Flying kites —a popular hobby

People have been making and flying kites for about 2,000 years. No one knows for sure who invented the kite. Some historians (历史学家) believe the ancient Chinese might start the kite flying 2,000 years ago. And now it is still a popular hobby in China, Japan, Korea and other countries of the Far East where beautifully decorated kites appear in different colors. In China, there is even a special Kites Day on which children and adults fly kites. In Japan, families fly fish kites on Children's Day, May 5th.

    Simple kites are made by crossing two sticks and covering them with paper or cloth. And then people put a string at the end.

    Kites are made in many different sizes, colors and shapes. A flat kite is the oldest and simplest type of kite. It flies because air flows over and under the kite's wings. The pressure under the wings helps the kite lift into the air.

    Today most people fly kites as a hobby. Kite festivals are organized in many parts of the world.

      Around the world, summer vacation means long days, sunshine, swimming, sleeping and most importantly, no school.

      Hundreds of years ago, students took the summer off to help their parents in the fields. Today, however, summers are full of fun-no work. A summer vacation means so many opportunities for kids: extra classes, sports, hobbies or catching up on studies.  

      If you're lucky, during the weeks away from school, you can volunteer, travel or go to a camp. It's time to do a part-time job to learn a new skill. You may hang out with friends all day. Some kids just kick off their shoes and jump into rivers and swimming pools.

      If you're not so lucky, summer vacation may mean summer school-a long, hot summer inside the classroom.

      Whatever your plans are, make this summer a good one. Take on a project! Learn something! Help someone! Make this summer one to remember.

    In Europe, small cars have always been more popular than large cars. In the United States, large cars and midsize cars are more popular than smaller cars. As a result, European automakers used to make different kinds of small cars while American automakers used to build bigger, heavier cars. However, these days, automakers in both America and Europe produce cars of different sizes. This is because most automakers export their cars all over the world.

    The price of gasoline (汽油)is one reason for differences in car choices. Since gasoline is more expensive in Europe, many Europeans want smaller, lighter cars that will travel a long way on a gallon（加仑）of gasoline.

    Other reasons also enter into the big or little car decision. Many European cities have narrow, winding（弯曲的） streets. In these cities a small car is easier to control than a large one.

    For a long time, few Americans bought small cars. Instead they chose large cars, because these roomy cars were more comfortable for large families and long trips. Some people also liked the powerful engines（发动机） that large cars had. Since gasoline was cheap, drivers did not mind that the large cars used a lot of gasoline.

    But in the 1970s, there were gasoline shortages in the United States. The price of gasoline went up. Though large cars were still more popular than smaller cars, sales of small cars increased. Some people also bought small cars because these cars caused less air pollution than larger cars.

    Today, Americans' car preferences are still changing. Though Americans are still buying many small cars, the fastest growing sales are for certain kinds of large cars. These types of cars are called minivans and sport utility vehicles(SUV). They are very popular today. But of course, that could change tomorrow.

参考单词：1. decent 合宜的, 得体的; 2. reputation 名声; 3. incidental 伴随发生的

    Hollywood movies are regularly filled with sex and violence. They can be exciting films but sometimes all you want is a little light-hearted entertainment.

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    Have you heard of Bollywood? All singing, all dancing and unrealistic, it is the perfect alternative to normal Hollywood movies. Bollywood is the Indian film industry, based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. Most Chinese school kids have probably never seen an Indian Filmgare Awards, Bollywood's Oscars, turn 50 years old.

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    The typical Bollywood movie usually has the following ingredients: a cup of romance, a teaspoon of comedy, a dash of international sight- seeing, served with a huge slice of singing and dancing. There will also be one brave hero, one beautiful heroine and one baddie. The result is a fun-filled musical.

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     There is never any mention of politics, poverty or war. The actors change clothes and locations within a single song. But the audiences don't mind. To Indian movie lovers, especially the poor, such films are a gateway to heaven and the stars are their gods. The films take them to a magical world away from their everyday troubles. The films tell them the impossible is possible and that true love conquers all.

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    But, behind the beautiful scenes, Bollywood still emphasizes traditional family values. In moat films, if two lovers want to break an arranged marriage, they can't just run away. They must win over their parents.

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    So if you are tired of all that Hollywood actions, check out the following Bollywood films. They will take you to a brighter, cheerier and more colorful world, where it's still cool to dance around a tree and sing a love song.

    Studying different languages increases our understanding of how humans communicate and their different cultures. However, almost 80% of the people in the world speak only 1% of its languages.  Every 14 days a language dies. By 2100, half of the more than 7, 000 languages spoken on Earth today may disappear.

    Throughout history, the languages of dominant(统治的)groups have spread while the languages of native cultures have become extinct. This happens because of government language policies, or because the dominant language becomes more useful in everyday life. Furthermore, many endangered languages aren't written down. When the last speakers of a language die and their language becomes extinct, their stories, songs, and other important information are lost, too.

    Central South America has some of the world's most endangered languages. The Kallawaya people speak a secret language that has details of thousands of medical plants. Today, fewer than 100 people speak it. In Central and Eastern Siberia, many Siberian languages now have only a few elderly speakers. Yuchi, which may be unrelated to any other language in the world, is one of the many native languages used in Oklahoma, the U.S.A. It is disappearing rapidly. In 2010, only five elderly people could speak this language.

    Luckily, native cultures around the world are using modern technology to help keep their endangered languages and cultures alive. Communities are creating dictionaries and libraries by using pictures, video, and audio to record the traditions of the last speakers of their language. If the young people don't speak and understand the words and stories of their ancestors(祖先), the language will die.

    And when the language dies, part of the culture dies, too.