John walked up ______ touched its head gently. Just at that time, they both seemed to (似乎) know each other for a 1ong time. How ______ it was! John bought it at once and called it Bema.

From then on, John and Bema got on well with each other. But some friends told him that it was dangerous ______ such a close relationship (关系) with an animal. They thought John ______ give up the cow.

One afternoon, John was walking through the forest ______ Bema. Suddenly Bema stopped ______ and kept pushing John. John was very surprised and looked around. There ______ a big snake in front of him. It was beautiful but poisonous (有毒的). Quickly Bema stepped on the snake’s tail and at the same time, John hit the snake’s head heavily. Soon the snake died.

John was very thankful for Bema’s help. If Bema didn’t stop John, the snake might kill him. For John, Bema was not a cow but a member of ______ family.

The Flight (飞行) of Love

David had never been on a plane because he was afraid of ________, and he had no plans of changing this.

One day, his father told him his mom was dying. Hearing the sad news, he hugged his father and ________.

“Is there anything I can do to make her better?” David asked.

Then his father told him about his mother’s last ________. His mother hoped to have a vacation in Hawaii for fresh air.

“I’ll pay for the ________ and buy the tickets now,” David said.

“Thank you, son. But your mother wants you to go together,” his father said.

“Sorry, Dad. I’d love to, but I can’t get on a plane.”

His father said nothing and left.

Seeing his father leaving didn’t trouble him that much, but the dream he had that night really did.

In his dream, his mom closed the door and left ________ after hearing he could not make the trip together with them.

When he woke up, he thought about how his mother was always there for him. She always tried her best to ________ him at every special time in his life.

Now it was his turn to be there for her, so he drove to the hospital and rushed to his mother’s room. Without ________, he told his mother he was ready to take a plane and stay with her during the vacation.

His mother smiled and asked, “What made you change your mind, son? Your father told me you weren’t coming with us.”

David told his mother about the ________. He also told her giving up his fear of flying was the only thing he could do for her.

Shortly after the family vacation, David’s mother passed away. While he was heart-broken, he was glad he got on that ________ for his mother. It was ________ that made him get over (克服) the fear of flying.

Mr. Black works in a hospital. He is a good doctor, but he often forgets things.

One morning he did an operation(手术) on an old woman. It took him three hours to finish it. He looked at his watch and found it was twelve thirty. He felt hungry and wanted to have lunch.

When he got to the lift(电梯), he remembered he didn’t wash his hands. He went back to his office and put his coat on the chair. Then he washed his hands and left. However, when he arrived in the restaurant, he found he forgot to wear his coat. All his money was in one of the pockets. He went back to the hospital quickly. He ran to the lift but it was going to close. He put his head into it, and the doors opened. A man in the lift said, “Oh, dear, sir! Why didn’t you make the doors open with your hands? It was too dangerous to do so with your head!”

“I think my hands are more important than my head. I have to do operations with my hands, not with my head!”

Trees are one of the oldest living things on our Earth. The Hundred Horse Chestnut, known as the oldest tree in the world, has lived for more than 2,000 years. It takes a very long time for trees to grow, and trees change a lot when they grow.

At 1 to 3 years old, young trees learn how to protect themselves. For example, many trees grow thorns (刺) to tell animals not to go near. Most young trees have large, deep green leaves so that they can catch enough sunlight and turn it into their food and energy.

When trees are 4 years old, they take in a large amount of water and nutrients to grow taller and stronger. At this time, they grow very fast and become strong enough to face challenges in life such as drought, flood and strong wind.

At the age of 15, trees grow more slowly and begin to produce flowers and fruits. When the trees produce flowers for the first time, their childhood end and they become young adults (成年). When trees are 20 to 25 years old, they become real adults. The trees reach their largest sizes. Adult trees give us many things such as oxygen and natural beauty. Trees can also affect our minds. Studies show that more green leaves in our lives can reduce pressure (压力). If we give them good care, they’ll live healthily for many years.

As time goes on, trees begin to grow older and older and even die. At this time, they still have their important place in nature. Enjoy every minute with the trees and take care of them!

Do you like doing after-school activities? Here are some great clubs for you.