Fire was discovered many thousands of years ago. The first time humans saw fire was probably when a tree was destroyed by lightning(闪电). Humans soon learned how to make fire. They probably made the first fire by rubbing (摩擦)two sticks together.

 Fire was very important to humans. They needed to keep warm at night. They used fire to cook food. They used fire to keep enemies and wild animals away. In some parts of the world fire was used to send messages. The Indians in America, for example, used fire to make smoke as a message. In some other countries people lit fires to warn their friends of danger.

Fire was also used to give light. Before the invention of the oil lamp(灯), humans burned sticks to get light. 

One man even used fire to tell the time. He invented a candle clock. He made a candle that took exactly twelve hours to burn. Then he marked this candle in twelve equal(相等的) parts. He lit the candle and could tell the time by counting the number of parts left of the burning candle. But the candle clock did not always work well. If there was a wind blowing on the candle, it burned too quickly.

    Please look at my family photo.

    Those are my grandparents. These are my parents. My mother is Susan. She likes red. She likes apples for breakfast. And she often plays ping-pong. That is my brother. His name is Jack. He doesn't like red. He just likes white. He often has milk for breakfast and then plays soccer. Now this is me. My name is Tony. I like blue very much. My sweaters, my T-shirts, my pants, my shoes are all blue. For my breakfast, I like eggs. I don't like soccer. It's so boring. I just like tennis. It's so fun. This is my family. I love my family.

Teenage life—better now, or in the past?

    Does this situation sound familiar（熟悉）?

    You are complaining（抱怨）to your parents about something. Maybe your computer isn't powerful enough to play the latest games.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.Then you hear…

    “When I was your age, there weren't any computers or video games. And I didn't get a bike until I was sixteen. And it was second-hand.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}”

    So, is it really true that life is better for teenagers now? It is certainly true that many teenagers have got more things nowadays.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}So parents have got more money to spend on each child. And many things are cheaper than they were when our parents were children.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Forty years ago, no one could imagine a world with tiny computers and amazing smartphones. And now these things are necessary—we can't imagine living without them!

    However, technology often means we spend more time at home. And often it's just us, with our computer or television. Teenagers don't do enough exercise.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And, although young people still get on well with their friends, some people think teenagers today don't have so many social activities as they did in the past.

    What do you think? How is teenage life better these days?

A. And it was too big for me.

B. A typical family is smaller now.

C. Or your friends' bikes are better than yours.

D. So they aren't as healthy as they were in the past.

E. Technology is probably the greatest change in our life.

    Me Before You is my favorite romance(浪漫)novel by British writer Jojo Moyes. It tells the story of Louisa Clark and William Traynor (known as Will). At the end of the book, Will dies and leaves Louisa a lot of money. What happens next？You can find out in the book's sequel(续集)After You.

    Will wants Louisa to use the money to live her life happily and richly—to travel, discover new chances and continue her education. However, Louisa is too sad and finds it difficult to forget Will. Louisa now works at a bar in an airport, watching people fly to amazing places. Her boss is really unfriendly and she lives in an apartment that doesn't feel like home.

    However, all of this is about to change. One night, Louisa meets a girl at her doorstep(门阶). She tells Louisa where she is and Louisa can't believe her cars. If she closes the door, her life will stay the same. If she opens the door, she will accept challenges and become the woman Will wanted her to be. Which will she choose？You'll have to find out the answer for yourself.

    Jojo Moyes wrote After You because she wanted to give her characters from Me Before You a future. Her use of language is as descriptive(描写性的)and powerful as that in Me Before

    You. One special quote(引文), "Because me being here sort of means you're still here", deeply touched me. I think this line is really emotional(有感染力的)and powerful.

    What do you think of when talking about India? The Taj Mahal(泰姬陵)? Song and dance? The list goes on and on. India is an interesting and mysterious country with a long history. It is one of the four oldest civilizations(文明) in the world.

    Home to more than 1.2 billion people, India is the country with the second largest population in the world. The country is also the birthplace of many famous people. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is a great poet. His poems use fresh and beautiful language to describe nature and his love for India. Many Chinese children learn his works at school.

    Besides, fast economic development is making India a rising power. India is strong in the information technology (IT) industry. By the end of 2012, 2.5 million Indian people were working at its IT companies. One third of them worked in Bangalore. The city is called the Silicon Valley(硅谷) of India. It is the centre of the IT industry in India. IT products from India are common in people's lives. If you buy a computer, some of the software may have been made in India.

    Many young people love Bollywood films. Most of these films tell stories with a happy ending. They have exciting music and dance. Some of the best ones are Slum-dog Millionaire (2008) and 3 idiots (2009). Yoga comes from ancient India. It helps people deal with their stress. It is said that curry was made in India more than 5,000 years ago. Traditional Indian curry is spicy. Indian people usually have curry with rice. Curry soup is also one of their favourites.