Dear Sonia,

    I'm writing this letter in the classroom. It's snowing outside and I'm sitting by the window.

    Some of the boys are playing on the playground. They are throwing snowballs to each other. Some girls are building a snowman, and some are chasing each other around the tree in front of the classroom. They are leaving footprints everywhere. Our teacher is shouting something loudly to them. In the classroom, some girls are drawing pictures.

     What are you doing?

                                                                                                                                                                           Yours,

                                                                                                                                                                            Tina

C

    Once upon a time，there was a king who had gone to visit neighboring kingdoms．He was gifted a pair of baby parrots by the king of the last kingdom where he was visiting．They were the most beautiful birds that he had ever seen．so，after returning to his kingdom，he called for a bird trainer and asked him to train parrots．

    The king also set up a place in the palace garden for the parrots．He often looked at them from his palace window．As time passed，one day the trainer came to the palace and told the king that though one of the parrots was flying high in the sky，the other one was not moving from its branch since the day it had arrived．

    When hearing this,the king summoned the best trainer from all his land and the nearby kingdoms．They came quickly and tried their best, but none of them could make the parrot fly!He even asked his courtiers to try to find a good way to make the parrot fly but they all failed．The parrot was not moving from his branch at all．Finally，after trying everything，the king thought to himself："Perhaps I need someone who may be more familiar with natural habitat．"He asked his courtier to get a farmer from the countryside and take him to the parrot to see if he could understand the problem with the parrot．

    The next morning，the king was surprised to see the parrot flying high above the palace gardens．He asked his servant to call that farmer to meet him．The servant quickly went and found the farmer．The farmer came and stood before the king．The king asked him，"How did you make the parrot fly?" With his hands folded with respect，the farmer said to the king，"It was very easy．I just cut the branch where the bird was sitting．"

    Baseball－it's just a word, but for millions of Americans, ①it brings to mind so many images: hot dogs, cold beers, sunny afternoons

    For many people, baseball is the game of fathers and sons. Fathers and sons have been playing catch with each other on lawns(草坪) in the US. A father's favorite team becomes his son's. Grandfathers talk to their grandsons about games played long ago.

    Many American kids collect baseball cards. The cards have pictures of their favorite players on them. In school, friends exchange baseball cards. ②about, baseball, famous, are, students, by, players, talked, often.

    ③Baseball players are known as “the boys of summer” because the sport is most often played in summer. You don't need to be of a certain size or shape to play baseball. You don't have to be tall like a basketball player or strong like an American football player. You just need to want to have fun.

    Baseball is not as fast-paced(快节奏的) as basketball. When you go to see a game, there's time to relax, talk and get to know other people.

    Baseball may not be the most popular sport in the US, but it is the most traditional. It's not just a game anymore, but a key part of American culture, like apple pie.

根据短文内容,完成下列任务。

How to be a better student

    Maybe you are a common student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessary so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:

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    When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First set your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.

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    Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or televisions! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

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    Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

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    When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the materials will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.

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    The purpose of tests is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be too worried.

There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover them after you have tried these,

    Maybe you pride yourselves on only sleeping a few hours a night. However, are you feeling tired and sleepy throughout the day? Do you have a hard time keeping your eyes open as you study? Have you nodded off while driving? If you can answer "Yes" to any of these, it shows you could not have enough sleep.

    It is suggested that most adults need seven to nine hours' sleep. As for teens, they need even more. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you should:

    Avoid caffeine(咖啡因) You should avoid drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and soda at least 10 hours before you go to bed.

    Avoid eating big meals before sleeping Eating a big meal can make you feel sleepy, and it can make you feel uncomfortable and prevent you from sleeping well.

    Build a healthy sleep environment With the light on, can you have a good sleep? Of course not, and you'd better keep your bedroom dark and cool.

    Avoid using electronic devices before bed The light from electronic devices can keep you from falling asleep. Try reading or listening to quiet music instead.

    Please get enough sleep from now on.

    Here is some information about how to get enough {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. If you lack sleep, it's easy to keep your eyes {#blank#}2{#/blank#} as you study. As to the time of sleeping, most adults need seven to nine hours' sleep while teens need {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. You'd better avoid drinking caffeinated drinks. Stop {#blank#}4{#/blank#} before sleeping, and you can feel comfortable. Keep your bedroom dark and cool. Try reading or listening to quiet music {#blank#}5{#/blank#} using electronic devices before bed.

    Hello, I'm a reporter from the Green City Daily. Lastweek, I did a survey for the Green City Daily. Here's the report:

    The best clothes store in town is Jason's. It has the best quality clothes. It's cheaper than Jeans Corner and Trendy Teens. But they are good stores, too. Trendy Teens is in a fun part of the town; teenagers like it best, but it's the most expensive. Don't go to Funky Fashions. It has the worst clothes in town.

    The best radio station is Jazz 107.9 FM. It plays the most interesting music. It's much better than the other stations in town. But Oldies 102.1 FM is pretty bad. It has the worst music. Easy Listening 97.9 FM is the most popular.