C

    To me, music is food and water. I know this isn't right for everyone. Usually lots of people go to concerts or listen to music records. Maybe some of you don't do these, but music is everywhere in our life. For example, when you watch movies or TV plays, we will find them boring if there's no music. And when you're waiting for the train or the plane, some music can make the time short.

    Some people like to listen to the sound of the sea. Some enjoy listen to the singing of birds. Those sounds are some kind of music. So music has meaning for everyone. Of course, it has special meaning for people like me. We spend our lives playing or writing music.

    Someone said, “Through music a child goes into a world of beauty(美丽), learns to take care of others and makes his mind and body healthy.”

Four ways to have a good school life

    Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you get the most from them, and be sure you do not waste (浪费) this great chance to learn?

    Be active (积极的) at school

    Don't say things are difficult or boring. Take interest in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Put up your hands quickly in class. Go around the school with a big smile. If you are not working, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable (令人愉快的).

    Keep fit

    If you don't eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and don't have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play enough sports every day in order to keep your body strong.

    Face the problem

    Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish the race if you rest all the time. Everyone fails some exams, loses some matches and has bad days. Don't make small problems very big and important. Don't forget to ask for help. You are young, and no one thinks you must do everything quite well!

    Spend the weekends

    Don't waste time lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday morning. Go and play sports, get together with friends in the park to relax, learn to play the piano, or help someone with problem. If you don't want to go out, there are also a lot of things to do. You may read a book, practice English or help Mum with housework.

    Follow our advice, and have a happy school life!

    Some people from the country think that city life is the most interesting. They come to visit friends or go to a hotel in the city. They may stay for a few days or as long as a week.

    Some visitors think that foreign restaurants are the best part of city life. Others have the nicest time in museums. But many people think that movies or concerts are the most important attractions of the city. And most visitors like to go shopping for clothes or presents.

    In the city there are also many parks, different types of people, tall buildings, and other interesting things to see. Cities have the busiest streets and city life seems very busy, too.

    After a few days in the city, the visitors begin to think about the country. They remember the trees and flowers. Suddenly they do not want to be near the tallest buildings or the busiest streets. Now they want to return home in the country.

    Not many kids are willing to help around the house, but if you start early and then make a list of chores that need to be done and by whom, they'll soon come to accept it as a part of life.

    ①随着孩子们长大，他们或许会为在家里做家务索要钱。Should you pay them? It's up to you.

    Sarah doesn't think you should ever pay children for chores with money or rewards (奖赏) ."This will make them think that the chore is an 'extra (额外的事物)'that they don't have to do if they don't feel like doing it," says Sarah.

    "If children are trying to save for something specific like a computer game, it may be an idea to give them extra chores like washing the kitchen floor, watering plants or washing the car that you will pay for," "Liz says." ②Then at the end of the month they get a little extra pocket money. It teaches them about saving up, and working for the things they want."

    It's true that you can learn new words when you read or listen, but you should also study new words seriously. Here are a few things I do:

    Make flash cards(识字卡)：(A) I find this is really the best way to learn new words. Make some small cards and write the new English word on one side and the word in your language or in easy English on the other side to test yourself. To really make this work, you have to review often (You need a system! ). I think this is the best method for learning English vocabulary.

    Make sentences with the new words: This is great if you can ask someone to check them. It's also great to make some really crazy sentences-that way you won't forget them! I also collect example sentences of the words I'm trying to learn if I see the word in a book, I write down the sentence.

    Make up a mnemonic：A mnemonic is a way to remember something, like a little story. For example, (B) 我在厨房的门上贴上单词 kitchen. The problem with this is that it works for a while but then you get used to the words and forget to read them!

    Long ago, people did not need money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    As time passed, people learned to raise animals and crops. Sometimes, families produced more than they needed, so they started to trade (交易) with other families. Later, people began to use money as a means of exchange. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}They used shells, rice, salt, large stones, etc.

    During the 600s BC, people began using coins as money. They soon found that coins were easier to carry than goods (货物) and lasted a long time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The Chinese were the first to use paper money, probably as early as the eleventh century. The Italian traveller Marco Polo saw the Chinese using paper money when he visited China in the 1200s. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Today, we have many ways to pay for things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Often, people prefer to pay for things by card. Paying with a card is easier and safer than carrying around a lot of "real" money.