{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It has around 3 billion fans—nearly half the world's population! And about 300 million people play this game. That's 4 percent of the world's population!

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Many people in old days played the early form of this modern game. Cuju(蹴鞠), a ball-kicking game in China, was reported as early as 2, 500 B. C.  Around the same time in Greece, people were also playing a similar ball game without using their hands.

But modern soccer didn't become official(官方的)until 1863. An Englishman called Cobb Morley introduced the idea of a soccer association(联盟). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} From then on, other associations in the countries were set up. They came together—to make up the FIFA, which organizes the World Cup.

It's not easy to tell what makes soccer so popular. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Soccer needs only two feet and a ball. This makes it a sport that developing countries can play easily. Some of the sport's best players come from these poor nations. 

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The sport's no-hands rule makes beautiful dance—like movements on the field. What's more, this sport excites the heart. Teams might score only a few times each match, so matches can turn around suddenly.

     No one knows who will win at the next World Cup. But one thing is certain: The world will be watching.

You probably talk to friends more than you talk to your parents. That's natural. Still, most of us want a parent's help, advice, and support at times. But talking to the parents may be difficult or terrible-especially when it comes to certain subjects. Here are some suggestions to make it easier.

    Talk about everyday stuff—and do it every day. The more you do something, the easier it gets. Talking to parents about everyday stuff builds a bond that can help you discuss something more serious with them later.

Find something to chat(聊天) about each day. Talk about how your team did at the sports meet. Share something one of your teachers said. Even small talk about what's for dinner can keep your relationship comfortable.

It's never too late to start. If your relationship with your parents makes you feel nervous, try getting into conversations slowly. Mention the cute thing the dog did. Talk about how well your little sister is doing in maths. Chatting with parents every day not only keeps the present relationship strong, but it can help a might-be-worse relationship get better.

    When parents feel connected to your daily life, they can be there for you if something really important             .

    On her way home from school the other day, Yang Xi found people looking at her with strange expressions.The 15-year-old Shandong girl felt embarrassed, but she knew they were looking at her school uniform.

    There were some pictures and words on the back, such as“Dear Yang Xi, I will miss you after graduation.”Her friends did it in class.And Yang wrote something on her friends' uniforms too after class.

    Like Yang, many students now use the school uniform as if it were a piece of white paper and draw on it.They draw pictures of their favorite singers,athletes and cartoon characters and so on.“I think  (1)   (wear) a school uniform with graffiti is a kind of campus fashion,”said Yang.

    ①As a matter of fact, most schools have strict rules that require students not to draw on uniforms. Otherwise, they will be punished (惩罚).They may be told to clean their uniform or more seriously, to buy a new one.

    ②However,it seems that some students are not afraid of the rules and punishment.“I think there are at least 100 students with  (2)   (paint) uniforms in my school.They walk around the campus ‘proudly'.I wonder if they care whether they will be punished at all,”said Li Fei,13 of Fujian.

    Li Yong,14 of Heilongjiang, had his own view.“I have seen cartoon figures such as Naruto(火影忍者) and Doraemon(哆啦 A梦) that students draw on their uniforms.They are really beautiful and creative.I think graffiti can make students become creative,”said Li.“But it's better not to draw on uniforms.”

    Although he doesn't think his school uniform looks good, Li would never draw on it.It's a strict school rule there, after all.I have to follow the rules.”

    With their long tusks (象牙), elephants look strong. However, it is this feature that makes the animal endangered. Many of them are killed for their tusks. People make elephant tusks into crafts (工艺品) and jewelry and sell them to rich people.
    But can these priceless body parts grow back? The answer is no, Live Science said. The elephants' tusks are actually part of their teeth. Nearly all African elephants and most male Asian elephants have these long teeth. About one-third of the tusk is in the animal's skull (头骨). The tusk has a nerve (神经) running down its center. This makes it similar to your teeth. Once you lose a tooth, you will never grow a new one.
    Elephants use their tusks to protect themselves, lift things, dig water and gather food. But losing the tusk will not kill them. The way in which they lose the tusk is what matters. Usually, people get tusks by culling (限量捕杀), which means killing old and weak elephants. They also take tusks from the elephants that have died naturally.

    However, these sources aren't enough to keep up with the demand for ivory. Therefore, some poachers (偷猎者) kill healthy elephants and cut their faces open to remove the tusks. About 27,000 elephants are killed by poachers each year, according to National Geographic.
    As a result of poaching, some African elephants gradually evolved (进化) without tusks, which has allowed them to survive. In Mozambique, about 90 percent of African elephants were killed for their tusks and meat from 1975 to 1992, National Geographic reported.
    Scientists found that about a third of younger females—the generation born after 1992—never developed tusks.

    Nick and his friends were talking about things that can bring them luck.

    "I have a lucky red pen," said Andy. "Every time I take a test, I carry my lucky red pen."

    "I have a lucky coin," said Peter. "Every time I take a test, I carry my lucky coin."

    Nick thought for a moment, and said, "My blue socks."

    "Blue socks?" the boys were surprised and asked together.

    Nick said that every time he wore his blue socks to school before a test, he got a good mark.

    The next day Nick had a Chinese test. He was sad because he couldn't find his blue socks.

    "Mom!" shouted Nick. "Where my blue socks? I have a Chinese test today, and I need to wear them."

    "Don't be silly," Nick's mom said. "They need to be washed." "When I wear them, I get a good grade," Nick said.

    "Did you prepare for your test?" asked Mom.

    "Yes."

    Mom encouraged him,"①那就不用担心了。尽你的最大努力吧。"

    A few days later, Nick's teacher told him that he got 95 in his test. ②Nick was so excited that he couldn't wait to tell Mom that he did well in his test.

    Mom said, "It wasn't the blue socks that made you success. In fact, it was made by yourself."