Tea, coffee and cocoa are three major drinks all over the world. Tea is drunk by the largest number of people in the world. Tea, as well as silk and porcelain, began to be known by the world over a thousand years ago and has been an important Chinese export since then.

   Tea has a history of over 4, 000 years and China is the home of tea. In ancient China, tea was used as a kind of medicine, while nowadays people drink tea daily. Longjing, Pu'er, Wulong and Tieguanyin are all famous tea. Thanks to the mild climate and rich soil in Fujian, Zhejiang and Yunnan, tea is produced mainly in these provinces.

   The words for tea in different languages came from Chinese, like “cha' i” in Russian. And the Japanese character for tea is written exactly the same as it is in Chinese.

   Over the past centuries, Chinese people have developed their unique(独特的)tea culture, which includes tea planting, tea-leaf  picking, tea making, tea drinking and so on. Tea is also popular in some sayings, like “A friendship between gentlemen is like a cup of tea.” In dances, songs, poems and novels, tea is often mentioned, too.

    Our eyes are very important. But many of us pay little attention to the importance of eye care. It is said that if you take care of your body, then you can surely be healthy. That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    There are several causes leading to your poor eyesight. Like televisions, computers and reading. Sometimes dirty can cause redness(红肿) and they will make you feel uncomfortable. If this happens, the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, wearing sunglasses can serve as a great way to protect your eyesight from UV rays(紫外线)in the strong sunlight.

    Some foods will do good to your eyesight. Remember that vitamins A,C, and E are good for eyes. Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If a person exercises regularly and eats the right kind of food, his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time.

    All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is.

A man came to see a doctor

    "Put out your tongue," the doctor said.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}"OK. You can put it back now." the doctor said. "It's clear what's wrong with you{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"

"But, doctor", the man said. "I don't think..."

    "Don't tell me what you think." the doctor said." I am the doctor, not you.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They sit all day long and get no exercise. What you need is to walk quickly for at least 20 minutes a day.

    "But I walk every day," the patient said.

    "Oh, yes. You walk a few meters to the metro station {#blank#}4{#/blank#}I'm talking about a walk in the park for 20 minutes every day."

    "Please listen to me, doctor!" the patient shouted. He got angry with this doctor who thought he knew everything. I'm a postman {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"

    For a moment the doctor was silent. Then he said quietly. "Could you please put your tongue out again?"

A. The man put out his tongue.

B. I walk for seven hours every day.

C. You need more exercise.

D. I see hundreds of people like you

E. that's not real walking

    Helen has always been interested in helping her community (社区). Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer.

    After she retired (退休), she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading. She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community.

    She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published (出版), Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and grandchildren.

    After a strong storm hit some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre.

    One day Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees (难民) who needed to learn English. She met once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman from Somalia. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. In the end, they wrote a book together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about her everyday life.

    Helen says, "The real value of my volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help. They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs."

    If your children are learning to read, it's wonderful! Whatever they're reading, they're probably super-excited readers! But the fact is, reading is skill {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Create a comfortable reading place.

    Choose a special place with right furnishings(装饰), blankets and pillows for your children put a bookcase of your children' s books. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If your children feel like they have got their own special place for reading, they will probably spend time in their little space with all their new favorite books…

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    If you want your children to learn to love reading, set aside a few minutes every day to read together, no matter how busy you are. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Plan to go to bed a few minutes earlier each night so your children have the time to choose a book to read. Besides, reading aloud to your children can make them more willing to read on their own.

    Make the library and bookstore a special treat.

    Whether your kids are big readers or not they are only children. They may be excited about new clothes and toys, but not books! Try to use that excitement to help your children love to read. Making a special treat of spending some time at the library or bookstore can be the perfect way to get your children excited about reading {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    I've just got home after a three-week holiday in the USA with my family. It was really great, and I want to remember everything, so I'm putting it all in this diary.

Day 1

    We arrived at New York airport and took a yellow taxi to our hotel. Everything here is so big! People call New York "The city that never sleeps." Another popular name for it is "The Big apple". Don't ask me why! The population (人口) is 7,323,000. And 34 million people visit New York every year!

Day 2

    First we went to the Empire State Building (帝国大厦), which is 381 metres high. We went right up to the top and looked out across New York. It was a fantastic view! After lunch, we went shopping. Clothes and CDs are cheaper than in England, and the shops are really big!

    Although it is a big city, you can't get lost because most of the streets have numbers. For example, if you're in Thirty-fourth Street, It's easy to find Thirty- ninth Street.

Day 3

    It's Saturday. Central Park is the place to go at weekends. It's full of people walking, playing, jogging and skating. There are musicians, artists and tourists like me. There's a great zoo in the park with lots of interesting animals. In the evening we went to the cinema. The Americans call it a "movie theatre". Girls like me always like movies.