When you are learning English, 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 you can learn how to use these English words. When you read, it gives you a good example for writing.

    Good reading tips:

    Try to read at the right level(水平). Read something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every three words to use a dictionary, it is not interesting.

    Try to increase the number of your new words. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your notebook. But you don't have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meaning as you read: mark them with a pen. Then come back when you have finished reading to look them up in a dictionary and write them in your own vocabulary book. Then try to remember them.

    Try to read regularly. For example, read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. Fix(固定) a time to read and keep to it. You could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up or at lunchtime.

    Read what interests you. Choose a book or a magazine about a subject that you like, because you are going to spend time and money reading it. So, choose an interesting book. You can also read newspapers. There are many English newspapers in China. For example, 21st Century Teens. It is easy enough for you to understand it. There is something interesting in it.

      Chocolate is one of the most popular foods in the world. It is popular among people, especially among children. Many people choose it as a birthday gift. When a child gets a box of chocolate as a gift, he may feel very happy.

      Chocolate tastes nice. People eat chocolate candy, chocolate cake, and chocolate cookies. They also drink hot chocolate.

      Chocolate is made from cocoa beans(可可豆). Here are some interesting things about cocoa beans.

      In the past，the Mayas and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as money because they were small，easy to carry，and not easy to find. A turkey cost ninety cocoa beans and a small rabbit cost thirty cocoa beans. They also cooked the beans and  mixed(混合)them with water. Sometimes they added corn or hot pepper. They did not add sugar. The drink was very expensive. Only rich people could afford it.

    Basketball stars become hip-hop singers. It's true. In NBA, hip-hop music is very popular. Many of the players, like Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, write rap(说唱) words when they travel on planes from one city to another. Some of them even have rap radio shows and others perform(表演) in music video.

    When some of the younger stars play basketball, they even try to look like hip-hop singers. “Hip-hop is just part of their culture,” says one player. “All of us grew up listening to rap and playing basketball, and rappers grew up doing the same thing.”

    Master P. is a famous rap star who wants to become a basketball player. Two NBA teams have invited him to join them. They enjoy listening to his music. An NBA player has become a rapper. He has made four successful rap albums(专辑).

    NBA has a closer connection to hip-hop than any other sports league.

    As we know, the 2012Olympic Games will be held in London, the UK. The torch relay (火炬接力) is starting. It begins on May 19, 2012and it ends on July 27. During the 70-day torch relay, it will pass through towns and cities including Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, and Dover. London's Olympic Games will be held from July 27 to August 12.

    The Olympic Flame(火焰) will travel 8, 000miles across the UK. 8, 000torchbearers (火炬手) will carry the Olympic Flame for about 300meters each. Half of the torchbearers should be aged between 12and 24and the rest include people with a story of achievement.

    The torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osger by. It looks like a large triangle (三角形), which stands for the three words faster, higher, stronger. It also means that London is hosting(举办) the Olympic Games for the third time. This is great in Olympic history. The torch has 8, 000circles, standing for the 8, 000torchbearers. The torch relay is one of the most important parts of the Olympic Games.

    As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let's look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about dogs, for example, a homeless dog, a mad dog and a dog catching a mouse, have negative meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive actions. For example, you are a lucky dog means you are a lucky person. And every dog has its day means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person's serious illness, they say sick as a dog. The word dog-tired means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, cat is often used to describe a woman who is cruel.

    The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose means love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.

    The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.