What's On?

Electric Underground

7:30pm－1:00am   Free at the Cyclops Theatre

    Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract (合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7:30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.

Gee Whizz

8:30pm-10:30pm   Comedy at Kaleidoscope

    Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7:00pm for drinks and snacks (快餐).

Simon's Workshop

5:00pm-7:30pm    Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

    This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone

8:00pm-11:00pm Pizza World

    Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta (面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

    Our room was on the second floor but you could still hear the roar of the ocean and see the stars at night. I used to take long walks along the water. The food in town was wonderful and the people were very friendly. The area was very quiet and peaceful, and fairly deserted.

    The last evening of our vacation, however, we all heard strange footsteps following closely behind us as we were walking up to our room in the holiday centre. We turned around and noticed a fairly young man moving very rapidly across the beach and getting closer to us. He was tall and wore a baseball cap. We didn't have any cell phones on us. I never saw Dad as worried as he was then and knew that something was terribly wrong. The sense of fear started to overwhelm Mom and me. We had had such a good time in town. Now, the night was rapidly turning into a dangerous situation.

    We could hear the man's footsteps getting closer. Dad's face was almost pale. The so-called intruder (侵入者) had moved nearer and nearer when all of a sudden, the nearby vending (自动贩卖) machine started going crazy and spitting out cans of soda! The noise actually scared the intruder and he ran out of sight. My parents were shaking, but we all turned around to see who had put money into the vending machine downstairs, and actually saved us, but no one was around at all.Not a soul.

    It's one vacation I will never forget.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

    The Price of Success

    One problem for schools is that many students do not want to study hard. As a result, they perform (表现) poorly in their classes. This is especially true in the United States, where average scores for math and science are lower than in many other countries. In recent years, schools and charities have been looking for ways to help students get better grades in these subjects. An organization called the LMD Foundation introduced a program called Learn and Earn recently.

    In the program, money was used to get a group of students to study harder in math and science. In addition to the normal school day, they went to after-school classes for four hours each week. The students were paid eight dollars for each hour of after-school class. By the end of the year, the students in the program had higher grades than a similar group of students who had not taken part.

    Not everyone thinks that this is a good idea, though. TV reporter John Tulenko studied data (数据) from a similar program. He found that students' grades went back down when they stopped getting paid. Many people are worried about this. They think that the students study because they want money, not because they enjoy learning. Also, some people believe that these types of programs are a bad idea because it is a large part of a teacher's job to get students to study. If students are given money, some teachers might stop trying to do this.

    However, others believe that these learning programs can be helpful for students from poor families. Many of these students do part-time jobs after school, and some even quit school at a young age to work. Some do this to help get money for their families. Others feel that they can learn more by working than by going to school. Programs like Learn and Earn let these students stay in school and still make money.

    The entire house was lit with lights. It was Meera's wedding the next day. Seema walked to her daughter's bedroom. Meera was not there, so she left the envelope on Meera's bed and went away. When Meera came back after a bath downstairs, her eyes fell on the envelope. She picked it up and opened it Sitting on the bed, she started to read it：

    My darling daughter, I'm so happy for my darling is getting marked! To such a good man! At the same time, I'm a little worried, too. The reason? You're going to a new house where everything is going to be new: the people, relationships and surroundings. Yes, you're smart and Vinod will be there with you to help, but I have a few things to say:

    Accept Vinous parents as your parents. Remember that your mother-in-law will have her own understanding about you. So it's up to you give her a good impression.

    Earn respect from family members. If that means changing yourself a little bit and adapting to their customs, just do it. It will help you to settle into your new home.

    Never compare your mothers home and their home. It may not be appreciated.

    The kitchen is one place where small fights can appear. Ifs your mother-in-law s kingdom, so ask her permission if you want to cook something. If she offers help, accept it. This Ml help in building trust between you. Similarly, offer her your help when she s busy cooking. Thus, a new relationship -will be born: one of respect and understanding.

    Finally, respect your husband, as he's your life partner. Remember that a marriage re-quires trust, love and compromise (妥协).

    I could have sat with you and told you, but I felt that writing all this down would make you understand better and I'm sure you'll give your whole heart to this relationship. Remember that both Papa and I are here for you always.

Love,

Ma

Start of Summer, the 7th term of the year, begins on May 6 and ends on May 20 this year. It signals the transition of seasons. Here are four things to learn about it.

Greeting Start ofSummer

The term Start of Summer originated at the end of the Warring States Period. Since it is a crucial time for the harvest of summer crops, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer.

CheckingOne'sWeight

The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated from the Three Kingdoms Period and prevails in South China today. It was believed this practice would bring health and good luck to the people weighed. It is said those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer and those who weren't would suffer illness.

EatingEggs

In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of Start of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.

Taking Care of theHeart

According to Chinese traditional medicine, Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart. When the weather grows hotter, dampness and heat can affect human health. Food rich in vitamins and cool in nature is highly recommended. Vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, and watercress and fruits like watermelon, pear and strawberry are top recommendations.