1、70篇短文突破中考英语词汇l. A Young Officer and an Old Soldier (1)A very new, young officer was at a railway station He was going to visit his mother, and he wanted to telephone her to tell her the time of his train. He looked in all his pockets, but found that he did not have the coins for the telephone, so he
2、 went outside and looked around for someone to help him.1. A Young Officer and an Old Soldier (2) At last an old soldier came by, and the young officer stopped him and said,“Have you got change for ten pence?”“Wait a moment,”the old soldier answered, beginning to put his hand in his pocket.“Ill see
3、whether I can help you.”“Dont you know how to speak to an officer?”the young man said angrily.“Now lets start again Have you got change for ten pence?”“No, sir,”the old soldier answered quickly.2. Are You Going to Thank Her? (1) Mrs. Green has lived near the park of the city for forty years. Shes ve
4、ry rich and has got a lot of money. Bur she never buys something expensive for her family and always does all the housework herself. She sweeps all the rooms every day.Last morning, when she got up, she felt terrible After breakfast she felt even worse She found some medicine and took it. But it was
5、 useless to her and she had to go to a hospital.2.Are You Going to Thank Her? (2)The doctor looked her over and asked her to be in hospital, but she refused and went home on foot. As soon as she got home, the telephone rang. She hurried to answer it. It was the doctor. He told her she had left her p
6、urse in the hospital and a nurse had found it.“Could you tell me her name, please?”asked Mrs. Green.“Of course, Mrs. Green. Are you going to thank her? ”asked the doctor.“No, no.”She said,“My handbag was lost three years ago. I want to know if she found it. ” 3. Sam and Tod (1)Sam had a dog. Its nam
7、e was Tod. It was very helpful, but it ate too much. So Sam didnt like it, and he wanted to kill Tod, He tied Tod in a bag and put it in a small boat. He rowed the boat to the middle of a big river. Just as he threw the poor animal into the river, the boat began to go down. Both Sam and Tod fell int
8、o the river.3. Sam and Tod (2)Tod was able to swim, but Sam couldnt .The dog bit (咬) the rope and got out of the bag. It tried its best to swim to save Sam. The man was saved, so he was very thankful to the dog. He did not want to kill the dog any more. From then on, he gave the dog as much food as
9、it wanted.4.In the Bar (1)In England, if you are under the age of eighteen, youre not allowed to drink in a public bar.Mr. Thompson used to go to a bar near his house, but he never took his son, Tom, because he was too young. Then when Tom had his eighteenth birthday, Mr. Thompson took him to his us
10、ual bar for the first time.4.In the Bar (2)They drank for half an hour, and then Mr. Thompson said to his son,“Now, Tom, I want to teach you a lesson, You must always be careful not to drink too much. And how do you know when youve had enough? Well, Ill tell you. Do you see those two lights at the e
11、nd of the bar? When they seem to have become four, youve had enough and should go home.”“But, Dad,”said Tom,“I can only see one light at the end of the bar.”5.Three Black Umbrellas (1)Sally was a student. It was going to be her mothers birthday. She wanted to buy her a present that would be nice and
12、 useful but not expensive.A week before her mothers birthday, she went shopping after a quick and simple lunch. When she had been looking for half an hour, she found a shop that was selling cheap umbrellas, and decided to take a black one. Her mother had lost hers the month before.5.Three Black Umbr
13、ellas (2)She thought,“You could carry that when you are wearing clothes of any color.”So she decided to buy a lovely black umbrella and took it back to the school with her until her classes had finished. On her way home in the train that evening she felt hungry because she had such a small lunch tha
14、t she went along to the buffet car(餐车) for a sandwich and a cup of coffee.6. Friends (1) Friends are different things to different people. To my little sister, a friend is someone who likes to swim and ride bikes. My moms idea of a friend is someone like Mrs. Smith who walks and talks with her every
15、 morning. My dads friends are neighbors who help him with the work like building shelves and planting trees.6. Friends (2)Steve, our monitor, is my best friend We go skating, play football, talk about sports, and go to a concert. When I broke my leg, he always came over to play games; in school, he
16、carried my schoolbag for me and got my lunch for me. I know I can always count on him, and he also knows that he can count on me. Some friends may be in your life for a while. Others will be there for a long time, maybe even forever(永远). I would hate to move, unless I could take my friends with me .
17、They are too important to leave behind.7. The“Deaf”WifeA man is talking to the family doctor.“Doctor, I doubt whether my wifes going deaf.”The doctor answers,“Heres something you can try on her to test her hearing. Stand some meters away from her and ask her a question. If she doesnt answer, move a
18、little closer and ask again Keep repeating this until she answers. Then youll be able to tell if she is deaf or not.”The man goes home and begins to test his wifes hearing. He stands by the wall and says,“My dear, whats for dinner?”He doesnt hear an answer, so he moves closer to her.“My dear, whats
19、for dinner?”Still no answer. He repeats this several times, until hes standing just a few feet away from her. Finally, she answers,“For the eleventh time, I said were having meat and rice!” 8. We Really Dont Know (1)Jack had gone to the university to study his history, but at the end of his second t
20、erm, he failed his history exam, and he was told that he would be dismissed from university. However, his father decided that he would go to see the history professor(教授)to ask him to let Jack continue his studies the next year.“Hes a good boy,”said Jacks father,“Please pardon him. If you let him pa
21、ss this time, Im sure hell improve a lot next year and pass the examinations at the end of it really well.”8. We Really Dont Know (2)“No, no, thats quite impossible!”replied the professor immediately.“Do you know, last month I asked him when Napoleon died, and he didnt know!”“Please, sir, give him a
22、nother chance”said Jacks father.“You see, Im afraid we dont take any newspapers in our house so we even dont know that Napoleon was ill recently.”9. Raymond (1) Everybody dreams of doing something important. As a boy Raymond dreamed of being a scientist, in fact, he is a postman now.Raymond is an ac
23、tive young man. He lives by the saying(格言)“If you cant live the life you love, Love the life you live”He greets everyone with a big smile and a friendly“Hi, how are you?”And he really wants to know! Its hard to fee! unhappy when we hear him whistling(吹口哨)happily up and down the street. 9. Raymond (2
24、)Raymond looks good. His shirt and trousers always look very clean. After work, he likes going to the gym to take exerciseRaymond is strict in his work He cares about the people on this street everyday, he knocks on Mrs. Jordans door to ask for a drink of cool water. Hes not really thirsty. Mrs. Jor
25、dan is old, and he just wants to make sure shes okay.10. Thats Why!Jimmy started painting when he was three years old, and when he was five, he was already very good at it. He also got many prizes for his painting. He painted many beautiful and interesting pictures, and people paid a lot of money fo
26、r them They said,“This boys going to be famous when hes a little older, and then were going to sell these pictures for a lot more money.”Jimmys pictures were different from other peoples because he never painted it on all of the paper. He painted on half of it, and the other half was always empty.“T
27、hats very clever,”everybody said.“Nobody else does that!”They all believed that the boy was a pioneer in painting.One day, somebody bought one of Jimmys pictures and then said to him,“Please tell me this, Jimmy. Why do you paint on the bottom half of your pictures, but not on the top half ?”“Because
28、 Im small,”Jimmy said,“and my brushes dont reach very high.”11. Living like a Pig (1)One day, a guru(印度教大师)knew what he would be in his next life. So he called his favorite disciple(徒弟) and asked him what he would do to show thanks. The disciple said he would do whatever his guru asked him to do.Aft
29、er the guru received the promise, he said,“Then this is what Id like you to do for me. Ive just learned that when I die very soon, Im going to be born as a pig. Do you see that pig eating rubbish over there in the yard ?Im going to be born as one of its baby pigs. Youll recognize(认出)me by a mark on
30、my face When the baby pigs have been born, find the baby pig with a mark on its face and kill it with your knife Then Ill not live a pigs life Will you do this for me?”11. Living like a Pig (2)The disciple was sad to hear all this, but he agreed to do as he had promised.Soon after this conversation,
31、 things happened just as the guru had mentioned. The guru died. Four baby pigs were born. One day, the disciple held his knife with him and picked out the baby pig with a mark on its face. Just as he was about to kill it, the little pig suddenly spoke,“Stop! Dont kill me!”it cried.The disciple was v
32、ery surprised, and he heard the little pig speak in a human voice, it said,“Dont kill me I want to live on as a pig. When I asked you to kill me, I didnt know what a pigs life would be like. Its great! Just let me go.”12. Greenland and IcelandGreenland is the largest island on earth. It is in the no
33、rth of Europe. Near Greenland is another island. It is small. Its name is Iceland. Do you think that Greenland is green and warm? Do you think that Iceland is white with ice? If you do, you are wrong. Not many people live on the big island of Greenland. There are more people in your hornet own than
34、in all of Greenland That is because Greenland is not green Greenland is white. Most of Greenland is covered with lots of ice. The ice covering Greenland is higher than some of the worlds buildings. What about Iceland? Is it colder than Greenland? No, it is not. Iceland has ice, but not so much ice a
35、s Greenland. Iceland has a Lot of hot springs(温泉). They give out hot water and steam (蒸汽). So it is not as cold as Greenland. And there are a lot more people who live in Iceland.13. A Competition of LyingA certain old gentleman was very unhappy about modern education, and thought that young people d
36、idnt know the difference between right and wrong.One day he was taking a walk near the church when he saw some young boys standing around a small cat The old gentlemen went up to the boys and asked them what was happening. One of the boys said to him“Were having a competition. Were telling lies, and
37、 the one who tells the biggest lie will keep the cat.”The old gentleman thought this was a good chance to teach the boys a useful lesson, so he said to them,“Ive never told a lie in my life”. At once there was a great shout from all the boys, and they said,“Youve won! The cat belongs to you!”14. Spo
38、rts in AmericaIn many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. There are only three in America: football, basketball and baseball. If you want to know what season it is, just have a look at what people are playing.Sports are an important part of American culture.
39、Students learn to play many sports at school. They take PE classes. Some join the school teams, and others join school sports leagues(联盟).For many people in the USA, sports are not just for fun Theyre almost a religion (宗教). Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite team
40、s and sports stars play. Other fans watch games on TV at home. The most devoted(投入的) sports fans never miss a game15.The Apple Tree (1)A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, played under the tr
41、ee. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.Time went by.The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree.One day, the boy came back to the tree and looked sad.“Come and play with me,”the tree asked the boy.“I am no longer a kid I do not play around trees any more”Th
42、e boy replied,“I want toys. I need money to buy them.”“Sorry, but I dont have money. But you can pick all my apples and sell them So, you will have money.”The boy was so excited. He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didnt come back after he picked the apples. The tree was s
43、ad.One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited“Come and play with me”The tree said“I dont have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house Can you help me?”“Sorry, but I dont have a house But you can cut off my branches(枝干)to build your house.”, so the boy cut all the branc
44、hes of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him full of joy, but the boy didnt appear since then The tree was again lonely and sad. 15.The Apple Tree (2)One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was very happy.“Come and play with me!”the tree said.“I am sad and getting old I w
45、ant to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?”“Use my trunk(树干) to build the boat You can sail and be happy.”So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat He went sailing and did not show up for a long timeFinally, the boy returned after he left for so many years.“Sorry, my boy. But I do
46、nt have anything for you any more No more apples for you.”the tree said.“I dont have teeth to eat.”The boy replied“No more trunk for you to climb on”“I am too old for that now.”the boy said.“I really want to give you somethingthe only thing left is my dying roots(根).”The tree said.“I dont need much
47、now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.”The boy replied.“Good! Come here, please sit down with me and have a rest,”The boy sat down and the tree smiled .This is a story of everyone The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad. When we grow up, we
48、 leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. Whatever, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but thats how all of us are treating(对待)our parents.16. Pupils in ChinaOn Tues
49、day, October 4, Mr. Goff visited our class. He is Karens dad, and he just got back from a business trip to China. He has many pictures of busy cities and beautiful mountains. His pictures are worth seeing Mr. Goff came to our class to tell us what life is like in ChinaWe learned that pupils in China
50、 went to school six days a week in the past but now they have a rest at weekends. They write with 2,000 characters(字) instead of 26 letters. Each character is a complete word They also review their lessons. After school, pupils play basketball and volleyball and ride bikes They do the same things as
51、 we do.Mr. Goff said a businessman from China would visit him soon We will invite the man to our class. In that way, he can tell us more about pupils in China17.Say it with Flowers(1)Young men often give flowers to young women when they are in love. The tradition may have come from Turkey(土耳其).In th
52、e 1700s in Turkey, it was quite popular for people in love to send each other baskets full of strange things. The baskets were sent secretly to the person who was receiving it. Usually, an old woman who sold flowers or fruit on the street left the basket beside the door of that person 17. Say It wit
53、h Flowers (2)These baskets included many kinds of gifts: flowers, stones, candles, etc. Each thing in the basket had a special meaning. By working out the secret message hidden in each gift, the person who received the basket began to understand little by little the true feelings of the person who s
54、ent it.17. Say It with Flowers (3)The idea of sending gifts of love with secret meanings quickly spread to other countries. However, as time passed, only sending flowers remained popular.Flowers told young ladies about the feelings in the heart of young men. Each different flower had a different mea
55、ning. For example, the flowers from an orange tree meant,“you are beautiful and pure(纯洁).”Pink carnations (康乃馨) meant,“My love far you is great.”Yellow roses, on the other hand, meant,“I saw you with someone else.”Many flower dictionaries were made to help young people in love understand the meaning
56、 of the flowers they received However, not all of the dictionaries agreed on the meaning of each flower, so a person had to be careful about the flowers they chose to sendBy the 1880s, using flowers to send messages had become unpopular, and the more direct way of sending love letters began. Today,
57、flowers are still considered a lovely gift, but the meaning for each kind of flower has been lost.18. Learning by Doing and GoingMany of my classmates think they are forced to go to school. They say they are only interested in playing. But I love going to school, and my favorite subject is science I
58、 like science because the experiments and field trips are exciting.In science we do many exciting experiments in the lab. One time we made crystal form(晶形)in a bottle by using salt in water. Another time we watched how baby chicks are hatched(孵出).We also take exciting field trips for science, We wen
59、t to a museum and saw huge dinosaurs(恐龙)and tiny butterflies. On Tree-planting Day, we went to a forest and collected leaves.Its good to play, but I would rather do experiments and go on field trips. Thats why science is my favorite subject.19. Jane Came Home Too LateJane got home late at night. She
60、 was going to knock at the door. Just then it opened. Her father was standing by the door. He was a tall man with white hair.“Come in,”he said“I am getting cold.”Jane went in Her mother was waiting in the room Her mother was a short woman She was sitting on the sofa, and looked pale Her father close
61、d the door.“Well,”he said,“Where have you been? You promised not to stay out beyond 11 oclock. Its one oclock now.”“Its only a quarter to one.”“That doesnt make any difference. You should have come home earlier”her father replied angrily.“Weve been very worried about you,”said her mother.“Im sorry,”
62、Jane said.“I was at a party. I didnt notice the time.”“Youve got a watch, ”said her father.“Your mother and I have waited for a long time. We didnt know where you were”“I can look after myself,”replied Jane“Im not a baby any more”.That is a situation that we often see in our life Please do not let y
63、our parents worry about you again!20. My Sons QuestionsSince my son was three years old, hes kept asking me“why?”about everything. Why is the sky blue? Why are there clouds? Why cant I go outside? Why do I have to be nice? Anyway, I always try my best to answer his questions.Now my son is ten years
64、old. At this age, the boy is interested in all kinds of things, and hes got more questions to trouble me Do people in prison celebrate festivals? Why are dogs noses always wet? Why are women and mens shoe sizes different? .These days, the boy shows interest in the facts of life, so I borrowed books
65、from the library and prepared myself for any questions he might ask At the end of our long talk, he still looked confused(迷惑的).“If you have any questions,”I said,“please ask them There are no stupid questions.”“Well. suppose I was married,”he said with shame,“my wife was going to give birth to a bab
66、y, and I had to rush her to the hospital, okay?”“Yes,”I smiled and encouraged him to continue his question.Then he asked,“Can go through red lights?”21. I Did a Silly ThingA few years ago, when my family moved to this city, I became interested in soap-box race Thats when I discovered that“it is far
67、easier to start something than it is to finish it.”Dad bought a set of tools to make a racing car for me I just couldnt wait, and one day, while Dad was at work, I decided to have my car going. I looked at the drawings, and I said to myself,“Dude, you can do this.”I got out Dads toolbox, and I start
68、ed building. Part A fit into Part B Part C was a little harder to connect to Part D. It was easy to fix Part E. By the time I got to Part G. Id made a real mess(混乱)of things. I really regret having done such a silly thing.What did I learn from this experience? Now I know that before I start somethin
69、g, I should know how to finish it.22. SnakesToday I read a book about snakes. I found some interesting facts, especially some surprising facts in it Did you know that some big snakes are strong enough to kill a pig or a goat? All snakes eat animals. Without snakes, the world would probably be filled
70、 with rats and mice.You probably didnt know that snakes smell with their noses and their tongues. Some snakes are even longer than an elephant or a giraffe!This book made me think a lot about snakes. Most snakes dont hurt people, but some are dangerous. Im thinking if I saw a snake, would I know if
71、it was dangerous?23. A Call from the SecretaryMr. Young was a boss, and he worked hard. Seldom did he have a vacation. His wife was afraid that he would get sick if he continued like that, so she suggested to him taking a vacation. At last Mr. Young agreed. But she was afraid that he might be distur
72、bed by his company, so before they left, Mrs. Young went to see her husbands secretary. Mrs. Young told her,“My husband needs a vacation very much, so whatever happens; please dont disturb him with letters or telephones while were away. Just wait until we get back.”Then on a pleasant morning, after
73、Mr. and Mrs. Young had been away about a week, when the couple was having a picnic and eating their hamburger, Mr. Young received a phone call from his secretary, she said,“Something terrible has happened to your business, but I remember what Mrs. Young told me. so Im not going to disturb you with i
74、t now while youre enjoying your vacation Bye-bye!”24. My Collection of Sea ShellsEvery summer my family goes to the beach I dig in the sand and search for sea shells(贝壳).Ive collected many shells so far. They have different colors: orange, silver, purple, gray(灰色), brown . Some are common, others ar
75、e unusual. I have a shell which is like a birds wing, and one of my shells is like a whales eyes.Last year, my elder sister helped me put all my shells in my drawers and on my desk. When I see them, I will remember the fun I have at the beach 25. Breakfast Is ImportantOne of the most important meals
76、 of the day is breakfast. People should always eat a good breakfast to keep well. Eating the right food is necessary for good health. You should eat different kinds of food in order to keep a good healthA good breakfast should include eggs, bread, milk, and so on By eating breakfast every morning, y
77、ou may feel lively in the mornings work Stepping out into the morning air after a good breakfast will make you feel wonderful.Without breakfast, children may not grow as fast as they should and may not study and play as well in school in the morning as they could. They may have more sickness, and wh
78、en they are sick, it may take them longer time to get well than children with good health habits.Food provides energy for the body. Without food the body operation will slow down. So you must eat breakfast to keep well and do your best each morning.26. The Proper Way to Give Gifts (1)Everyone has ha
79、d the experience of giving a gift. A proper gift can help communication and express good wishes, and sometimes it may also bring about unexpected good results. But, an improper gift may not only fail to show good wishes, but also even result in misunderstanding(误会). The art of giving gifts needs mor
80、e attention, especially in communication with friends from different countries.When you give gifts to the Chinese, you should pay attention to what you say. In China, people may sometimes say the words like“Yi Dian Xin Yi.” 27. Making Electricity Because of electricity(电), it is easy for us to turn
81、on an electric lamp or a TV. But where does all that electricity come from? Most power plants (发电厂) produce electricity by using coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy(核能).Other plants make electricity by using sunlight, wind, water, or even heat from underground!28. One Real ManIn an ancient ki
82、ngdom(王国),all men were ruled by their wives. The king didnt believe it. In order to prove it was not true, the king had all the men of his kingdom brought before him. He warned that any man who did not tell the truth would be seriously punished.Then he asked all the men who followed their wives orde
83、rs to step to the left side of the hall. All the men did so but one little man who moved to the right side.“Its good to see,”said the king,“that we have one real man in the kingdom Tell these chicken-hearted men why you alone among them stand on the right side of the hall.”“Your Majesty(陛下),”came th
84、e reply in a weak voice, “it is because before I left home my wife told me to keep out of crowds(人群). I dont dare to go against her.” 29. Dialogue: Where Is My Pet Dog?(L: Lisa, S: Sam)L: Ten years ago, I went on a tour to London with my pet dog.S: Did you have a good time there?L: Yes. I did. One d
85、ay, after a tiring tour, I went into a restaurant with my pet dog.S: You should feed your dog first, I thinkL: Right, so I signed(打手势) a waiter(服务员)to come over. At that time, I couldnt speak English. So I pointed to the dog and made an“eating”gesture, showing that the dog needed some food. S: What
86、happened then?L: The waiter nodded and walked away with my pet dog. I was happy because I made the waiter understand me without any difficulty. But after half an hour, he returned with a plateS: What was on the plate?L: My pet dog! My pet dog was killed and cooked !30. Why Shouldnt We Smoke? To begi
87、n with, smoking costs a lot of money. Smokers may also have to spend more on medicine and doctor visits. Another reason not to smoke is that it is bad for people who do not smoke, Secondhand smoke(二手烟)is a serious public health risk It isnt polite for a person to smoke in front of a nonsmoker. Besid
88、es, nonsmokers usually dont like the smell left in rooms, cars, or even on a smokers clothes!Most importantly, smoking causes big health problems For example, smoking makes it harder to breathe if a person has illnesses like asthma (哮喘). Smoking hurts a persons lungs(肺) , causing diseases like cance
89、r, etc.So if you dont smoke, dont start. If you do smoke, its time to give it up.31. The Jobs of TomorrowWhat kind of work do you want to do when you are older? Many jobs might interest you. Two of them that have been around the longest are farming and building. People who work with computers have n
90、ewer kinds of jobs.The jobs of tomorrow will be decided by what people need and want. When we decide which job to take, we need to get the necessary information about chances of jobs. The chances result from the relations between the total population, labor force, and the need for goods(商品)and servi
91、ces. 32. To Stop Two Boys from FightingI am sixteen years old. I have a younger brother. My brothers name is Jim. Jim is a handsome boy and sometimes very humorous, he makes me laugh a lot, and I love him and am proud of himOne afternoon I was walking from my house to the store to buy some ink when
92、I saw a small boy running along the street towards me. He was running a thigh speed. When he came near me, I was surprised to see it was Jim“Hi, Jim,”I shouted to him,“why are you running like that?”Jim didnt stop. He looked a bit nervous, and shouted to me,“Im trying to stop two boys from fighting.
93、”I was surprised again I laughed and said,“Thats an important job for a little boy, isnt it? You dont do things like that very often Who are the two boys?”“Theyre Tom and me,”answered Jim as he continued running down the street very quickly.33. Buying a HouseAs house prices have risen too much these
94、 years, many people find it hard to afford a house. But all the people who do not have a house dream of the day theyll pickup the keys to their own home The idea of owning a home is wonderful.Buying a house will cost you a lot of money, so never do it in a hurry. Whatever the market condition is, wh
95、en you are planning to buy a house there are many things to consider, whatever your intention is, to buy or only rent(租). After all, it is going to be your home, perhaps for quite a long time, and you want to be happy with it. You have to decide correctly what kind of house you want, how much you ca
96、nafford to pay, and the type of area you wish to live in however, its always easy to forget all above, because its most probably that youll fall in love with the house for sale when you first see it.34.Jimmy and His Sons Funny StoriesJimmy is our new neighbor. He speaks with strange accent, but we l
97、ike to talk with him. He told me an interesting story about himself.He said he liked growing flowers in his garden in his spare time. And one Sunday morning, after breakfast he put on his old clothes and began digging in his garden He dug and dug. After half an hour he suddenly found a coin near his
98、 foot He put it in his right pocket. A few minutes later, he found another one He put it in the same pocket, too. The same thing happened for the third, the fourth and the fifth time He was very happy and told his wife about it She was very happy, too. She said,“A thief(小偷) stole a lot of coins from
99、 a shop a few days ago. The police caught him but they didnt find any coins.”Then Jimmy went on digging and found some more coins, but just when he began to dig, he felt something cold in his trousers. It ran down one of his legs. He put his hand down quickly and the coin came into his hand. Now he
100、knew there was a hole in his pocket.Jimmy also told me something even funnier about his son, Jack One day he took his son Jack to a boys clothing shop. That shop was giving away(赠送) balloons to buyers children Jack asked if he might have two balloons.“Sorry,”the salesperson said,“but we give only on
101、e balloon to each child. Do you have a brother at home?”Jack was always honest He didnt tell lies, but he wanted another balloon badly.“No.”he replied regretfully,“but my sister has a brother, and Id like one for him”What a lovely boy Jack is!35. At Sea in a Small BoatPeople have sailed around the w
102、orld in quite small boats. It is not an easy thing. Sometimes the weather goes bad. That will be the end of a boat; and the end of everyone in it. Accidents can happen easily and quickly.One family had an accident with a big fish The fish swam under their boat and bit(咬) holes in it The water came i
103、nto the boat, of course; and the boat soon went down However, these people had another, smaller boata life-boat(救生艇) ; and they all got into that They lived and hoped for many days. They woke and slept, and they always, hoped. At last a ship found themHow do people live in a very small life-boat? Pe
104、rhaps far weeks or months. They must be strong in every way. They must have hopethey must want to live But you cannot eat and drink hope.You cannot drink sea water. Drink a lot of sea wateryou will quickly die. Sailors(水手) can drink rain water. They must catch rain water in their boat. They must als
105、o catch fish and birds for food. Lifeboats do not often carry a cooker;and so the sailors cannot cook their food Raw(生的) fish and bird-meat is not very nice But there wont be any choice in a life-boat! The sailors must eat raw food or they will dieWhat do people think about in a life-boat? They thin
106、k about land, a warm bed, dry clothes, clean water and food.36. A Careless CoupleMr. and Mrs. Long have a poor memory, and they are also very careless. Compared with the careless parents, their daughter Linda is quite different. Linda is very careful in doing things. If Mr. and Mrs. Long can act car
107、efully and remember to check their work, theyll not cause so much trouble in their life.One summer they plan to fly to New York for a visit. They get to the airport only ten minutes before the plane leaves So time is short. But suddenly Mrs. Long says she must tell Linda, their daughter, not to forg
108、et to lock the front door when she leaves for school in the morning. As Linda is then at school, they cant reach her on the phone So the couple hurries to the post office. Mrs. Long writes a short note to Linda, while Mr. Long buys a stamp and an envelope(邮票). Soon the note is ready. They put the st
109、amp on the envelope and drop it in the letter box in a hurry. But suddenly Mrs. Long begins to cry. The short note to her daughter is still in her hand. She has put their plane tickets in the envelope!37. Protecting Your TeethGeorge Washington had many great successes in his life, but he didnt succe
110、ed in keeping his own teeth! Back then, many people lost their teeth, But modern people know how to protect their teethThe most important thing is to brush your teeth By keeping the teeth clean you will not have a toothache or other tooth diseaseOne other important thing is to eat right. For example
111、, milk and cheese give teeth calcium(钙), which they need to be strong. Fruits and vegetables also help by providing VA and VD. On the other hand, sweet food is bad for teethSo brush your teeth and eat right. They are the basic things you should do to protect your teeth. If you do the things, youll b
112、e able to have good teeth for your whole life. Thats one success that even George Washington didnt have!38. American classroom Rules (1)l. If the teacher asks a question, you should give an answer. If you do not understand the question, you should raise your hand and ask the teacher to repeat the qu
113、estion. If you do not know the answer, it is all right to tell the teacher that you do not know. Then the teacher knows what you need to learn2. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. If you are absent, you should call your teacher or someone who is in your class and ask for the homework. I
114、t is your duty to find out what homework you have missed. It is not the teachers duty to tell you the missing homework.3. You must not be absent on a test day. Serious illness is the only reason for missing a test.4. Be on time! It is considered not polite to be late* Also, it disturbs other classma
115、tes. If you must come in late, be sure to do it quietly. In the U. S it is not necessary to knock before you enter the classroom Most of the teachers will give you a low grade if you are often late.38. American Classroom Rules (2)5.Have your textbook out and be ready to begin when the class starts.
116、Be sure you have a paper and a pencil ready.6. In America, you should call your teacher by his or her last name, not“teacher”. Also you should use Mr., Miss, Ms. or Mrs. before the last name (such as Mrs. Smith or Mr. Jones). This is considered polite7. Be polite to other students. If another studen
117、t is answering a question or giving a report, you should listen quietly and give them your attention.8. It is considered impolite in the U.S. to eat, drink or chew gum(嚼口香糖) during class. Also, taking off ones shoes in the classroom is not polite.9. If you must leave during class, do so quietly. The
118、re is no need to tell the teacher.However, leaving the class for something instead of an emergency (紧急情况) is not accepted.10. Copying another students test or paper is never accepted It is called cheating.At most schools in the U. S , students who cheat will be dismissed39. Very P/eased to Meet YouD
119、uring World War Two, a lot of young women in Britain(英国) were in the army. Joan Phillips was one of them She worked in a big camp, and of course met a lot of men, officers, and soldiers. One evening she met Captain Humphreys at a dance. Joan also played the piano there They had a very good time Capt
120、ain Humphreys said to her,“Im going abroad tomorrow, but Id be very happy if We could write to each other.”Joan agreed. Then Captain Humphreys went to a foreign country. And they wrote for several months.Then his letters stopped, but she received one from another officer, telling her that he had bee
121、n wounded and was in a certain army hospital in England.Joan went there and said to the matron(护士长),“Ive come to visit captain Humphreys.”“Only family members are allowed to visit patients here,”the matron said.“Oh, thats all right,”answered Joan“Im his sister.”“Im pleased to meet you,”the matron sa
122、id,“Im his mother!”40. Keys? Kiss?My cousin was giving an English lesson to a class of adults(成年人). They had recently come to live in America. My cousin placed many daily objects on a table, There was a pen, a ruler, an eraser, a tape, a piece of chalk, a newspaper, a magazine, a map, and a table te
123、nnis ball and so on Then she asked every member of the class to give her an object as they were told. The class went very smoothly and the students seemed interested and serious about the work. But when my cousin said to an Italian(意大利的)student,“Give me the keys,”the man looked surprised Seeing this
124、, my cousin thought that the student hadnt heard her clearly, so she repeated,“Give me the keys.”The Italian student seemed a little shy, and then he threw his arms around the teachers neck and kissed her on both cheeks(脸颊).41. A Cockroach in Our Classroom (1)What would you do if you found a cockroa
125、ch in your classroom? Would you cry? Would you laugh? Or would you just sit there and do nothing? In my class we did all those.Suddenly I heard a terrible cry from one of the girls. My heart missed a beat. I heard another cry. I am now thinking to myself “what is going on”! Then there it was! It was
126、 at least an inch and a half long, just a little cockroach! Now this was the first time I had seen in real life, but from all the pictures and the movies I had seen in the past, I could tell it was a cockroach.My teacher quickly ran to fetch some paper towels. To be honest, I didnt think that window
127、 cleaner could help. I was wrong. The little cockroach got a big drop of “The Window Cleaner”, and lying on the floor, did not move.41. A Cockroach in Our Classroom (2)Well that was just the beginning. Ok, here is the whole story. My teacher walked over to the, now not moving, cockroach. If you have
128、 a weak stomach I am warning you now. she stepped on it.I dont know if you have seen the movies where someone steps on the cockroach and you hear a loud “CRUNCH”(嘎扎嘎扎的压碎), but I can tell you right now that those movies are one-hundred percent true.I was laughing hard that I was crying. I looked arou
129、nd the classroom Some of my friends were laughing too. Of course the girly girls were crying and some of the other kids thought it was no big deal and just sat there reading their books.My teacher was not very happy to find out that she was the one who had to clean up the dirty place.Most people wil
130、l not realize that when you step on a cockroach it will make a terrible sound you may not want to hear. So when you ever go to kill a cockroach, watch out for “THE CRUNCH”.42.This Is My SupperMiss Green ate a lot for every meal, and she liked eating meat, especially pork and beef. So she was very fa
131、t. She weighed 100 kilos and she got heavier every month.One day she went to see a doctor. The doctor said, “You have to go on a diet(节食), Miss Green “He gave her a small book and said, “This is a book on how to lose your weight. Please eat the things on page 11 every day. Then come back and see me
132、in two weeks.”Miss Green came again two weeks later, but she wasnt thinner. She was much fatter. The doctor was surprised and said, “Are you eating the things on page 11 0f the small book? Yes, doctor. “She answered. The next day, the doctor visited Miss Green when she was having her meals. “Miss Gr
133、een,”he said, “Why are you eating potatoes and dumplings? They are not on the list of your diet.”“But doctor,”Miss Green answered, “I ate my diet at lunch time This is my supper.”Funny enough! Thats why Miss Green is getting fat. But since then, Miss Green has made up her mind to lose weight, and sh
134、e has made an effort to follow the doctors advice43. Two TravelersTwo men were going along a lonely road and talking of what they would do if a bear or wolves attack(进攻)them. “Never fear,”said the larger one, “I can protect myself and you too, so there will be no danger. There is nothing in the fore
135、st for any man to fear, except a hungry bear, and Id like to meet the bear that could be a match for me.”Just at that time, a huge bear appeared in the road and moved towards the two men.The two men ran for a tree. The one who had spoken so bravely reached it first and climbed to safety. The smaller
136、 man. being left to face the bear alone, threw himself on the ground and lay as if dead. When the bear came up, he smelt the man on the ground and went away. Then the larger man came down from the tree and said, “What did the bear say in your ear? You seemed like old friends.”“Oh,”the other answered
137、, “he told me never to trust a boaster(自夸者)”44. People Around the World Communicating in EnglishIn only fifty years, English has developed into the language most widely spoken and used in the world. English is the working language of most international originations(组织), international trade and touri
138、sm (旅游业).Businessmen and tourists often come to China without being able to speak Chinese. Chinese businessmen, taxi drivers and students talk with them using English. English is also the language of world culture, such as pop music and the Internet You can listen to English songs on the radio or us
139、e English to communicate with people around the world through the Internet. With so many people communicating in English every day, it will become more and more important to have a good knowledge of English.45. Travel DiarySaturday, March 24thWe have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok, the capi
140、tal of Thailand. This is our first trip to Thailand. All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel room we booked is cheap, but very clean and tidy. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places like the Palace in
141、the city and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North. Tuesday, March 27thBangkok is wonderful and surprising! The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have already taken hundreds of photos wi
142、th our new cameral Later we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai. Friday, March 30thOur trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet
143、lifeno computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year.46.The Blue Pig with a Black TailOnce upon a time(从前) a certain king sent a message to another king, saying, “Send me a blue pig with a black tail, or else”The other r
144、eplied, “I havent one; if I had”Both kings were so angry that they went to war with each other. They collected all their soldiers and fought with each other. Brave men were killed, and women and children died because they could get nothing to eat.When it seemed that neither side could win the war, t
145、he kings began to talk about peace. First of all, it was necessary to explain the two messages. Each king was angry at what the other had said.“What did you mean,”Asked the second king, “by saying, sending a blue pig with a black tail, or else?”“Why,”said the first king, “I could mean only one thing
146、. I meant that I wanted you to send me a blue pig with a black tail, or else a pig of some other color.”“Oh, that was all, was it? I did not get the whole of your message,”answered the second king. “What a pity! “He added.“Ah, but I must know what you meant by your reply to my message,”asked the fir
147、st king. “You said, I havent one; if I had”“Why, my answer is very clear. I meant that I hadnt one; if I had, I should have sent it to you.”“Well, well! “said the first king, “We have been fighting about nothing. If we had only explained these things before the war started, then this bitter war must
148、 have been avoided.”So the great war of the blue pig with the black tail was recorded in the historiesof the two countries in order to prevent such a war happening again.47. A Girls SmileAbout ten years ago when I was a student in college, life was hard for me then. Both my parents had lost their jo
149、bs, so I worked at my Universitys Museum in my spare time. One day while working in the gift shop, I saw an old couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.As I looked closer at this girl, I found that she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso(躯干). She was wearing a pretty white dre
150、ss, also a little red cap.When they came closer to me, I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the prettiest, largest smile I had ever seen.All of a sudden her handicap(残疾)was gone and all I saw
151、 was this perfect girl. I was deeply moved by her smile, and almost immediately she gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world: a world of smiles, love and warmth.That was ten years ago. Im a successful bus
152、iness person now and whenever I am in low spirits and think about the troubles of the world, Ill think about that little girl and the lesson about life that she taught me, so I will never lose courage.48.Take Our Daughters to Work DayOn April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Brkain. Started i
153、n America and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to open up girls eyes and get
154、 them to believe in themselvesFor many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But in fact girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a manager. On this special day, girls can have a close look at what their parents are do
155、ing and this may help girls to believe in themselves when they need to choose their work.Schools and many companies also think this activity useful. Green Middle School for Girls, in north London has made the day a necessary part of education. Zarina, 15, studying in Green Middle school, went to her
156、 mothers law office. She found it interesting to see her mother at work She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks maybe she will does the same work as her mother later.If parents believe in their daughters and show examples bath at work and at home for them, this will give a lot of
157、 help to girls. Take Our Daughters to, Work Day is certainly a step in the right direction.49. Aunt Frankie (1) Aunt Frankie is a fun, busy and caring lady! She is always ready to have fun. After a long day at work, she usually comes in the door singing some songs from the80s. Sometimes she has a ne
158、w dance step to share. Aunt Frankie and her husband own a candy shop. That shop has brought in some money for them, but they dont buy much furniture. Aunt Frankie enjoys having more space in her house.When Aunt Frankie stays at home, she likes to be comfortable, and she almost always wears a big whi
159、te T-shirt, old pink shorts, and no socks or shoes.49. Aunt Frankie (2)I love to visit Aunt Frankie. There I can always please my stomach Aunt Frankie has the ability to bake(烤) different kinds of pies and biscuits. They all taste very delicious. Eggs, milk, butter, and salt all become wonderful in
160、her kitchen. She promises to teach me someday.When Ive come to eat some bananas and pears, she will sit next to me at the table She puts her hands on mine and asks me how my day was, how my classes are going, what new friends Ive made, and whether Ive made progress in my grammar and composition Aunt
161、 Frankie also has many tales and funny jokes to tell me.50. A Flying SailThat summer was a hot one in Boston Almost every afternoon, I Went swimming in a nearby swimming pool with my best friend, Ben Franklin We loved those long, hot days.On one pleasant afternoon, Ben was late I went to his house a
162、nd climbed upstairs to his small bedroom He was sitting there making a kite“Whats with the kite?”I said, “I thought we were going swimming.”Ben smiled at me and said, “We need the kite for swimming.”“Who goes swimming with a kite?”I asked“I do,”Ben said. His blue eyes were shining.With such a clever
163、 friend, I got used to hearing crazy ideas. I just shook my head, “Id like to see how you do it.”Half an hour later, we were standing on the bank of the pool. Ben held his crazy kite in one hand and a log(圆木)in the other. He sat on the bank, took off his shoes, and tied the end of the kite thread to
164、 his foot. Then he flew the kite into the air and let the wind catch it. The kite rose over the swimming pool.“This is fantastic! “I shoutedBen smiled at me and jumped into the pool. He threw one arm over his log,leaned(倚靠) back, and let the kite pull him across the pool. “Oh, I get it ! “I cried,“I
165、ts a flying sail!”51. The Colorful WorldThe world around us is full of colors: the grass is green, the sky is blue. What a pity it will be if people can not see all the colors. But there are people who are blind to certain colors.Human color blindness is a strange thing to explain In a single eye th
166、ere are millions of very small things called “cones(锥形物)”. They help us to see in bright light and to tell the difference between colors There are also millions of “rods(视网膜杆)”but they are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shape but not the color.Some birds and animals eyes have f
167、ew or no cones, so they cannot see colors. cats and dogs cannot see colors as well as we canSome insects(昆虫) can even see X-rays. Scientists know that there are other colors around us which insects can see but which we cannot see.Human beings have favorite colors. Blue is often popular because it is
168、 the color of the cool sky and sea Green is the color which makes us think of grass, field and forest. Yellow is the color of the sun. On the other hand, red is the color of blood and fire. It makes some people think of accidents, danger and blood. Black is the color of the night. In the dark we can
169、not see what is around us, so we are sometimes afraid of the unknown and do not like black as a color.52. Computers Are Becoming More and More PopularMore and more people are living the life with computers. Using computers you can send e-mails quickly and easily. You are able to send a letter with p
170、hotos and sounds to someone anywhere in the world without putting a stamp. E-mail can send its message to the other side of the world in seconds E-mail is easy to use and it saves time and money. It serves for twenty-four hours. You can send e-mails to your friends when they are in bed, and when the
171、y send e-mails back, maybe youre seeing a film at the cinemaComputers are also important far students now. Many students like to surf the Internet, but some students only play games instead of searching for useful information and learning from the Internet. Besides, they spend too much time on the c
172、omputer, which is very bad for their health. Can you imagine in the future without teachers but computers? Students will teach themselves in the schoolq in the future. At that time, students will carry a personal computer (PC) instead of a book bag. And teachers will disappear. Computers help studen
173、ts develop their own ways of learning. Students will follow the learning programs by looking at on-line(在线的)libraries and watching lessons, Students can take advantage of all kinds of learning websites53. Dialogue: Chinese FoodW: Waitress, G: Guest W: Good afternoon, sir. We have both Chinese food a
174、nd western food. Which do youlike better, Chinese or Western? G: Ill have Chinese food for a change today. I like Chinese food very much, you know. W: Im glad to hear that This way, please . Here is the menu for today. G: Thanks. This is my first visit to China Could you tell me what different kinds
175、 of Chinese food you serve here? W: As you can see from the menu, we serve Shanghai food, Guangdong food and Sichuan food. G: Could you tell me more about them? W: With pleasure. Generally, Guangdong food is a bit light, Sichuan food has a strong and hot taste, Shanghai food is rather oily. G: Very
176、interesting. There are so many kinds of dishes of different tastes Its hard to decide which to take. But I think Ill have Sichuan food this time as I like hot food Id like to have some standard Sichuan dishes. W: Would you like pork shreds with fish seasoning(鱼香肉丝) , chicken cubes with chili peppers
177、(辣子鸡丁) and sour pungent soup(酸辣汤)? G: Very nice. Let me try them W: We usually serve the food first and then the soup, but well bring you the soup first if you like.G: Im used to having soup first.W: All right, sir. Ill get it for you right now.54. Frogs Longing for a KingThere once lived many frogs
178、 in a great pond under a bridge They had an excellent home and all the food they wished, but they were not satisfied They made speeches in the pond. They said they should have a king, Then they asked the God to give them a king. The God gave them a big piece of wood The wood did not move at all, so
179、the frogs went to ask the God to give them a king which could take action. The God sent them an eel(鳗鱼), but the frogs thought the eel was too small and did not look like a king, so the eel was not welcome in the pond. Then the frogs went to the God again, for the last time, the frogs were given a s
180、tork(白鹤)as their king. They believed the stork was great, which could rule over them, so they showed honor to the stork. But the stork ate all the frogs one by one until there was hardly any frog left in the whole pond. How much better it would have been for the frogs if they had been satisfied with
181、 their life!55. TVs ValueMany people who are alive today know what it is like to live in a world without television. Television is only about forty years old. Yet it has been an important part in our lives.Some people think that the years before television were a better time. They believe that famil
182、ies talked more and did more things together. More books were read. People got more outdoor exercise.But others disagree They say that television is a good tool for education It tells us what is happening in the world. It provides plenty of fun for us. It helps us understand how people live and work
183、. Although some people describe television as a great teacher, others say television has caused the poor reading and writing skills of our people Television gets praise for helping us understand the people of the world. But it also has influence on family life. Television tells us the news of the da
184、y. But it can also make us lazy by giving only short news instead of telling the whole story.Even people who love television are not happy with it. They think there are too many advertisements on television. People will probably continue to discuss about televisions value. But everyone agrees that i
185、t is one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century.56. The Flower-beds Secret (1)Once there was an English prince(王子). His name was Henry. Prince Henry liked to study languages, but smiles never came on his face. His father, the King, loved him dearly, and tried to make him happy in
186、every possible way.The King gave the boy a small horse, so that he might ride when he liked. The King also had a boat made for the Prince, so that he might sail on the lake.Yet the young Prince was not happy. One day the King had an interview with a man named Sir Arthur. Prince Henry was also there,
187、 with an unhappy face, as usualSir Arthur turned to the King, and said; “1 have a method to make Prince Henry happy, but you have to send him to the countryside “At first, the King refused, but Sir Arthur insisted on taking the Prince to the country, finally, the King agreed. 56. The Flower-beds Sec
188、ret (2)Prince Henry and Sir Arthur went to Sir Arthurs house. His big yard was divided into two parts-inside yard and outside yard, and the outside yard was a big garden with a flowerbed. Sir Arthur cancelled all his activities and stayed with the Prince at home He told Henry, “Do you know my flower
189、bed can talk, and it has a secret.”The prince thought it very strange. Sir Arthur went on, “it tells the secret only to those who watch it every day. If you learn the secret, you will be happy every day in the year.” Prince Henry looked, but there was no flower, not even a leaf upon it.Then he circl
190、ed the flower-bed every day, even a storm came he didnt go inside, so he caught a cold and coughed badly.Many days passedThe flowerbed was wet, and the warm sun shone upon it. At last, one fine morning, he saw tiny plants coming up.Day after day he saw that these plants made lines, and that the line
191、s formed some letters. He thought about the spelling and tried to translate them into his own language At last, he got it: DO SOME GOOD TO SOMEONE EVERY DAY.57. Lewis and Clark Reach the PacificI clean the rain off my face. Most explorers (探险家) hope to find land, but Meriwether Lewis and I, William
192、Clark, came all the way from St. Louis to reach the Pacific Ocean. I turn around and face the rest of our ship members.“We did it!” I shout, putting up our flag. Everyone cheers as loudly as waves(波浪) hitting the rocks. “Weve paddled (划桨) upstream, walked a long way over snowy mountains, and faced h
193、unger and many other dangers. ”At the time, I see the girl. She keeps silent “Of course, without the help of our Indian friend, we wouldnt have made it Thank you, miss.”I look back at the Pacific and notice that Meriwether looks unhappy. I truly can understand why. We had hoped to see Asian trading
194、ships at sea, but there are no ships anywhere. We planned to sail home by sea. Maybe the ships will come soon. If not, well have to go back the same way we came.58. The Cat That Rang the BellThe cat lived in a nunnery(女修道院). She had noticed that when a certain bell was rung, a group of nuns(修女) woul
195、d come for their meals. and she also received her food.One day she was shut up in a room by herself when she heard the bell ring. But she couldnt open the door, the window was too high to reach, and the glass was too strong to break. At last, after some hours, the door was opened. She hurried to the
196、 place where she expected to find her dinner, but no dinner there. She was very hungry, and hunger made her clever. She knew where the rope hung which pulled the bell. “Now, when that bell rings I generally get my supper,”she thought as she ran towards the rope. That was a thick rope. It was easy fo
197、r her to reach the rope. She jumped upon it. It gave a pleasant sound. As she was swinging, she thought, “Now I shall get my supper, though I have lost my dinner. ”The bell rang louder and louder.The nuns hearing the bell ring at so unusual an hour, and came hurrying to the bell. They wondered what
198、was wrong. To their great surprise, they saw it was the cat which rang the bell! They couldnt understand and thought for some time, till the sister who gave the cat her meals remembered that she had not been present at dinner time, and then, she brought double meals to the cat immediately.59. Chopst
199、icks Chopsticks are an ancient way of eating food, and even though they were developed some 5,000 years ago in China, the tradition is still alive around the modern world. There are many reasons for using chopsticks, but probably they developed because using two sticks of wood allows one to get clos
200、e enough to get the food out of a pot (锅) without burning themselves.Although forks and knives and other pointed tools have been introduced to China over the years, chopsticks have remained the main way to eat food Chopsticks are mostly made from wood, with bamboo being the most widely used. Foreign
201、ers like to buy silk chopsticks as gifts.The Chinese people usually eat from a bowl or small plate They use chopsticks to eat noodles and rice, but Koreans(韩国人)eat their rice with a spoon. 60. Beijing ZooBeijing Zoo has many animals such as the giant (巨大的) panda and the golden monkey, and also has t
202、he animals from all over the worldelephant, camel, giraffe, tiger, lion, zebra, etc.Beijing Zoo covers an area of more than 50,000 square meters and there are more than 30 large halls. It is also a famous center of zoological(动物的) researchRecently, a new form of ticketing has been introduced at Beij
203、ing Zooa -like ticket There is music and video of the animals in the. You can read it through your computer or V player. There is also an important message on the CD: we should all help protect the environment where we live.61. Strawberry and Watermelon JuiceFinding pleasant ways to eat more fruit i
204、s one of the secrets of losing weight successfully.Because strawberry and watermelon taste very good when put together, this strawberry and watermelon Juice is a great way to help us to achieve the purpose of losing weightThis juice is lovely served for breakfast with our strawberry and orange panca
205、kes. Put l/2 cup of strawberries and 2 cups of watermelon together, and serve immediately in your favorite glass.62. CokeIf you have too much coke, sugar, and chocolate, youll be easily getting fat. Now Id like to talk about coke.Coke is a soft drink. It has many advantages but on the other hand man
206、y disadvantages which lead to health problems.There are plenty of sugar added to give the coke more taste and energy and while energy can be good, too much of it can increase health risks.But it looks as if coke will still remain number one when it comes to soft drinks but please remember that if yo
207、u have health problems then do not drink it, if not, coke still remains a favorite, and drink it sometimes! 63. Dont Pay the CostAll kinds of vehiclesbuses, coaches, cars and motorcycles, come and go every day. But it seems that we think the road is ours! The drivers may be a boss or a high-level wo
208、rker, but will not care about the rules of road.We feel proud that weve got our driving license, but we muse drive safely. It is wise to follow many rules and laws. You must know what traffic lights and signs(标记)mean You must know where and when you can park Also use common sense and politeness. Be
209、careful and enjoy the drive!Never pay the cost of your and your familys safety along with the safety of other people on the road. Please set an example to your kids and others.64. Iron and SteelThe iron and steel industry is an important basic industry of the national economy(经济). Modern life depend
210、s greatly on iron, the most widely used of all metals, usually in the form of steel. It is needed to carry out even the simplest daily tasks.65. Time Never ReturnsSmall machines have been invented to measure(测量) time. They are clocks and watches. The invention was a great success.Today almost everyo
211、ne wears a watch on his arm to tell the time. Same watches also tell the date Men, women and children wear them. ow good watches are almost completely correct. Repairs and oiling are seldom necessary.A clock wakes us. The clock at the office records the time we arrive at work, and the one in the kit
212、chen tells us when dinner is ready. We try to be on time for conferences, we try to save time for important things and not to waste time on stupid things, and we pay for time to park on a busy street. People often say that time is money . Truly we can create wealth by using time in a proper way.Time
213、 passes rapidly, and it never returns. We want to be always young, but thats impossible. That is the magic of time We cant catch time. Time is difficult to control and easy to waste In fact, time is dangerous. If we dont control it, it will control us. So we must become the master of time, not its s
214、ervant.Time is fair to everyone. Lets make good use of our time! Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.66. The ABC of KongfuFollow the instructions carefully. There are no pictures here, only step by step instruction Also, I hope this article will help those who havent the chance to go
215、 to a club for Chinese Kongfu training. You may practice anywhere, but let me offer some suggestions before we begin.If you are practicing a form, you will need enough room However, you may always practice parts of the form when there is no enough space The height of the ceiling is not important, ei
216、ther. Even if you have to keep your knees bent(弯曲)in order not to hurt your head, that is in fact good in your training. A dirty basement(地下室) corner may be cleaned-and perhaps an old mirror can be placed on a chair for corrections. You dont need a lot of light, either. What is important is to wear
217、big warm clothing and flat shoes such as cheap cotton tennis shoes.67.The First African-American First LadyBarack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States, has become the number one hero in the heart of Americans. His wife Michelle Obama serves as First Lady. The position of First Lady carr
218、ies no official(官方的) duties, so each First Lady has served her country according to(按照)her own wishes and interests. Some have played an active role in policy-making.On April 3 in London, U. S First Lady told children at a North London school that being smart is cool, and education is the most impor
219、tant thing in life. She spoke to the students, If you want to know the reason why I am standing here, its because of education, she told the 100 young girls. I never cut class. I loved getting As, I liked being smart. I thought being. smart is cooler than anything in the world. She tried to lift the
220、ir spirits and asked the girls to believe their dreams.68Japanese Poem Card GameThe Karuta(歌留多) game is a traditional Japanese game. What is Karuta? Karuta is a Japanese word for a game which is played everywhere. Its really quite simple:1. Lay all the cards face down on the table or floor.2. The st
221、udents put their hands on their heads.3. The teacher calls out one of the cards.4. The first student to snap(抢夺)the card keeps it.5. When there are no more cards, the winner is the person with the most.This game usually works well with pronunciation.A Japanese poem card game was held in Beijing on S
222、aturday. This was also a Karuta game.More than a score of Chinese college and middle school students and a dozen Japanese primary school student , joined in the Karuta (歌留多) game. The Chinese students were from Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing University of Science and Technology and some
223、 other universities. They tried to recite some of the poems written on the cards. A third-year college student felt she was lucky she got the victory. Her team won the first place.The students from two countries played together and were friendly to each other.69.Taking a Shower (1)Taking a shower ca
224、n make you cleaner and healthier. Before taking a shower, remember to place your clothes in an area where they will not get wet. The toilet is not the best place, as it can provide a place for germs (细菌). Also, check the temperature, and as soon as the temperature is correct, carefully step into the
225、 shower, and then begin to wash your body.A shower can be very relaxing at the end of a day, or in the very beginning of a new day. But if you want to enjoy your shower to the highest degree, please read on to find out! 69. Taking a Shower (2)1. Prepare the bathroom Make the room smell good, possibl
226、y light some candles and turn off the lights, whatever you feel makes a relaxing environment.2. Prepare your favorite drink such as juice, milk and wine! Use a plastic or metal drink container(容器) with a cover. Do not use a container made of glass! If it falls, the pieces could hurt you.3. Remember
227、to take deep breaths, and that your primary aim here is to relax, so do not think anything unhappy.4. Believe that you are in your own little world, and, especially, enjoy the water.5. Buy a shower radio, so while taking a shower you can listen to music at the same time.6. If you feel you need it, s
228、ing aloud!70. On JupiterWe do not yet know if the planet Jupiter(木星)has a solid surface. Jupiters clouds are thought to be about 30 miles (50km) thick Jupiter has sixteen moons.Jupiter is easy to find very early in the morning in the sky. Walk outside before the sun rises, look south and up. Jupiter
229、 shines more brightly than everything around it. Small telescopes(望远镜) have no trouble seeing Jupiters cloud belts(云带)and its four largest moons.71. My Little Sister CandyLiving with my little sister Candy can be hard, Candy is five years old. She always copies me. When I sit in front of my computer
230、, she will touch my keyboard and screen When I practice handwriting, shell stay as long as I do, and if I am playing chess with my friend, she will make so much noise.She doesnt like dolls as most girls do. She loves model planes, toy guns and robots, but its easy for her to turn her attention to so
231、mething else One moment she is laughing and clapping her little hands, the next she is kicking her plane and then reaching for the edge of the table. Thats because she finds some drugs on the table. Of course, the drugs should not be available to her.Last Sunday, I had a cold, so I tried to get her
232、separated from me. I stayed in my bedroom and asked her to stay in our living room, and then I told very easy riddles for her to answer. At first, she showed great interest in guessing riddles in this way, but later she came to my room, answering me no more but with her mouth open wide, and tried her best to pull me out of my room At last, I had to take her to walk along the path through our garden.Candy is always following me, but I love my little sister candy.