Life at Cambridge was exciting for Charles. Then bug (虫子)-collecting was a ______ activity among the students there. They would spend a lot of time looking for insects and hold competitions to see who could find the most ______ bugs! Bug-mad Charles soon became one of these “collectors”.

______, while looking for bugs, Charles found a dead tree—a great place to look for new insects! He pulled away some of its bark (树皮) and found a very beautiful bug, which he caught with one hand. He then found ______, and caught it in his other hand. That was ______ he saw a very unusual bug running around.

Thinking quickly, he put one of the insects he was holding into his ______ so he could catch the new one. In a second, he realized he had made a big ______—the bug in his mouth let out some sour juice that made him spit (吐) it out. In a cough, he ______ all three bugs and had to start looking all over again! He couldn’t help but ______ at what had happened: how amazing! It also gave him a great idea: why not ______ a club where he and his friends could taste other unusual things?

Charles set up the Glutton Club to share his interest in ______ strange creatures. The members would serve different insects and then compare their tastes to see which tasted best.

The boy who loved bugs never lost his interest in ______ the secrets of nature. He would go on to have many exciting adventures (冒险) and discover many amazing things.

You might not have guessed that the boy in this story is Charles Darwin.

There are many idioms or sayings in English that we use when we want to describe relationships between and among friends. Here are a few to practice with your friends.

The idiom “through thick and thin” is used to describe a friend who is loyal and supportive during bad times as well as good times. It most often describes a friendship that has been strong for a long time. Here are two examples: John and Lisa have been friends through thick and thin. My best friend and I stayed together through thick and thin.

If two people are “like two peas (豌豆) in a pod”, it means that they get along very well. They are two very good friends and they are very similar to each other. I have never seen Lola and Camille argue; they are like two peas in a pod.

Some friends are especially sympathetic and easy to talk to. They are not judgmental or impatient. They are good at sharing our pain, which helps reduce our pain. A friend like this is often called “a shoulder to cry on”. We can go to this person with a problem or sadness and this person can bring comfort to us.

“Hit it off” with someone means falling in love with someone quickly or getting along with someone. This usually happens the first time two people are meeting. They often share interests, goals and beliefs. This can happen between friends who like each other at first sight. Carmen and Isabel hit it off at the party and are going to a movie together today. Mike and I did not hit it off on our first date, but we are going to try once more.