1 . Ten years ago, I set out to study luck. I wanted to know why some people are always in the right place at the right time, while others always experience ill luck.

Many people volunteered for my research. Over the years I interviewed them, watched their lives and had them take part in my experiments.

I carried out a simple experiment to discover why there were differences in their ability to spot (发现) opportunities. I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photos were inside.

I had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying, “Tell the researcher you have seen this and win $50.” This message took up half of the page and was more than two inches high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but unlucky people tended to (倾向) miss it and lucky people tended to spot it.

Unlucky people are just more nervous than lucky people. They are busy looking only for what they need and this stops them from noticing the unexpected. As a result, they miss out on opportunities.

Lucky people tend to be more relaxed and open. They can see everything that is in front of them, rather than just what they are looking for.

My research shows that lucky people live by several principles (原则). Here are some of these principles: Listen to your gut instincts (直觉)—they are often right. Be open to new experiences and break your normal thought patterns. Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well. See yourself being lucky before an important meeting or phone call.

2 . Just now Dad decided that we should all go on a camping trip. He read an article in the newspaper about camping and how it “brings families together in nature”.

“Not as good as you think,” I joked. But Dad disagreed with me. “Let’s go next weekend,” Dad said. “This will probably not go off completely as planned,” my little brother, Paul, said. I laughed and replied, “But it will surely be fun.”

I started to think back. Once Dad decided we should all learn to canoe (划独木舟). We borrowed two canoes from our friends and drove to a lake. Alone in the middle of the lake, we found that we forgot to take the paddles (桨). Hours later, we all jumped in the lake and pushed the canoes back. It was a fantastic trip.

Another time, Dad decided we should all learn to ski. All of us hated the cold so we spent the weekend around the fire in the hotel, drinking hot cocoa and playing board games (棋类游戏). It was great.

When I stopped daydreaming, Mom said, “Sweetheart, we don’t have a tent.” “We don’t need one!” Dad said happily. “We’ll take all the seats out of the car.”

Oh! I don’t know what will happen next weekend, but I am sure we will have a good time.

3 .

7 . Sometimes we may forget something easily. Don’t worry. Here is some advice to help improve your memory.

My first advice is to review what you learned often. After you learn something, you need to review it right away, then two days later, then a week later, then two weeks later, and then a month later. After a month, you will find that you can remember it easily.

My second advice is to mark the important parts of your book. It will help you focus on the most important parts. It is always easier to remember only the key points. Also, this will make reviewing easier. When you open your book, the colored parts will show you the most important parts at once, and you needn’t read every word again.

Another piece of advice is to review at a proper time. One good time is in the evening. Review what you have learned before going to bed. It will be kept in your mind deeply. Another good time is in the morning because you have just rested and your brain is fresh and clear. So it’s easy to remember the important information in the morning.

Remember all the advice above, and your memory will be better and better.

8 . Three children are talking about their past and now.

9 .

I am Tom from Canada and reading is my favorite. I can read both French and English books. The Mysterious Stranger(神秘陌生人) is one of the most exciting books I have ever read. It is very funny and it will make you laugh out loud.

The story happens in New York, America and it’s all about a man called Harry who meets a stranger one day while eating his lunch in a park. The stranger Mervin changes Harry’s life forever successfully. I won’t tell you how—you will have to read the story yourself to find out. Mervin has special magic (魔法), but he uses the magic only when Harry gets into trouble which he often does.

It’s not difficult to read the book. It moves at a fast pace (节奏) and lots of things happen on every page so you won’t get bored reading it. Though you might get a bit tired of Harry as he seems to never learn his lesson and keeps on making the same mistakes. I won’t tell the ending for you, but if you enjoy a good mystery and a good laugh, you will completely enjoy this book.

Mr. First has written two other books called The Lonely Child and Whispering Mountain. But I think this book is his best. I highly recommend (推荐) Mysterious Stranger to you!