Alice and John are in the music club at their school. Alice plays the violin and John plays the drums. There are two groups in the school music club: the training (训练) group and the concert(音乐会) group. Everyone starts in the training group!

     "When I first started to play the violin it sounded terrible!" Alice said. "My family asked me to practice outside."

    After a year's practice, Alice and John play much better now. They are both in the concert group and they are learning more difficult music. "We're learning the music from the film Pirates of the Caribbean. It sounds fantastic!" John said. "Playing in the club with other kids is a lot of fun."

    Playing an instrument (乐器) is not only fun. It also helps children learn to concentrate (集中注意力). "I have to concentrate when I'm practicing," Alice said. "And now it's easier for me to concentrate on my schoolwork."

    Playing an instrument can also help children become more confident (自信的). As John said, "I was scared when I played in front of a lot of people for the first time. But now I really enjoy it."

Language Learning Tips

    Singing in the Shower One of the most pleasant ways to practice a new language is to sing your favorite songs while you're taking a shower. Then you can take a look at the lyrics to see if you've missed any words. Have fun, but don't waste too much water

—By Maria

    Don't Worry About Mistakes! Don't worry too much about mistakes. It's a part of learning a new language and you'll learn much more quickly by having a try at speaking than by saying nothing. In fact. People are only pleased to hear you trying to speak their language and think it's OK if you don't get it exactly right

—By Lee

    Talk to Your Animal Friends I talk to my pets in other languages, give them a common name in that language, and have them talk back in the language. My dog Ben, seems to understand me well even in a new language.

—By Keith

    Record Your Voice Listen to the made by a native speaker. Read the same text and record your voice. Now listen to both of them carefully to find out the differences and the weak points in your pronunciation. It's a great way to improve your speaking skills

—By Shirin

    Every four years, the best players from all over the world get together in one city to ①________ the world sports meeting the Olympic Games. People carry the holy flame from one place to the nest. On August 6th, 2008, they carried the holy flame to Beijing. All the Chinese people were very happy, excited and proud.

    In Beijing, we built a new Olympic Village with restaurants for players and stadiums for matches.

    The motto of the Olympics is "Faster, higher, stronger". The slogan (标语，口号) of the Beijing Olympics is "②________".

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    I've got a collection of terrible ' mistakes' in my wardrobe. I have never worn them! But I don't mind going shopping with my girlfriend, because she helps me choose. I think women are better at buying clothes than men. They've got better taste and they always know what's in fashion.

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    You shouldn't be afraid of her. Maybe she's just as shy as you. What about giving her a red rose and a short message? Say something like “I'd really like to know you but I don't know how." She'll probably be excited to know she's got a fan!

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    Jane usually travels for 2 hours at most and then she can have a rest for at least 3 hours. She meets a lot of interesting people from all over the world. She says she likes it because she doesn't have to work full-time, she can spend more time with our three children and me.

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     When Mrs. Poor got into the lift, she was carrying only a handbag. After a while, the lift stopped between floors. She shouted and shouted, and rang the alarm, but nobody heard her.

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    I've known her for four years and I really like her. But she always copies everything I do. If I buy some new clothes, the next day she'll go out and buy exactly the same ones. It's the same with music, films, even my friends! What should I do?