A Strange Present
One day, when I was 14, my uncle sent me a pink T-shirt from ST. Louis, Missouri as my birthday present. On a beautiful Sunday morning, I wore this pink T-shirt and walked gently to the market. On the way, some boys whistled at me. I became very nervous, so I walked faster and more properly with more decorum, but more and more boys whistled at me later. Therefore, I couldn’t help but become more agitated. Suddenly, I turned back and run to my home. I asked my mother, “Why did the boys whistled at me?”My mother looked at my T-shirt with a smile and said nothing. Then I turned to my father. “Why did the boys whistle at me?”My father looked at my beautiful new T-shirt and then laughingly asked, “Are you lonely?”Suddenly, I realized why the boys were whistling at me. The message on my pink T-shirt was“I am lonely”.
[注释]：
whistle: a small wind instrument for making whistling sounds by means of the breath 口哨properly: characterized by appropriateness or suitability; fitting 恰当的
decorum: the conventions of polite behavior 礼貌
agitated: 激动的，表现不安的
Vacations in Space
Want a ride in a spaceship? It will cost you about 20 million US dollars. At least that’s what Dennis Tito recently paid for a trip to the International Space Station. Wh at if you aren’t rich, but still want to travel in space? Don’t worry. Research supported by NASA might make your dream come true. Scientists are refining a process that, if successful, will enable rockets to take off from the back of an airplane. If people do end up taking vacations in space, don’t worry about finding somewhere to stay. Businessmen like British Richard Branson are already thinking about building hotels out there.
[注释]：
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (美国)
国家航空航天局；美国航天及太空总署
end up: 结束；告终
Keeping Pleasant
In these grim times, weighed down with tension and pressure from the realities of life, many people have lost their sense of humor. They tend to keep a straight face all day long and fail to keep life in perspective. They forget how to smile and finally become physical and mental wrecks. They regard life as a burden, and tend to look on the dark side of things.
Well goes a saying, “Laugh, and grow fat.” Laughter releases tension,
and smiling helps create a pleasant social atmosphere. And, thus, in a way, a sense of humor is an elixir that helps cure mental diseases. Some patients even improve their physical and mental health by reading humorous stories or watching funny movies. This proves that a sense of humor helps us look at the world in a true and healthy light and makes our life worth living.
[注释]：
grim: rigid 无情的，严酷的
tension: uneasy suspense 紧张(状态)，不安
perspective: subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view 观点，评价；in dim bimbo 又笨又坏的女人
The Man I Respect Most
My father is the man I respect most. Stern as he may be, he never fails to show his care and consideration. Once I broke a neighbor’s window. Seeing nobody around, I ran away immediately. When Dad came home, he noticed my uneasiness and asked me what had happened.
I could only tell him the truth. Rather than scold me, he praised my honesty and then encouraged me to apologize to our neighbor. I learned from this episode that not only does Dad take care of our health but he also teaches us how to be good citizens. How lucky I am to have such a
