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My best friends are John and Ann. We do many things together. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's fifteen years old and he's tall and thin. He's got blond hair and blue eyes. He's polite and very clever. He's very good at math and he helps me with my homework sometimes. He usually wears jeans and a T-shirt but in the photo he's wearing black trousers and a yellow T-shirt. We also play basketball at a nearby park together and sometimes we play video games at my home. Our friend Ann doesn't go to our school. She's short and thin, with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have Kung Fu lesson every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. We love it. Ann is really good at Kung Fu. We call her the" Kung Fu Kid". She sometimes plays basketball with us, too. In the picture she is wearing a dress, T-shirt and a baseball cap. The three of us have great fun together,

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One of the easiest ways to keep fit is to do jogging. Jogging is the name for a very gentle running. It is just a little faster than walking. Start slow jog 20 meters, then walk 20 meters. Little by little, if you are not feeling very tired, you may do more jogging and less walking. Finally, jog the whole way. It will be easy for you to start jogging for 15 minutes twice a week, slowly, increase this to 20-30minutes everyday. The longer you join in jogging, the more you enjoy it and the healthier you will become. Some people like jogging alone, and others enjoy doing it with friends. Jogging in groups makes more people keener , because you just can not stay in bed while there is a group of friends waiting outside. If you want to start jogging, prepare a pair of comfortable shoes and determined mind.

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A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name.A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person,place or thing,Many American cities have nicknames.Nicknames can also be funny. Los Angeles,California is the second largest city in population,after New York City. Los Angeles has several nicknames.One is L.A.It is also called the City ofAngels because Los Angeles means"the angels"in Spanish. Los Angeles often has warm,sunny, weather.So another nickname is City of Flowers and Sunshine.New York is called The Big Apple.So Los Angeles is sometimes called The Big Orange because ofthe fruit that grows in that city's warm climate. Many films are made in the area of Los Angeles called Hollywood.Millions of people visit the area.So it is also called The Entertainment Capital of the World.No trip to Los Angeles is excellent without seeing the word"Hollywood"spelled out in huge letters on a hillside. Many movie stars live in Los Angeles.The city is sometimes called Tinseltown.This nickname comes from the shiny,bright and often unreal nature of Hollywood and the movie industry.Another nickname for Los Angeles is La--La Land,using the first letters of Los and Angeles. The city of Los Angeles is part of Los Angeles County .There are many smaller cities in the coBnty.A good place for watching unusual--looking people is Venice(after the Italian city of Venice),an area on the west side of Los Angeles. Many people love Los Angeles for its warm sunny weather,beautiful mountains and beaches,and movie stars.

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People think of ice cream as an American food. Yet, ice cream really came from Asia. In the late 1200s Marco Polo, the great explorer, is said to have seen rich Asians eating dishes of ice. Camels had brought the ice from distant mountains. Before it was served, the ice had been flavored with fruits. Marco Polo brought this new dish to Italy, In France cooks changed the ice recipe and made ice cream. At first, cooks tried to keep the recipe a secret. They wanted it to be a special dish for rich people. By the late 1700s, though, ice cream was sold throughout Europe and America. Some great Americans loved ice cream. George Washington was the first to buy a special machine for making it. When Thomas Jefferson returned from France, he brought an ice cream recipe home with him. Dolly Madison, wife of President James Madison, also liked ice cream, and she often served it at the White House. Actually, a famous brand of ice cream was even named after her. In the late 1800s, the ice cream industry began to grow. A way of keeping ice cream frozen had been found, so ice cream makers did not have to worry about ice cream melting anymore.

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Good parent - teacher communication is necessary for a child's success in school. Recent studies show that the more actively parents are involved in the child's school life. The better the child does in his studies. Like all relationships, parents and teachers affect each other, but the person who is most affected is the child. What they need to understand is that the educational success depends on many things, including the ability of the parents and teacher to know his needs and what he likes, and encourage him. When a child's teacher and parents work together in the best interests of the child, he may feel able to learn, but, more importantly, also feel supported. Education is about much more than just academic success. We must use the parent-teacher relationship to help a child grow and learn. So, how should parents and teacher work together? It doesn't require a change in the school subjects. It simply means that they should work together to help make lessons practical . For instance, if a child is learning about money at school and the teacher takes the time to communicate this to the parents, the parent can take the child to the store to practice what he is learning at school. At the store, he has to pick out a thing he can afford to buy, take out the right amount of money to pay for it and check to make sure the clerk has given him the right amount of _ . Doing this can help him to learn about the world in which he lives. This is how good parent-teacher communication supports the parent, teacher and, finally, the child.

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Johnny lived with his mother and father in a small town in the mountains One day there was an earthquake near the town. Many houses were damaged . Everyone thought that there would soon be another earthquake. They were worried that the second earthquake would be worse than the first. "We must send Johnny to a safe place," Johnny's mother said to her husband. "Many of our friends are sending their children to relatives in other towns,' "We'll send him to my brother, Peter," Johnny's father said. "He lives a long way away. Johnny will be safe with him.' He telephoned Johnny's Uncle Peter and asked him if he would let Johnny live with him. "He's a good boy," he said. "He won't give you any trouble.' "All right,' Johnny's Uncle Peter said, "but I'm not used to children. I live a very quiet and peaceful life." "You won't know Johnny's in the house," his father told him. So Johnny, who was five, went to live with his uncle. Two days later, his mother and father received a telegram from Peter. It said: "I am returning the child. Please send an earthquake."

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Susan is very careless . She often loses her things. It's time for the geography class. But Susan can't find her geography book in her schoolbag. She looks into the desk, and it's not there. "Oh, no!" Susan thinks. "Is it at home? Do I lose it? Where is it? I need it!" Just then, the geography teacher, Mr. White, _ Susan's name. He gives her a geography book. And in the book, Susan sees a note: Susan I see the name "Susan" on the geography book. I find it on your seat. Mrs. Smith, school bus driver

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We send our children to school to prepare them for the time when they will be big and will have to work for themselves.They learn their own language so that they will be able to tell others clearly what they want and what they know,and understand what others tell them.They learn foreign languages in order to be able to understand the people from other countries and make themselves understood.They learn history to know something about human beings they meet every day.What they learn at school is,of course,quite useful,but is that the only reason why they go to school? No.There is more in education than just learning facts.We go to school,above all,to learn how to learn,so that when we have left school,we can continue to learn.A man who really knows how to learn will always be successful,because whenever he has to do something new,he will quickly teach himself how to do it in the best way.The uneducated person,on the other hand,is either unable to do something new,or does it badly.So the purpose of school is not just to teach the students these useful subjects but teach the way to learn.

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Most people make their living with their hands, but Bob makes his living with his feet. Bob's story began in a small city of England. His family was poor. Seven people lived in a small house. Bob had no place to play but on the street. Kids in the city like playing football very much. Little Bob wanted to play football, too. So his father made a soft ball for him to kick. It was a sock full of old cloth. He kicked it every day. At last ,Bob learned how to kick a real football. And after a few years, he could play football very well. ,.

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Jimmy is at school now. He is in the classroom, but he can't find his schoolbag. Where is it? Is it lost? Oh, no! It is in his room. He doesn't take it to the school. He calls his sister Sally and asks her to take his school things to the school. Here are his school things. His schoolbag is on the chair. Under the chair is his pencil box. His notebook is on the desk. His dictionary is on the bed. His pencils aren't in the pencil box. They're on the sofa. Oh, Sally, don't forget to take his baseball. Jimmy always plays baseball after school. But where is his baseball? Oh, it's under the table.

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One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups. Afternoon tea People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the English ate only two main meals each day: breakfast and a heavy supper that would last for several hours in the evening. As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these two meals. To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o'clock. This meal included cakes and sandwiches. And tea was served to wash down the food. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates and silver teapots, knives, forks and spoons were used. Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions. Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain. Will you come for coffee? Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People often use the words "Will you come for coffee" to mean "Would you like to come to my home for a chat?" Normally, several different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like orange juice will be served as well as coffee, and you will be asked what you would like. However, you will not normally be offered wine at a "coffee" party. Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and noisy places. Businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London Stock Exchange is believed to have started from these coffeehouses.

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A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shining car. "Is this your car, sir?" he asked. Paul answered, "Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised, "You mean your brother gave it to you and it did cost you nothing? Sir, I wish..." He hesitated . Paul thought of course he knew what the boy wanted, but what the boy said surprised him greatly. "I wish, " the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that. " Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, "Would you like to take a ride in my car?" "Oh yes, I'd love to." The boy answered. After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes shining and said, "Sir, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he know what the boy wanted, He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He Was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat down on the step and pointed to the car. "There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent . And some day I'm going to give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window- that I've been trying to tell you about." Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed elder brother climbed in beside him and the three began an unforgettable holiday ride.[:Zxxk.Com]

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A young woman was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when she noticed an old man following her around.Thinking nothing of it,she _ him and went on shopping.After she got what she wanted,she went to checkout line,but the old man got in front of her. "Pardon me!" he said,"I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable ,it's just because you look like my granddaughter,who just died recently.And I miss her very much." "I'm very sorry,"said the young woman."Is there anything I can do for you?" "Yes." the old man said."As I'm leaving,can you say 'Good-bye,grandpa' to me? It would make me feel so much better." "Sure,"answered the young woman. As the old man was leaving,she called out."Bye-bye,grandpa!" When she stepped up to the checkout counter ,she saw that her total was $178.50. "How can that be?" she asked."I only bought a few things!" "Your grandpa said you would pay for him," said the clerk.

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You hurry into the kitchen,open the refrigerator and suddenly you forget why you open it."What am I looking for?"You ask yourself."What am I doing here?"Don't worry.You are not losing your mind.We have all had this kind of thing.If you think about something very quickly,it goes into your short-term memory and it goes right back out in just a few seconds.You have not moved things from short-term to long-term memory,so you won't be able to remember it later on. What can you do to help get back your missing short-term memory?You may go back to where you were.So,for example,if you were sitting in a chair listening to the music in the living room,just go back into the living room.This will help you remember,and when you are back in the living room,you will suddenly think,"Oh,yes,I was thirsty and I wanted something cold to drink.That is why I went to the fridge."If,sometimes,you can't go back to where you were before,just try tracing your steps back in your mind.Think back to things you did before,and this may help you.

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Thanksgiving Day Almost every culture in the world has held celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest. The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a festival of thanksgiving in the early days of the American colonies almost four hundred years ago. In 1620, a boat filled with more than one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. Their first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow any crops, and without fresh food, half the _ died from disease. The following spring Indians taught then how to grow corn, a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish. In the autumn of 1621, many crops of corn, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists and much to be thankful for, so a festival was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn. In following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a festival of thanks. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, a different date every year. The Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away, family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have.

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It is a hot summer day. A group of animals are waiting in line for the bus under the hot sun. They are all swearing . Then Elephant comes and stands in front of all the other animals. "Elephant please wait in line!" the animals tell him. Elephant still stands there and he doesn't say anything. The other animals are very angry, but they can do nothing to Elephant. "He is too big and we are too small," says Ant. "We have to _ to him," says Rabbit. "Hey, do you feel cool now?" asks Monkey. "Yes. We are standing Elephant's shadow ," Panda says happily. Suddenly, they all feel some wind. Oh, how cool! Elephant is fanning(......) the animals with his ears. At last, the bus comes. All the other animals get on, but Elephant still stands there. He doesn't want to get on the bus. "Elephant, the bus is here. Why don't you get on? " asks Monkey. "Oh, I'm just passing by and want to give you some shade ," says Elephant. Now, all the other animals know how friendly Elephant is.

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Imagine that you are the first person ever to see Hawaii. What would be the first thing you would set foot on? The beach, naturally. There are hundreds of miles of beaches on the twenty islands of Hawaii. These islands cover 1,600 miles and are about 2,300 miles west of California. Most of them are covered with fine white sand. They are thought to be among the finest beaches in the world. Another wonderful thing about the beaches of Hawaii is the water temperature. The year-round average temperature of the water at the famous Waikiki Beach is 230C! The same is true of air temperature. In fact, there are no real seasons in Hawaii. There is a difference of only two or three degrees between the hottest day of summer and the coldest day of winter. That's why the Hawaiians don't have a word for weather in their language. Perhaps the nicest thing about Hawaiian beaches are the waves. The earliest settlers in Hawaii, the Polynesians, quickly learned how much fun it was to ride the waves. They developed a sport which is now very popular on the islands called body surfing. You go out into the ocean, wait for a big wave to come towards you, jump on it, and ride it all the way to the beach. Now imagine once again that you are the first person ever to set foot in Hawaii. What do you think would be the second beautiful thing you would notice? Would it be those strange triangles rising out of the water hundreds and hundreds of meters high? What are those beautiful things? They are volcanoes , of course. These volcanoes are not just a part of the islands. They made the islands at first. Because of them the islands are still growing. The most famous volcano on Hawaii is Mauna Loa. It is the world's most active volcano. It has been erupting for thousands of years. Even when it isn't erupting, smoke comes out of the earth from a thousand little holes. In 1950 Mauna Loa erupted for twenty-three days. That erupting produced the greatest amount of lava in modern history. In 1960 it erupted again. That time it added a kilometer of beach to the island. Because Mauna Loa has erupted so often, it has become the biggest (but not the tallest) mountain in the world. These volcanoes could be dangerous to the population of Hawaii. In fact, Hilo, the second largest city in Hawaii, is built just under Mauna Loa. The volcano could erupt at any time. Most people believe that it will erupt sometime in the next twenty-five years. But the people of Hilo do not seem worried. They live with the danger as part of their lives.

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London police are well known in the world. Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700 there was no policeman in London at all. A few old men used to protect the city streets at night, and they were not paid very much. About 300 years ago, London started to get bigger. The city was very dirty and many people were poor. There were so many thieves who stole money in the streets that people had to stay in their homes as much as possible. In 1750, Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and were called "Bow Street Runners" because they worked near Bow Street. Fifty years later, there were 120 Bow Street Runners, but London had become very big and needed more policemen. So, in 1829, the first London Police Force was started with 3,000 officers. Most of the men worked on foot, but a few rode horses. There was no policewoman in London until 1920. Today, London police are quite well paid and only a few police officers still ride horses. Perhaps the London Police Force's greatest achievement is to meet changing conditions and provide excellent police service . The two main reasons for the Force's development were the growth of population and the progress of science and technology.

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Frederic Chopin was born in March 1810 near Warsaw in Poland . He was one of the greatest musicians in the world, In 1831, he went to Paris, No people knew he could play the piano very well. At that time people in Paris liked the Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt. One night,at a concert, Liszt went to the piano and people shouted. As all the lights in the concert were turned off, a wonderful piano concert started. The music was so good that the listeners were all greatly interested. They kept praising the pianist and thought that Liszt had reached something new in playing the piano. Suddenly, all the lights were turned on again as the music came to an end. And there stood a young man instead of the famous Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt. Liszt planned all this. As the lights went out, Liszt left his chair and let Chopin take his place. So with the help of Liszt and his own talent ,Chopin soon became famous. ,,.

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Emilio lost his wallet at a bar .He looked for it everywhere.But he couldn't find it.The bartender didn't have it,either.Emilio went home.He was very angry. "Somebody stole my wallet."he told his wife."Are you sure?"She asked,"Maybe you just lost it.""I don't think so.You can't trust anybody in this city." Then,Emilio's phone rang. "Hello?"he said in an angry voice."Good evening.Is that Emilio Santos?""Yes,it is.Who is that?""My name is Pablo.I found your wallet at a bar." The next day,Emilio met Pablo at a coffee shop.Pablo returned the wallet.Everything was still inside.Emilio thanked Pablo for being so honest .

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World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Life changed for everybody, including women and children because of the war. Millions of people lost their lives during the war. The Diary of a Young Girl was a record of that time. The book was written by a girl named Anne Frank. Anne Frank was born in Germany in June 1929. Because the German Nazi hated the Jews and warned to kill them, her family had to move to another country. In July 1942, they went into hiding in a secret place in her father's office. During that difficult time, Anne kept writing diaries until she and her family were discovered by the Nazis in August 1944. They were caught and sent to a Nazi camp. The next year, her mother died. In the same year, she and her elder sister died of illness, before the war ended. After the war, her father collected her diaries and the book The Diary of a Young Girl came out in 1947. It has been put into over 30 languages since then. The book has been read by people all over the world. In her diary, Anne wrote down her thoughts, her feelings, her hopes and her dreams for the future, "I want the diary to be my friend, and I'm going to call this friend Kitty." "I can't spend all day complaining because it's impossible to have any fun! ... Every day, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me. With all that, why should 1 be sad?" The Diary of a Young Girl has also become a symbol of the greatness of the human spirit. It is called one of the wisest and most moving records on war.

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It seems to be strange to you there is a blind spot on the eyes,Here is an interesting experiment that can make something disappear,when one eye is open. Make a card about the size of a postcard and write two English letters L and R on it,L on the left and R on the right.First,hold the card about 80 cm away and you see both the letters.Then close your right eye and look at the letter R only with your left eye.And now,as you move the card slowly towards you,you'll find the letter L disappearing.But if you move the card nearer to your face,the letter will be seen again.Now do the same experiment with your left eye closed,you'll find the letter R disappearing. Why does the letter disappear? It is because there is a blind spot on the eye.When the image of the letter falls on the blind spot,it won't be seen.That is why either of the letters disappears.

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If you want to protect yourself,please remember the following ways of information. These ways will make you safe. Don't use earphones when you are running in the school yard or in the street. You will keep yourself from the outside world and can easily get into trouble. If a stranger is following you, please don't go home directly .You may be safer in the street than you are in your home or in a lift. If necessary, please go and get help from others. When you take a bus, don't sit alone. You should sit behind the driver or with friends. Don't sleep. Your school bag should be carried towards(,)the front of your body. Don't put it on your back. Don't play with matches or candles , because it may cause fire. If it causes fire, please call 119.

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Everything has a name.All people,places,and things have names.For example,Jenny is the name of a student from England.England is the name of a country.Cities and towns have names,too.Schools and office buildings also have names.For example,tomato,potato and bean are names of vegetables.Apple,orange,and banana are names of fruit.Names are important.We use names every day.When we meet a new person,we usually ask,"What's your name?"It's important to learn a person's name.Most people have two names.Some people have more names.Names are different all over the world.In Jenny's class.Jenny must learn the names of the students from all over the world.This is very difficult because the names are very different. In the United States,most people have a first name,a middle name and a last name.Parents choose the first and middle names for their babies.There are names for boys and names for girls.The last name is the family name.Usually it is the father's family name.In a family,the mother, the father, and the children usually have the same last name. Sometimes a person has a _ ,too.A nickname is a special name.It's not a person's real name.Abraham Lincoln's nickname was"Honest Abe".An honest person always tells the truth,and Abe is short for Abraham.Because he was an honest person.his nickname was Honest Abe.Pele is a nickname,too.The football player's real name is Edison Aeraesde Nascimento,but everyone calls him Pele.Do you have a nickname? Names are different all over the world.They can be long or short.but they are always very important

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As we become richer and richer, we are producing more and more rubbish. The Asian Development Bank(ADB) says that our largest cities produce 760 000 tons of solid waste every day. It predicts that there will be an increase--to 1.8 million tons--by 2025. It seems too much to deal with. "The growing waste is simply trying to cover our cities," says Michael Lindfield, a specialist of ADB in Manila. _ The World Bank says some governments are spending as much as half of their budgets dealing with rubbish. And even so, it is common that half of all the waste goes uncollected. Much of the added difficulty is packaging from consumer products and the products themselves--all of which need years, even centuries to decompose . Lindfield believes that four of every five products we buy are thrown away after a single use. It all makes the work to deal with solid waste much more expensive. The rubbish is more than just an environmental problem--it also influences national economies by disturbing the world market, discouraging tourism and slowing down industrial development. Lots of rubbish also influences the look of our cities. As he walks to work from his home in Bangkok every day, Chatchat Mutita, a 36-year-old advertising specialist, must pass a lot of ugly, smelly rubbish that isn't collected until late at night. He says things get worse when it rains because some yellow water will stream from the rubbish to the sidewalk. Modern technology can make the problems of open dumps less serious. But Chettiyappan Visvanathan, a professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthal, Thailand, believes that there are no engineered facilities in nine of every ten dumps all over the country. Some countries depend on most solid waste to produce energy, but there's a growing problem of air pollution. Burning is far more dangerous than open dumps. The ADB says the growing rubbish must be dealt with by the "3Rs" --reducing the waste, reusing things that are being thrown away and recycling materials.

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Millions of children in the United States go to summer camps. Some go to play outdoors at traditional camps in the woods, in the mountains or on lakes. But families now have many choices of special camps. These can be in the middle of nature or a big city. Special camps offer young people the chance to learn about different subjects: anything from space exploration to business to medicine. In technology camps, one subject that children can learn about is video game design. They learn how to use computer programs to create games of their own. One program that teaches video game design is called Cybercamps. Children can learn how to design their own virtual worlds to set their video game in. Then, they program their own rules and objects into the game. Cybercamps also offers courses in robot building and Web design. A recent story in the Washington Post described how one child made a robot that could sing a song. Another made a robot that could follow a black line drawn on a piece of cardboard. Also, children can learn how to make Web sites. One child made a site for Pokemon, one of his favourite cartoon shows.

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Television has taken the place of schools as the main educator in America. There are several reasons for this. First, there is the number of hours. While Americans spend about 13,000 hours in schools, they spend 15,000 to 16,000 hours in front of a TV set. Second is the age at which viewers start watching TV. People start watching and understanding TV at about the age of 3, which is several years before they start to do school work. Finally, there is the number of viewers. About 90,000,000 young people are attending school, but most of the Americans watch TV every day. It seems, then, that TV shows are taking the place of teachers and professors as the educators in America.

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A poor farmer had never left his small village. After he made a lot of money, he decided to spend a holiday in an excellent hotel in a big town. When lunchtime came on his first day there, he went to eat it in the restaurant of the hotel in his new clothes. The headwaiter showed him to the table, took his order and went away. When he returned and looked at the farmer again, he was surprised. The farmer had tied his table cloth round his neck. The headwaiter immediately told another waiter to go to the farmer and tell him that people mustn't do such a thing in his restaurant. So the waiter went to the farmer and said in a friendly voice, "Good morning, Sir. Would you like a haircut.?"

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In America: There are many more cars than in China. Maybe the number of cars in California is the same as the number in China. But there are fewer traffic jams and accidents in America than in China. We hardly see traffic police in the street, but all cars obey traffic rules strictly , and people hardly find that a car does not obey traffic rules in the street. About America traffic rules, there are many better terms , such as: 1. Stop line: There are stop line in all crossing without traffic lights(some have two stop lines and others have four stop lines); all cars must stop while meeting the stop lines. 2.Traffic lights: There are traffic lights in the crossing of the road .Cars may almost turn every direction. the traffic lights can give signals step by step including u-turn . There is a kind of middle lane of turning left. When a car wants to turn left in the road, he may enter into the middle lane of turning left and give a signal of turning left. When he thinks being safe he may turn left. 3. Specific item: Such as parking, there are three kinds of lines (its color are white, blue or red) in the roadside. Every line may park different kinds of cars. There are streets in some residential areas, and no car can park at any time or any period time. 4. About the priority of passengers and cars: At any case, passengers have the priority to cars. But only after passengers have passed the road and gotten the top of sidestep, cars may go ahead. In general, traffic rules of America are very specific, convenient and safe.

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LONDON (Reuters) -- British milkman Steve Leech, who saved several shops and flats by putting out a fire with 320 pints of milk, was celebrating Thursday after winning a national bravery award. Leech, 35, named "Hero Milkman" by the National Dairymen's Association, said that he had noticed smoke coming out of a shop in Cornwall, southern England, while delivering milk as usual a year ago. "I saw the flats up above and thought I'd better do something. So I kicked the door in and started pouring milk everywhere," Lee told Reuters Thursday. "When firemen arrived, the fire was almost out," he said. Firemen said he had helped save the lives of eight people living in the flats above the shops. " _ . But it was even harder trying to explain to my boss where all the milk had gone."

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"You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." I believe it is a normal thought in today's society to just let life happen to us. I also believe that we sometimes destroy our well-planned thoughts about success because it's easier to just continue as usual rather than "try" with the possible failure in mind. Most people never get moving because they don't know what they want. Without a certain result already set in your mind, it's really difficult to get going, and even if you do, your attention may soon disappear and you give up before too long. Why not consider what's really important in your life? Write down what excites you, what would truly make you happy and what problems you have. At the end of the week, take a careful look at the notes you've taken .You'll soon begin to see a clearer picture of what direction you should be going towards. Knowledge is useless without action. You read many books but your life will stay the same if you don't use the knowledge. Knowledge is fantastic but it will not change your life until it is used. I love to read personal development material to keep a positive attitude towards my life , but I also realize that if I don't set goals to achieve, then I will always be a talk the talk person who is great at giving advice but useless at realizing it .If you have no plans of practicing what you say, then it may be best to keep your mouth closed. Do you want know who you are? Don't ask, Act! Action will explain you. Whatever excuses we have for not living up to our talent, the fact is that time will always move forward. Be whatever you want to be and whatever you can be. Always remember the only limits we have are the ones we create for ourselves. Life is not what we think. It is what we experience when we behave according to the thoughts we have.

middle4459.txt

"Track!" said my master. Like any good tracker-dog who has received the command he most loves, I gave a bark of excitement, put my nose down to the ground and sniffed. The ground was rich with smells. Even in the high-class housing area where we were working, the stones held traces of many sole and confusing scents (smells). As I searched for the scent that would give me a clue to the tail of the guilty man, my tail wagged slowly, thoughtfully, delightedly. Work was like play to me; I enjoyed it. A small group of people gathered behind us. Among these onlookers was the old caretaker of the building next door to ours. He spoke in a scornful voice, "You actually think your dog might catch a thief three days after the event?" My master said nothing, but I'm sure he must have smiled. I did not turn to look. I knew he would not speak unless it was to give me a new command. I needed to concentrate. My task was difficult. I had to pick out one scent among the many that lay about and then tracked it to its source. "You're wasting your time," said the caretaker. I looked at him without raising my head. He was running his hand over his fat stomach. His rough palm and smooth shirt combined to make a slight noise. It was part of my training to be aware--often it is only a little whisper of a noise that alerts you to be drawing of a weapon. But of course the aging caretaker was going to do no such thing. There was no smell of fear or nervousness about him. He was merely being clever and talkative. "I've seen many tracker-dogs in my time," said the caretaker to the onlookers. I served with the police years ago. We would never have thought of using a tracker-dog to find a car thief. Impossible. Everyone knows that dogs are useless in such matters. In a sense he was right. I'm sure there's no need to tell you that, just as a dog's hearing is much better than a human being's, so his sense of smell tells one thing from another far better than a great detective. If Sherlock Holmes could work out that a man had had an egg for breakfast by seeing the yellow stain on his mouth, a trained dog could tell you whether the hen that laid the egg was healthy or not. I know it sounds funny and I mean it to be. But I'm not exaggerating. A dog can tell you--if you understand a dog's way of communicating--all this and more without even setting eyes on the man he is investigating.

middle7150.txt

In the middle of a dark forest, there lives an owl . All the animals know that he is the wisest among all of them. So they often go to him and tell him their troubles. Then the owl always teaches them what they should do. One day, a little bird goes up to the owl. She is crying. "what's wrong with you?" asks the owl. "I'm not happy at all. I don't want to be a bird," the bird says. "Why don't you want to be a bird?" asks the owl. "I am so small, weak and useless," she cries. "I want to be big and strong like the lion. He is very important, but I am not" Then the owl whispers something in her ear. At once the bird dries her _ and goes away. One week later, the bird came back. "Oh, thank you very much. You are a very wise owl," she says to the owl. "I am very happy now. Every day, I sit on top of the tallest tree and watch for lions and tigers. When they come near, I shout at the top of my voice. Then my friend all run and hide. They are very thankful to me. I am useful and important now" The wise owl smiles and says, "No one in this world is useless."

middle1521.txt

The Time Machine This move is based on a science fiction story. A scientist and inventor decides to prove that time travel is possible. He wants to change the past. To test his idea, he travels 800000 years into the future with the help of his own invention -- a time machine... It will be put on in the National Theatre on Aug. 25thto 29th. E.T A group of aliens visit the earth and one of them, E.T.. gets lost and is left on this planet. He is found by a 10--year--old boy, Elliot. Soon the two begin to communicate and start a different kind of friendship .E.T. want to go home, but if Elliot helps him, he'll lose a friend...It'll be shown in the National Theatre on Aug. 26thto 30th. Mission to Mars In the year 2020A.D., a mysterious storm kills all but one crew member of the first manned mission to Mars. A rescue mission is Iaunched... It will be on in the National Theatre on Sep. 1st TO Sth. ,A, B, C, D,.

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In the Caucasus region , nearly 50 out of every 100,000 people live to celebrate their 100thbirthday, and many don't stop at 100! By comparison, in America only 3 people in 100,000 reach 100. But these Caucasus people aren't alone. The Pakistani Hunzas, who live high in the Himalaya Mountains, and the Vilcabambans of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador seem to share the secret of long life too. These peoples remain healthy in body and spirit despite the passage of time. While many older persons in industrial societies become weak and ill in their 60s and 70s, some Caucasus people aged 110-140, work in the fields beside their great-great-grandchildren. Even the idea of aging is foreign to them. When asked, "At what age does youth end?" most of these old people had no answer. Several replied, "Well, perhaps at age 80." The very youngest estimate was age 60. What accounts for this ability to survive (live) to such old age, and to survive so well? First of all, hard physical work is a way of life for all of these long-lived peoples. They began their long days of physical labor as children and never seem to stop. For example, Mr. Rustam is 142 years of age. He remembers his life experience: the Crimean War of 1854; the Turkish War of 1878; the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. His wife is 116 years old. They have been married for 90 years. Mr. Rustam has no plan of retiring from his life as a farmer. "Why? What else would I do?" he asks. Oh, he's slowed down a bit. Now he might quit (stop working) for the day after 6 hours in the field instead of 10. All these people get healthful rewards from the environment in which they work. They all come from mountainous regions. They live and work at elevations of 5,000 to 12, 000 feet(1,660 to 4,000meters) above sea level. The air has less oxygen and is pollution-free. This reduced oxygen environment makes the heart and blood vessel system stronger. Another factor that may lead to the good health of these people is their isolation. To a great extent, they are separated from the pressure and worries of industrial society. Inherited factors also play some role. Most of the longest-lived peoples had parents and grandparents who also reached very old age. Good family genes may, therefore, be one factor in living longer. Finally, although these three groups don't eat exactly the same foods, their diets are similar. All of them eat little animal meat. Their diets are full of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, cheese and milk. They never eat more food than their bodies need. It is clear that isolation from urban pressure and pollution, clean mountain air, daily hard work, moderate diets, good genes, and a youthful approach to life all lead to the health and remarkable long life of all these people.

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I'm Lin Min. My sister Lin Li is a teacher, but she isn't in Beijing with us. She works in a small school in Yushu in Qinghai. She works very hard. Every morning after breakfast, she goes to four of her students' homes and brings them to school. At eight o'clock, the students have the first morning class. After four classes, they have lunch at school. During the lunch time, Lin Li tells some stories to them. The students like listening to her stories. The afternoon classes start at 13:00 and finish at 16:00. After school, Lin Li sends the four students back to their homes. In the evening, she doesn't watch TV or play computer games. She usually checks her students' homework. Then she goes to bed at 22:00. Lin Li wants to do more things for her students. She is a great teacher, isn't she?

middle7636.txt

Akuapem is in the eastern part of Ghana. The sun there shines all the time. The local people are very friendly and hospitable . Now let's have a look at how Akuapem people receive a visitor. A visitor is often welcomed warmly in a family of Akuapem. After the visitor is welcomed into the house, he is offered a seat and water at the very beginning, because the host _ that the visitor must have come from a very long journey and need water. If there is a group of visitors, the host will greet the visitors from right to left. And the host shakes only with his right hand, because Akuapem people think the left hand is not clean. Next, the visitor is asked how his journey was and why he has come. While the conversation is going on, the wife and the children, especially girls, are preparing food for the visitor. The visitor can choose his favorite food. After the visitor finishes eating, the host and the visitor go on with their conversation. Usually this is short one because the visitor is getting ready to say goodbye. When the visitor is leaving, he is often given some food. He is also accompanied by one of the children to the nearest station. The child who accompanies the visitor will not come back home until the visitor leaves safely. Whether he is a close friend or just a stranger, this is always how friendly Akuapem people receive a visitor.

middle2996.txt

Erden Eruc has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean in a rowboat since he left California on July 10, 2007. He has been heading for Australia with only birds, fish, and sharks ever since. Crossing the Pacific is only part of his journey. Eruc has decided to go all the way around the world using his own energy. He will row, bike, walk and climb the world without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest peak on six of the continents along the way. For the first part of his trip, he bicycled 5,546 miles from Seattle, Washington to Mount McKinley in Alaska and back, walked 67 miles to base camp and climbed 20,320 feet to McKinley's peak. Now in the second part of his adventure , he is rowing to Australia. Why would he try to go around the world this way? He explains that he wants to encourage kids to dream their dreams and get to their own goals. He wants to show kids that there might be hard parts along the way, and sometimes they might not even get to that final goal. But they can have adventures and learn a lot along the way. When his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people---especially children. He has already visited many schools and shared his story. Eruc encourages all kids to set their eyes on a goal and not give up. He says, "with goals, we will make progress, and we will be farther along than when we started, even if we don't get to some goals. That's called life!"

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I remembered Julie coming to the front of the classroom after class one autumn day in September 1976. While most of the other students hurriedly left to enjoy the pleasant weather or to relax at the student union, Julie remained to ask me questions about the next week's exam. She had clearly already done some serious studying. Julie never made it to the exam. The day after our conversation, she was hit by a large truck as she rode a bike through a crossroads. I was sad to hear that Julie lay unconscious in a hospital across town from our university. Nurses silently came and went from Julie's room. Her parents stood nearby quietly. Then the doctor entered the room and said to Julie's parents and two brothers, "Your Julie has only a few hours to live." He continued to ask, "Would you think about donating some of Julie's organs ?" At the same time in a neighboring city, a woman called Mary was trying to see better in her small living room. Her eyes followed every movement of her lively two-year-old baby. This mother was storing up memories when she could no longer see her child. Several cities away, a young father called John was reading to his two sons in the hospital. However, he was told to have only weeks to live. His only hope was a kidney transplant . The two parents looked at each other, the doctor could see tears in their eyes. "Yes. Julie had once said she wanted to donate her organs in the event of her death. Julie always gave to others while she was alive. She would like to give in death." Within twenty-four hours, Mary was told that she would receive one of Julie's eyes, and John was told to start preparing for a kidney transplant. Julie's other organs would give life to other waiting patients. "Julie died right after her twentieth birthday. Nothing could possibly be as heartbreaking as the death of your child," says Julie's mother. She continues, "But Julie's life was a gift to us. Knowing that in her death, she gave the gift of life and sight to others is _ to us. "

middle5021.txt

Swimmers wanted Can you swim? Do you like children? Can you help them with swimming on weekends? Come and join us. Call Jane at 330-9786 Chess Club Do you like to play chess? Do you want to play chess well? Mr. Chen can teach you. You can come here every Friday afternoon. Tel: 6723-1940 Add : Room 102 in School's P.E. Building Let's learn English Can you speak English? Do you want to learn English? Join the English Club now. Time: 9:00 a.m. --- 11:30 a.m. (from Monday to Friday) Call Henry at 543-1248 Musicians Wanted Boys and girls, are you music lovers? Can you sing or dance? Can you play any instruments ? Welcome to our Star Rock Band . Please call Victor at 891-3453 or send an e-mail to music@yahoo.com.

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Kate's room is big. A TV set is in the room. The TV set is on the table. Some red flowers are on it, too. We can see a nice picture on the wall . We can see a hat and some books on her bed. Her _ are under the bed. A desk is near the window . On the desk is a clock. It's time to go to school . Where's Kate's bag? Oh, it's on the chair. Kate is putting on her shoes.

middle1910.txt

Most young boys don't like growing flowers and watering them. But for 16-year-old Angus,working in the garden isn't just a hobby -- it has changed his life. Angus has a special illness and his IQ is lower than a normal boy. Six months ago, he started learning how to grow flowers. Now, he spends hours in the garden growing flowers, watering and looking after them. "Before working in the garden, it was difficult for Angus to concentrate inclass and sometimes he didn't want to go to school," said his mother Kim. "Now he can't wait togo to school and he is happy every day. We can see Angus is able to work in a garden center in thefuture," Research shows that working in the garden improves mental and physics health. In the past,soldiers in Egypt treated their mental problems after war by working in the garden. Even now,some doctors advise people to work in the garden to treat their mental health problems. Anddoctors also advise young people like Angus to work in the garden. The lives of hundreds of children in Britain with special needs, like Angus, have beenchanged by this special kind of education. When working in the garden, children have a chance tolearn a lot of important skills, such as how to work with other people and how to take care ofplants. Besides, the children become more confident after working in the garden.

middle6919.txt

A teacher takes a very big bottle and puts a few big stones into it. He asks the students, "Is the bottle full?" They all answer, "Yes!" The teacher then puts some small stones into the bottle. The small stones are between the big stones. He then asks, "Is it full now?" Some students give no answer, but most answer, "Yes!" The teacher then starts to put some sand into the bottle. For the third time, the teacher asks, "Is it full?" Now most students give no answer, but some still answer, "Yes!" Then the teacher pours a cup of water into the bottle. "What does it tell us?" asks the teacher. One clever student answer, "No matter how busy you are, you can always find time to do some more things." "No," says the teacher. "If you don't put the big stones into the bottle first, you can never get _ in. The big stones are the important things in your life. If you fill your life with small things like the small stones, sand and water, you'll never have the time for the important things."

middle3861.txt

Do you know why people look the way they look? What inside our bodies makes us grow in a certain way? The answer is DNA. It was first discovered by a young Swiss doctor in 1868. DNA is like a computer program for your body. Almost every cell in your body includes DNA. The way DNA in the cell decides why you are the way you are. For example your friend might have larger ears than you. This is because their DNA is different from yours. DNA lives in the cell and is ordered in a structure called a "double helix ". In each double helix there are links called as chromosomes . These chromosomes are made from four bases that arrange themselves in millions of different ways. The way these bases choose to line up is what makes the DNA code for that cell. DNA is also called a "gene ". This is a very interesting thing. Genes are passed down from your parents. That is why you might have the same smile like your dad's or mom's! In February, scientists found the skeleton of Richard III, King of England from 1483-1485, under a car park in England. It seems unlikely that scientists could identify a 527-year-old skeleton. However, they matched the skeleton's DNA to a sample from one of his direct descendants . How amazing!

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Beijing Half -Day Tour Languag We have more than 20 guides and they can speak English and Chinese. Time and place Our bus will wait for you at your hotel at 9:00 a.m.or2:00 p.m. And we'll drine you bdck to your hotel at about 1:00 p. m. or6:00 p. m. Itinerary First, visit the Drum tower dating from 1420 . you can climb up the big Drum Tower and look at the old Beijing buildings - hutong and siheyuan. Then drive to Mr. Kang's courtyard for a cup of tea. After the tea break, ride a bicycle to Dajinsi Hutong, the most famous hutong in the Shichahai area . Then walk to the prince Gong's Mansion . After that, you can go back to the hotel. ,.

middle1904.txt

During my second year of nursing school, our teacher gave us a test. I was a hardworking student and I did well in all the subjects. I finished the questions successfully until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Of course this was a joke. I saw the cleaning woman every day. She is short and about 60 years old. She has dark hair. But how would I know her name? I had never talked with her before. In fact, I'd never even thought about talking to her. I stared at my paper and started to feel rather guilty. Finally, I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grades. "Absolutely," the teacher said. "In your life, you will meet many people. All are important. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is to smile and to say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. Everyone deserves my attention and I should get to know all of the people who work and live around me. That was, perhaps, the most important lesson of my life. I also learned the cleaning woman's name was Dorothy.

middle248.txt

So many of us expect everything we do to be successful. We look forward to success to show us our value or to be the top of the group wherever we are. How many times in our schooling did we hope for a high mark? We want it and then feel like a failure when we don't achieve what we want. Even when we succeed we still pass that and go onto the next success and then the next. We are not often taught how to face failures. For me, failure taught me more than success did. Success is of the moment and temporary but failure means we have ever done. It makes me stop and think. It opened my eyes and brain to different possibilities. Failure is just a choice in redoing not in giving up. Experiencing failure,I looked deeper and further. I have a grandson who plays hockey and as all players do,he went through a _ . So I saw he was unhappy with himself. Then I said to him, "Why don't you think of it differently rather than being unhappy?" And I asked, "Scoring is your goal, right?" He answered,"Of course." "Why aren't you scoring now? Do you need a readjustment ?"All of a sudden he calmed down--he was thinking of what I had just said. So in the next game I saw him trying different things to do better. Later he started scoring. Now when something is wrong, he takes the time to think it over rather than just keeping the "failure" mode . Look at failure differently. Failure is what gives us power to try a different way of doing things. It teaches us to rethink, redo, and then success will come about. Don't give up but learn to use a different way.

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A passenger told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes. The air hostess was kept so busy that she forgot to give him the water. As a result, the passenger was held up to take his medicine. Thirty minutes later, when the passenger's ring for service sounded, she hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused. In the following hours on the plane, each time the air hostess passed by the passenger, she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never answered a word. When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess to hand him the passengers' booklet . She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, but with a smile she handed _ to him. Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and smiled, for the passenger put it. "On the flight, you asked me whether I needed help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your twelve sincere smiles?" That's right! Who can refuse twelve sincere smiles from a person?

middle260.txt

I am a student in China now. My name is Kelly Smith. I live with my parents, two sisters and a brother in Beijing. My parents teach English in No.6 Middle School. I study in the same school. I am happy here, because I like my new school and the classmates. They are very friendly to me. They like to play with me because I look different from them. I have blue eyes and long blonde hair. They often say I look like a doll . Also I speak English well, so lots of students like to talk with me to improve their English.

middle5592.txt

Many students are under great pressure this term. There is some advice on studying and preparing for exams. Sciences Ask students what is the most difficult course, and most of them will give you the same answer: mathematics. This is also true for Dai Shuang, a 14-year-old student at No.1 Middle School. He says, "It's so difficult that I get a headache whenever I think about the math exam." According to Dai, studying this course is not easy. He usually studies math by himself and spends most of his free time reading math books and doing exercises. _ Qin Xia, a math teacher, offers some advice. "Most students fear mathematics because they think the class is too difficult or boring." he says, "These students don't listen carefully in classes or even sleep." In Qin's opinion, they can try to take notes. And they'd better ask teachers for help. It's difficult for students to teach themselves math, which will waste a lot of time. Besides, doing a lot of exercises is also important. Arts Zhu Tianjiao, a 13-year-old student at Megan Middle School, is very nervous because she doesn't know how to improve her English. _ Xia Bingcong, a top student at Tsinghua University shares some of her learning experiences. According to Xia, memorizing, listening and reading are important in language learning. "Studying on a daily basis is the best choice." Xia says.

middle3685.txt

Almost everyone likes dogs, and almost everyone likes to read about dogs. I have friend. He has a big police dog with the name Jack. Police dogs are very clever. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes jack for along walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much. One Sunday afternoon a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time. He talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for walk. But the visitor still stayed. Jack became much worried. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention to Jack. He went on talking. At last Jack got angry. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor, but this time he took the visitor's cap in his mouth.

middle1092.txt

On Thanksgiving Day, a teacher asked her class of first-graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought that these children from poor families actually had little to be thankful for. And she found most of them drawing pictures of flowers or tables with food. The teacher was very surprised to see the picture Douglas handed in. It's a hand, a simple hand. But whose hand? The class were very interested in the strange picture. "I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food," said one child. "A farmer," said another, "because he grows beautiful flowers." Finally when the others were at work, the teacher went over Douglas' desk and asked whose hand it was. "It's your hand, Teacher," he said quietly and shyly. She remembered that she had often taken Douglas, a dirty lonely child, by the hand while having a class break. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this is everyone's thanksgiving, not for the material things we get, but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others.

middle506.txt

Hi, I'm Judy. I'm a middle school student . In my class, there are thirty-eight students. How do they go to school every day? Seventeen of them take buses because they live far from the school. Six students walk. They think walking is good exercise. Fifteen students ride their bikes to school because they like riding bikes very much and their homes are not far from the school. No one goes to school by car. How do I go to school? Ha, I'm one of the fifteen.

middle6925.txt

This is No. 12 High School. My friend Dongdong is in this school. Dongdong has short hair, a big nose, a small mouth and big eyes. He is thirteen. He is in Class Two, Grade Seven. He's a good student. He has two good friends in his school. They are Jim and Jack. They're brothers . They are fourteen. They have small noses, small eyes, but they're very tall . Jim, Jack and Dongdong are in the same class. Mr. Lee is their teacher. They are good friends. ,. (10)

middle512.txt

Obama has made history by becoming the first African-American in American history. Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His parents didn't live together when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983. Obama met his wife, Robinson, in June, 1989 and married her on October 3rd, 1992. The couple's first daughter was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter in 2001. Obama _ in January 20, 2009. However, just when he became the president, he had to face many serious challenges ---- two foreign wars, the climate change and what he had described as "the worst financial crisis in a century". But Obama said that he himself had been ready to face these challenges. Obama's success is a true milestone. It speaks to the fact that in America you really do get a chance to do anything, if you have the talent and abilities and you work hard enough.

middle1086.txt

Some people think that they have an answer to the problems of automobile crowding and pollution in large cities. Their answer is the bicycle, or bike. In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York City, some bike riders have even formed a group called "Bike for a Better City". They claim that if more people rode bicycles to work there would be fewer _ in the downtown section of the city and therefore less dirty air from car engines. For several years this group has been trying to get city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to paint special lanes--for bicycles only--on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there may be accidents. "Bike for a Better City" feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes. But no bicycle lanes have been painted yet. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea. Taxi drivers don't like the idea--they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don't like the idea--they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business. And most people live too far from downtown to travel by bike. The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park--the largest open place in New York--is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only. But "Bike for a Better City" says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown. Until that happens, the safest place to bicycle may be in the park.

middle6931.txt

These days the subject of security on campus is talked about quite often. Some students' mobile phones are stolen, some students fight with and hurt one another, and others are knocked down by the fast running bikes or cars. These problems arc common on campus. I think there are three causes for these. Firstly, some students do not take good care of their properties. They are still young and not careful enough. Secondly, some students want to do everything well. They want to be the winners in exams, and they also want to be the winners in fightings. And thirdly, the campus guards do not carry on their duties well. They don' t regulate the traffic in the busy hour. In order to have a secure campus, all the students should be very careful about their properties. They should also mind their behaviors and act politely. The campus guards are supposed to be devoted to the security on campus, and it is their duty to safeguard a secure campus to help provide a good environment for the students.

middle3691.txt

The winter vacation is coming. I don't want to spend more time playing. I decide to work to make money for the next term. But I don't know what work I can do. Now, my mother is writing a book. She is busy and tired. I want to type for her for pay. When I tell her, she is very happy. She agrees to pay me 5 yuan for 1,000 words. But she asks me to do it carefully. It is a hard job for me. I type so slowly that I can type only 800 words a day. But I don't want to give up. I will keep typing all day long. I think I can type faster and faster. I plan to finish the work in two weeks. Then, I will do my winter homework. I begin to know how hard it is to make money. And I really know the meaning of "Where there's a will, there's a way."

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It was the first day of class. Two of her new ESL (English as a Second Language) classmates wanted to know where Tara was from. They were both from Korea. Because Tara looked Korean, one of the women asked Tara, in English, if she was from Korea. Tara replied, "No, I'm not." Then the women took turns asking Tara if she was from Japan, or Thailand, or China. To each question, Tara answered them a simple no. Laughing, one woman said to the other, "She's not from anywhere!" The two went to their desks, talking to each other in Korean. The next day, the teacher divided the students into groups of four. The students in each group asked introductory questions of each other. A student in Tara's group asked her, "Where are you from?" Tara answered that she was from Korea. The two women who had questioned Tara the day before were sitting only a few feet away. Both of them heard Tara's answer. "Aha!" they both _ , "You ARE from Korea!" Tara smiled and said yes. Then she apologized to both of them for lying the day before. She told them that she had not wanted to get into a Korean conversation with them. It had been her experience that many ESL students continued to speak their mother language in ESL class, and Tara had not come to ESL class to practice her Korean. In her opinion, ESL students should try to speak English only. "I agree." said Rose. "You're 100 percent right." agreed Jenny, "Rose and I must stop speaking Korean to each other. Right,Rose?" Rose nodded,and then said something in Korean. All three women laughed. The next half a year, Tara became friendly with both women, although she never spoke a word of Korean to them during class or break.

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All students need to have good study habits . When you have good study habits, you can learn things quickly. You also remember them easily. Do you like to study in the living-room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better. Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too. You are feeling tired easily if there is not enough light.

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Hello, I'm Kan. I like different kinds of food. I like hamburgers, ice cream, salad and orange juice. For breakfast, I often have some milk and hamburgers. I don't like dessert. My favorite football star, Ronaldo eats lots of healthy food. He likes eggs and vegetables for breakfast. For lunch, he eats hamburgers, potatoes, chicken, oranges and apple juice. For dinner, he likes meat and French fries. He doesn't have dessert. " I like football better." He says.

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Jyoti Amge, an Indian girl, is the world's smallest woman. She is only 0.628 metres tall. She is small, but her dream is great. On her 18th birthday in 2012, she shared the good news with others. She would act in two movies. Jyoti is the youngest of the five children in her family. She stopped growing after her first birthday. Because of her size, Jyoti has special clothes and jewellery . She even has her own desk and chair in a regular school. Jyoti also loves movies and fashionable dresses like others. Before 18, she acted in a music video along with a famous Indian singer. Jyoti said, "I'm just the same as other people. I eat like you, and dream like you. I don't feel I am different."

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At school, besides cheating on a test, a kid might cheat in other ways. They might steal someone else's idea for a science project, or copy a book report from the Internet and hand it in as if it's his or her work. Cheating can happen in a lot of different ways. When people cheat, it's not fair to other people, like the kids who study for the test or who are the true winners of a game. Some kids cheat because they're busy or lazy and they want to get good grades without spending the time studying. Other kids might feel like they can't pass the test without cheating. Even though there seems to be a "good reason" for cheating, cheating isn't a good idea. A kid who thinks cheating is the only way to pass a test need to talk with the teacher or another grown-up. They can find some ways to help solve this problem. Talking about the problem and working it out will make him or her feel better than cheating. Kids who cheat may feel worried about getting caught. Whether they are caught or not, these kids may feel _ or embarrassed. Even if they feel fine or don't get caught, that doesn't mean it's OK. There's an old saying that cheaters never win and winners never cheat. This may sound difficult to understand, because sometimes it seems like cheaters do win--- at least for the moment. However, sooner or later, they'll pay the price. It's just a matter of time only. And kids who don't cheat are true winners because, when they win, they do it honestly.

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Passage 4 How dangerous it would be if there was a fire! Today is in winter. It's time for us to learn a lot more about fire, especially what to do if we are caught in a fire: 1. Shout out If you smell smoke or see fire, shout out "Fire!" Shout as loudly as you can, because people may be asleep. 2. Call 119 Never try to put the fire yourself, even if it is a very small one! Get help from your parents or call 119. 3. Keep down close to the floor If there is a lot of smoke in your room, keep down close to the floor. 4. Test the door Test the door before you open it. If the door is cool, open it carefully. If the door is hot, do not open it! Try to find a different way out. 5. Get out If you can, get out of your home as soon as possible. 6. Don't use the lift Never use the lift during the fire. It may also go wrong. 7. Don't go back Never go back into a burning building!

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"If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!" That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too. You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music. All children soon learn what "Don't touch!" means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy, such as food, clothes and so on. To see something well, we have to touch it. The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a bad floor. All feel different under your feet. There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them! Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs say, "Do touch!" There you can feel everything on show. If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you'll really see!

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We go shopping on Sunday. I often go to the supermarket with my mother on Sunday morning. Father likes fruit very much. We buy some bananas for him. Mother likes red apples, but the apples in the supermarket are green. We don't buy them. The strawberries are very nice. Mother likes them very much and buys some for herself . The oranges are very nice, too. Mother buys some for me. I like oranges very much. We need some vegetables. The vegetables in the supermarket are very good. We buy some broccoli. I don't like broccoli, but my parents like it. I like carrots very much. We buy lots of carrots. After shopping, mother and I have some salad, French fries and ice cream. Then we go back home with the fruit and vegetables.

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DNA is the whole "map" of the human body. It is something that all humans have, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our parents, because we get some of their DNA to make our own. People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Mr. Mendel discovered why we look the same as other people in our family. It is because of small things called "genes" in our body. In 1953, two scientists, Watson and Crick, found out that genes are really messages. They're written in the DNA with a special language. In 1961, another two scientists found the first "word" that they could understand in that language. It shows how DNA tells the cell to build its parts. So far, scientists have found all the words in the DNA map, but we still don't understand what they all do. By understanding what just one "word" means, we can help to save people from several illnesses. So the more we understand, the more doctors will be able to do. Most people hope that this will help to make better medicine and help sick people. Other people worry that when we learn more "words" and find out more information, we will use it in the wrong way. Just to make people more attractive , or stop sick people getting jobs.

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My name is Daniel. I am in Grade 8. This is my second year of middle school. When we finish Grade 9, we have to take an exam to continue our studies. We go to school five days a week and have seven classes every day. We study maths, Chinese and English. We also have other subjects. They are science, geography, history and P.E. P.E. is my favourite subject. We have different clubs to join after school. Some clubs are for fun, such as the guitar club and the chess club. Some clubs are for study, such as the English club and the science club. I'm a member of the English club. It is fun to learn English there. There are 1800 students in our school. Many new students may have problems with their new school life. When they have problems, they often do not want to tell the teachers. In our school, _ students can join the Helping Hands Club. These brothers and sisters talk to the new students and try to help them with their problems.

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Each nation has many good people who help to take care of others. For example, some high school and college students in the United States often spend many hours as volunteers in hospitals, orphanages or homes for the old. They read books to the people in these places, or they just visit them and play games with them or listen to their problems. Other volunteers go and work in the homes of people who are sick or old. They paint, clean up, or repair their houses, do their shopping or mow their lawns . For boys who no longer have fathers there is an organization called Big Brothers. College students and other men take these boys to baseball games or on fishing trips and help them to get to know things that boys usually learn from their fathers. Each city has a number of clubs where boys and girls can go to play games or learn crafts . Some of these clubs show movies or organize short trips to the mountains, beaches, museums or other places of interest. Most of these clubs use a lot of high school and college students as volunteers because they are young enough to remember the problems of younger boys and girls. Volunteers believe that some of the happiest people in the world are those who help to bring happiness to others. ,

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Once upon a time,a hippo lived in a river next to a big tree. One day,a bird came and nested in the tree.The songs of the bird filled the hippo with so much envy that he couldn't think of anything else.Every day he would think why he wasn't born to be a bird even though the bird told him many times he was so lucky to be so big and such a good swimmer. Finally,the hippo made up his mind that he would come out of the river,climb the tree and start singing.However,when he tried to climb the tree,it was very clear that the hippo didn't have wings,nor claws to climb with. Realizing that he would never climb up the tree,he angrily hit the tree until it came crashing to the ground.Then he stepped onto the leaves of the fallen tree,and began singing. Unfortunately,hippos can't sing,either.All that came from his mouth were terrible noises,and when the other animals heard this,they all came around to make fun of the hippo. He was so ashamed by this.He also felt bad about having knocked the tree over.He used all his strength to raise the tree back up again,and look after it until it completely recovered. .

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The Internet joins millions of computers all over the world, and it's used by people all over the world. It was invented in the 1960s in the USA. The American government needed a network of computers for its army. Then in the 1970s scientists and businesspeople also wanted to use the Internet to send and receive messages. For some years, they weren't allowed to use US network, and when they were allowed to, the messages were in very simple text without photos. The World Wide Web was invented by a British scientist named Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. He wanted to send documents to other scientists. So he developed the World Wide Web. This allowed him to send and receive scientific documents with text, drawings and photos. In the 1990s, more and more people began to use the Internet and the World Wide Web. So, what's the difference between Internet and the World Wide Web? The Internet is the hardware .It allows us to communicate with other people. The World Wide Web is the software. It allows us to create , see, and read multimedia documents. The web is made up of millions of documents called web pages. These pages are held in computers all over the world. Many people have a favourite website with a number of web pages on the same subject. Email is a way of using your computer to send and receive messages. It's cheaper and quicker to use email than send normal mail. New users call normal mail "snail mail" because it's so slow. It took 50 years for 100 million people to listen to the radio. It took 15 years for 100 million people to watch television. By the year 2000, it had taken only about three years for 100 million people to use the Internet. What will happen next on the Internet?

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Today is Sunday, so Peter doesn't go out. He asks his parents about the traditional Chinese clothes. Mother tells him that Qipao is the traditional dress of China. Qipao is usually made of silk. Sometimes Qipao is made of cotton. Many women in the West like it very much too. Father say all the VIPs in important meetings like wearing Tang suit . People look smart in the traditional Chinese clothes. Many young people find it cool to wear the clothes in their own styles. Peter's cousin says the modern clothes are better. Finally, they think the fashion should be comfortable first.

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Mrs. Brown lives in a small village. Her husband is dead. She has a son but no daughters. His name is John and he is twenty-five. After John finishes college , he gets work in a big city, New York, and he lives there. It's quite a long way from his mother's home, and she is not happy about it. But John says, "There is no good work for me in this small village, Mother, and I can get a lot of money in New York. Then I can give much to you." One day Mrs. Brown is very angry. She takes a train to her son's house in New York. Then she says to him. "John, why do you never call me?" "But mother," John laughs and says, "You don't have a telephone with you." "No," she says, "I haven't, but you have one."

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"I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?"is what she heard. Then she said,"I shook my head no,and then they said 'yes' and it was announced again." It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen year old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana. She was still _ "I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen. "Present in the audience that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher. Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there,AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete . "She's always been my role model. I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her." One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the tough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot,a lot..." As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Shelley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving,in addition to many other things to help the youth. When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way,it is easy to be yourself."

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In Britain life used to be fun for teenagers.They used to have money to spend , and free time to _ .They used to wear teenage clothes, and meet in teenage coffee bars and discos.Some of them still do.But for many young people, life is harder now.Jobs are difficult to find.There's not so much money around.Things are more expensive, and it's hard to find a place to live in.Teachers say that students work harder than they used to.They are less interested in politics , and more interested in passing exams.They know that good exam results may bring them better jobs. Most young people worry more about money than their parents did twenty years ago.They try to spend less and save more.They want to be able to get homes of their own one day. For some, the answer to unemployment is to leave home and look for jobs in one of Britain's big cities.Every day hundreds of young people arrive in London from other parts of Britain, looking for jobs.Some find jobs and stay.Others don't, and go home again, or join the unemployed in London.

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Have you ever watched the big parade on Tian'anmen Square on October 1? Some students performed in the big parade. In order to get ready for it, this summer, many Beijing middle school students had a different kind of vacation. Instead of hanging out with friends or traveling, they trained hard for the 60th birthday of China this year. Students trained from 7:30 am to around 10:00 am or from 4 pm to 6:30 pm, because it was very hot this summer. They wore white hats, T-shirts and blue trousers. The hats and T-shirts were printed with a red logo, the number "60". The first week of training was PE. Students practiced standing and squatting. Then they moved on to practice the group show. When we watched the parade on TV we saw them making colorful pictures. What did the students think of their unusual summer? "Sometimes we find it a bit tiring." said Lu Wenqi, 13. "But most of us think it's a great _ to take part in such an important show." Li Hui, 15, thought the same as Lu. She said her classmates were hardly late for training. "It's a wonderful chance for us," said Li. "When my parents were in college, they also took part in a national day parade. Now it's my turn!"

middle2216.txt

My grandpa is 93 years old this year. He is very healthy and looks young. Many people ask him why he is so healthy. Grandpa says good diet is very important to everyone. Grandpa has three meals a day regularly . He often eats lots of vegetables and fruit. He never drinks or smokes . He says they are bad for health. After he gets up in the morning, he often drinks a cup of water. And before he goes to bed in the evening, he has a cup of milk. He says everyone should drink some water before breakfast. Grandpa has a good lifestyle, too. He likes sports. He likes playing ping-pong and badminton. Sometimes he goes swimming. He goes running every day before breakfast, too. He says exercise can help a person keep healthy and strong. Grandpa likes watching TV. But he only watches TV in the afternoon. He doesn't watch too much TV. Many old people like playing Majon, but grandpa doesn't. He says sitting in the chair for long time is not good for health.

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Life in Britain Homes and families Many British people live in Houses, not apartments. Most houses have gardens. Daily life Most office workers start work at about nine in the morning, and finish at about five or six in the afternoon. Most people don't go home for lunch, and they just have a quick meal. School life Children start school at about nine am, and finish at about three thirty pm. Most children have lunch at school. All children go to school when they are four or five years old, and leave when they are sixteen or seventeen. Shops Most shops open at about nine am and close at about six pm. Usually, they don't close for lunch.

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It's Really a Miracle Mr. Brown works in New York and he brought his family to China last summer. They visited many places of interest and had a good time here. Before they left for New York, the Browns climbed the Great Wall. It was the greatest project over two thousand years ago. They took a lot of photos there and then they had a picnic under a big tree. Suddenly it began to rain and they hurried to the car. And when they returned to the hotel, they couldn't find the bag in which their expensive camera was. They were all sorry for it. They could buy another camera but had no time to go to the Great Wall again. They could not miss the plane! That evening they didn't have supper. Mr. Brown hoped to make them happy, so he said, "Well, let me tell you a story. An old man lived in a sixty-floor building. One day he fell down from it when he was cleaning the window. But he didn't hurt himself." "It was a miracle!" called out his children, "Why?" "Because he lived on the first floor!" They all began to laugh while two policemen with a bag came in. They said a Chinese boy found it under a big tree and he asked them to find out who lost it. "It's really a miracle!" the Browns said happily.

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Hello, everyone. My name is Tom . I'm a middle school student. I am a soccer fan . I play soccer after school every day. This is my father, His name is Mike Smith. He is a soccer fan, too. He plays soccer very well. I like playing soccer with my father very much. We have a great collection of 15 soccer balls. This is my mother . Her name is Linda Smith. And this my sister Mary .But my mother and my sister don't like soccer. They only watch TV at home. They say many TV programs are very interesting. ,.

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Peter: Paul, what are you going to do this afternoon? Paul: I plan to climb a hill. Would you like to go with me? Peter: Thank you. But I don't want to be tired. I want to sleep at home. Have a good time! Paul: I'm sure I will. But now I don't know what to wear. Peter: What about your new trousers? Paul:My new trousers are made of wool. I don't think they can make me comfortable. Peter: You're right. Wool clothes are not fit for a trip. How about your blue jeans? What are they made of? Paul: Cotton. They are good for trips. And shall I wear my leather shoes? Peter: No. They will make your feet hot. You know, it is hot these days. And they are also too heavy for a trip. Try your trainers. Paul: OK. And trainers go well with my jeans. Peter: And why not wear your cap? It looks cool on you. Paul: Thank you. I will wear it.

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Are You Right Handed or Left Handed? Which hand do you use when write? About 8 to 15 percent of people are left handed. They often have to use tools that are designed for right-handed people. So it is difficult for left-handers to use most tools. If you are right handed, try this experiment: Take a knife with your left hand and try cutting a potato into pieces. Don't be surprised if you feel awkward . In the past, people thought it was strange to use the left hand. Young students looked down upon their left-handed classmates. Some children were even punished for using their left hand to write. But these days parents and teachers have accepted that. In almost every school in the world, left-handed students can use their left hand to write. What causes people to be left handed or right handed? Experts have searched long and hard on this. They conclude that left-handed people are left handed for the same reason that right-handed people are right handed. One out of every ten people just is a left-handed people are right handed. One out of every ten people just is a left-hander. It's simply like the color of our eyes - some people have brown eyes, while some others have black eyes. However, may researchers think that left-handers and right-handers are different in some aspects. Right-handers are more talkative and outgoing than left-handers. Many right-handed people understand spoken words better. For example, after they listen to directions to a supermarket, they can find it easily. Right-handers are good at organizing people, too. They are also better basketball guards. Just ask Yao Ming. Research shows that left-handers are creative and artistic. Many famous performers, like Jim Carrey and Paul McCartney, are left handed. Many left-handers learn better visually . In art, both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were left handed. In music, Ludwig van Beethoven was left handed. In science, you find Newton and Einstein. The left-handed people are also really good at tennis and other single sports. If you prefer one hand, but you are still good at writing with the other, you are mixed. Research shows mixed-handers can remember everyday things better than other people. What did you eat for lunch two weeks ago? If you're mixed handed, you can probably remember.

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These days there are lot of possibilities to be always connected to family and friends. Now that I have just moved lo France, this can be very convenient. 1 can ring my sister who lives in Los Angeles on Viber, or I can Skype my parents or friends back in England for a chat. However, sometimes the convenient and dependability of technology can be _ . Even the most out-going people need some "down time" to calm down on their own and get relaxed. This is something that I consider necessary and healthy. After all, you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, so you'd better know how to enjoy your own company. It can be a good thing to have time to yourself to collect your thoughts and free your feelings. Today 1 went for a walk by myself around the lake and just dav-dreamed. It was so relaxing and enjoyable and helped me let go of my bad emotions. However, somehow it seems rude or perhaps makes people feel that you'reupset to sayto people:" I'm going to go and spend sometime by myself. " Andoften when we are spending time 'alone' , we are actually connected with a piece of electrical equipment. We try to make something into a Facebook or a Tweet to attract our friends, or we scroll (> through Facebook nosing into other people's lives orseeing what friends are up to. We judge ourselvesand other people by the photos they put online, so we can tell how much fun they are having compared to us. This is an age when we can get so much surface information about other people's lives, but being wrapped up in what other people are doing or always thinking about other people's recognition of us can be quite unhealthy. Perhaps these days forget about the simple pleasure of spending time just for us. Having said all that, I also think that spending too muchtime byyourself can separate you from others. I suppose it is important to find a good balance between spending valuable time by yourself and with other people.

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This is a heart-warming story. It tells about a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary . All day she felt nervous. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her boss. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise. She was so delighted. The woman arrived home happily that evening. To her surprise, she found a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had told him about it, or... did he just got the news by accident. She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They hugged and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully card with some words. It read, "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you." Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. She picked it up from the floor, she read, "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You are the best anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you." According to the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." ,,. (1,5)

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Mrs. Green is going to give a birthday party for Mary. Mary is her daughter. She is going to be ten years old. A lot of friends of Mary's are going to come to the party. There are twenty girls of them. Mrs. Green is getting ready for the party. Mrs. White is helping her. "That's a big nice cake," Mrs. White says to Mrs. Green. "Thank you very much." Mrs. Green is going shopping now. She is going to buy fruit for the party. She buys lots of pears, apples, oranges and bananas. Then she goes home. It's five o'clock in the afternoon. Everything is ready. Now the first girl is arriving. The party is going to begin in thirty minutes.

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Where has the Time gone? is the hottest song that has moved thousands of Chinese. Chinese parents give their children endless love and want nothing from them. However, sometimes, daughters and sons are too busy growing up and forget that their parents are getting older and older. What should we do? Let's have a look at a letter of a father's. Dear son, One day if you see me old and I am not myself, have patience and try to understand me. If I get dirty when eating.. ., if I cannot dress.. ., have patience. Remember the hours I spent teaching it to you. If, when I speak to you, I say the same things one thousand and one times, do not stop me and listen to me. When you were small, I had to read to you one thousand and one times the same story until you get to sleep. When I do not want to have a shower, neither shame me nor scold me. Remember when I had to chase you with a thousand excuses I made, in order that you wanted to bath. When you see me meet something new, give me the necessary time and don't laugh at me. I taught you how to do so many things _ to eat well, to dress well... to face life. If I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well when I need to and when not. When my legs do not allow me to walk, give me your hand the same way I did when you gave your first steps. When sometimes I lose the memory during our conversation, let me have the necessary time to remember. And if I cannot do it, do not become nervous because the most important thing is not my conversation but to be with you and to have you listen to me. Yours, Father

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Lucy and her classmates are discussing about creating a homepage for their class. Lucy: What should we put on our class homepage? Jane: I think our class homepage should have daily or weekly news of class activities. Mathew: What kind of class activities? Jane: Something like spring outings, class meetings, a school singing competition, etc. Mathew: We will go for a spring outing next week, won't we? I can write something about it. Lucy: Great! What else should our class homepage have? Mathew: Um... How about photos of students' artwork, presentations, and outdoor activities? Lucy: Good idea! But who will take the photos? Mathew: As I am a fan of photography, I can take the photos. Jane: I've got an idea. As parents always want to know what assignments their kids do in and after class, we can also post our weekly agenda , including in-class assignments and homework assignments, on the homepage. Lucy: And I think I can create a "reading corner" on the class homepage, too. As I am a bookworm, I can recommend good books to our classmates. Jane: Great! Let's get down to work!

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Many years ago,there was a very popular sport in America. Who invented the sport more than 3,000 years ago? We don't know . But everyone thinks it was the 01mecs made it popular. People don't have the same rules about the game all over the world . People in different parts of the world play the game in different places at different times. If we want to bring back the sport, we need to have two teams of players standing on each end of a court. When the game begins, the two teams need to pass a ball with their hands and feet. The players can't touch the ball with their hands and feet. But they can use their elbows and other parts of their bodies hit it. If a player does not pick up t he ball in time and lets it fall to the ground, that team loses a point. Or if a player makes the ball through a hoop ,that team scores a point. The team with the most points wins the game.

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Last summer I went to India with my family. We spent 10 days traveling around Rajasthan and I will never forget it. We saw lots of things like the Taj Mahal and we went to a tiger reserve . Our guide was called Krishna and he was really nice especially when I didn't always understand things he would explain it to me and answer all my stupid questions. Also when I got ill with a fever, he was really kind and gave me medicine and got a priest to give me a _ in a Hindu temple we visited, and then I got well again very quickly. There were lots of amazing parts of the holiday. One was when we got to ride on elephants in Jaipur. My sister and I rode an elephant called Lucky. We were in a camel cart but Krishna talked to the camel's owner and we were allowed to ride on them, which was really cool. I also really liked the Taj Mahal because it was even prettier than I imagined. My sister lost her shoes. But the people in India are really kind, so we found them again. The weather was really hot which was nice because Krishna gave us lots of time to spend in the pool and relax in-between going to see all the amazing places. This was the best holiday that I have ever been on. I wish I could come back another year.

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Dear Editor, I am unhappy these days.I am a student in Grade 3 of a middle school. I want to be a policewoman in the future. But my mother doesn't like the job. She always says it is too dangerous for a girl to work as a policewoman. She thinks girls should work in the office. She hopes that I can work as a teacher. But I really dislike being a teacher. I don't like work with children. When I talk with her about it , she is often angry. She always thinks she is right. I don't know what to do. Can you help me? Yours, Lily

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One night a man came to our house and told me, "There is a family with eight children. They have nothing to eat for days." I took some food and went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the ugly face of those little children by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it into two, and went out, carry half the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple answer, "To my neighbours----they are also hungry." I was not surprised that she gave----because poor people are unselfish . But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are in trouble, we think more about ourselves, and have no time for others.

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Zhang Ming, a college student from Shandong, created a 9-page "WeChat guide". With drawings and simple words, the step-by-step guide explains how to send messages, take pictures and make video calls. Zhang made the guide for his parents. "My parents are getting old. They need an easy way to learn how to use new technology." He said. Zhang's experience is common nowadays. Worldwide, 40 percent of parents learn about new technologies, including computers, mobile Internet and social media, from their children, according to a study from the International Communication Association in 2014. Parents used to teach their kids about almost everything. Now for the first time, the teachers become the students, and the students turn into the teachers. The change of roles comes from the rapid development of society and technology, says Zhou Xiaohong, a sociology professor from Nanjing University. Zhou said the Internet and other forms of media give children ways to get information besides from asking older generations . Therefore, in the age of information, it's possible that children know more than their parents do. According to the China Internet Network Information Center(CINIC), 56.7 percent of Internet users and 67.2 percent of social media users in China are under the age of 30. The younger generation usually acts as a _ between their family and the new environment. But when they teach their parents new technologies, parents can connect to the new world by themselves, noted Zhou. In Zhang Ming's eyes, teaching his parents about WeChat brings him closer to his parents. "People can communicate more by using new technology. Why should we keep our parents out?" said Zhang.

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One year ago Bertha and Grace became close friends at a college in Dartmouth. One day, Bertha said that her aunt Margaret had invited her to spend the summer holiday with her. And they would have picnics and parties as well. But Grace told Bertha that she planned to stay in Clarkman's bookstore until the new term began. Grace had to do something to feed herself because her parents died many years ago. Bertha watched her friend's pale face. Just then she got a good idea. The next day when Grace came back, Bertha showed her an invitation letter from her aunt Margaret. "Grace, would you like to spend your holiday with us? I will help you find a part-time job in our town." Grace cried after reading it. "Grace, please spend the holiday with me, or Margaret will be disappointed . I want you to be happy," Bertha said. The holiday quickly passed by, and finally one letter from Margaret came to Bertha. "Bertha, Grace is the sweetest girl in the world, and I am very grateful to you for sending her here."

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According to a national study, in the summer of 2013, the long-term warm weather in the UK has made the number of butterflies increase. Around 46,000 volunteers took part in the year's Big Butterfly Count , and they found 830,000 butterflies.Volunteers were asked to make a record.They would record how many times they found one of 21 different kinds of butterflies. Later, the scientists used the records to find out how many butterflies of different kinds were found across the country.Then, they compared the results to the year before.They found that there was a rise in the number of 15 kinds of butterflies, and some of them went up by 50% compared to recent years.They said the increase in butterfly numbers was a result of warm weather. However, scientists also said that the number of butterflies was in decline as a whole, and that we might not see _ the next year. Richard Fox, who works for Butterfly Conservation, said, "UK butterflies are in long-term decline.Studies have been done since the 1970s.They show that UK butterflies have declined in type and number." He added, "We must _ the long-term decline of these beautiful creatures .The only way is by stopping the damage that has been done to the butterflies' habitats across the UK."

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There is a new shopping mall near my school. It is very big. There are five floors of shops and each floor is very big. There are lots of clothes shops, but only one sports shop. There are lots of restaurants on the top floor, you can eat different kinds of food from different countries . I like going to see a movie. The mall is a really good place to go. It is a good place to meet friends.

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Some school officials want to change class time from 8:00am to 9:00am.What do you think? Jill----"I think it's a good idea! I usually get up at 6:10 and it's difficult for me. At night I have to do lots of homework and I like to watch TV . I go to bed at about 11:00 pm. I usually can't catch the bus at 7:30 in the morning. I am often late for school." Sally---"I don't think it's a good idea. I always get up at 5:30 in the morning. It's the best time of the day. First I do some morning exercises. Then I read and have breakfast. So I will be happy if class begins at 8:00 ." Billy---"I never get up before 6:30.I always go to school without breakfast. A morning class is not good for me. I hope I can go to school after 8:30."

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As a child,Alain Robert was afraid of height.One day,when he was 12,he returned home from school.At the front door of his building,he looked for his keys.He didn't find them.It was 3.30p.m.and his parents worked until 6.00p.m.Alain looked at his apartment on the eighth floor.He saw an open window.He closed his eyes and imagined himself climbing the building.When he opened his eyes,he told himself,'I can do it.'Fifteen minutes later,he was in his house and his fear of height was gone. Then,Alain tried to climb buildings.In 2003,he climbed a building in London,dressing up as aspiderman to advertise the movie.In 2004,he climbedTaipei 101(one of the tallest buildings in the world).To reach the top of a building,Alain used only his hands and special shoes. Alain takes climbing as a hobby.He also does it to raise money for charity(for have and the homeless).When he climbs,he wants to send a massage to people.If you have a dream----something you really want to do,it can become true.But you must be brave and keep trying.If something bad happens,don't give up.Close your eyes and tell yourself,'I can do it.'

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There's one language that is used in every country in the world. It's everyone's second language. It's easy to be understood, although you can't hear it. It's sign language. When you wave to a friend who is crossing the street, you're using sign language. When you raise your hand in class, you're saying, "I think I know the correct answer." Babies can point at things. They're using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop the traffic holds up his hand. He's using sign language, too. Sign language is a bridge between the deaf and non-disabled people. They use the movement of the hand, arms or body to express a speaker's thoughts. Today, in many countries, there are special TV news programs for deaf people. The news reporter tells the news in sign language. At the same time, the words appear on the TV screen. The actors in the theater for the deaf often use their hands to show what they want to say. They can make a roof with their hands over their heads when they want to show "house". One finger over a person's mouth can mean "quiet". You can talk to people behind closed windows. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have a talk under water with sign language.

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Pingyao is one of China's three protected ancient cities (the other two are Xi'an and Jingzhou). Lying in the middle of Shanxi Province, 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan, Pingyao ancient city used to be about two hours' drive from the capital of Shanxi Province, but now the distance is only one hour and ten minutes' drive after the highway was built. With a history of over 2,700 years, the ancient city stands out as one of the best protected of all the walled cities in China. On December 3rd, 1997, UNESCO added Pingyao to the World Heritage List as a world's culture heritage. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Commission ,the Pingyao ancient city is a wonderful example of the Chinese Han cities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. All the features of the Pingyao ancient city have been protected, and it shows an outstanding Chinese historical development including its culture, society, economy and religion . ,A, B, C, D,. (10)

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BEIJING--Heavy haze still covered north and east China on Saturday, with highways closed and flights delayed or canceled . The smoggy weather affected the country's land from north to south, including Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong, with visibility less than 50 meters in some areas. Cities like Shanghai and Nanjing have been enveloped in the grey sky for the past several days. Many walkers in the street had to wear masks. In the Lukou airport in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, more than 60 inbound and outbound flights were canceled on Saturday because of the hazy, which also forced primary and middle schools and kindergartens to stop classes on Thursday and Friday in Nanjing. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said earlier this week that there were several main reasons behind the widespread haze: unfavorable weather conditions making it difficult for pollutants to diffuse , motor vehicle exhaust , coal use for winter heating. The Chinese government now plans to clean up the air by cutting coal use, closing some factories and promoting cleaner production. "We must face up to the realities," said Yan Naiqiang, a professor of environmental science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. "The treatment of smog will be a long battle."

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