This is Jill. She is twelve years old. She has two new friends. They are Sami and Pat. Sami is a girl. She's twelve. She is short and slim. She's from England. She's English. Pat is a boy. He is twelve too. He's tall and strong. He's from America. He's American.

Some birthday customs are quite similar in many parts of the world—- birthday candles(蜡烛), birthday games, and birthday cakes. But some customs are more specific to certain countries. Here are some children talking about their customs.

Linda: I am fourteen. I come from Aruba阿鲁巴岛（拉丁美洲）（荷属安的列斯群岛中的大岛）. In our country, Children take something special to school for their classmates and all teachers. Each teacher gives the birthday child a small gift like a pencil, an eraser or a postcard. The birthday child is also allowed to wear special clothes instead of the school uniform.

Lucy: I am one year older than Linda. Denmark（丹麦） is my country. A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so they will see them at once when they wake up.

Tom: I am as old as Linda. I am from Brazil. The birthday child receives a pull on the earlobe(耳垂) for each year in my country. The birthday person also gives the first slice of cake to his/her most special friend or relative, usually mom or dad.

    Do you know "World Reading Day"? It is on April 23rd. It is the eighteenth "World Reading Day". As we know books are very important for us.

    In Germany, more than 70% of the people like reading: They often read. They read in their homes. They read in libraries. They read in parks. They even read in hospitals. Parents often read books for kids.

    It is easy to buy books in Germany. There are many bookshops in Germany. They are in big cities and small town. A bookshop can sell many books every day. Germans also like to buy books on the Internet. More and more people buy books on the Internet.

    In Germany, people often have reading parties. They are happy at the parties.

    Do you love reading? Hope you enjoy it!

    In 30 years from now, what will we eat? Will the food still be the same as it is now?

The United Nations says that there will be over 9 billion people in the world by 2050. Our food needs will grow by 70%. What we eat now may not be enough for humans in the future. That is to say, we'll have to turn to something else. But what else can we eat? Here are a few possible choices.

    Veggie (Vegetable) meat

    A new kind of hamburger is now popular in the US. It looks the same as any other hamburger, and so is the taste. But it's actually a "beef" burger made out of plants. The company behind the burger, Impossible Foods, uses peas and potatoes to make the "beef". They take coloring, protein (蛋白质) and fats from these plants and mix them together.

    Making meat out of plants uses less water and land than raising animals for meat. It also creates fewer green house gases. Some food companies are making chicken, pork and other meat out of plants, too-follow the same steps as making the "beef".

    Insects

    Insects take up little space and don't make much waste. They also have more protein than beef, chicken and pork. This makes insects another possible food of the future.

    It's common for people in some places to eat whole insects. But most people probably won't want to see the insects they eat. So in the future, people will first turn insects used for food into powder (粉末). Then they can use the powder to make other foods like chips, protein bars, biscuits and so on.

    Algae

    The BBC says algae farming could become the world's biggest farming industry in the future. They point out that algae is cheap and grows very quickly. Also, it's very nutritious (有营养的). It has much more protein and oil than many other plants.

    Besides eating algae as a dish on its own, people may also use algae oil and algae butter in the future. Some algae has a strong taste. The UK scientists are trying to use algae to take the place of salt.

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    We are a bit afraid when we talk about the A/H1N1 flu(甲型H1N1流感).

    Flu

    The A/H1N1 flu sounds really scary and some people died of it. ⑶It is difficult for us to stop it. But it works like other kinds of flu. We catch it in the same way, and we can protect ourselves from the flu in some similar ways.

    ★Pandemic(大流行病)

    The A/H1N1 flu is a pandemic. ⑷The word "|pandemic" sounds like millions of people might die. But that's not what it means at all!

    The pandemic spreads(传播)over a whole country or the whole world. It doesn't mean a high death rate(比率), but just only large groups of people in the world may get it.

    Mask(口罩)

    A mask just keeps a person from breathing in the virus(病毒)that might be breathed out by someone. Wearing a mask isn't a bad idea, but it doesn't mean that the flu is much more dangerous than other kinds of flu.

①Playing team sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball is a great way for kids to keep moving and stay fit. These sports not only help their bodies but also give them important lessons for life.

②First, team sports show kids how to work together. When they play on a team, they have to help each other to win. This teaches them to talk and support each other, which is helpful in all parts of life.

③Next, playing team sports can make kids feel better about themselves and more sure of their abilities. When kids help their team win, they feel proud. This good feeling can help them believe in what they can do and make them feel better about who they are.

④Also, team sports help kids learn to manage(管理) their time. Kids who play sports have to fit in school, practice, and games. They know obeying discipline(纪律) is really important by doing teamwork. This teaches them to understand what the most important thing is and use their time well.

⑤Finally, being on a team is good for making friends and getting closer to people they have already known. For many kids, their teammates are like a second family.

⑥So, team sports are really important for how kids grow up. They help their bodies, minds, and social life in ways that can make their whole life better.