It was a summer evening. Alex, who lived in a suburban neighborhood, was getting ready for bed when he heard the sound of fire alarms and screams coming from the outside. He quickly realized that there was a fire in his neighborhood and that his neighbors might be in danger.

He looked outside and saw that one of his neighbors’ houses was on fire. He knew that he had to act quickly to help his neighbors. After calling 911, he ran outside and heard his neighbors’ little son crying inside their burning house. “He must be quite scared,” Alex thought.

Alex quickly assessed the situation and found that the house was almost surrounded by flames (火焰). The best way out was through the front door, but it was blocked by fire as well. He knew that he had to find another way to help the boy escape.

He ran back to his house, grabbed a ladder and then rushed toward his neighbors’ house. He placed the ladder against the second-story window and managed to help the little boy climb down to safety. Once the boy was safe on the ground, Alex climbed up into the burning house again to see if anyone else was trapped.

As he made his way through the smoke, he heard cries for help from a bedroom on the third floor. He quickly ran up the stairs and found an elderly woman who was too weak to move. Alex quickly picked her up and carried her down the stairs to safety. By this time, many firemen had arrived, and they managed to put out the flames.

Looking around, Alex saw that other houses in the neighborhood were also on fire. He realized that the fire was spreading quickly and that more people needed help. Without hesitation, Alex joined those firemen, who were working tirelessly to put out the flames. He helped elderly neighbors, families with young children, and even pets.

After hours of effort, fortunately, the fire was finally put out.

When he woke up the next morning, he found his action didn’t go unnoticed by his school.

In class, I am sitting next to Mareena. We both have a good laugh. And when we laugh, it’s not small laughs. It’s more like big hair, we twist (扭曲) in laughter on our chairs and we end up under the table so much we are folded (折叠) in two. Sometimes, too, she annoys me a bit, especially when she uses my eraser or my pink pen that writes magic words. But best friends always fight a bit, that’s normal, Mum often tells me.

One morning, I found myself alone at my table. Mareena was ill. I found the day long, but I still laughed a bit. Because when Baptiste meant to say Madagascar (马达加斯加岛), he mistakenly said Madame Gaskal.

The next day, when I saw that Mareena was still away, I asked Mum if I could go to see her at her place. I wanted to bring her homework, but also make her laugh a little, so that she would feel better. Mum made a funny face and told me it was better to wait a few days. I thought maybe Mareena had a contagious (传染性的) disease. But still, it bothered me not to see my best friend. So I asked again. This time mum sat down with me on my bed and held my hands very tight. I realized that something was wrong.

Mum explained to me that Mareena was going to have to stay in the hospital for a while, because of an illness that I didn’t understand. Well, yes, what I understood was that my best friend wasn’t going to be back to school for a long time, and that we wouldn’t be laughing like whales anytime soon because of stupid things.

I still asked to go to see Mareena once at the hospital.

Mareena eventually recovered.

We lived in a quiet street with very little traffic so my mom let my brothers and me play out in the front yard a lot. One day we were outside playing when I saw something move under a bush near our neighbor's house. It looked very strange so we went over to check it out.

It was a puppy(小狗)II sat down in the grass and clapped my hands and it came running over to me and jumped on my lap.I was so happy.I had been begging my parents for a puppy for a long time and here it was.My brothers were going crazy.

I carefully carried the puppy to our yard and yelled with excitement,"Mom,Mom,guess what I found under the bush next door?"My mom came out of the room,looked at me,looked at the puppy and then back at me. "Mom,I think it's lost;it doesn't have a collar(项圈)or any tags.   And Mom,it surely looks hungry.”

Mom got a bowl and filled it with water.Then she got some food from the refrigerator and put it in another bowl.I put the puppy down.She ran joyfully over to the bowls and started eating and drinking.I was right…she was hungry.After a full meal,she curled up into a ball and went to sleep.My brothers and I just sat on the floor and watched her contentedly,praying this   moment would last forever.

My mom said that we needed to try and find the owner of the puppy.I didn't want to do that.I wanted to keep the puppy for my own.But Mom said that the owner was probably worried about the puppy and sorry that she was gone.She asked me how I would feel if I had lost my puppy.Would I want the person who found it to try and find me?Or just keep the puppy?

"Maybe she is right,”I thought.

We tried our best to find the owner.

One day,the phone call I least wanted to receive rang.

Ever since my Dad died, my life had changed. My Mom was always really busy with her work, and she didn’t spend any time with me anymore. I had to go to a daycare every day after school, eagerly waiting for Mom’s work to be done and picking me up. It was even a luxury to stay with her on Sunday.

One day, at dinner time, I begged Mom to take me to the fair on Sunday.

“Lilly, you know I have to work that day.” Mom refused immediately.

“But we never get to spend time together anymore! Can’t you take Sunday off?” I asked.

Mom placed a plate in front of me and kissed my head. I smiled and licked my lips as she had given me a piece of cherry pie. Then I looked into my Mom’s brown eyes and asked one last time, “Can’t you take Sunday off?”

Mom raised one eyebrow, staring at me. Maybe she didn’t want to make me disappointed and agreed that she would attempt to spare some time on Sunday.

It was Sunday morning, and I ran to see if Mom was awake. She was making pancakes in the kitchen with her work clothes on. Mom felt my disappointed staring and tried to explain. She bent down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder, “Sorry, Lilly! I have to go to work today.”

Tears streamed down my face as I yelled, “You never have time for me!” And I ran into my room and slammed the door.

As I was crying on my bed I could hear Mom talk on the phone. She asked her friend Charlie to come over and watch me. Half an hour later, Charlie arrived and Mom left. I heard him knock on my bedroom door and say, “Lilly, your Mom made pancakes. Do you want to come out and have some?”

“No!” I screamed.

“Your Mom told me why you felt upset, and she left a note for you.” Charlie muffled.

Hearing Charlie’s words, I jumped off my bed and opened the door.

Finally, the familiar sound of the car engine announced Mom’s returning.

Karl was Fred’s son. When his son was little, Fred’s wife passed away, so a mountainous responsibility landed on Fred’s shoulders. Fred was fond of and cared about his son so much that he raised his son with all his heart and soul. He taught him to walk, talk, read and write. He also taught him how to be a true and moral man. When Karl came home with an injury due to falling off his bike or something else, it would hurt Fred’s heart more than it would hurt the boy. Whenever Karl went down with a fever, Fred would sit beside him day and night, barely sleeping a wink (合眼). He always supported Karl in every aspect. Gradually, Karl grew up to become an adult.

How deeply Fred loved his son! However, Fred was unprepared for the day when his beloved son Karl told him he would leave and start his own business in a new city.

“But, Karl, you are too young to start a business,” Fred warned his son. “You still have a long way to go. I think you can help me manage the cafe my grandma left to me first. This way, I’d be able to teach you more about business.” But Karl was stubborn and wouldn’t follow Fred’s advice. “Dad, I am not a kid anymore, so allow me to determine my life. OK?” said Karl. One week later, Karl packed his things and left for the new city, leaving the sad and worried father behind.

Three months passed. One night, Fred got a call from his son. It was strange because Karl seldom called him up after he left for the new city. “Dad, I should have followed your suggestions and stayed at home. I went bankrupt (破产的) and I am in debt now,” Karl said. “I knew this would happen someday,” Fred painfully thought. He planned to help his son and made one of his most difficult choices. “Don’t worry, my son. Luckily, you will succeed to (继承) a huge amount of money from your uncle, soon,” Fred told Karl.

“Oh, I am so fortunate,” said Kurl.   

On his way back home, Kar l was wondering how his father was.