Read a Timeline

Every family has a history. A timeline can show events in a family's history. A timeline is an ordered group of words and dates that shows when events happened. 

Learn the skill   

Step1 The title tells what the timeline is about. The timeline has a line divided in equal parts. Each park stands for 10 years.

Step2  Look at the first and last numbers on the timeline. The numbers are years. The events on the timeline happened between these years.

阅读下列短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后表格。在答题卡标有题号的横线上，写出空缺处所填单词的正确形式。（每空一词）

    The Slender West Lake Scenic Spot lies in the northwestern part of Yangzhou, with its south gate facing Great Rainbow Bridge Road. It covers an area of about 123.6 hectares. The Slender West Lake was named a National Key Scenic Spot in 1988 and National Tourist Area in 2010.

    The Slender West Lake used to be a long river named the Baozhang Lake, which is 4 kilometers in length and less than 100 meters in width. A famous poet Wang Hang in the Qing Dynasty once composed a poem, from which the Slender West Lake gets its present name and for which it is well known all over the world.

    During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, many gardens were built along the Slender West Lake. Following the lines of the natural landscape, a lot of houses along the moats(护城河) were built in different locations during different periods. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty both visited the Slender West Lake.

    The Slender West Lake Scenic Spot is a symbol of the lake gardens in China. In a word, the Slender West Lake not only represents the beauty of natural landscape but also has a long history and rich culture.

How Can You Create Luck in Everyday Life?

    You can probably agree that some people have more good things happening to them. Let's just call that luck. Now would you like to learn how to be one of these lucky people? Here are 5 top tips for creating your own luck.

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    It is easy to believe that you never have any luck in everyday life if you don't seem to be getting any breaks. But having had a difficult life gives you unusual lessons and develops courage.

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    Some people are already lucky and they just don't know it. Instead of giving all your attention to what you are short of, look at how lucky you already are. You no doubt have some wonderful friends family and a roof over your head.

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    Luck doesn't just happen upon us—it comes to us when we're open. Learning a new skill, visiting a new place and trying a new hobby are all great ways of creating your chances.

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    You'll never create any luck if you sit there waiting for it to fall into your lap. Take steps towards your goals and dreams and greet every challenge. You will find you create more luck in everyday life.

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    Sometimes people would be prepared to help us out. If you need a hand with dealing with something rather than wait for someone to offer you a lucky break, go and ask them if they will help you out.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Thanksgiving Day is coming. Bruce wants to buy his grandma a small present. But he only has $60. His grandma's eyesight is so poor that she sometimes can't see the clock clearly.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Father's Day is several days away. Ann is thinking about the gift for her father. Her father is a sports lover. He enjoys riding bikes to the countryside at weekends. But he always suffers from back pain from biking.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Frank's grandparents live in an area which is very cold in winter, but they have no heating system in the room. Frank wants to send them a gift that can make their bed warm all night long.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Emily's aunt is a writer. Emily decides to give her a present. But she can only afford things that cost less than $40.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Joe's father's birthday is coming. Joe wants to buy a gift for him with $1,800 she made from the part-time job. Her father used to be a football player and his back aches from time to time.

    Maybe you have heard of the“Mozart Effect". It says that listening to classical music, especially Mozart, can help with math and science learning, and develop smart children. But how can we enjoy music.

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    Listen in the car, while the children draw and color, and at dinner, for fun. Listen and talk about music.

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    Do you like this song? Why, or why not? If you like this kind of music, how does it make you feel? Happy or sad?

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    Get to know classical music, but don't forget jazz, blues or many other kinds of music. Many children enjoy different sounds from around the world as well.

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    Learn about a singer and then listen to his or her music. Libraries often offer CDs as well. Learn an instrument. This costs some money and time, but the result can be worth it. This including singing. Learn how to sing traditional songs.

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    Find concerts that you attend. Many towns and cities offer family concerts (for parents and their children）. Look for one near you house. Go to a music festival.

Why Live Near the River?

Imagine pioneers traveling west in the 1800s. In those days, it was hard to find running water and shops where to buy things. As time went by, most pioneers had to make their homes near a river so that they could get water easily.

How did rivers help people live in the past?

Back in the pioneer days, people grew their own food, caught their own fish, and collected their own water.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}People also used rivers as roads, traveling on boats. Traders shipped goods (货物) to people from other areas.

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When building many factories right next to rivers for the water's power to make machines work, some people choose to live near a river for working. They use the river to ship large goods, and some of them work at these factories where power factories provide electricity for homes and businesses.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Who wouldn't want to live near a river?

Some people are nervous about living near rivers because rivers can cause floods (洪水). Every once in a while, floodwaters rise higher than a house, ruining (毁坏) many things in the house.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Such waste causes water to smell bad and pollutes the crops (作物) we eat. Water and crops in polluted areas can make people very sick.

How do people decide where to live?

 {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Rivers can provide jobs and fun activities in a beautiful place. However, those living by rivers should be willing to accept possible problems as well.