The Aborigines (澳洲土著) have lived in Australia for about 60,000 years. They painted pictures inside caves, and these are the rock paintings that have given us so much information about Aboriginal life. For example, some of the paintings that are about 10,000 years old show men with boomerangs. From this we know that the Aborigines started using boomerangs for hunting at that time. Other pictures show kangaroos, so we know that there were kangaroos at that time.

    The Aborigines believed that spirits made people, animals and plants, and that these spirits still live in the earth. For Aborigines, no one can own the earth—the earth belongs to the spirits.
    In 1700, there were many Aboriginal groups with a population of 750,000 all over Australia, and there were probably more than 240 different Aboriginal languages. The groups did not have a leader. Instead, things were decided by the older men in a group. People from different groups often travelled hundreds of miles to meet each other.
    Aboriginal life changed when an English boat arrived in Australia in 1770. Many Aborigines were killed in the wars that they had with the English. More Europeans came, and they started taking land from the Aborigines. The Europeans also brought new illnesses that killed the Aborigines. The result is that today there are only about 300,000 Aborigines in Australia.

    Spring is a wonderful season to celebrate rebirth(再生) and new life. The long, cold winter is over. The weather is warmer and sunnier. The trees again have leaves and the flowers are blooming(开). The season represents(代表) hope, joy and beauty. At this time, many people think of this classical music piece — “Spring”, which shows happiness. Italian composer(作曲家) Antonio Vivaldi wrote it in the seventeen hundreds.

    However, not all songs about spring are happy. This song written and sung by K.D Lang is about dreaming of spring in cold dark places. She recorded “I Dream of Spring” in 2008.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote “It Might as Well Be Spring” for the movie State Fair in 1945. Frank Sinatra sings it. It is a feeling of restlessness(焦虑) or excitement brought on by the coming of spring. Richard Rodgers also wrote “Spring Is Here”, this time with Lorenz Hart. Ella Fitzgerald sings this song about feeling lonely during this season.

    Frank Loesser wrote the sad song, “Spring Will be a Little Late This Year”. Why has the season been delayed(延迟)? Because the singer's lover has left her. Sarah Vaughn released(发行) her version of the song in 1953.

    By now you may be thinking, “Enough with the sad songs, already!” Ok, then how about a cowboy(牛仔) song? Gene Autry was one of America's most famous singing cowboys. He recorded “When It's Spring time in the Rockies” in 1937.

    And finally, we'll leave you with a sunny song called “Up Jumped Spring”. Freddie Hubbard wrote this jazz(爵士) song in 1977 and Billy Taylor Trio performs it.

    Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me tell you.

    Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone feels excellent about himself, we say, "he looks like the cat that ate the canary."

    Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play "cat and mouse" with someone, you change between different kinds of actions when facing another person. For example, a child might serve something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it.

    A cat will often catch a small animal and show it to its owner. The saying "that looks like something the cat dragged in" describes something in bad condition.

    A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.

    There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be? 

    All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.

    In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in teahouses. They prefer(更喜欢) their tea plain, with nothing else in it.

    Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving(招待) tea called a tea ceremony(仪式) .It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.

    Another tea-drinking country is England. In England, the late afternoon is "teatime".

    Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in a teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.

    In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink "iced tea". Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.

    Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

    Sometimes, the word "green" means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or an ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18th century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

    Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. The Green Revolution (绿色革命) is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

    Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling—jealousy(嫉妒). The green eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play Othello. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants.

    In most places in the world, a green light is a signal(信号) to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means approval(赞成) to continue with a project.