Problem: Friends around the word The sun shines on new friends in new places. Some of the places are similar to the places where you live and some are not. But all of these friends love to sing and play. A Friend in Korea Hi, I'm Chang--Yong, and I'm 15 year old. My family lives in an apartment in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The spring here is warm and beautiful. On special days, I dress in a silk jacket called Hanbok. A Friend in Australia Hi, John is my name. I'm an Aboriginal Australian, Aborigines have lived in Australia for many years. I live with our mother in the country. My favorite season is autumn. It's cool. We often wear T--shirts. A Friend in Tanzania Hello, my name is Manka, and I live in Tanzania. It's always hot here. Most of us live in wooden huts with grass roofs. My father takes care of the cattle. Cattle are very important for us. A Friend in Canada Hi, I am called Kipanik . We live in northern Canada .near the North Pole. It is snowy and cold most of the time here. So I often wear a heavy coat. My family often uses a dog sled to travel through areas covered with snow.
1. Who lives in Korea?
2. How old is she?
3. Does her family live in an apartment?
4. Where?
5. Which is the capital of what?
6. What is the silk jacket that she wears called?
7. What is her favorite season that she says is beautiful?
8. What's the name of the friend living in Australia?
9. What do they usually wear?
10. What's his favorite season?
11. Where is Manka from?
12. Where does she live?
13. What's the weather like there?
14. What is important for them?
15. Who takes care of their cattles?
16. Name the friend in Canada?
17. Do they live near North pole?
18. What's their weather like?
19. What do they wear?
20. What does the family use to travel through areas?
Answer: 1. Chang--Yong
2. 15 year old.
3. Yes
4. Seoul,
5. South Korea
6. Hanbok
7. spring
8. John
9. T--shirts.
10. autumn
11. Tanzania
12. wooden hut
13. hot
14. Cattle
15. Her father
16. Kipanik
17. Yes
18. snowy and cold
19. a heavy coat
20. a dog sled

Problem: 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!"
1. How old is Li Hui?
2. what were the hats and shirts printed with?
3. in what color
4. what color where the pants?
5. did the studetns like what they were doing?
6. how old is Lu?
7. are they often on time?
8. what had Li's parent's done?
9. what birthday are they celebrating?
10. how old?
11. what could they have been doing instead?
12. what times were they practicing?
13. why not in the middle of the day?
Answer: 1. 15
2. the number 60
3. red
4. blue
5. yes
6. 13
7. yes
8. took part in a national day parade
9. China
10. 60
11. hanging out with friends or traveling
12. 7:30-10:00 am, 4:00-6:30 pm
13. because it was very hot

Problem: I have a good memory of my grandfather,Jack. He was sitting in his armchair in the front room.

I sat next to him. We were reading aloud,our heads bent over the page in front of us,a finger marking the words;separated by seven decades,brought together by words. It's a common scene in British families;however,in our case,the usual order of things is reversed .Granddad had been blind since I was tiny,so I was reading to him.When reading aloud,people usually read something that's of interest to the listener. So I didn't read children's books;I read the sorts of things Granddad liked to hear about. Much of the vocabulary in Granddad's reading material was far beyond me. When I met unfamiliar words,I'd spell them out.

Granddad would help me. It must have been painful for him to hear news;but he never hurried me along or complained. Our reading wasn't really about getting knowledge. It was a way for us to spend time together.

My grandfather wasn't always blind. He had been a good carpenter .The first Christmas of my parents' marriage,he built my mother a bookcase,which now belongs to my son Jonah,providing a link between four generations.

I was a fortunate child;I spent a lot of time with my grandfather,and he opened the world to me in a particular way. Reading was our way of building a relationship that has had a lasting effect on me. In the school holidays,I sometimes accompanied him on trips to the seaside with the local association for the blind. This might seem strange,but I felt that my personal value was realized because I could finally do something for Granddad.

A decade later,I found a position in a nursing home,which reminded me of my early experiences;reading to senior citizens was a connection back to Granddad. More than simple conversation,reading aloud is a connection between two individuals and it can have a big emotional effect on elderly people.
1. Could the author's grandfather see?
2. Had he always been blind?
3. What was his previous profession?
4. What is his name?
5. Where does the author work later in life?
6. Can reading to senior citizens have a positive effect?
7. What piece of furniture has been passed down for generations in the author's family?
8. How many generations?
9. Who owns it now?
10. Where did the author and Jack sometimes go on trips?
11. What group accompanied them?
12. Is reading together common in British households?
13. Did the author and Jack read kids books together?
14. Did his grandfather get annoyed with him?
15. What reminds the author of his Granddad?
Answer:
1. no
2. no
3. carpenter
4. Jack
5. nursing home
6. yes
7. a bookcase
8. four
9. Jonah
10. seaside
11. the local association for the blind
12. yes
13. no
14. no
15. reading to senior citizens