Humans can't stop natural disasters because we can't stop the power(力量) of nature.

    For example, a flood comes when there is too much water on the land. Sometimes, it can come after a big rainstorm at sea. Then too much sea water comes onto the land. Fast moving flood can hurt us. It can also hurt our homes. We can't stop the water from coming, but we can try to stop the water by making a wall with sandbags. Sometimes, the sandbags help stop the water. Sometimes they don't.

    An earthquake happens where land moves. The land goes up and down and all around. The land shakes. We may be hurt by things that fall down in an earthquake. Falling things can start fires. We can't stop an earthquake from coming. We can try to make our homes strong in order to prevent them from falling down in an earthquake.

    A tornado(龙卷风) is fast air that goes around and around over the land. A tornado can pick up everything. It can break anything in the way. A typhoon is a big storm with fast moving wind and rain. It begins at sea and can come onto the land. Its fast winds can hurt us and our homes.

    We can't stop the power of nature, but we can go to places where we will feel safe.

    How can you get happiness? Most people may say that happiness means a nice house, a car, a big bank balance and a high paying job.

    Here in India where I live now, I have travelled through villages where people seemed to earn enough to make ends meet(收支平衡). I can see happiness. I have seen smiling faces and smiling eyes. They were very happy and made my journey easier.

    I also worked on Wall Street in 1997, in a big Investment Bank. I have seen some people with a lot of money but still unhappy because they pay more attention to their material life. I am not saying that all rich are unhappy. In fact, some rich people look angry or ill, but some poor people look happy.

    Happiness is not a thing of how much you have. Happiness is a life full of hope and good emotions. You can feel happy by listening to a good song; you can feel happy watching a beautiful sunrise; you can feel happy in lots of ways that don't need any possessions(财富) at all.

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    Last Friday night I went to a great party. It was a birthday party for my English teacher Mrs Brown. Students in my class all went to celebrate(庆祝) her 40^th birthday. We began to prepare for(为……做准备) the party two weeks before that, but Mrs. Brown didn't know anything about it.

    We all met at a restaurant at a quarter to seven. There were about 30 people. Mrs. Brown's son took her to the restaurant and they arrived at seven o'clock. Just before seven, we all stayed in one room of the restaurant and it was dark in the room.

    When they got to the restaurant, Mrs. Brown's son asked her to go into the room first. Then we all shouted, "Surprise!"

    Mrs. Brown was really surprised. She jumped when she heard us. Then we sang "Happy Birthday to You" and she knew what was happening(发生). We all had a great dinner and then a delicious birthday cake.

    For her birthday, Mrs. Brown got a beautiful quilt. We all printed(印) our photos on it. So it was a very special quilt.

    Mrs. Brown enjoyed the party, and we enjoyed it, too.

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    Many parents fear to travel with kids. If you have the same fear, it's time to remove it. Here are some reasons why it's important to travel with kids.

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    When I say that, I'm talking not only about the history lessons. I'm also talking about the math lying behind the questions to be answered, such as "How long will it take us to get there? What is the currency (货币) exchange rate to the US dollar? Children can also learn some geography facts."

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    For kids, being able to talk about their travel experiences with others is pretty impressive! These types of travel experiences stick with children for a lifetime, and they will always have information to share about their travels.

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    The moment my son became old enough to travel alone, I was so nervous. But it didn't take him long to become a very independent little traveler. When children realize what it takes to travel independently, it creates a certain level of confidence which is very important for them.

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    Once your kids realize that there's so much of this exciting world that they haven't seen, they will be hungry to explore more and more!

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    Who doesn't need a break from school? I know my kids do because we are strict during the school week: No TV, no computers, only homework and after-school activities. So, naturally, they want a break from the busy life. And, more than likely, there is plenty of fun waiting for you. Don't forget that you don't have to travel far for kids to have a good time!

    This teenager can be a good boy and his mum's very happy with him

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} He goes to school, does his homework, meets his friends and enjoys playing sports. But between 5: 30 and 6: 30 from Monday to Friday, Tom does something different. He cooks dinner for all the family: mum, dad, younger brother Joe and elder sister Emma.

    "{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Maths and English are important, of course, but they need other skill to help them in today's world. First I taught Tom how to cook easy meals like pizza or egg and chips. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Yesterday he made vegetable soup. It was good!

    We all liked it very much. "Toms mum says

    "I love cooking and I think I'm really good at it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I don't know why, it isn't difficult and it's great fun! "Tom says

    In the past, Tom didn't help out at home and his mum wasn't pleased with him.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Every country has its own way of cooking. American people have their own way of cooking, don't they?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But if you think that American people don't like cooking, you are wrong. It's true that most Americans eat fast food for their breakfast and lunch. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Parents see the importance of teaching their children how to cook, and most Americans say that home-cooked meals are the best.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, baking(烘烤 )is the most popular way of cooking in America {#blank#}4{#/blank#} American cooks(厨师) pay attention to(注意) the balance of food. When planning a big meal, they try to cook meat, a few vegetables, some bread and sweet food. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}_ There are so many kinds of colorful foods, so the meal is healthy and looks beautiful, too.

A. But they also think cooking is interesting

B. They also like to make the meal look beautiful

C. Most people in the United States like fast food

D. Americans have their own way of cooking

E. Most American families have ovens (烤箱)