In my free time, I always stay at home. I do lots of activities such as reading books, watching movies and listening to music. I am interested in yoga (瑜伽), and never forget to practice it from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day. I think it is a relaxing sport for girls.

—Jenny, 25 years old

I like running very much. Running may be the easiest way of exercising. I began to run when I was ten years old. At that time, I was short, and was not thin at all. That always made me unhappy. Running helps me keep healthy and thin. Last year, I even joined in a marathon (马拉松赛跑) and became the 5th person to pass the finish line.

— Larry, 20 years old

When speaking of climbing, you may always think of strong boys in their twenties, but I’m different. I started climbing three years ago. At first, it was pretty difficult for me. After half a year, I was able to catch up with others. Now I am fond of climbing and good at it. I believe that as long as you try your best, you can do anything you like.

— Mr Black, 55 years old

Caroline lived in the forest. In the forest, there were fairies (仙子), old trees with arms, and talking animals. Everything was with magic in the forest, and Caroline was always happy there. Caroline’s family lived in a tree house in this forest.

One day, Caroline went for a walk with her family and they saw a big stone castle (城堡). There were many high trees around the castle! Her mother walked to the castle gates and knocked at the door. When she did that, the gates opened and they saw a beautiful rose garden. On the other side of the rose garden, they could see the colorful windows and big doors to the castle.

Caroline and her brother followed her parents to the castle doors. When they arrived at the door, it opened and they saw a royal corridor (皇家走廊). A beautiful queen (王后) in a room greeted them. After they talked about the forest and how they got to the castle, the queen asked them to stay for dinner. The cooks prepared a delicious dinner for them, and Caroline liked desserts and cakes. She liked the chocolates, too.

After dinner, Caroline and her family said farewell and began going home. Caroline was so excited and she wanted to go there again some day.

Marian Anderson was a very famous African-American singer. She was the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera (大都会歌剧院) in New York City.

Anderson was born in Philadelphia in 1897. She sang in the local church choir (合唱团) while growing up. People in the church couldn’t believe their ears. How Anderson could sing so well! In 1920, the church helped to collect money for her to study with a famous voice teacher.

In 1925, Anderson’s voice teacher made her take part in a competition (比赛) to sing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Anderson won. A few years later, her career (事业) kept on developing. She got the chance to travel to Europe for free. When she traveled to Europe, she became very popular. Starting in 1934, she performed in many cities in the United States. She even performed at the White House.

Because of the color of her skin, Anderson’s career wasn’t always easy. People didn’t agree to let her sing in several places, but Anderson never stopped singing.

Anderson was good at singing and she worked hard. She once became a representative (代表) for the United Nations and went to receive the United Nations Peace Prize in 1977. In 1991, Anderson got the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1993, Anderson passed away at the age of 96.