A boy selling magazines walked up to a house people seldom visited．The house was old and the owner 1 came out．When he did come out he wouldn't say hello to anybody 2 simply stared at them．
The boy knocked on the door and 3 ．As he was ready to 4 away, the door slowly opened．“What do you want?”the old man said．
“Uh, sir, I'm selling these magazines and I was 5 if you'd like to buy one．”The old man 6 stared at the boy．The boy could see the inside of the house and 7 some dog figurines(小雕像)．“Do you 8 dogs?”the boy asked．“Yes, I do．They're my family here and they're all I have．”The boy felt sorry for the man, as he seemed to be very 9 ．“I've a magazine here for collectors．It's perfect for you．I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much．”But the old man said,“I need 10 of the magazines, now goodbye．”
The boy was sad．He went home and then an idea 11 to him．．He had a little dog figurine．He walked back to the old man's house with the 12 ．He knocked on the door again and this time the old man came right to the door．“Boy, I 13 I told you no magazines．”
“No, sir．I know that．I wanted to bring you a 14 ．”The boy handed him the figurine and the old man's face 15 ．“It's a Golden Retriever．I have one at home．
This one is 16 you．”The old man was 17 ; no one had ever shown him so much 18 ?“Boy, you have a big 19 ．Thank you!”From that day on the old man 20 coming out of the house and talking with people．
Send us your joke, anecdote or story, and if we publish it in the magazine, we’ll pay as follows：
My Story＄ 500
Personal stories beyond the call of daily life．They must be unpublished, original and less than 1,000 words．Click here to read more stories．
Kindness of Strangers up to ＄ 250
True accounts of good karma, inspiring acts for unexpected kindness and generosity, or just something someone did that made your day different or changed your life．100－500 words．Click here to read more stories．
Anecdotes and Jokes ＄ 50－＄ 250
Funny things can happen at work or at home, especially when kids are around to pass comment．We may run your writing in Life’s Like That, All in a Day’s Work or As Kids See It, or as a short filler．Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter, the Best Medicine．Click here to read more jokes．
Send Us Your Punchline(妙语)
Do you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with punchline to this month’s joke…
You Said It
If you’d like to comment on something you saw in Reader’s Digest magazine or on this website, this is the place to do it!
Is It Just Me
Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modern life？Get it off your chest in 500 words．Click here to read more stories．
(1)
This passage is written to _________．
[ ]
A．
offer some wonderful stories to readers
B．
encourage people to write something
C．
show that making money is not difficult
D．
remind people that life is full of joy
(2)
The underlined word “karma” is closest in meaning to “_________”．
[ ]
A．
wish
B．
explanation
C．
luck
D．
imagination
(3)
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
The magazine is mainly intended for entertainment．
Send us your joke, anecdote or story, and if we publish it in the magazine, we’ll pay as follows： My Story ＄500
Personal stories beyond the call of daily life．They must be unpublished, original and less than 1000 words．Click here to read more stories．
Kindness of Strangers Up to ＄250
True accounts of goodness, inspiring acts of unexpected kindness and generosity, or just something someone did that made your day－or change your life．100-500 words．Click here to read more stories．
Anecdotes and Jokes ＄50-＄250
Funny things can happen at work and at home－especially when kids are around to pass comment．We may run your writing in Life’s Like That, All in a Day’s Work or As Kids See It, or as a short filler．Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter, the Best Medicine．Click here to read more stories．
Smart Animals Up to ＄150
Has your cat worked out how to use a can-opener? Is your rabbit planting carrot crops? Tell us about clever pets or wildlife in up to 300 words．Click here to read more stories．
Send us Your Punchline(妙语连珠)
So you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with a punchline to this month’s joke…
You Said It
If you’d like to comment on something you saw in Reader’s Digest magazine or on this website, this is the place to do it!
Is It Just Me
Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modern life? Get it off your chest in 500 words．Click here to read more stories．
(1)
The purpose of this passage is to _________．
[ ]
A．
offer some wonderful stories to readers
B．
encourage people to write something
C．
show that making money is not difficult
D．
remind people that life is full of joy
(2)
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
The magazine is mainly intended for entertainment．
B．
The more words you write, the more money you get．
C．
Anecdotes and Jokes aren’t paid much attention to．
D．
It’s impolite to express your opinion about a story．
“I can't play any musical instrument!” This sad comment, often heard in other wise musical families, is an untruth．The reality is that there is one musical instrument that everyone can play：the kazoo．If there were an advertisement for openings in a kazoo band, it would have to say, “No talent needed．”As Barbara Stewart, a kazoo expert, says, “It takes about four seconds to learn．For slow learners, it may take six seconds．”
Nearly everyone is familiar with the kazoo, “an open-ended tube with a membrane-covered side hole．”Many people have, at one time or other, actually played a kazoo．As writer Ben Fanton has said, “It has often been used as a stocking-stuffer at Christmas time by parents who've deeply regretted their action about an hour after sunrise on Christmas morning．”The father may hit the roof, but the kids go on playing very happily．
Some people take the kazoo seriously．Barbara Stewart is not one of them, though she collects kazoos in all shapes, sizes, and in many different materials．She is a professional kazooist, who has formed “the world's largest kazoo group”．It's the largest because it actually has five members! Members of the group have, at times, been serious music students, but when they join the group, fun of playing kazoos conquers all．Her group is dressed in formal jackets－but is barefooted! The group has appeared on the Tonight show; Good Morning, America; PM Magazine; and other television programs．The performers create fun at serious music．At their performances, audience members enter the spirit of fun and throw socks at them．“I once got a really nice pair,” Barbara proudly declares．
Despite her fun with the kazoo, Barbara Stewart has a serious reply when asked why people should trouble themselves with the kazoo．“It's fun! People are ready for a good time, and it's a good-time instrument．Everybody can do it and a lot of people have wanted to do something musical and have gone through the terrible experience of grade-school music where they are asked not to sing．Playing the kazoo brings out creativity．”
Indeed, throughout the country, senior citizens form kazoo bands that entertain patients in nursing homes and perform in shopping malls and other places of assembly．To see the look of the serious concentration and great satisfaction on the faces of these performers is to realize that the kazoo has a place in music．
If you'd like to become a kazoo performer yourself, you may benefit from the advice offered by Barbara Stewart．“Practice, Practice, Practice．But not near the neighbors．”
(1)
The writer of this passage mainly wants to tell us ________．
[ ]
A．
something about Barbara Stewart and her kazoo band
B．
how to collect, practice and perform kazoos
C．
that the kazoo is a favorite gift at Christmas
D．
that the kazoo is an instrument for everyone
(2)
Barbara Stewart called her group of five “the world's largest kazoo group” because she probably intended ________．
[ ]
A．
to give some explanations
B．
to give some descriptions
C．
to offer some amusements
D．
to make some comments
(3)
Parents at Christmas may regret their choice of stocking-stuffer because of ________．
[ ]
A．
lots of expense
B．
the destroyed roof
C．
disappointment
D．
much noise
(4)
Which of the following sentences can best describe the author's appreciation of the kazoo?
Send us your joke, anecdote(轶事/逸闻)or story, and if we publish it in the magazine, we'll pay as follows：
My Story ＄500
Personal stories beyond the call of daily life．They must be unpublished, original and less than 1000 words．Click here to read more stories．
Kindness of Strangers Up to ＄250
True accounts of good karma, inspiring acts of unexpected kindness and generosity, or just something someone did that made your day－or change your life．100-500 words．Click here to read more stories．
Anecdotes and Jokes ＄50-＄250
Funny things can happen at work and at home－especially when kids are around to pass comment．We may run your writing in Life's Like That, All in a Day's Work or As Kids See It, or as a short filler．Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter, the Best Medicine．Click here to read more stories．
Smart Animals Up to ＄150
Has your cat worked out how to use a can-opener? Is your rabbit planting carrot crops? Tell us about clever pets or wildlife in up to 300 words．Click here to read more stories．
Send us Your Punchline(妙语连珠)
So you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with a punchline to this month's joke…
You Said It
If you'd like to comment on something you saw in Reader's Digest magazine or on this website, this is the place to do it!
Is It Just Me
Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modern life? Get it off your chest in 500 words．Click here to read more stories．
(1)
The purpose of this passage is to ________．
[ ]
A．
offer some wonderful stories to readers
B．
encourage people to write something
C．
show that making money is not difficult
D．
remind people that life is full of joy
(2)
The underlined word “karma” is closest in meaning to ________．
[ ]
A．
wish
B．
explanation
C．
luck
D．
imagination
(3)
If your dog can find your missing wallet from a stranger, you should get in touch with ________．
[ ]
A．
My Story
B．
Kindness of Strangers
C．
Anecdotes and Jokes
D．
Smart Animals
(4)
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
The magazine is mainly intended for entertainment．
B．
The more words you write, the more money you get．
C．
Anecdotes and Jokes isn't paid much attention to．
D．
It's impolite to express your opinion about a story．