People have been making and flying kites for about 2,000 years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some historians believe it the ancient Chinese may have started kite flying 2000 years ago. It is still a popular hobby in China, Japan and Korea and in other countries of the Far East where beautifully decorated appear in different colors.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Simple kites are made by crossing two sticks and covering them with paper or cloth. Then you attach a string at the end. More expensive kites have frames made of fiberglass, plastic or aluminum. The name comes from a graceful bird called kite.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A flat kite is the oldest and simplest type of kite.  It flies because air flows over and under the kite's wing. The pressure under the wing helps the kite lift into the air.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Early scientists sent kites up into the air to measure temperature at different heights. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning was a form of electricity. He attached a metal key to the string of a kite. When lightning hit the kite, electricity passed down the string and Franklin got an electric shock. It was a very dangerous experiment that you shouldn't copy.

    Kites were also used to develop airplanes. The Wright Brothers experimented with kites before they flew the first airplane. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In World War I the Germans developed a large kite that could transport people to a submarine. Kites were also used to carry radio signals over long distances.

    Today most people fly kites as a hobby. Kite festivals are organized in many cities in all parts of the world.

A. Kites are made in many different sizes, colors and shapes.

B. flying kites is great fun and it is easy if you know some secrets.

C. Kites have also been used in experiments.

D. No one knows for sure who invented the kite.

E. In Japan families fly fish kites on Children's Day, May5th.

F. Stories of kites were brought to Europe till the end of the 13^th century.

G. In the past, kites were sometimes used to take pictures in wars.

    He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised, so as not to appear rude, she went along.

    As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

    They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee?" He explained, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea. I could feel it salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there."

    She was deeply moved. A man who can admit that he's homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible. She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.

    They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee! So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.

    After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:

    My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar. It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything. Sweetheart, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I've learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.

    “I like photography because it captures amazing things that you might not see again,” Timmy Walsh says. He takes pictures of flowers, sunsets and road signs. But those photos don't usually end up in a scrapbook(剪贴簿) or on his bedroom walls.

    When Timmy was five, he found out that his aunt Bev had lung cancer. He wanted to do something to help her. His first idea was to sell his photos from a lemonade--type stand in front of his house in Pennsylvania. “My mom said it wouldn't work because we were not on a busy street,” Timmy explains.

    His next idea was to have an art show. Timmy decorated his home with candles, flowers, and white lights. Then he arranged his photos. Timmy's mom, Sheila, remembers: “Our dining-room table was filled, the living room—everything was filled with photos.” Friends, family, and Timmy's teachers came to the show. He raised more than $300 for cancer research that night. Aunt Bev was “very happy and excited,” he says.

    After a local newspaper wrote a story about Timmy's photos, a volunteer offered to help him set up a website. As people learned about his cause, called Camera for a Cure, Timmy began receiving invitations to sell his pictures at art galleries and fund-raisers. Since then, his work has appeared in more than 20 shows.

    When Timmy is at a show, he greets each customer and talks about what he was thinking when he took his photos. And he always shares facts about lung cancer. Sometimes donations and sales are slow, but that doesn't bother him. “It doesn't matter how much money we made because we just raised awareness,” he says. Timmy knows that finding a cure for lung cancer will take time and effort. So Timmy will keep doing his part by shooting and selling photos of the things he sees.

    An unconventional new initiative(首创)in Canada will soon allow doctors to prescribe art to their patients—by giving them free access to a local museum. Wandering through the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts(MMFA), these patients and their loved ones will be able to feast their eyes on the peaceful collections of art.

    The initiative is the first of its kind in the world. And while you certainly can't replace a conventional treatment with a couple of paintings, the idea is for such “prescriptions” to assist a person's current treatment plan. Under the new program, members of the Francophone Association of Doctors in Canada(MFDC)will be able to hand out up to 50 prescriptions for their patients.

    These prescriptions will be available for those with a wide range of mental and physical illnesses, and each of them will allow two adults and two children to visit the museum for free.

    “By offering free admission to a safe, welcoming place, a relaxing experience, a moment of relief, and an opportunity to strengthen ties with loved ones, MMFA—MFDC Museum Prescriptions contribute to the patient's well-being and recovery, ”explains a news conference from the MMFA.

    It may look a lot like a marketing effort for the museum but there's also increasing evidence that the display of visual art, especially if it's showing nature, can have positive effects on health outcomes.

    In some ways, the benefits of looking at art appear a little similar to physical activity. A systematic review of clinical art therapy(疗法) found that visual art has significant and positive effects on depression, anxiety, mood, and self-esteem. Findings like these are slowly gaining attraction in the medical community, making artwork a higher priority(优先)in hospitals around the world.

    In the US, nearly half of all health care institutions have reported including art in health care programming, such as art therapy and the placement of visual art in hospitals. With spaces dedicated(专用的)to art therapy and also a medical consultation room, the MMFA already provides services for people with mental health issues, eating disorders, and Alzheimer's disease, just to name a few.

    Lima, the capital of Peru (秘鲁), has countless museums that tourists can't afford to miss. Now start packing up and prepare for your perfect Peruvian history exploration at these wonderful museums.

    ◆Larco Museum

    Stepping inside, visitors get to learn the 5,000-year history of Peru through an unbelievable collection of objects. The best thing about the museum is that it keeps the door to the storeroom open to visitors so that they can admire its collection closely.

    ◆Gold Museum of Peru

    If you like shiny objects or precious metals, then plan a trip to the Gold Museum of Peru. In ancient times, the Peruvian people were celebrated for their skills in metals. And the museum is aimed at preserving this heritage.

    ◆Lima Art Museum

    Art experts are much pleased as the city is also home to the Lima Art Museum. Its permanent exhibit of over 1, 200 pieces is merely a small part of its amazing collection of more than 17, 000 artifacts. The highlight of the museum is its collection of Carlos Baca-Flor's masterpieces, which is considered to be the most complete set in the world.

    ◆Museum of Italian Art

    The only museum dedicated to European art in Peru, the Museum of Italian Art is a storehouse of classical and contemporary paintings and sculptures belonging to the 20th century. The property is easily accessible by a short walk from the Lima Art Museum.

    ◆Museum of Natural History

    Last but certainly not least is the Museum of Natural History. Giving a glimpse into the rich biodiversity in Peru, the museum has on display the skeletons of a sperm whale and fossils of several mammals.

    When the tornado(龙卷风) passed, Lewis returned to her house after that awful night, and the Bible was the first thing she looked for. She had bought it 35 years earlier, at the start of her marriage. Like many folks, she'd used it to preserve the family's history: decades-old photos, newspaper obituaries(讣告) of loved ones, a handkerchief from her great-grandmother, even a piece of a scarf her uncle had brought back from the Korean War.

    The Bible was not where she'd last seen it, on top of an antique dresser in her bedroom. The only thing left was the solid pieces of marble that had been on the top of the furniture. After an hour of searching, one of the volunteers ran up to her and found the Bible while clearing through ruins. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. It had flown about ten feet from the dresser. Surprisingly, while many books had been destroyed beyond recognition, the Bible was still intact, even though it had sat in the rain for days. "It was a miracle," says Lewis.

    A few of the Bible's treasures did go missing. Yet ever so slowly, they, too, began reappearing in Lewis's life. Days after the Bible was found, volunteers discovered one of the newspaper obituaries outside the home. Two weeks later, a neighbor found another newspaper clipping(剪辑) by her house. "It was a shock," says Lewis.

    Now the Bible already has its well-deserved place of honor, on the dresser. She knows that while every good book tells stories of disastrous weather and unlikely survival, this one actually lived it.