A seabird named Lydia recently made a 26-day nonstop(不间断的)journey of about 2,500 mi­les, just to search for food for her baby. She is fitted with a satellite tracking device (卫星跟踪仪). Her trip started on Oct. 18 from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The trip is known as the lon­gest nonstop journey by one of these endangered seabirds.

      Before that, this kind of birds was known only to fly a few hundred miles from where they live, staying away for just a few days at a time. They usually fly over the sea.

      The scientists feel it strange that Lydia made such a long, nonstop journey and flew overland. So the above facts raise some serious questions about efforts to stop the decline(减少)of the birds. The number of the birds has fallen by 10 percent over the past 20 years.

Besides, the scientists are surprised that she was away from her baby for such a long time. They wonder why she needed to go that far. Maybe it shows that fish resources (资源)around Christmas Island are not large enough now. That might explain the slow decline of the bird 一 sea pollution(污染) is serious.

    The Greens have a new house. It's big and beautiful. There are six rooms in the house. This is the living room. It's wide. The furniture is new. The sofa is on the left. The table is in front of the sofa. There are two chairs on the right. One is Mr. Green's. His is very big and beautiful. The other is Mrs. Green's. Hers is small, but it's ①                 (also, too) beautiful. The floor lamp is on the right. ②它在两把椅子之间。The TV is at the back of the room and the children, Tom and Lily, like watching it best.

    The Greens like their new house very much.

    Beijing has many charms. It is a perfect place to start exploring(探索) the wonders of the whole country. A four-day tour is possible to cover the greatest sights and enough to make you love the Chinese capital.

    Day 1

    Any visit to Beijing is incomplete without a walk on the Great Wall. Most people choose to visit Badaling, but Juyong Pass is less crowded but more wonderful. There are many locations for great photos. Also, pick a clear day to go so that your eyes can reach the beacon tower(烽火台) far away.

    Day 2

    All sites designed for this day run through the center of Beijing. If you don't plan your day carefully, after hours of walking you still won't finish a small part of the tour. First, start at the Temple of Heaven. Next, have lunch at Qianmen Street, enjoying the famous Peking Duck. Then, spend a whole afternoon in the Tian'anmen square, the largest city square in the whole world.

    Day 3

    If your feet ache after two days' sightseeing, you may want to slow down. You can visit the Capital Museum or walk along Wangfujing, the modern shopping street. If you are wondering how Beijingers used to live, you can go to the hutongs, enjoying the moments there and relaxing yourself.

    Day 4

    This day is designed for those with endless energy. The Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, the Lama Temple are all good places to go. You may want to spend the last night in Beijing in Sanlitun, the serious nightlife area and a favorite with local people and foreign friends.

A. Because I can make a snowman.

B. That's OK.

C. Canada.

D. Spring.

E. Class Eight, Grade Seven.

⑴Where is he from?       {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

⑵Which season do you like best?        {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

⑶What class are you in?    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

⑷Why do you like winter?            {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

⑸Thank you.               {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Four Simple Ways to Better Your Writing

    Keep It Simple

    My first tip for improving your writing is: keep it simple.

    Now, I know it's better to keep things simple and do it well, rather than over-complicate(使过分复杂) everything and do it badly.

    So, in English writing exams, you want to show off your English, but you want to show off your right English, not all this English that you don't know or haven't learnt yet.

    Have a Collection of Set Phrases(固定搭配)

    In order not to make mistakes, it's a really, really good idea to have a collection of set phrases and key words that you can use in the exam. Make sure that you have different ways to …

    Compare：in the same way, at the same time

    Give your opinion：from my point of view, in my view

    Add information : in addition, besides

……

    So, that's just a very brief list showing you exactly what you need to study to be fully prepared for any English writing exam.

    Reduce Your Word Number

    Use as few words as possible to reduce your word number.

Avoid pointless words like very, a lot. Replace them, instead, with a strong word. By using strong words, you can reduce your word number by a fair bit.

    Another way is avoiding there is and there are. We want everything to be as clear as possible. Thus, you can increase the quality of your writing.

    Check Your Work

    Tip number four. Students will make some stupid mistakes when they're writing. After being asked to correct the mistakes, they will say, "We already know this. So easy!" and it's because they don't check their work.

    I personally think it's much better if you write less and check more. Fewer words, high accuracy(准确率). Then you will make your writing better.

    Four Simple Ways to Better Your Writing

Dear Anna,

    Thank you for the photo of your family. This is my family photo. My grandfather is on the right. My parents are on the left. My father's name is Mike Smith. He is an English teacher. My mother is Linda Smith. She is not a teacher. That boy is my brother. His name is Mark. He is 12. He is in Class 2 Grade 5. That girl is me. I'm 14. I'm in Class 1 Grade 7.

Susan

    In this letter, Susan shows(展示) her {#blank#}1{#/blank#} to Anna. There are {#blank#}2{#/blank#} people in this photo. Her grandpa is on the right and her parents are {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Mike Smith is an English teacher. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} is her mother. Mark is Susan's {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and he's 12. Susan is 14 and she's in Class 1 Grade 7.