Would you like to eat a root? You probably already have. People and animals eat many kinds of roots. ①Most roots that people eat are usually called root vegetables. A root vegetable is what we call veggies that grow underground.

    A carrot   is one type of root vegetable. It is the orange, edible root of the carrot plant. ②to, many, in, like, people, salad, put, it(.) A turnip , is another root vegetable. It is a member of the cabbage family. Turnips are usually eaten boiled, steamed, roasted, fried, pickled, or even raw.

    ③Although some people do not consider potatoes to be a veggie, but they are a root vegetable.

    People like to eat them mashed, boiled, and fried. Sweet potatoes, yams, beets, and leeks are some other root vegetables that people like to eat.

Last week we asked students at Guanghua High School about the best ways to learn more English. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some students had more specific suggestions. Bruce Li, for example, said the best way to learn new words was reading English magazines. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}When we asked about studying grammar, he said, “I never study grammar.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Wei Ming feels differently. He has been learning English for six years and loves it a lot.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} He also thinks that watching English movies isn't a bad way because he can watch the actors say the words.

    Liu Chang said that joining the English Club at school was the best way to improve her English .{#blank#}5{#/blank#}And they also have fun.

    Chinese are very generous when they begin to educate their children. No caring about money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad. They also want their children to take extra-course activities because they think their children may have a good start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So parents will spend a lot of money on education.

    However, what most parents fail to see is that the best education they can give their children is usually very cheap. Parents can see that their children are skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize is that today's children are lack of(缺乏)self-respect and self-confidence.

    The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident, happy and clever.

    Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework. These activities are teaching a child not only to read, but also to think. And that is more important.

    "A wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke, the more he heard. Why aren't we like that old bird?" –Edward H.Richards.

    We all need to learn to listen well. Listening is a skill we should be practicing every day. And I mean active listening, not just listening when it is convenient to us.

    Listening shows others that they are important. It's a sign of respect (尊重). If someone listens to you carefully when you are talking, it shows that they are really interested in what you are saying.

    How do you practice listening? Here are some basic rules:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Are you in the middle of writing something? Put down the pen and fold your hands. Are you reading something? Close it so that it will be impossible for you to look down and start reading again. Then put it down.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The computer will take your attention from your job at hand—listening.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Facing the person you are talking with will help you focus completely on listening. It will also make the person feel that you find what he is saying important.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Standing closer to the speaker will show interest. Crossing your arms in front of your chest shows disagreement. Looking around the room shows you have no interest. Looking the speaker in the eyes tells him that he is important.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Do not start sharing your ideas after hearing the first few words. Do not just think about your reply in your mind. Pay attention to the speaker. Really listen to what he is telling you.

    Phil White has just returned from an 18,000-mile, around-the-world bicycle trip. White had two reasons for making this epic journey. First of all, he wanted to use the trip to raise money for charity, which he did. He raised £70,000 for the British charity, Oxfam. White's second reason for making the trip was to break the world record and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. He is still waiting to find out whether he has broken the record or not.

    White set off from Trafalgar Square, in London, on 19th June, 2004 and was back 299 days later. He spent more than 1,300 hours in the saddle (车座) and destroyed four sets of tyres and three bike chains. He had the adventure of his life crossing Europe first, and then the Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and finally the Americas. Amazingly, he did all of this with absolutely no support team. No jeep carrying food, water and medicine. No doctor. Nothing! Just a bike and a very, very long road.

    The journey was lonely and desperate at times. He also had to fight his way across deserts, through jungles and over mountains. He cycled through heavy rains and temperatures of up to 45 degrees, all to help people in need. There were other dangers along the road. In Iran, he was chased by armed robbers and was lucky to get away with the little money he had. The worst thing that had happened to him was having to cycle into a headwind on a road that crosses the south of Australia. For 1,000 kilometers he battled against the wind that was constantly pushing him. This part of the trip was slow, hard and depressing, but he made it in the end. Now Mr. White is back and wants to write a book about his adventures.