My friend Abs went to a new school two years ago. We live near each other and play in the local football team, so we are still friends. Then he started playing rugby and cricket and lost interest in football. We still like each other, but we don’t see much of each other. All my new friends like football—unlike Abs, he seems to be doing rugby and homework all the time. We are good, but can we be friends like before?

                                                                                                                          Tom

Sometime it is sad when best friends go different ways. So when something changes in your life like this and everything goes well, you should be happy: you managed to deal with it! There is no need to think about your worries and neglect your happiness.

Everyone goes through changes as they get older, and you should be happy that the choices you have made are right for you. It is good to hear that you and Abs are still able to spend some time together and accept each other as you are, even though you now have new friends with the same interests.

Friendships change as we get older. It is wrong to think we’ll keep the same sets of friends throughout our lives. Don’t stop seeing Abs, but don’t try to force a friendship that seems to be fading when you don’t really have much in common anymore.

(本文选自《初中英语读本》8B)

PQ Hospital is an institution for the insane (精神病的) . There is always something happening.

“Doctor, I have a running nose. I think I have a cold,” said a patient called Jackson. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you some medicine, ” replied the doctor. “No, I’d like a cigarette (烟卷) instead.”

The next morning the head of the hospital announced (宣布) , “A leader will come to learn about your health. If any of you says ‘I have a cold, a headache, a stomachache or a fever … ’ , all of you will have nothing for lunch.” Soon the leader came. He began to speak, “I’m glad to see you all are fine. Someone says you’re insane but I don’t think so. Maybe you only have a cold, a headache, a stomachache or … ” Just then Jackson rushed out and hit the leader in the face. “Do you hope all of us will have nothing for lunch?”