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There are four seasons in a year.They are spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring is a beautiful season. It is from March to May. In spring, the trees turn green, and the flowers _ . Everything loooks new. Summer is a happy season. It is from June to August. In summer, we can swim and eat a lot of ice cream. Of course, we have a long holiday,summer holiday! At that time, we can join the summer camp. That's great! Autumn is a colourful season. It lasts from September to November. In autumn, the leaves on the trees turn yellow. Sometimes they are yellow or red. The colors are beautiful. Winter is a cold season. It's from December to February. In winter, it begins to snow in most places of China. Snow is white, and everything looks white. The children like playing with snow.

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Singles Day falls on every November 11th, and as the name suggests, this holiday is one specially for people who are still living the single life. It's surprising that China is the only country in the world that has set up a special day for singles to celebrate their lives. To find out more about this celebration, read on. An old story goes that once there were four single men, leading very boring lives. None of them were married , or had lovers, or did anything exciting. They just sat around all day and played Mahjong . One day they played Mahjong from 11am until 11 pm. During the game, no matter who won, the winning card was always the 'Sitiao' card. And that day happened to be November 11th. In order to remember the day, they called it Singles Day. For breakfast on Singles Day, singles often eat four youtiao, which means the four "ones" in "11.11". Many singles also choose to say goodbye to their single lives on this day. So they take part in _ , trying to find someone they love and many people choose to marry on this day. Besides the meaning of 'single', the four 'ones' of the date can also mean the 'only one' in one's heart.

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Now many people like the game Angry Birds. Here is a piece of good news for them--soon there will be a lot of Angry Birds-themed activity parks around the world. The first two parks opened in Finland last year, and a few other parks are going to open in the UK. However, people still don't know when and where Angry Birds-themed activity parks will open in the UK. "As a kind of online game, it is popular with people of all ages. It's really an interesting game. And the parks will be interesting places for everyone around the world," said Peter Vesterbacka, an officer of Angry Birds Company. He also said, "We want to make Angry Birds a part of pop culture. We're just getting started." Angry Birds-themed activity parks have many interesting places for children to play. They like _ very much. People can see the characters and colors from the game in the park. People can also play the Angry Birds game on large screens in the park. The company wants to invite people to not only play it on the sofa, but to go out, move around and have fun. So everyone will be happy in Angry Birds-themed activity parks.

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If you travel in the city of Kunming, you can't miss the Kingdom of Little People. It opened in the summer of 2009 in the mountains in Kunming. There are tiny animals, little beautiful cottages and small furniture in the park. The big attraction of the park is the performances by little people. Many little people work in the park. Twice a day, they perform for visitors. They sing, dance and give a magic show. People who want to work in the park should be between eighteen and forty years old from any part of the country. And they should be under 130 cm in height. The creator of the park is a rich businessman. He wants the park to be like a fairyland. And he wants to do something good for _ in China. This theme park has brought together people of unusual stature . They enjoy being part of the community and impressing tourists with (......) their courage and skills. Are you interested in this fairyland? How about having a visit in the Kingdom of Little People?

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Tom, a 15-year-old boy, couldn't hear anything after the whole night computer games and MP3 listening. He was excited and yelled after the MP3. When he walked out of his room the next morning, he could hear nothing about his mother's words. His mother sent him to the doctor at once. It was moderate hearing loss . Do you have an MP3 player? Do you use it to listen to your favorite music? A survey shows that lots of young people enjoy listening to their MP3 players. And they always listen to them at high volumes . There are about 100 million people listening to MP3 players in Europe every day. Most of them are young people. Scientists have found that if people listen to MP3 players at a very high volume for more than five hours a week, they could lose their hearing in five years. High-volume music can keep people excited, so young people would like to keep their players high. It's too bad for the ears. So the MP3 listeners should keep the player within safe volume levels, no higher than 60~70 of full capacity . If people near you can hear your MP3, that means you are keeping your MP3 at a very high volume, turn it down, please!

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We had one class for computers when I was in school, which was also introduced new in school and all the students did not attend it. I took it because I had free period and was interested in taking it. In those days we could not image that computers will become so important in our lives otherwise most of the students would have joined the computer class. Computers are beneficial for almost anyone and the present generation is growing in an atmosphere where you need the computers for doing almost everything .If they are not made computer literate they will lag behind in all the activities. Nowadays almost all schools have some kind of computer courses for the students so that they learn the fundamentals of the computer. It will not be possible to do it if they don't have computer classes. Most of the homes have personal computers now and most children are already aware of the basics before they join school. Computing courses are also good for adults who are not familiar with the computer as most of the jobs which are available today have the use of computer in some way or the other. Adults who have not used the computer before are generally quite anxious, but an easy computing course will be able to change the way they think in a few weeks. If you are interested, you can join a computing course which is longer and teaches you more than the basics, but you may have to spend more time in the completing course. They are very useful courses as _ teaches you ways to use the fundamental programs which are typically used in various jobs. It is also possible you may like to do the computing course for enjoyment as some of the classes are also free .There are courses which charge a fee for skills like graphic design and photo editing . They are a lot of fun too and may also be useful when you do a job , depending on the kind of career ,someone you choose or have . You will find these courses in the colleges, as well as online, if you already are familiar with the use of computer.

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Peter: What are you doing for vacation, Steven? Steven: I'm visiting my aunt in San Francisco. My brother's staying there. He's joining a club. Peter: Oh? When are you going? Steven: Next Friday. Peter: How long are you staying? Steven: I'm staying at my aunt's home for four days. I'm going sightseeing in San Francisco, and then I'm seeing all of my friends New York. How about you? Peter: I'm going to the beach and my friends and I are also going hiking for a few days. Steven: Aren't you renting video tapes and relaxing at home? Peter: No, it's boring. We like outside activities.

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Michael's birthday was coming soon, so he asked his dad for a bicycle so that he would not need to walk to school anymore. However, Michael's dad had lost his job and did not have much money. Michael got a book instead. One bright and sunny day while Michael was walking past a store on his way to school, he saw a big boy on a bike. The bike was too small for the boy. As the boy was turning around a corner, the bike skidded on a small pool of water and he fell off the bike. The boy was also in Michael's school. The boy's name was William. William seemed to have broken his leg. Michael picked up William's bike and rode to the nearby hospital to get help. A few minutes later, an ambulance came and brought William to the hospital. Michael rode William's bike to school so he would not be late for class. After school, Michael quickly rode the bicycle to William's house with a book and a magazine. William was not too seriously hurt. He went home after his leg was put in a cast . To Michael's surprise, William was getting a new bike on his birthday in two months' time and Michael could have William's old bike. Michael was very happy. From then on, Michael and William became good friends. Michael visited William every day till William's leg got well again.

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Jeff Green has a bad habit. He can not look after his things well. Look, this is his room. His things are _ . Look at his desk. Some things are on it. They are notebook, CDs, video tapes, rulers and erasers. He doesn't put his rulers and erasers in his pencil box. Look, some of his sports collections are on the desk and chair. It's eight in the morning, and Jeff is in bed. It's Sunday. He doesn't go to school. Oh, what's under the bed? A soccer ball. He likes playing soccer. He can not play volleyball well. His schoolbag is under the bed. Why is his bag under the bed? We don't know. What's that under the sofa? It is one of his socks. Where is the other one? We can't see it. Jeff needs to ask his parents to find it, I think.

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Droughts are common in Kenya . Before ,they came every 10 years ,but now they seem to be hitting us more often and for a longer time . We gave the droughts names :"longoza"was the drought when many animals died ; there was the drought of the "planes" because food was dropped from the air by planes; and one particularly bad drought was called " man who dies with his money in his fist ",because ,even if there was money , there was simply no food to buy . I was born in 1951 in Machakos. From what my mother tells me , when I was 7, there was a serious drought . I clearly remember the terrible weather and the hunger. I can't tell you how many times I went to bed without eating . " I slept like that ," is how we described it . I can't count the number of days when " I slept like that," or describe the feeling of going to sleep hungry ,knowing I'd wake up and there would still be no food for breakfast. My father would leave early in the morning carrying a little basket to ask for food on credit . Each night he would return home around 10:00p.m. My mother would try to encourage me by telling me to keep the water in our pot boiling so that when my father arrived we could quickly cook any food he brought in the already prepared water . I would keep the fire burning and the water boiling , along with the hopes that we would eat that night. But my father would arrive frustrated and empty -handed. And I would sleep like that.

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House Rules 1. Please clean up before leaving. 2. Showers to be taken before 11 p. m. 3. No staying out 'after 10p. m. unless allowed by me. 4. You may have incoming calls on my mobile phone but no out going calls. 5. Bed time is 11 p. m. 6. Dinner is at 7p. m. unless noticed. . (If you don't have dinner, you must let us know before 6 p. m. ) 7. Keep noise to the least. 8. No smoking in the bedroom. CB4 1LT _ 112 Kendal Way Chesterton Cambridge _ My mobile number is 07870 347980

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Alan is an English boy. Now he studies in Shanghai Yucai Middle School. He is in Grade Seven. He has a dog. It's black and white. The dog's very smart. Alan likes it very much. Its favorite food is bone. Every day when Alan gets home, the dog meets him in front of the house. Alan's friend, Jenny is an American girl. She is in Shanghai too. They are in the same grade, but in different classes. She has a panda. It's also black and white, but it's not a real panda. It's a toy. The panda is very clean. Jenny often washes it in water. Where is the panda now? Oh, it's sleeping with jenny. Every night it sleeps with Jenny.

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Island University has a competition for middle school students. Read about the competition on their website. School Competition Students! Here is your chance to help the physically disabled. Think out a robot or a machine to help them live better. There'll be three prizes. The winning schools each will get $ 15,000. Read the information below: What do you have to do? * Try to know problems faced by the physically disabled in Hong Kong. Write a 200-word article on the difficulties these people have to suffer each day. * Try to know modern inventions that help the physically disabled. Then think out a robot or a machine that will improve the lives of the physically disabled. Draw your invention. You can make as many drawings as you like to show your invention. You can even make a small model of your invention * Write a short description of your invention Who-can join? All middle school students in Hong Kong. So, come on! Join the competition, and get the chance!

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Rudy Saldia is a 25-year-old postman from America. Every day he rides to deliver parcels across his hometown of Philadelphia with his six-month-old cat called MJ always sitting on his shoulders. MJ, short for Mary Jane, is different from other cats. She was born in a drawer in Rudy's bedroom on April Fool's day. When she got older, Rudi noticed that her favorite place to rest was his shoulders, so he decided to train her to work with him. "The first day we crossed one block. The next day we tried two blocks and now we can ride about 25 miles every day. MJ enjoys moving around on my shoulders," Rudi said. However, Rudy hopes to be able to ride 100 miles with MJ in the coming day. "People are always surprised and excited to watch us. I often hear someone shout, 'Oh, my God, he has a cat on his shoulder! How lovely that is!' MJ is so comfortable on my shoulder and she never hurts me with her claws. We always get on well with each other and have a great time during the work." Rudy smiled. MJ loves noisy streets of Philadelphia, the only problem is that she is scared of the siren . However, her owner Rudi is always there for her. One day, if you go to Philadelphia and see a postman with a cat on his shoulder, don't be surprised!

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Donald was not very good at math. He could not understand the teacher's explanations . Even when the teacher explained something a second time, Donald still could not understand it. "Never mind," Donald told himself. "I am quite good at other subjects. I will cheat in the math exam, then I won't be in trouble." "I will sit next to the boy who is best at math," he thought, "and copy down his answers." The day of the exam came, and Donald sat next to Brain Smith, who always was at the top of the class in math. Donald carefully copied Brian's answers onto his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher collected the papers and graded them. Then she said, "well, boys and girls. I have decided to give a prize to the student who got the highest grade. It's difficult for me to decide who to give the prize to, however, because two students, Donald and Brian, got the same grade." "Let them share it," one of the other students said. "I thought about that," the teacher said, "but I decided to give the prize to Brian." Donald was angry when he heard this. He stood up and said. "That's not fair. I got the same grade as Brian." 'That's true." The teacher said." However, Brian's answer to Question 18 was "I don't know," yours was "Neither do I".

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A 15-year-old student who invented a flashlight getting power from the holder's body heat is going home today from California with a big prize and a chance to do further research. Ann Makosinski was the only Canadian among the four winners at Google's international science competition. Thousands of young scientists from around the world took part in the competition. Winning the science and technology competition was "a surprise". Ann said, "I think it will have a great influence on my future." Ann thanked her family for encouraging her interest in science and said that her first toy was a box of transistors . The ideas for the invention came from seeing unwanted batteries and her friend's experience. When Ann visited a friend in the Philippines, she saw the friend couldn't study when it became dark because there was no electricity or light. She saw the need for a flashlight that has no batteries - Hollow Flashlight. In her project, Ann wrote "I made two flashlights that do not use any batteries or harmful materials. They do not create any noise and will always work. The flashlight needs at least a 5degCtemperature difference between the holder's body and the environment around to produce light." A video of Ann explaining how she created the flashlight has been watched more than 1.4 million times on the Internet. Though Ann was successful, she has not made a decision about her career path. Ann hope that she can find a way to join her love of film and science together. The four winners were chosen from 15 final competitors from eight countries. The competition attracted thousands of students in 120 countries.

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I am a middle school student. My name is WeiFang. I'm thirteen now. I study at No.52 Middle School. I am in Class 3, Grade 1. There are twenty boys and twenty-three girls in my class. We have four lessons in the morning and two in the afternoon. We like English very much.

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In England ,people don't often talk to each other when they travel. If you get on a bus or a train. you can see people sitting and looking out of the window. Other people may read books or newspapers. When you meet English people, they often start a conversation by talking about the weather . So when you meet somebody in England, you can say, "Nice weather for the time of the year!" "But it was a little cold yesterday, "somebody may answer. "But it will get a bit warmer later,"you can say. Talking like this, they will think,"How friendly you are!"

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Last month the manager of a jewelry shop received a letter. As he was very busy then, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. He opened it and a 10-pound note fell out onto the desk. Within the note was a letter which said: Dear sir: In 1935 I got engaged . But unfortunately I lost my job. At the time a lot of people were out of work. Six months later I got a job again, but of course I was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring . The assistant took out some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I didn't know the size of my girl's finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring. My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for the ring has been heavy in my heart all these years. At that time, the ring cost 2 pounds so I think it is 10 pounds at today's price and I'm sending 10 pounds. Yours truly, A customer

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EVERYONE is talking about bird flu . Yes it is a very dangerous disease that could make people very sick. It will be a few months before we have good medicine for bird flu.But that doesn't mean you can't do anything to prevent it now. So far, all the people who have caught bird flu have been those who touched sick chickens or their droppings . So it is a good idea for people to stay away from live chickens. "People used to go to the markets to buy live chickens to eat, but now they have to change that habit," said Peter, an expert from World Health Organization. But if you do touch a sick bird, remember to wash your hands carefully with soap right away. Experts also say having good habits and a healthy body will help keep you safe from bird flu. For example, don't buy or eat birds that have not been checked. Don't eat anything that has touched raw meat. Also don't forget to open your windows often and exercise regularly. Getting enough sleep is also very important for fighting illness .If you feel sick, see a doctor right away.At present, no one in Shanghai has bird flu. But WHO says children under 12 years old could easily get sick with bird flu. Try to stay away from people who have the flu, and always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.

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A plant makes its own food in its leaves .Water comes to the leaves through the roots . Air gets into the leaves through very small holes . The green coloring in the leaves uses the water and air to make the food for the plant . It also needs sunshine because a plant can make food only when the sun is shining. Animals and people could not live without green plants . They both eat plants .People and some animals also eat the meat of some animals and these animals eat plants.

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Most people at some time or another have dreamed of being a popular kid at school. Being popular in middle school is much easier than it sounds. Just follow a few steps and finally see what it feels like to be a popular kid. First, why do you want to be popular? Ask yourself if your desire for being popular comes from looking down on yourself or an unlucky situation. If it does, then work first on your self-confidence. Be friendly to everyone, even people that other people think are _ or different. If you are strange or different, realize that everyone is strange in their own way. Take part in school activities and make yourself more visible( ) to the school population. Find a talent or special skill that you have. Whether your skill is telling jokes, drawing, singing or playing soccer, show your skill in right way. Volunteer to help with classroom or school activities that will help you leave a good impression on teachers. Develop a personal style that you feel goes well with your personality. Be yourself and have fun. Keep your strong sense and personality. Join school clubs, sporting teams and student government to show yourself as someone who makes a difference at your school .

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In my country, daily meals usually start with breakfast. People usually have something to drink for breakfast, like tea with sugar and lemon, cold or warm milk or Coke. Many people have some bread, egg, hamburgers and so on. We must always remember that breakfast must be healthy and light. The noon is lunchtime, many people take their meals to schools or their workplaces, but some people like going to a restaurant or having fast food in McDonald's. I think that these meals are not healthy. We can have some rice with some vegetables or meat. More healthy fish and poultry slowly _ beef and pork. It's healthy to drink one glass of water, juice or tea after each meal. At six or seven in the evening, it's time for dinner. At this time, family members usually get together. We often have warm dishes. Sometimes we go out to restaurants.

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Forty years ago, I was in Grade One. One day,I was asked to go to the principal's office . I was really nervous. When I pushed the heavy door open. I found my parents were sitting in the office,too. My father walked to me,with some of my drawings in his hand. "Why do you only use a black crayon when you draw?" he asked. I said nothing. "Show me to your desk," said my father. So we returned to my classroom. My father pulled out my crayon box. There was only one black crayon in it. "Where are the rest of your crayons?" I quietly explained that I'd given all the other crayons to my friends. I shared my things with others as my parents had taught me. Then I looked at my father, then at the principal--both their faces were red. Years later, I learned that my father's face was red because of anger and the principal was red because he was embarrassed . When the principal saw all my pictures, he thought that I had a deep emotional problem. So he had called my parents in to discuss "my problem". In fact, I was too shy to ask for my "shared" crayons back. I didn't stand up for myself! That night, my father told me about the difference between sharing and giving. He also gave me a new box of crayons. He said, "These crayons are for you. I don't want you to share or give these crayons to anyone else. "

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Ding-Dong! "Jason, honey? Can you answer the door?" "I am busy, mom!" Jason shouted back at his mother. He had spent three hours so far working to this point in the game. He couldn't stop now. Ding-Dong!Mom's footsteps approached the front door. "Jason, it's your friend Todd." Mom called from the doorway. Todd, his best friend, stepped into the room. " Jason!I need a partner for playing basketball. "He sounded excited. Jason snorted. "No way, Todd. I'm playing a game here." Jason gave his friend a dirty look, and his character in the game almost got killed while he looked away, " I almost died because of you!" Todd looked at Jason's mother. Jason's mother looked back at him. They both looked at Jason. "Why don't you play basketball with your friend?" Jason's mother suggested. "Tomorrow, maybe..." There were more levels to beat tomorrow, though, Maybe he had played tomorrow. He'd have to see what mood he was in. He thought he heard footsteps walking away, but he was too busy beating the next level to care. An hour later, Jason's father came home. It was dinner time after his father washed up and sat down. Jason didn't even hear his name being called to the table. He didn't hear his father walk at behind him and ask him to turn the game off, either. When the screen suddenly went black and his father's angry face loomed in front of him, Jason finally heard. "No more game for a month." Jason's father shouted at him. "You don't play basketball, you don't come to dinner, and you don't do your chores. We'll make you do something else before you play any more." Jason nodded slowly. He knew better than to argue with his father, and when he thought about it, he had been playing quite a bit. It was fun, but he was letting down his friends, his family, and himself by paying too much. He'd try harder in the future.

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Mary had some troubles, so she went to see the doctor. He was a new doctor, and did not know her. So he first asked her some questions. One of the questions was, "What is your age?" "Well..." Mary answered, "I don't quite remember, doctor, but I will try to think." She thought for a while and then said, "Yes, I remember now, doctor. When I married, I was twenty-two years old, and my husband was thirty then. Now he is sixty, I know, and that is twice thirty. And so I am twice twenty-two. That is forty-four, isn't it?"

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English is very important in the modern world. Many people want to learn it well. Here are some things that I want to say about learning it. To learn English well, you need two things- _ and good learning methods . Passion is the more important one. Why? Because passion makes you want to learn English. Learning methods only tell you how to learn it better and faster. If you love learning English, you will learn it regularly and spend much time on it. It will also be easy for you to remember new words and grammar rules. _ For example, some people like history and know a lot about World War II. If you ask a person who doesn't like history to memorize all the facts, he probably can't do it. When you don't want to learn English, you can do the following things. First, imagine that you can talk to native speakers just as you talk in your mother language. Imagine yourself to be a manager in a foreign company. Imagine you're living in an English-speaking country. Second, use English as much as possible. This is very important. The more you use English, the better you'll learn it. English is very popular, so you can use it everywhere. You can watch American cartoons, write English diaries, and read interesting books written in English.

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Teens are gaining weight. Today most teenagers are at least one size larger than teens were 20 years ago. Even clothing sizes have changed. Did you know that a small today used to be a medium, 20 years ago? A recent research shows 97%of teens need more exercise. It's bad news because too little exercise means you are missing a lot of good things in life. Exercise helps in two ways. First,exercise helps your body. Physical activity can make your body strong. It can also keep you at a healthy weight. Doctors say that people who stay at a healthy weight have fewer health problems. Second,exercise can help your mind. People who get plenty of physical activity might worry less and sleep better at night. You may even learn better in school. Students who are healthy can listen and understand better in class. So you can change your life and be more active at any point. It's never too late. An article called "How to Limit Screen Time and Get Moving"gives these ideas: Step away from the screen. Doctors call watching TV or playing video games screen time. You should have no more than two hours of screen time a day. You will enjoy life more if you live it instead of watching it! Start slowly. An hour a day can seem like a long time. Start with 10 minutes of new activities every day. Add more as you get stronger. Think about walking. Take the stairs instead of the lift. You will feel healthier. Make fitness fun. Find a sport you like. It doesn't need to be the traditional sports of basketball, soccer,or baseball. Those are all great sports and if you like them, play them. However,you can also try hiking,skateboarding,or even rope jumping. If you enjoy the sport,you will do it. Choose food carefully. Help your family shop for healthy food. Read the labels .Look for healthy foods. Eat lots of fiuits and vegetables. Stop buying soft drinks and junk foods. You will feel better if you eat right. Exercise with others. Find a friend or family member to exercise or play with you. You will have more fun and it helps keep you responsible for going.

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Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and died on December 5 , 1791. When he was three, he often had lessons with his elder sister. His father took him through many different countries, where he played music for lots of people. But some people didn't believe a little boy could write such beautiful music. They asked him to stay in a room all by himself for a week and somebody watched the room all the time . In a week , he finished a new piece of music . After that, people believed that he could write beautiful music. Mozart died when he was still a young man. During his short life he studied music and taught music and played music and wrote music. Even by working so hard, he couldn't make much money . Often he had to borrow money from his friends. But his music made him happy and for more than two hundred years his music has made other people happy, too.

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China's female swimmer Fu Yuanhui came third in Women's 100 meter backstroke on Monday morning (Beijing time) at Rio Olympics. China's online community has gone crazy about the 1996-born girl, not because of her performance in the semifinal or her achievement, but because of her cheerful answer to her performance during an interview by CCTV. Finishing the 100 meter backstroke with 58.95 seconds, Fu, who thought it was 59 seconds, was quite surprised with the result. This was the first moment when she impressed Chinese audience with her surprising look and body language in front of the camera. The second time that the young swimmer amazed the audience was her honest and direct answer to a question raised by the reporter." We know that your body condition was not that good in the past year and it's not easy to have such a result. Do you think you are now as good as before?" asked the reporter." It is my best score ever. I have worked for three months on the recovery. Only the ghost knows what I have come through," said Fu, "It was so painstaking that sometimes I felt like I was going to die." In the interview, Fu used a phrase" Hong Huang Zhi Li"to describe the great efforts she has made in preparing for the competition, which soon became a popular word on the internet.

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Do you want to spend a holiday in space? Dennis Tito, a businessman, has become the world's first "space tourist". He went on a 10-day visit to the International Space Station. He paid 14 million pounds for his journey. A year later, Martin, a musician from an American band, wanted to do the same. He was only 22 years old and probably very rich too. He had to go for a lot of training to see whether he was fit enough to travel. He is still waiting for his holiday of a lifetime. Many people believe that this is only the start of something new. We made interviews among teenagers from around the world and the following is what they said about space travel. "It's a great idea. I hope space travel will be common in about 50 years' time. I'd really love to do it and I think Mr. Tito was very lucky." (Kate from Australia) "I would like to see our beautiful Earth from space. There are lots of secrets to explore in space and I would go into space if I could." (Ben from China) "I think space travel is really bad for the environment. Maybe in the future they will make a cleaner way of travelling but until they do, I don't want to go. We should look after our own planet first."(Richard from Canada) "It must be very boring and dangerous to sit in that small space shuttle . I'd rather take a plane and go to another place on earth." (Lisa from the UK) So, as you can see, many of our teenagers had different opinions. Whether you like it or not, space travel is going to become an important thing in the future. We are looking forward to hearing your opinions.

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If you were asked what your body is made of, probably you would say that it is made of flesh and bones and covered with skin. You also know something about the blood which flows through it, and that there is a very important part which we call the brain. But the flesh and the bones make up the largest part of the body, and there is a good deal to be learned about them. You know the general appearance of both flesh and bone from the parts of animals which you see in the butcher's shop. Bone is hard, and of a white color; indeed, it looks more like a piece of wood or stone than a part of a living animal. But bone is a real part of the living body, and it grows and is nourished just as the body is. If a man breaks the bone of his arm or his leg, it is firmly bound up, to prevent the broken parts from moving out of the proper places, and in time then bone grows together again and becomes quite strong. The bones are fastened together by various kinds of joints . They form the framework of the body, and give it strength to retain its proper shape. This framework is called the skeleton . Some animals, such as worms and slugs, have no skeleton; and others, such as shellfish, have a kind of hard covering or skeleton outside. The most important part of the skeleton is the backbone. It is so important that naturalists divide all animals into two classes,--- those which have a backbone and those which have none. All the higher animals, including man, have a backbone, or vertebral column as it is called. They are therefore called vertebrate animals. The others are called invertebrate animals.

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Do you know the game "Rock, paper or scissors"? Maybe you think it's just a simple game for children. But in fact, some adults use it to make decisions and solve their problems. It is also popular in many countries. There are different stories about the history of the game. But many people believe the game came from Japan, and Japanese have played it for a long time. Later it came to Europe in the middle of the 18th century. In 1842, England founded the Paper Scissors Stone Club and from then on people could get together to play the game for honor . There is even an international club named the World Rock Paper Scissors Club in Toronto. The club makes "Rock, paper or scissors" more and more popular. It holds the world championship every year. Top players from around the world take part in it and the champion can get a lot of money and the honor of all the fans of "Rock, paper or scissors".

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A new word is becoming more and more popular on the Internet in China - but no one knows quite what it means.The word "duang" is so new that you can't even find it in the Chinese dictionary. But it has already spread like fire on the Chinese Internet , appearing more than 8,000,000 times on Weibo, where 15,000 users had more than 312,000 discussions. On Baidu, it has been looked up almost 600,000 times. But what does it mean? "Everyone's duang-ing and I still don't know what it means! Looks like I'd better go back to school now," said Weibo user Fahmida. Another user asked: "Have you duang-ed today? My mind is full of duang duang duang." "To duang or not to duang, that is the question," wrote user Beatrice. "Duang" seems to be imitating a sound. It all seems to have started with Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, who in 2004 appeared in a shampoo ad where he used the sound "duang" to describe his soft and black hair. The word came to people again recently after Chan posted it on his Weibo page. Thousands of users then began to visit Chan's Weibo page with comments . The word seems to have many different meanings, and there's no perfect Chinese meaning for it, but you could use it to give emphasis to the word that follows it. A kid might be "duang cute", for example.

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Henry was from the United States and he had come to London for a holiday. One day he was not feeling well. So he was to the clerk at the desk of his hotel and said, "I want to see a doctor. Can you give me the name of a good one?" The clerk looked in a book, and said, "Dr. Grey." "Is he expensive?" "Well," the clerk answered, "he always asks for his patients two pounds for their first visit to him, and 1.5 pounds for later visit." Henry decided to save 50 pence. When he went to see the doctor he said, "I've come again, doctor." For a few seconds the doctor looked at his face carefully without saying anything. Then he nodded and said, "Oh, yes." He examined him and then said, "Everything's going as it should do. Just continue with the medicine I gave you last time."

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On Thanksgiving Day, a teacher asked her class of firstgraders 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's," said another, "Because he grows beautiful flowers. " Finally when the others were at work ,the teacher went over to 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.

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I have two good friends .They are Peter and Gina .Here are two photos .The first one is a photo of Peter's family , and the next one is a photo of Gina's room . In the first photo , you can see four people . They are Peter's parents , Peter and his sister .Peter's father is a teacher . And his mother is a teacher too .Can you see the boy on the bed ? That's Peter . A red hat is on his head .Who is the girl ? Oh , she is Peter's sister . Her name is Nancy . In the next photo , you can see a tidy room . It's Gina's room . A blue desk , a yellow chair , a green bookcase and a white bed are in it . A computer and some CDs are on the desk .Her red schoolbag is on the chair .A dictionary is on the bed . Gina's room is very clean and tidy .

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Baseball is one of the favorite sports in the U.S.A. Children play baseball in sports field or in parks. At summer picnics, there is often an informal baseball game. Boys and girls, the young and the old, take turns to beat. Each team has 9 players. The baseball season goes from April to September. During this time, baseball matches are on TV and members of the important baseball teams become America's heroes. At the end of season, the two top teams play against each other. Many baseball fans go along to watch the game. Millions of others listen to the radio and watch television. People seem to talk only about the result and the players. American football is perhaps the most popular sport in the U.S.A. The football season begins when the baseball season ends. More people are interested in football than baseball when there is an important game. Thousands of people sit beside the radio or in front of the television set to hear or watch the result.

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The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you'll get your words mixed up and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can't understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor , you can always have a good laugh at your mistakes you make. Don't be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It's better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you, because they don't understand what you are saying. The most important things for learning English is: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes ."

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A Policeman and a Thief One day a policeman was taking a thief to the city . On the way , they saw a shop . The thief said . " Let me go into the shop to buy some bread . We can eat it in the train . " The policeman agreed . The thief went into the shop and ran out of the back door . When the policeman knew that , he began to look for the thief everywhere . At last the policeman caught thief again . They went on to the city . On the way they came to the same shop . The thief wanted to buy some bread again . "Oh , no . " said the policeman , "You did that before , and you ran away . This time I'll go into the shop and buy bread . You must wait here for me . "

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Every student in Australia must wear their school uniforms when they are at school.There are many kinds of uniforms such as suits,dresses,shorts,skirts,shirts,T-shirts and so on. Class usually begins at 8:00 a.m.in most Australian schools,and sometimes it begins at 10:00 a.m.You needn't go to class with your schoolbag,you can put it in your own cabinet and only take a few books.There are many subjects:English,Maths,Biology,Geography,History,Physics,Chemistry ,Music,Computer,PE,Chinese Drama and so on.In a computer class,each student sits at a table and does their work.They are very quiet.The teacher goes around them to give directions to them.One class is about two hours.At noon all the students have lunch at school.Their lunch is sandwiches and some fruit. In the afternoon there's only one class.School ends at 3:30 P.m.Some students can swim or play ball games until 5:30 P.m.Then they must go home.They seldom do homework,even the students in Grade Eleven.This is the school life of the Students in Australia.

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These days, more and more students in the UK are taking a "gap year"between their graduation from school and their university studies. This means they can take a year off to do something else, before they start their studies. For most students, spending time in foreign countries is the favorite activity --- and Australia is the favorite place to go. Many parents, teachers and business people agree that travelling can teach important values. "After a year of travelling, I felt I'd grown up. I had learnt the importance of relationships with people, on all kinds of levels." There are many companies around the world that welcome these students on their projects---helping people in poorer countries, or even in your home country. Although you don't get paid for your work, this kind of work can teach important skills---decision making and finding answers to problems, for example---that will help many students in a job one day. Finally, getting some knowledge and experience in an area you hope to study or work in one day will always be very useful. If several university graduates are applying for the same job, gar year work experience allows you to say, " I've already had some experience of this kind of work." And that can get your job.

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Mr. White works in a park. He can't hear or speak. He looks after the chairs in the park. Some chairs in the park look very old. Mr. White wants to paint them. It is cloudy today. There are few people in the park,so Mr. White starts to paint a chair. After he paints it,he goes back to his office and brings a card with "WET PAINT" on it. He wants to put the card near the chair. He takes the card and walks to the chair. Dave is taking a walk in the park. He feels a little tired .He wants to sit on a chair. He sees the chair. He is walking to it,too. Mr. White finds someone behind him walking to the same chair. He walks quickly. When Dave sees this,he begins to run. Mr. White begins to run,too. Dave runs faster than (......)Mr. White and he sits on the chair. He does not know the paint is wet. Mr. White is not happy to see him sitting on the chair. He shows Dave the card. Dave feels very embarrassed .

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My name is David Green. I am an English boy. My family are in Beijing. My father and mother work there. I have a sister but no brothers. We have a nice house in Beijing. There is a TV, a radios, a telephone, a computer, two small beds, a big bed and a soccer ball in it. The computer is next to the TV. The telephone is in the big bed. The football is under one of the small beds. I like playing football , but my sister likes watching TV.

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Henry was born in a small town. His father has a factory. One night the man drank too much and drove his car home. On his way he drove fast and suddenly his car fell into the river and he died in the accident. The old man left his son much money and the factory. But the man spent all the money in nearly three years and at last he had to sell the factory for food and clothes. Another three years passed and he wanted to find work but he couldn't do anything. Nobody would use a man like him. The young man thought and thought. At last he found a way. He began to beg from door to door. Most people in the town knew him well and few of them had a pity on him. So he was often hungry. He had to leave the town and came to Toronto. In the city he began to pretend that he couldn't speak. So he could beg some money and food. One day Henry was begging by the station when he met Mr. Cook, one of his father's friends. The man asked, "How long have you been dumb , Henry?" The sudden question made the young man burst out , "since I was born!"

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An elephant and a monkey were arguing. "Look, how big and strong I am!" The elephant said. The monkey disagreed, "Look, how fast I can run and climb! Can you?" At last they asked a wise tiger, "Which is better--to be strong or to be quick?" The tiger said, "Go across the river and pick the fruit on that tree for me, then I can tell." So they went to the river, but the water ran fast and the monkey was afraid. "Get on my back," said the elephant proudly, "I shall carry you." Soon they crossed the river. There stood the tree. But the fruit was too high for the elephant to reach. He also tried to pull the tree down, but failed. "Don't worry." The monkey climbed quickly up the tree, and picked the fruit. Then they returned and gave the tiger the fruit. "Which is better--to be strong or to be quick?" The tiger smiled, "Neither of you could get the fruit alone. It took both the elephant's strength and the monkey's quickness to get it."

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John moved into a new house. He was very happy. He had an old cat and a young cat. He liked them very much, He thought, "I must let my cat go in and out of my house when I'm not at home." He had an idea. One day, a friend came to see him and saw two holes in his door. One is big, the other is small. "My dear friend," he said, "It's a very nice house, but why are two holes in your door of the new house?" "To let the cat in and out, of course." John said. "But why are there two holes? Is one hole all right?" "How can a big cat go through the little hole?" said John. "That's right. But can't a little cat go through a big hole?" The friend laughed.

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Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. Bill Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. He was a very clever boy. His favourite subject at school were science and maths. When he was 13 years old, Bill started to play with computers. At that time, computers were very large machines. Once he was interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software programme with the old machine. Bill sold it for 4, 200 dollars when he was only 17. In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University. At Harvard, he developed the BASIC language for the first microcomputer . In his third year, he left Harvard to work for a company called Microsoft. Bill began this company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought that the computer would be a very important tool in every office and in every home, so they began developing software for personal computers. They improved the software to make it easier for people to use computer.

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This is not a diet. It's a simple way to lose weight~ And you don' t even have to give up the food you love or join a gym. You just follow some habits that thin people have. Keep them, and you'll become thin. ( 1 ) Wake - up When you wake up in the morning, sit up slowly without using your hands. With legs straight out, bend( ) forward until you feel sore in your back. It will burn about 10 calories (,). (2) Start with soup When you have a meal, order a clear soup, and have it before having the main food. In this way, you'll feel fuller, so you'll eat less when the main food comes. (3) An apple (or more) a day Apples are full of fiber and water, so your stomach will want less. The study shows that people who eat at least three, apples a day lose weight. (4) Stand up and walk around Every time you use the mobile phone, stand up and walk around. Heavy people sit on average two and a half hours more each day than thin people. This skill is very important as standing up and walking around will burn 50 or more calories. Use these skills, and you will have a big weight loss. ,A, B, C, D,. (5,2,10)

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In some science fiction movies, evil robots refuse to die, no matter how hard people fight back. Now science fiction has become science fact. For the first time, scientists have made a robot that can take a beating and keep on going. Scientists from Cornell University made the robot, which looks like a spider with four legs. Until now, even the most advanced robot was almost certain to break down when it was damaged . That is because its computer inside simply doesn't know how to make the machine work after its shape has changed. To deal with this problem, the scientists put eight motors and two sensors that read how the machine is working. They all give signals to the machine's software. Using this information, the computer can then figure out the machine's shape at any moment. The new technology is a big advance in robot-making, scientists say, and it's far from scary. It may someday help scientists create better artificial arms and legs and give new freedom to people who lose _ . It might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space. "It has been difficult to design robots that can work well when the environment changes or when it's damaged," says Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in US. "With this work, we are nearer to solving this problem."

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Fire can help people in many ways. But it can also be very harmful. Fire can make water hot and house warm, give light and cook food. But fire can burn things, too. It can make trees, houses, animals and other things catch fire . If some people can't run away from fire, it can kill them. This happens in every country every year. Sometimes big fire can burn forests. A month ago, a large forest fire broke out in Yunnan Province. It lasted nearly half a month. The forest in Heilongjiang Province and the grassland in Inner Mongolia caught fire in May, 2006. After more than ten days' fight, over 30,000 people and soldiers put out the fire at last. Nobody knows clearly when people began to make fire, but there are many interesting stories about the first time a man or a woman started a fire. One story from Australia tells about a man who went to the sun and brought fire down a long time ago. Today people know how to make a fire with matches . Children sometimes like to play with them. But matches can be very dangerous. The match can burn a piece of paper and then it can burn a house. A small fire can become a big fire, and destroy many things. Fire kills many people every year. So you must be careful with fire. ,.

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Jack and Mike are on holiday in France. Mike loves visiting old buildings. Jack likes, too. In the village Jack and Mike see a beautiful old church, but when they come into the church, some people are there. They don't know what the people are doing. "Oh! Just sit quietly, and do like the others!" Mike says. Because they don't really know French, so they stand, kneel, and sit to follow other people. Then the priest says something. The man next to Jack and Mike stands up. "We should stand up, too!" Jack whispers to Mike. So, Jack and Mike stand up with the man. Suddenly, all the people smile! After that, Jack and Mike walk to the priest. "What's so funny?" Jack asks in English. With a smile on his face the priest says, "Boys, there is a new baby born, we ask the father to stand up." Mike smiles and says, "We should understand what people do before we do like them. "

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1Rio2 is a great movie. Blu, Jewl and their three kids leave their home in the city for a trip to the Amazon rainforest . When they get there, they try to adapt to the new life in the rainforest. But Blu finds they're in danger. What do the family members do next? You can find the answer in the movie, but now let's get to know about the family members. 2Blu is the father of the family. He likes making food for his family and he likes watching soccer games. 3Jewel is the mother of the family. She wants to take her children to live a different life. 4Bia is very smart. She goes everywhere with a book in her hand. She is very kind, but she doesn't like flying. 5Carla is the eldest of the three children. She is very beautiful and she likes listening to music all day. 6Tiago is the youngest of the kids. He looks very thin, but he is good at dancing.

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What do you think of black cats? Are they unluckier than cats of other colors? Many people in Western countries think so. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), did a study on cat colours and people's understandings of cat personalities. The study found that people do judge cat personalities by color. Scientists did a survey on the Internet. There were 49 statements matching five cat colorings with 10 personalities. People think orange and bi-coloured cats are friendly, tri-coloured cats are not generous, and white cats are calm, lazy and shy. As for black cats, people think they don't have special personalities. But why do so many people dislike keeping black cats as pets? People think black cats have less special personalities, which might be because of their bad reputation . They think black cats may bring bad luck, especially at Halloween. Movies and television shows also make people believe that. Although people have these ideas, UC Berkeley scientists give another reason: people don't think black cats are pretty enough. After all, nothing can show black cats are unluckier than other cats. "You can't judge a cat by its colour, because it's the personality of the cat, not the colour, that will let you know if the cat is right for you," Cathy Marden, a scientist said.

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Now more and more foreign families move to Yiwu. The Kings is one of them. The King family is from an Arabic Country. Mr King is a businessman. Mrs King is 35 years old , five years younger than her husband. She is a teacher. They have two children. Tony, their son,is a student. He is 10. He studies in Wuai Primary school. Tony has got a sister, Alice. She is 5 years old. They like Yiwu very much.

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Life are always full of stress these days. How do you usually deal with your stress? Do you know doing housework is helpful in dealing with stress? In fact, doing something like washing dirty clothes may really make people relaxed. "Doing some housework such as washing windows or ironing clothes is a good way to face our stress without taking any medicine," says Carol Clark, a successful psychologist in New York. She often advises people who are under lots of stress to try doing housework every day. "While washing something," she says, "you can imagine you're washing away some trouble in your life." Do people all agree with her idea? Here are some ideas about it. "Housework is the main reason for the stress in my life," says Linda in France. "Get me out of doing the housework and then I'll really be relaxed." Gary is a single father. "So, a man pays a psychologist $200 an hour for his problem about stress. However, he is just told to go back home and do some housework. I really don't know who is crazier, the psychologist or the man!

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This term we have a new teacher of English. His name is Mr Peterson. He comes from Australia, but now he lives in a tall building in Wuxi. He is not very tall and he is thin. He has a round face and small blue eyes. He wears glasses and they make him look smart.He has dark brown hair. Mr Peterson works very hard. In class, he has many good ideas to make the class Very interesting. We all 1ike his class. After class, he always _ us to speak more English. Sometimes, he plays games with us. He is very strong and he can play basketball and football very well. He is good at sports. Sometimes, he plays table tennis with us, but he doesn't play it very well. Mr Peterson loves living in China very much. He likes lots of things in China. He really loves eating Chinese food. He loves traveling in China, too. He is going to visit Xi'an next month.

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When you sit in the classroom, do you suddenly feel that summer flew by so quickly? I'm still thinking about taking walks in the park and meeting my friends at night. But I know that the school season is beginning. And homework, tests and routine all come with it. When I stay in my room and write my homework, I often look out of the window and look back at this summer. In the past two months of summer break, I spent many evenings in my backyard. I listened to my parents telling stories about their childhood. My brother caught fireflies . Once in a while, we made a barbecue and ate chicken and corn. Now I'm back to school. It's difficult to find time to do everything that I want to do, like dancing, reading, and sleeping. How I hope to have another break in my studies! I could read a fun book instead of the boring ones that we have to read for English class. Still, I should not feel sad. Summer gave me time to relax, good memories, laughter, and the experience of new friendships. But without school, I would never appreciate the happy moments in summer and the responsibilities that I have now. What's more, there are only 10 more months to go until summer comes again. And in the meantime, I can have lots of fun with my friends as we begin our high school experience together.

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Do you think of white when someone talks about a polar bear? In fact, the polar bear does not have white fur. It just appears to be white. Polar bears have a very good sense of smell. It helps them to find food. During summer, polar bears sleep longer, because they are able to find their food more easily at night. Usually, after a meal, polar bears have a short sleep. A polar bear can have 2-3 babies at a time. They live with their mothers until they are about two-and-a-half years old. However, polar bears will die out soon because of people. There are only 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. The ones that are left are trying to survive today. The number of polar bears is becoming smaller and smaller because of the loss of sea ice-- polar bears mostly inhabit the sea ice, not the land ice. This is happening because of global warming , pollution, hunting and so on. Ordinary people don't care, but great people have the power and want to save tigers, fight for giant pandas and save polar bears. Ordinary people will wait, but great people will find a new world. For me, I will not waiting. I will take the bus more often from now on. Join me and save the polar bears, and, of course, the tigers, the giant pandas and...

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Liang Xiyan still misses her long black hair, which was cut two weeks ago. Liang became a senior high school student in September. In her new school, the rules say that boys' hairstyles must be cropped and girls' hair cannot fall below their shoulders. Liang's school is not alone: many have similar rules on hairstyles. Teachers think a cool hairstyle is a waste of time and money. It may also _ students from their studies. "Your personality is not shown in how you wear your hair but in your ability," say teachers. It's difficult for students to follow these rules. Teenage students like to look nice but they are asked to wear school uniforms. Liang says the only way in which they can be different lies in how they wear their hair. And they want to copy their favorite stars' hairstyles. They wouldn't be happy in a school with strict rules. "I prefer a school with rules on hairstyles," said Li Man, a Senior 1 student. She said her school's rules on hairstyles are OK but there could be some little changes. "For example, boys should be allowed to have their hair a little longer," Li said. "But students must not dye or curl their hair . This way there will not be so many complaints."

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Children all over the world like to celebrate their birthdays. American children are the same. They usually celebrate with a party .They ask their friends to their parties. They don't have the party on the right date of their birthday if it comes on a school day. They may hold it at the weekend then. Today many children like two kinds of parties. One is at home. Parents decorate the house with balloons and coloured paper. They make a special birthday dinner. The children play games. The other kind is away from home. Some are at a special restaurant. The children eat pizza and ice cream. The waiters also sing and say "happy birthday" to the children. Other parties are at a park, or at a cinema, or in some other places. There is a cake with candles at every birthday party. There is one candle for each year of a birthday boy's or girl's age. When the candles are lighted , everyone sings the special birthday song: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. Birthday parties change. Many people don't have them when they are not young. They say they would like to forget how old they are. But they do like to keep the happy birthday parties of their childhood in mind.

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Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. A baby giraffe is born 10 feet high and usually lands on its back. Within seconds it rolls over its legs under its body. Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces its children to the reality of life. In his book, A View from the Zoo, Gary Richmond describes how a new-born giraffe learns its first lesson. The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she puts herself directly over her child. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She throws her long leg and kicks her baby, so that it's sent sprawling . When it doesn't get up, the process is repeated again and again. The struggle to rise is important. As the baby giraffe grows tired, the mother kicks it again. Finally, it stands for the first time on its shaky legs. Then the mother giraffe kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, a baby giraffe must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with its group, where there's safety. Another writer named Irving Stone understood this. He spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing stories about such men as Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, Sigmund Freud, and Charles Darwin. Stone was once asked if he had found something that runs through the lives of all these great people. He said, "I write about people who sometime in their life have a dream of something. They're beaten over the head, knocked down and for years they get nowhere. But every time they stand up again. And at the end of their lives they've realized some small parts of what they set out to do ."

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Teachers say the digital age has had a good and a not-so-good influence on the American teenagers. More than 2,000 high school teachers took an online survey. 75 percent of the teachers said the Internet and digital search tools have had a "mostly good" use for their students' research habits and skills, But 87 percent agreed that these technologies "make the students not have enough attention." And 64 percent said the technologies "do little to help them in courses." Judy Buchanan is a director of the National Writing Project. Ms. Buchanan says digital research tools are helping students learn more, and learn faster. Teachers really like these tools, because they are ways to make some of learning exciting. Young people enjoy using these tools. And the goal is to help them become creative students of meaningful work, and not just that kind of copyist. But one problem the survey found is that many students don't have a good understanding of how to use the digital knowledge well. In other words, they trust too much of the information. Judy Buchanan says these students have not developed the skills they need to tell whether the online information is good or bad. Another problem the survey found is something that might not seem like a problem, at all, being-able to quickly find information online. Teachers say the ability of their students to work hard to find answers is becoming weaker. They say students depend too much on search engines and do not make enough use, of printed books or research, librarians. Besides, many teachers are also worried about the problem that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others, instead of using their own abilities.

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There are forty-seven different kinds of kangaroos . The smallest kangaroos are about a quarter of a meter long; the biggest are taller than a man. Kangaroos have very long strong back legs. These are used for jumping. They also have long strong tails used for resting on. Kangaroos' front legs are much shorter, and are almost like arms. Kangaroos' heads are quite small, but their ears are quite large. Mother kangaroos have a pocket at the front. They have one baby each year. When it is born, the baby kangaroo is straight into its mother's pocket. The baby kangaroos stay there for six months. The biggest kangaroos stand more than 2 meters tall, and their legs are so strong that they can jump more than 9 meters. They are very fast, and can travel at more than 50 kilometers an hour. They are very strong, but only eat fruit, leaves and grass.

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As traditional Chinese art, paper cutting has a long history. The first and earliest paper cutting was found in China 1,500 years ago. But this traditional art is at risk of disappearing now. Luckily, Voyo Woo, a Chinese immigrant in America, is trying to bring this art back to life. One Saturday in 2014, Ms Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She got much fun and peace doing it. She hoped more people would enjoy it. Ms Woo began to study the art of paper cutting as a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in China. She said all the students at school had to learn paper cutting. But she had a deep love for it. So her teacher spent more time teaching her after class. Later, she won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. Ms Woo went to America after she finished collage in 2008. Soon after that, she took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. And then she was invited to show the art in many important activities."It is important to promote this art to Americans or anyone who is interested in it.Maybe it will make this art more popular."Woo said. From the art of paper cutting, people can know about Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people's life. Ms Woo uses the art as a tool to show Chinese culture to people who know little about it. Chinese art is not only for Chinese, but also for people all over the world.

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My name is Daniel. Let me talk about my day. I get up at 6:30 a.m. and I read English for about half an hour. I eat breakfast at about 7:10 a.m. I go to school by bus at about 7:40 a.m. My school starts at 8:20 a.m. In the morning, I have three lessons. I like English best. At 11:20 a.m., we have lunch at school. After lunch, on Monday and Thursday, I go to the school library. On Tuesday and Friday, I go to the art room. And on Wednesday, I go to English Club. We have our class at 2:30 p.m., and we only have two lessons in the afternoon. School is over at 4:00 p.m. We can go home on the school bus. We always have a good time at school.

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A 50-year-old American officer came back to his school. The teacher asked him to give a talk to the small boys and girls there. The talk was about the love of their great country. All the little ones were sitting in a large meeting-room. The old officer went up and began speaking. He said , " Boys and girls . I studied in this school forty years ago. When I was your age, we were not as happy as you are today. Think about it and answer me, why are you so happy now?" No sound came from the children. The old man waited for a long time. Then a short boy in the front put up his small dirty hand. "Good boy! Please answer me, dear." said the officer. With a big smile on his face, the boy stood up and said, "If you speak long enough, we won't have Maths and biology lessons this morning."

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Mr. Evens works in Sydney. Last week he had a two weeks' holiday, but he didn't know where to go. He said to his friend Robert, "I hate the hot weather here, but I can't find a cool place in Australia. How will I take my holiday?" "That's easy," said Robert. "You'd better go to Moscow. Snow and ice are covering the ground now." Mr. Evens agreed with his friend. He bought an air ticket and soon arrived in Moscow. He made a happy journey there. But one day He got into trouble. After lunch he went to a park outside the city. He saw a dog following him while he was walking past a house. It was hungry and wished him to give it some food to eat. Bad luck! He had no piece of bread or cake in his pockets. He tried to send it away, but it began to bark at him. He wanted to look for a stick but couldn't find anything except snow and ice. Suddenly he saw a stone in the ground. He tried to pick it up but he failed. "How strange Russians are!" Mr. Evens said to himself. "They do not tie their dogs, but firmly tie the ground!"

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There are millions of people throughout the world who are either born blind or have become blind over the course of their lifetimes. It is unfair to take away the visual beauty of the world from these people. Doctor Humayun has created the world's first bionic eye that could change the life of every blind people in the world. Doctor Mark Humayun is a well respected professor at the Doheny Eye Institute in California. He has been working for years on creating a bionic eye that would allow blind people to see images just like a normal person does. His idea of the bionic eye is actually an eye that has been built in a small video camera. The test results show the bionic eye has given blind patients the amazing ability to see the scientists doing the tests. But the images are still blurry and we need much work before the eye actually becomes a regular implant into blind people. Humayun believes that he can go into production with the bionic eye over the next three to five years. A closer look at the bionic eye is amazing. The patient wears a special set of eyeglasses. All the signals are passed to the implanted eye. It's done by wireless technology. Humayun has created an invention that could change the lives of millions of people. Imagine a world in which someone would no longer fear about being blind. This could be considered a technological achievement.

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Where did that number come from? Eleven and Twelve The reason behind the change in number naming is that eleven comes from the German term ainlif, which translates to "one left". Twelve follows the same rule. It comes from twalif--"two left". Why teen is used instead of lif for 13 through 19? There is something sadly lost in history. 911 for US Emergency Calls Early phones didn't use phone numbers--the operator had to connect your call by hand--and this led to the need for an emergency code . But later phone numbers became popular, that changed. In 1967, 911 was chosen as the nationwide emergency call because it was easy to remember and could be quickly dialed on the phone. 26.2 Miles in a Marathon The story began with an ancient Greek soldier carrying message from a battlefield in Marathon to Athens. The modern marathon was born as a flagship event in the first Olympic Games, in 1896, with a distance of about 25 miles (40 km), as long as the distance from Marathon to Athens. But race organizers for the 1908 Olympic Games in London wanted to add something special. The race began at Windsor Castle and ended at White City Stadium, with runners finishing only after passing the royal box. The distance was 26.2 miles (42.1 km). And since 1924 this distance has been kept in marathon. 28 Days in February Before using the Gregorian calendar that we use today, one of the first Roman calendars had only 304 days and ten months (March through December), with six months of 30 days and four of 31 days. The second king of Rome improved the old calendar. He added 50 days for January and February. To make the new months longer, he took one day from each of the 30-day months, making 56 days to divide between January and February (or 28 days each). Later January was given one more day to add up to 355 days a year, but February still had 28 days. That's how it became the shortest month and it stayed that way ever since.

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"Good Time" is a program on ABC Radio. Jim Green is an announcer for the program. Most of the girls and boys like the program. They also like Jim Green. Some of them often make phone calls to him and thank him for his work. There are lots of letters to him every day, too. Jim Green gets up at 6:00 every morning. He has bread and a glass of milk for breakfast. He leaves home at 6:30 and gets to his office at 7:15. The program begins at 7:30. He plays the new records of the pop songs and modern music for his listeners. At 8:00, it's time for the news. Jim finishes work at 10:30. He goes home in his car. He reads newspapers and listens to music after supper in the evening. He thinks Announcers' job is very interesting and helpful.

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When people communicate, they need words to express themselves. People living in different countries made different kinds of words. Today there are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. Each contains many thousands of words. A very large dictionary, for example, contains four or five hundred thousand of words. But we do not need all these. To read short stories you need to know only about two thousand words. Before you leave school, you will learn only one thousand or more. Vocabulary means a lot of words. The words you know are called your vocabulary. You should try to make your own vocabulary bigger. Read as many books as you can. There are a lot of books written in easy English for you to read. You will enjoy them. When you meet a new word, find it in your dictionary. Your dictionary is your most useful book.

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We all need to exercise.Doctors say it is good for us.It makes our heart and body strong.It also gives you more energy .And you will feel better about yourself.It's good to exercise twice a week.Twenty minutes each time is enough. There are many ways to exercise.You can walk,run,play sports or swim.Many people go to special places to exercise.They are called "fitness centers ".These places have a lot of equipments .People can do different sports there.Some people buy equipments for their homes.But it is very expensive. Exercising can be fun.Friends can exercise together at a fitness center,or they can play sports together.How do you exercise? How often do you exercise?

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You are going to high school , aren't you ? Maybe you don't know what to do . Here is a list of the top six things to do when you are in high school . These things will give you ideas of what your high school life could be like . Here you go ! 1Find your passion and what kind of person you are : Whether it's dance ,basketball ,or drawing ,the important thing is that you have found something you are interested in . 2 Talk to people you wouldn't usually talk to : Meet new people ,find new friends and even talk to the people you don't like. It will show what a great person you are . You never know what will happen after high school. 3Take part in at least one contest: This will give you tears of laughter, happiness and memories . 4Get a job : This will help you see what it's like to have responsibility( ) . It can also help you make a little money to spend on yourself . 5Take a trip with your friends :It doesn't matter where you go or what you do , the memories will happen on the way and go on till the final place . 6Do your best at school : Don't ever get lazy . Working hard now will help you in the future.

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Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible. Famous comedians went to see Rock's performances. One comedian (Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think. Today,Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called "Everybody Hates Chris. " It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.

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Will you trust your friends if you can't see anything? If you are falling, do you believe they will catch you and help you stand up? Our teacher helped us to get the answer. One day, Mr. Morrie came into the classroom and said he had a game for us to try. He divided us into two groups. One student from the first group, stood in front of us with his eyes closed, and then fell backwards . The second group stood behind him. Before he fell on the floor, they should catch him and not let him get hurt. Most of us were uncomfortable with this. We were afraid that they wouldn't catch us and we would hit the floor. So we didn't move. We just stood there and laughed in embarrassment. Finally, one student, a thin, quiet, dark-haired girl called Sarah, decided to move. She crossed her arms in front of her body, closed her eyes, and slowly fell backwards. She looked quiet but brave. For a moment, I was sure that she was going to fall on the floor. But before she hit the floor, the other students caught her, held her and finally helped her stand up. "Whoa!!" We were all surprised, and also encouraged . The girl was happy, too. Seeing this, Morrie smiled and said to the girl, "When you close your eyes, you can't see anything. You won't feel safe. When you are falling, the feeling gets stronger. You are not sure whether you will hit the cold, hard floor or the warm, soft hands of your friends. But if you are brave enough to trust them, they will not let you down ."

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Mr. and Mrs. Green had different ideas about where to go last weekend. Mrs Green wanted to go to Florida to see her sister, but Mr Green didn't like to go there. He wanted to go to Maine . "Florida is too hot in summer," Mr Green said to Mrs Green. "Maine is quite cold," said Mrs Green, "I like swimming, but the water in Maine is usually not warm enough." "Florida is too far," said Mr Green, "We don't have enouh time to drive there. It'll take us more than two days." Just then, the telephone rang. Mr Green answered the phone. It was his mother. "Is that Jim speaking? Please cme quickly. I need help. I'm calling from the hospital in Boston." She said. They stopped the discussion , and they left for Boston at once.

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Staying healthy at work isn't always easy.With all your co-workers sneezing around you,it seems impossible.Find out how to avoid the germs with these tips Wash your hands often. You should wash your hands every time after you use the restroom,before you eat, after you sneeze or cough.Also,keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk. Eat balanced meals every day--including breakfast! Many people don't eat breakfast because it takes too long to eat in the morning.It has been proven that the people who eat breakfast are healthier and more likely to remain a healthy weight. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Sodas and coffee may help you stay awake, but _ will also lead to dehydration .So you also need to be sure to drink water.Just keep a water bottle with you all the time,drink throughout the day and you will probably get what you need. Take frequent breaks throughout the day. When you feel tired,get up and walk around for a few minutes.Taking breaks and keeping your body in shape will help you feel better and make you more productive. Use your vacations. It seems that there is never a good time to be away from the office,but the people who do not take vacations are more likely to be sick. Taking vacations is a good way to relieve stress. So even if it is just a short weekend,use it and don't take your work with you. Give up smoking. It is common that smoking is bad for your health.Smokers get sick much easily than non-smokers.

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A week in the sun relaxing in the beautiful March weather of Varadero, Cuba is a fantastic vacation for anyone. Luckily, my wife, two friends and I had the chance last year. To see Cuba, you have to talk to the Cubans. Our friends met us at the airport even at 1:00 a.m. which started our trip on a positive note. After a few days at the hotels, we got to know a local tour guide, Victor. The trip started off on a sunny morning. Our return trip would be along the coastline from Havana, but out trip to Havana would be through the countryside and the small towns. This trip was designed for us to visit the Cuban countryside. At first Victor brought us to Revolutionary Square, where Fidel Castro made his yearly speech praising the ideas of the revolution. Our second stop was the Bocoy Rum Factory. We walked through and learned how 5000 bottles of rum are produced every day. The smell of rum, and the huge barrels were interesting. The final stop was the market in Old Havana. Here my wife and I went away from our friends and we toured through this large shopping center. From store to store we saw so many items that all had a clear Cuban feel to them. We bought a picture and some special local things, and then we took off to meet up with Victor. As a tourist I was able to have a quick look at Cuban life with the help of Cubans. I felt lucky to have the chance. It was an interesting experience in my life.

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Most Chinese people share a few common surnames, like Zhang, Wang, Li, Liu and Chen. The Chinese expression for "ordinary people" literally means "the old one hundred surnames". But Cheng Yinglian, a retired worker living in Changsha, the capital of Hunan, said his interest in rare surnames was piqued after reading a newspaper many years ago and discovering a person with the surname Gui, which literally means "ghost", the report said. Since then, he has scoured newspapers, books and other publications to find similar rare surnames, coming up with about 2,000 to date. Those he has found include Ling (zero), Cu (vinegar), Miao (second) and Yi (one). Cheng said in order to collect and find out the origins of the strange surnames, he bought many ancient works and dictionaries for study. This February, he also published a book based on his surname collection. "I may apply for the Guinness (Book of World Records)," said Cheng. He said most of the surnames he collected are not included in the Hundred Surnames, a classic Chinese text composed of common surnames in ancient China. According to the latest statistics available from the Ministry of Public Security in 2007, nearly 93 million people in China are surnamed "Wang", taking the largest proportion among all surnames. And people with the top 100 common surnames in China take up 84.77 percent of the whole population. Chinese people attach great significance to people's names and many parents go out of their way to give their children _ names that suggest they will grow up to be healthy, strong and rich. ,.

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There is one language, and people, young and old , men and women, use it very often, in every country in the world. It is everyone's second language . You can't hear it, but it is very easy to understand . It is sign ( )language. When you wave to a friend in the street, you are using sign language. When you put up your hand in class, you are saying "Please ask me, I think I know the right answer". When a police officer wants to stop cars or buses, he puts up his hand. He's using sign language. Churchill's famous "V for Victory "is also sign language. Sign language is useful in quite places full of noise . Even when you are swimming with your friends , you can have a talk under water.

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Last summer was Ann's first trip to Spain . She was very excited. But when she arrived at the hotel, she found that her Spanish money wasn't in her handbag. She looked for it carefully in all her bags, but she couldn't find it. She had only a ten-pound note with her. She found a place to change her English money. On her way back to the hotel, Ann bought some cheese, some bread and some oranges. She told the manager that she didn't eat Spanish food except for breakfast, because she knew the price of hotels included breakfast. Other tourists visited places of great interest in Spain. Ann said she wasn't well. In fact, her holiday wasn't bad, except that she was hungry. After all a piece of fruit for lunch, and bread and cheese for supper isn't very much. especially not for two weeks. On the last day of her holiday, Jane, one of the tourists asked Ann why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. The food was delicious. Ann told her all about her money problem. Jane looked at her for a moment, and then said, "But didn't you know the price of this hotel includes everything?"

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Nick is a knight . But he doesn't like to ride and he doesn't like to fight. Nick likes to read and write, and he likes to knit . One night, there was a knock at the door. "I need you to fight a dragon !" cried King Kareen. "But I'm the wrong kind of knight!" said Nick. "I don't like to fight." "Never mind! Hurry up!" cried the King. "The dragon is in my bed!" said the King. Nick's knees were knocking. He lifted the blanket and saw a little dragon. "I'm freezing." The dragon said. Nick quickly started knitting. He knitted a coat, some long socks and some pants for the dragon. The dragon was glad. "Thank you!" he said and off he went. "I think you're the right kind of knight!" said the king.

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A group of swans flew down to a beach where a crow was jumping around . The crow watched them with disdain . "You have no flying skills at all ! " he said to the swans. " All you can do is to move your wings. Can you turn over in the air ? No , that's beyond you. Let's have a flying compitition. I'll show you what real flying is ! " One of the swans , a strong young male , took up the challenge. The crow flew up and began to show his skills. He flew in circles, performed other flying tricks, and then came down and looked proudly at the swan. Now it was the swan's turn. He flew up , and began flying over the sea. The crow flew after him , making all kinds of comments about his flying. They flew on and on till they couldn't see the land and there was nothing but water on all sides. The crow was making fewer and fewer comments. He was so _ that he found it hard to stay in the air, and had to struggle to keep himself from falling into the water. The swan pretended ( ) not to notice , and said, " Why do you keep touching the water , brother ? Is that another trick ?" " No ," said the crow. He knew he had lost the competition. " I'm in trouble because of my pride ! If you don't help me , I'll lose my life... " The swan took pity on him , and took him on his shoulders and flew back to the beach. ,.

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Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line , others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit. He walked into the station cafe . he looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom's workmates came in and sat with Tom. "What time is your bus?" asked Mike. "There's plenty of time yet," answered Tom. "Well, I'll get you some more tea then," said Mike. They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. "Oh! It's going backward !" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven." "You're looking at the clock in the mirror." said Mike. Tom was so sad . The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors. ,.

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When it was getting dark, a wolf was walking along the road. Then he was surprised to see his huge shadow under his feet. "Wow, I didn't know I was so big!" The wolf was happy to know it. As time went by, the sun was going down and his shadow grew bigger and bigger, so it looked like a giant. "Oh, look at my shadow. I'm so big!" The wolf thought that he was as big as his shadow. "I'm huge and excellent. I don't need to be afraid of the lion." From then the wolf walked with his shoulders open. He thought of himself as the king of the forest. "Why should I fear the lion? Lion! Come out! Here is your match ."It made the lion very angry, so he went to see the wolf. "Here I am. I heard you said you could beat me. Now I'm here. Why don't you prove it?" The lion's sharp claw hit the wolf's head hard. The wolf was knocked out. "Ah, help me!" But it was too late when the wolf got to know that he wasn't as big or strong as his shadow. Unluckily, he became the lion's delicious supper.

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Mrs. Thompson stood in front of her 5th grade class on the first day of school. She found a boy sleeping in his seat. He was Teddy. Also Thompson noticed the boy didn't play well with the other children. It got to the point "F" at the top of his papers. Mrs. Thompson reviewed each child's past records. However, when she reviewed Teddy's file , she was in a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child. He does his work neatly and has good manners..." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, but he is troubled because his mother has an illness and life at home is difficult." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries his best, but his father doesn't show much interest in his study..." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is _ and doesn't talk with other's. Also he doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class." By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful and bright paper, except for Teddy's. He sent a rhinestone bracelet with some stones missing. But Mrs. Thompson told him with a smile, "I like it very much." After school Teddy said, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mother used to be." Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class. Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets." ,.

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My uncle Mike is a music teacher. He never gets up very _ He usually gets up at five o'clock in the morning. After he brushes his teeth, he often plays baseball with my aunt. Then he eats his breakfast. After that, he often plays the violin. At about 7:50, he takes the Number 6 bus to his school. He has no classes on Thursday and Friday. He usually goes to the violin club. Then he helps kids with the violin. Oh, my brother plays the violin very well. Do you love to play the violin? Do you want to join the violin club? Please call my uncle at 1163886.

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Do you still remember the terrible earthquake in 2008 in Sichuan, which killed at least 87,000 people and left millions homeless? On the twelfth day after the earthquake, Premier Wen Jiabao said, "A new Wenchuan will rise from the ruins ." Now his words have come true. Three years has passed and the worst-hit areas in Sichuan have risen from the ruins. So far, 95% of the reconstruction projects have been completed. Nearly 3,000 schools, 1,000 hospitals and more than 5 million homes have been built. Now everyone has been provided with a home, a job and social security . Dong Xinjun, a villager in Qingchuan, said volunteers from Zhejiang taught him how to grow mushrooms and now he makes about 3,000 yuan more than before every year. Zhu Lihu, the headmaster of a village primary school in Qingchuan, told us that teaching equipment had been greatly improved. Now they have new classrooms, a library and a computer room with 20 computers. On May 8th, 2011, Premier Wen Jiabao made his 10th visit to Sichuan Province after the earthquake. He visited a lot of middle schools and neighborhoods. At Beichuan Middle School, Premier Wen _ a student named Zheng Haiyang, who lost both of his legs in the earthquake. The students told Premier Wen that their new school was very beautiful. And they would never forget that it was built with the hearts and strength of people across the whole country. Premier Wen believes that the people in Wenchuan have a "strong will" and a "bright future". They will never back down, but stand bravely on this land.

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Stephen used to work in a company. Unfortunately , he got serious heart disease . He couldn't work for a long time. Thinking he could still do something for others, he decided to be a volunteer at a Children's Hospital. Stephen loved children very much. With his love, he did his job well. Sometimes he lost his children. They died. At that time, he would tell these sad parents that he would soon be with their children in heaven and he would take care of them. His words seemed to help those parents. There was a girl who could not walk because of a disease. She couldn't do anything and she was very sad. What was worse, the doctors said that they could do little for her. Stephen decided to try to help her. He started visiting her, bringing paints, brushes and paper. He put the brush in his mouth and began to draw. He didn't use his hands at all. Only his head would move. He always told her that she could do anything she wanted. At last she began to draw with her mouth. She and Stephen became friends. By and by, the little girl was getting better and better. She was allowed to leave the hospital. One day. to Stephen's great surprise, she walked to see him on her own feet! She gave him a picture she had drawn. At the top, it read: "Thank you for helping me walk. It's all because of your love." Love can sometimes be more powerful than doctors and medicines. Love makes our world more beautiful and colorful. Stephen died a few days after the girl gave him the picture.

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Jessie felt her life so boring one summer day.She was tired of watching TV.She read all her books,and her friends were on vacation.She wanted something different to do.Suddenly,she saw the lawn mower sitting in the yard. "Mom,"she shouted,"I think I will mow the lawn."Her mom ran into the yard and said,"Oh no,you don't.You're too young to mow the law." "I'm fourteen years old and know how to do it,"Jessie said."Besides,it would help Dad out,and he won't have to worry about it over the weekend." Mom thought for a while and then decided to let Jessie have a try.After all ,she was home and would _ her.Jessie already knew how to start the lawn mower from watching her dad.Jessie checked the gas to make sure it was full,and put on her gardening gloves to protect her hands.Mom watched from the kitchen window.Jessie really does know how to mow the lawn.She was very careful around the flowers and trees.When she finished,she felt so good,but she was so hot.Mom brought her some ice tea and said,"You did a great job.Dad will be very surprised." Later that day,Dad came home and said to Jessie's mom,"You didn't have to mow the lawn.I was going to do it on Saturday.It looks great.Thanks." "I didn't mow it.Jessie did.""Wow,our little girt is growing up!"Dad told Jessie what a great job she had done."It was fun,and I will do it again next week,"said Jessie. The neighbor next door came by and asked Jessie if she wanted to mow his lawn and make some money."Sure!"said Jessie.Jessie began mowing his lawn.Two other neighbors asked so,then another three.Jessie was now mowing lawns for them all and making some money.She was no longer bored!"I won't have time to spend my money,"she laughed to herself.

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Bats are unusual animals. Even though they fly, they are not birds.Bats are the only mammals that fly. A mammal is an animal that has hair and feeds its babies with its own milk.Mother bats have babies each spring. Baby bats hang onto their mothers until they learn to fly by themselves. Bats can be many different colors. Most are brown, but some are black, orange or even green. Even though many people do not like bats,bats don't usually cause people trouble. Only vampire bats are very dangerous. Bats in the United States help people.Every year they eat millions of bad insects! Bats sleep all day because they cannot see well in the bright sunlight. They hang upside down in dark places. As soon as darkness begins to fall,bats wake up.They fly around easily and quickly at night. Some bats fly at night,while others fly only in the evening or the early morning. Bats make sounds that help them fly,since they cannot see well. People cannot hear these sounds. When bats make sounds, the sounds hit objects in front of them and go back at them. Most bats eat mosquitoes and moths ,but there are some bats that will catch fish swimming in water and eat them.Still other kinds of bats eat birds or mice.Bats that live in very hot areas eat only some parts of flowers. Bats that live in cold areas sometimes sleep all winter.That means they _ . Other bats that live in cold areas fly to warmer places for the winter.

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Fred went into a _ ."I would like a photo,please,"he said."How much is it?" "$25 for the first one,"the man said."Then $2 for others". "OK,"Fred said."Can you take my photo now?" "Yes,come this way,please." The man took Fred into a room and asked him to sit down.Then he turned on some bright lights and took his photo."Come here and get your photo tomorrow,"the man said. The next day,Fred went to get his photo."Your photo is OK,"the man said. Fred looked at his photo.He was not happy."This photo makes me look very old."he told the man. The man smiled,"With this photo,you don't need to ask someone to take your photo again many years later."

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Hi! My name is Jenny. I am a student in No.7 Middle School in Hangzhou. And I have a friend, Bob at school. Do you want to know my family? Here is a photo of my family. These are my grandparents. They live in Shanghai now. This is my father. His name is Bill Smith. He is a teacher in PEP Middle School. His phone number is 13857428849. This is my mother, Sally Smith. She works in a shop. Her phone number is 15857499256. My mother is tidy, but my father isn't.

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"The world has never been a better place to live in" says science writer Matt Ridley, "and it will keep on getting better." Read on to see how Ridley makes his case. Right or wrong? You decide. Compared with 50 years ago, when I was just four years old, people now make nearly three times as much money, eat one third more food and expect to live one third longer. In fact, it's hard to find any areas of the world that's worse off now than it was then, even though the world population has more than doubled over that period. One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs--food, clothing, fuel and shelter--have grown much cheaper. Take one example: In 1800, a candle providing one hour's light cost six hours' work. In the 1880s, the same light from a lamp took 15 minutes' work to pay for. In 1950, it was eight seconds. Today, it's half a second. In these terms, we are 43,200 times better off than in1800. In the United States, rivers, lakes, seas and air are getting cleaner all the time. A car today produces less pollution traveling at full speed than a parked car did from leaks in 1970. Although the world population is growing, the rate of increase has been falling for 50 years. Across the world, national birth rates are lower now than in 1960, and in the less developed world, the birth rate has almost halved. According to a research report from the United Nations, population will start falling once it reaches 9.2 billion in 2075. After all, there are already seven billion people on earth, and they are eating better and better. In 1970s, there were 550 billion barrels of oil reserves in the world, and in the 20 years that followed the world used up 600 billion. So by 1990, reserves should have been overused by 50 billion barrels. Instead, it is reported there are 900 billion today. They will last for many years and people will find something in place of oil long before they run out. The more we develop, the more we can develop. The more we invent, the more inventions become possible. For 200 years, pessimists (people who believe that terrible things will happen in future) have had all the headlines--even though _ have far more often been right. There are some reasons for pessimists. No charity ever raised money by saying things are getting better. No journalist ever got the front page writing a story about how terrible things won't happen. Don't be a pessimist--dare to be an optimist!

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Several years ago Robert knew a girl at a party. He loved her at once. But he hadn't enough money to marry her. He went to another village and wanted to borrow five thousand dollars from Peter, one of his classmates. He said he was going to return the money in two years. Peter Black believed him and lent the money to him. And Robert thanked the young man very much. In the past four years Robert married the girl and she had a baby. They lived a happy life, but he didn't give the money back to Peter. One day Peter's mother was ill and needed an operation. He looked for Robert for a few times, but he never met him. One day Peter heard that the young man was in. He hurried there. He knocked at the door for a long time and Robert's wife came out to meet him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black." said the woman. "My husband has just gone out." Peter thought for a while and said, "Yes, I met him on my way here. He told me that he had left all his money at home and let you return it to me." "Don't believe him, dear!" Robert came out in a hurry and called out. "I've never told him about it!"

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Have you ever wanted to achieve something really amazing in life? Well, Greg Mortenson wanted to climb a mountain, but he ended up helping thousands of people to have a better life. Greg's story began with failure. In 1993, he set out to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain. But Greg never made it to the top. After five days, he stumbled into the village of Korphe in northern Pakistan, injured and hungry. The kind villagers there looked after him for several days. Greg saw that the villagers were very poor and hungry, and some of them were ill. Also, the village school didn't have a roof and the children wrote on the ground with sticks, Greg knew he wanted to do something to help. "I'll build you a school," he told the villagers. "I promise." Greg went back home to the USA to raise money for the school. He even lived in the car to save money! Finally he went back to Korphe and built the school. But _ was just the beginning of something bigger! Since then, Greg's organization has built around 80 schools and runs many others in Pakistan and other countries, too. Greg hasn't finished yet. He does many other things to help people in poor countries. He has got many prizes, but it's the smiles of the children he has helped that makes him happy! Greg has just written a best-selling book about his story called Three Cups of Tea. It's an interesting and exciting book which tells us what ordinary people can do with courage and determination .

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Mary was a 911 operator in Los Angeles. One Thursday morning, she was surprised to get a call from a young child who said, "Mom is ill, Mom is ill", again and again. Mary hurried to find the address of the call. She called the police. In a minute, the policemen and doctors arrived at the house. They broke the door open, and they couldn't believe their eyes. The little child was so young that maybe she could not walk! She was sitting beside her mother and holding her mother's hand. Tears were running down her face. The doctor gave the woman some medicine and soon she woke up. Later, she told people , "Everyone was surprised that my daughter could call 911. One Monday I tried to teach her how to call 911." "It's the first time I've seen a two-year-old child call 911."

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As a volunteer teacher, I traveled a long way to a small village school in Longzhou, Guangxi. On my way there, I thought about the village, the school and the childrenn there. However, my heart sank when I arrived there. It wasn't what I expected. It didn't look like a school at all! The school had only three rooms, one for Grades 1, 2 and 3, and the other for Grades 4, 5 and 6. There was a third one for me. The children welcomed me warmly on my first day. They asked me a lot of questions, and I told them stories about myself and my life in Shanghai. The next day, I gave them a test to find out their level . To my surprise, though the test was very easy, over half of the students failed it, yet they all wanted to learn new things. I knew they needed me. I was busy preparing lessons and reading test papers every night. I enjoyed teaching these lovely and hard-working children, and I could see that they were making progress with my help. I have also learned a lot from them. I understand their level is becoming higher and higher, and we are good friends now. I worked in Longzhou for a year. I'm very happy, and the experience is very useful to me. I love the small village and the children. In fact, I would like to continue working here.

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Jack drives a school bus.His bus is different from other school buses because it doesn't carry children.Jack's bus takes dogs to school in the morning and brings them home at night.Jack takes the dogs to "The Dog School".There four men teach the dogs to obey and protect their owners.All kinds of dogs go to the school--large dogs,small dogs,young dogs and old dogs Jack says that young dogs are the easiest to teach,but the old ones can learn,too. Do you have a dog? Maybe it would like to go to "The Dog School".

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