Peter and Mike are very good friends. They are in the same class at school. They often go to school and play t{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and they often visit each other's home at weekends, too.

    Now they are b{#blank#}2{#/blank#} eight years old. Peter's mother has got a new baby. Peter is very glad to have a little brother, so he is always talking about his younger brother to Mike.

    At first Mike is very interested in the new baby because he doesn't have any sisters or brothers. But after some time he begins to get tired of Peter's endless talking about it. He also feels a little jealous (嫉妒) of his friend.

    One morning before class, when the two boys m{#blank#}3{#/blank#} at the school gate, Peter says to Mike cheerfully, "Do you know, Mike, my little brother, has put on nearly half a pound in weight this week."

    "That's not much at all," answers Mike. "I know a baby who can put on more than ten pounds a day."

    "Oh, that can't be t{#blank#}4{#/blank#}," answers Peter. "W{#blank#}5{#/blank#} baby is it?"

    "An elephant's," says Mike.

①Malta is a country with 5 islands: Malta, Gozo, Comino, Kemmunett and Filfla. With just 316 square kilometres (平方千米), the country is quite small. But don't let that stop your visit: Malta has lots of things for you to enjoy.

②Valletta, the capital city, is in the east of the island of Malta. It is a great city for tourists. People in Malta started building Valletta in the 16th century after their old capital was destroyed(摧毁). It became the new capital city in 1571. Now in Valletta, there are still lots of old houses, churches and palaces. You can have a drink on Strait Street or a meal at one of the waterfront's restaurants. If you love art, Blitz and Valletta Contemporary are great places to visit.

③Mdina is a city in the middle of the island of Malta and it is an older city than Valletta. Mdina will take you back in time with its old streets and buildings. The streets are so peaceful(宁静的) that Mdina is often called"the silent city".

④Gozo and Comino are also popular with tourists. They are just a short boat ride away from Malta. In Gozo, you can visit the famous beautiful beaches. You can also spend a day relaxing at Comino's blue lake.

今日广告 广 告 4分钟 P135

Lily lives in a big community centre, and there are many advertisements on the board at the en-trance. Look at today's advertisements.

 What happens if you swallow gum(吞口香糖) by accident? You might have heard that gum stays in your stomach for up to seven years. But is that true? Beth Czerwony, a doctor at Cleveland Clinic, will explain what really happens when a piece of gum makes its way into your stomach.

Is it bad to swallow gum?

 Swallowing one piece of gum every now and then isn't likely to do any harm. But you shouldn't make a habit of swallowing gum, as that can do some damage.

 Gum base is largely synthetic(人工合成的). It's nondigestible which means your body can't break it down like it does other foods." So it just stays in your stomach all the way through," Czerwony explains.

Does gum stay in your stomach for seven years?

 Don't worry: Gum doesn't stay in your stomach for seven years or even seven days.

" If you' ve swallowed a piece of gum, it' ll come out about 40 hours later in your stool(粪便)," Czerwony says." Because it can't be digested, it comes right out whole."

When should you go to your doctor?

 Swallowing one piece of gum probably won't hurt you, but beyond that, be careful. Dr. Czerwony warns that too much at a time can cause an intestinal blockage(肠道阻塞)." Anything you eat after that isn't going to be able to get through, which leads to pain and pressure." she says.

Here is a notice board(公告栏) in No.1 Middle School.