Teacher: So, how was your vacation, Karen?

Karen: It was great. I had a vacation with my friends in Hainan last winter. There were beautiful beaches and blue sea water. It was sunny and warm. We stayed there for a week. We went swimming every day. We played beach volleyball together. We ate seafood, too. We felt very relaxed.

Teacher: How about you, Brad?

Brad: I went to Beijing with my parents on vacation. The weather was fine and the trip was happy. We spent five days in Beijing. We visited Tian'anmen Square and the Palace Museum. We also went shopping. The shops were crowded. We ate in some Chinese restaurants, too. The food was cheap and delicious. The Chinese people were very friendly. We had great fun in Beijing.

    I am Paul. I am in the classroom. What's under the teacher's desk?

It's a black schoolbag. Who lost the schoolbag? Let's look at the things in it. This is a pencil box with a pen, a ruler, an eraser and two pencils in it. This is a Chinese book. I always have my name on my books. But I can't see a name on it. I get the math book from the schoolbag and have a look. There is no name on it, either (either=too). How about the music book? Let me see. Here is a photo in this book. This is Sally but I don't know the other two girls in the photo. Is this Sally's schoolbag? I am not sure. I will call Sally and phone her about the lost schoolbag.

    Which university would you like to go to in the future? It's not too early to think about it right now.

    Students at Hilltop School had a University Week at the end of last month. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For instance, they designed a flag for a virtual(虚拟的) "University of Hilltop".

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He said he started the program to help students form their aims.  "University may not be for everyone, but we want the program to help students form their aims." He said.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eric, a student in Grade 8, said, "University Week made me realize that university is only four years away. I should do research about where I want to go. "Paul, another student in Grade 8 said that he realized there were so many universities for him to choose. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The school also invited people to give career talks. The first talk was given by Captain Brown, a policeman. He talked about how to choose a career way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    "The program opened up the students' eyes." Said Mr Miller.

A. According to the students, the program worked well.

B. Eric thinks it's too early to think about which university to go to in the future now.

C. During this week, they took part in all kind of activities.

D. Mr. Miller is the teacher who started the program.

E. After the research, he said he wanted to choose the University of California.

F. He also talked about the importance of math, reading and writing in his career as a policeman.

    My work allows me to live in different countries. Reading books helps me to connect with my friends, family and my home country, the UK. Here are some books that I read a lot.

    Daddy Long Legs

    This book is about the story of a young girl, Judy, who goes to university and gets lots of new experiences. This book always makes me think of my mother because she used to read it to me when I was ill in bed.

    Harry Potter

    I'm sure many of you know Harry Potter books! I have read them many times since primary school. I really get lost in the stories. These days I'm reading them again in Germany.

    The Railway Children

    这是我最喜爱的书之一It was a gift for my 13th birthday from my best friend, so it still strongly makes me think of my childhood. It is about three children and their adventures(冒险经历)next to a railway.

    No one knows exactly when jazz was invented, or by whom. But it is said that it began in the early 1900s. Jazz was a new kind of music, for America and the world, and New Orleans was its birthplace.

    Who were the jazz pioneers? Most were blacks. This music was not written down, and at first only blacks played it. It was hard for white musicians to learn the new style. But soon they, too, were playing jazz.

    The popularity of this music spread. From New Orleans, it traveled up the Mississippi to Chicago, then to Kansas City and New York. By the 1920s, there were many jazz musicians, both black and white. Many of them were famous. One man was better than the rest. His name was Louis Armstrong.

    Louis Armstrong was a born musician. He was not only talented but also hard-working. He also had a good sense of humor and a big, good-natured smile. These personal qualities were valuable in his rise to fame. After he became famous, he traveled around the world. It seemed that everyone wanted to hear Louis play. But life was not always easy, especially at the beginning.

    Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 in New Orleans. His father never went to school and his mother could hardly read. When Louis was still a kid, his parents separated, and Louis lived with his mother. Their hard life can hardly be imagined. And yet Louis smiled through everything. He later wrote, "My whole life has been filled with happiness. Life was there for me and I accepted it. Whatever happened has been beautiful to me. I love everybody."