When you are learning a language, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. When you read, you can not only learn some new words, but also learn how to use them. When you read a passage, it gives you a good example for writing. Here are some good reading tips.

    Firstly, try to read at the right level (水平). Read something that you can understand. If it is too hard for you, it is not interesting.

    Secondly, try to understand the new words. If there are four or five new words on a page, don't use a dictionary. Instead, try to guess their meanings as you read. Mark (作标记) them with a pencil. Then look them up in a dictionary when you finish reading, and write them in your own vocabulary book. Try to remember them.

    Thirdly, try to read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes or half an hour every day is better than two hours every Sunday. For example, you can read before you go to bed, or after you get up or at lunchtime.

    Lastly, read something that interests you. Choose a newspaper, a book or a magazine about a subject that you like. It will be easy enough for you to understand.

Money VS Family

    Rama's family is very big. He has three kids, two sons and a daughter.

    He works for more than 16 hours a day. The kids cannot see him as he leaves home early in the morning before they wake up, and he reaches home around midnight when kids have slept every day. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Though Rama's family is one of the richest families in the city, he still works so hard. One day, Rama's family went to their beach house to spend their vacation. His daughter asked, "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"

    Rama replied, "Yes, my dear, tomorrow for sure, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}I'm tired of work and need refreshment!"

    The whole family became very happy.

    Unfortunately, the next day, none in Rama's family were alive as they were washed out in the tsunami(海啸)!

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When he tried to reach his beach house, he saw sea and water everywhere and screamed for his family. He could not even find the dead bodies of his family.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}He remembered his wife's words, "Why are you running for money? We can be happy with what we have now."

    Here is a famous story about the Great Wall of China. The story happened in the Qin Dynasty.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Do you want to know more about the love story?

    One day, the emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered his soldiers(士兵) to capture(俘虏) some young men. He sent the young men to build the Great Wall of China.

    A young man named Fan Xiliang didn't want to get captured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He had nowhere to go and didn't know where to hide. When he heard the soldiers coming towards him, he was terrified.

    At that time, a woman named Lady Meng Jiang was passing by Fan Xiliang. She saw the poor man and saved him. Fan Xiliang said thanks to Lady Meng Jiang.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Later on they got married.

    Unfortunately, Fan Xiliang was found and captured. He was sent to the Great Wall and worked there.

    Lady Meng Jiang waited for her husband day and night. Winter came, but Fan Xiliang failed to return. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She took the warm clothes to the Great Wall, but she didn't find Fan Xiliang.

    Someone told her that Fan Xiliang had died and that he was buried in the Great Wall.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    She cried so sadly that a part of the Great Wall collapsed(倒塌) and she finally found Fan Xiliang's body.

    Hello, I'm Martin. My birthday is coming. And I⑴_______ (have) a party at my house this Sunday. I really want some of my friends to come to my birthday party, but it's not easy to find my house. I write something to them and tell them how⑵______ (find) my house.

    Go along Guangming Street and don't turn left or right. Just walk straight for about ten minutes and you can see a bus stop on your right. ⑶You can take the No.5 bus and get off at the third stop. Then you are on Happy Street. Walk along the street and you'll see a bank at the corner of the street. ⑷ 我家就在银行旁边。

    Helen has always been interested in helping her community (社区). Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer.

    After she retired (退休), she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading. She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community.

    She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published (出版), Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and grandchildren.

    After a strong storm hit some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre.

    One day Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees (难民) who needed to learn English. She met once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman from Somalia. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. In the end, they wrote a book together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about her everyday life.

    Helen says, "The real value of my volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help. They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs."

Hi Amy,

    You asked me for some information about eating out in Lichfield. Well, eating out in Lichfield is great. Lichfield has a number of really good restaurants and the best one is Steak House. It's the best because it has the thickest steaks, the freshest salads and the best French fries. You need to get there before 7:00 p.m.to get a table, because it gets crowded after that.

    If you want something cheaper, you can go to Fish House. It's better than many other restaurants, and it is really great for people who like fish. The servings are the biggest in town. And it's easier to get a table than at Steak House. But Steak House is more convenient, because it's closer to the center of the city than FishHouse. Hamburger House is popular with teenagers, but older people might like other restaurants. In fact, it has the best service in Lichfield.

Yours,

Tina

Information Card