In 1834, the clock tower in London was burned down. People planned to build a new clock which would be the biggest and best in the world. So the clock had to be big and keep very good time. The big clock was made in two years. Five more years later the tower was finished. Then people put the big clock in the tower, and made it ring out for the first time on July 11, 1859.

   In order to give the big clock a good name, people held a meeting. Someone wanted to call it the Queen of Bells, and someone thought Victoria was good. At last, a man named Benjamin Hall stood up. He was a big man. Before he started to speak, someone shouted, “Why not call it Big Ben?” Everybody laughed and agreed with him.

   From then on, Big Ben became its name. And it also became a famous building of London. People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents—bottles of oil-to help keep Big Ben running. Big Ben is not only a clock but also a dear friend of people.

    Tom is my brother .He isn't tidy .He always asks me ,“Where is my English book ? Where are my rulers ? Where's my notebook...?”Here's a picture of his room .You can see the clock ,English book , tape player ,bag ,ID card ,notebook and hat .The clock is on the desk and the English book is on the desk ,too . The yellow tape player is on the bed .The ID card is in the notebook .And the hat is on the chair .

    Surfing the Internet can help open students' eyes and get more knowledge. As a teacher, I encourage my students to use the Internet. In class those students who surf the Internet understand lessons better than the others. Besides, people can use the Internet to write letters or stories and send emails. Many students communicate with their friends online. You can also make friends by chatting on QQ. It's cheaper than calling somebody far away and it's much quicker. Nearly one third of young people surf the Internet for fun. They like to listen to music, watch films, and go to their favorite stars' websites. But can the Internet cause problems? Some of my students who used to study well at school are now failing exams. Because they spend a lot of time playing computer games.

    Do you like visiting parks? The following three may be the ones you are interested in.

    Hyde Park，the biggest royal park of the UK，lies in the center of London，next to Green Park.It was built to be a royal park in 1536. About one hundred years later, the park was open to the public. Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park is famous all over the world. Anyone can make a speech there on Sunday afternoons.

    Central Park is a man­made park in the center of Manhattan, New York. It was built in 1858 and in 1873 it was open to the public. With 21 playgrounds and 2 zoos, Central Park is a wonderful place for children to have fun．

    Banff National Park，the largest park in Alberta, Canada, was open in 1885.The park is as large as 6, 641 km2. Whether by car, boat, bus, bike or on foot, you can enjoy the mountains, lakes, as well as the plants and wild animals. The most famous is its ski areas in the park，which attracts millions of people to come every winter.

                                 Information Card

A.     B.

C.     D.

E.     F.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴I am Jenny. My last name is Smith. I'm an English girl. My telephone number is 158-9136.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Li Ming is a boy. He is my friend. He is from China, He is in Shanghai No.1 Middle School. His phone number is 520-4398.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶A: Good morning!

B: Good morning!

A: I'm Andy. What's your name?

B: I'm Jack.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷A: What's this in English?

B: It's a school ID card.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸A: Hi, Bob.

B: Hi, Ms. Green.

A: What's this in English?

B: It's a key.

Four Funny Inventions

       ①        

    Are you a person who wants to know the time and temperature during the day? You might like Time Temp Glasses. These special glasses show the time above your right eye and a temperature above your left eye. It is surely easier than wearing a watch, and you never have to guess the temperature.

      ②        

    Do you eat too quickly? Do you eat too much? How can the Alarm Fork help you? Aren't you curious? Well, this special fork has two lights: one green and one red. When the green light is on, it's OK to take a bite of food. The fork "knows" when you take a bite, and soon the red light is on. Wait for the green light before you take another bite.

       ③        

    How do you know if your breath(呼气) smells nice or if it smells bad? It's difficult to know, because it's very hard to smell the air that comes out of your own mouth. Smell This is useful for this situation. Smell This covers your nose and your own mouth, so it is easy to smell the air that comes out of your mouth. Does your breath smell nice, or do you need a piece of gum?

       ④       

    Has this ever happened to you? You put a banana in your bag lunch in the morning and when you open the bag at noon, the banana looks like someone drove a car over it. If you put your banana in the Banana Suitcase, this will never happen. It keeps a banana safe, delicious and looking like a banana!