We do drama at our school, but I don‘t like it. I don‘t like being on the stage and everyone looking at me! I can‘t sing or dance. I can‘t learn a part quickly. So I don‘t like drama. I think it is good that we only have one drama lesson a week. I expect you wish that you had more drama lessons!
My favorite subject is science. I really enjoy doing experiments. We have science five times a week. We have biology on Monday morning at 9 o‘clock. It lasts for an hour. We are studying the human body. We have chemistry for two lessons together on Wednesday, in the afternoon. We are studying the chemistry of the Earth. Then from 9 o‘clock until 11 o‘clock on Thursday we have a physics lesson. We are studying electricity. Our school teaches us biology, chemistry and physics as three different subjects and we have three examinations. Lots of schools now teach all the subjects together as ?science‘ and have just one examination. You still learn mostly the same things. I think you probably don‘t like science. Lots of my friends who like science subjects don‘t like subjects such as English and drama. Most of my friends who like English and drama don‘t like science or maths!
Ben WORD BANK stage 舞台 quickly 很快地 biology 生物 last 持续 chemistry 化学 physics 物理 electricity 电 EXERCISES
1. Match the word with its correct meaning in the text.
think something will happen
science a subject such as chemistry, physics examinatioand biology
The planet( 星球) on which we live
expect
an important test
Earth
2. Answer the following questions.
1) Does Ben like drama? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________ 2) What is Ben‘s favorite subject?
__________________________________________________________ 3) How many science subjects are there in Ben‘s school? What are they? __________________________________________________________
THE BEST PRESENT FOR MUM
It was December and Sue‘s friends were talking about Christmas. They talked about the presents they wanted and about the presents they were going to buy. Sue thought about the presents she was going to buy for her family. Her dad was easy to buy for. He loved history books and detective stories. She could look at the books he had, and buy something similar. She would have to ask her mum what she was going to buy for him, just so
they didn‘t get the same one! Her younger brother was also easy to buy for, He loved sweets! All she needed to do was buy him lots of sweets. Of course, that would make Mum angry, but people always eat sweets at Christmas.
Sue‘s problem was what to buy her mum. Her mum didn‘t read many books. She loved gardening, but she already had all the tools she needed for the garden. Also, she liked to choose her plants and seeds herself. Sue could buy her a book with pictures of beautiful gardens in it. But her mum liked to be in her own garden, not looking at pictures in books. Sue spent a lot of time looking for a present for her mum. But nothing was perfect.
Mum always said that the best presents were the ones that you put time and effort into. Suddenly Sue had an idea. Why not knit a scarf for Mum? That way she could wear it to keep warm when she was in the garden on cold days. She‘d love it! So Sue bought some pink and orange wool. They were Mum‘s favorite colors because they reminded her of the flowers she liked. Sue spent many hours knitting when her mum was not around. She wanted it to be a surprise. She finished the scarf just in time. When Mum opened the present on Christmas morning, she was very grateful. She knew that Sue had spent a long time knitting the scarf. She took Sue in her arms and gave her a big kiss! WORD BANK detective 侦探
angry 生气的\\恼怒的 gardening 园艺 seed 种子
perfect 完美的\\理想的 Suddenly 突然地 knit 编织 scarf 围巾
wool 羊毛/毛线
remind 提醒\\使想起 grateful 感激的,感谢的 EXERCISES
1. Choose the correct works to put into the sentences below.
sweets choose spent remind
1) You can ___________ where we eat ---- I don‘t mind. 2) Tom ________ two hours doing homework.
3) Don‘t eat too many ___________. It isn‘t good for your teeth. 4) I‘ll call Sue to ___________ her that we‘re meeting at 8 o‘clock. 2. Answer the following questions.
1) Why was Sue‘s dad easy to buy for?
________________________________________________ 2) Why did Sue knit a scarf for Mum?
________________________________________________ 3) Did Sue‘s mum like the present?
________________________________________________
A SHOPPER WHO NEVER BUYS
My friend Beth loves to go shopping. Lots of people are like that. What is different about Beth is that she NEVER seems to buy anything. I‘ve stopped going shopping with her – it‘s embarrassing! This is the sort of thing that happens:
Shop assistant: Can I help you?
Beth: I‘m starting a new job. I need a new suit. I want to look efficient and smart.
Shop assistant: You have come to the right place. We have lots of suits. What about this nice yellow one?
Summer‘s coming!
Beth: No, I need a suit that I can wear year after year. Yellow is fashionable this year, but next
year…
Shop assistant: You‘re right. What about this blue one?
Beth: It‘s a very pretty color. But isn‘t the skirt too short? That isn‘t very business-like!
Shop assistant: You‘re right. What about this grey one? The skirt isn‘t too short and grey‘s smart enough for
work.
Beth: But it‘s boring. It will make me look boring.
Shop assistant: You could wear a bright, fashionable blouse under it. Maybe yellow? Beth: OK, I‘ll try it on. With that yellow blouse, over there.
Later…
Shop assistant: That looks lovely. It is vey smart, very business-like.
Beth: I‘m not sure. I don‘t think these shoes go with it. I don‘t think I have any shoes that go with it.
I think I will just keep wearing my old suit.
Shop assistant: What about a new blouse for it?
Beth: No, I think I‘ll just wear my old ones. Seeing all of these makes me realize how nice my old
clothes are!
WORD BANK
embarrassing 尴尬的 efficient 高效的
fashionable 流行的,时髦的 blouse 上衣 EXERCISES
1. Choose the correct words to put into the sentences below. boring fashionable lovely
1) --- I watched TV at home all day. --- But that‘s so _____________.
2) --- Where did you go for your birthday?
--- We went to Hard Rock for a party. It was a ____________ evening. 3) --- Did you go to that new _____________ restaurant? It‘s vey popular. --- Not yet.
2. Answer the following questions.
1) Why doesn‘t Beth choose the yellow suit?
______________________________________________________ 2) Do you think Beth really wants to buy a suit? Explain your answer. ______________________________________________________
AMY’S PRESENT
Milly: Hi, Tom! Are you going to Amy‘s birthday party?
Tom: Yes. Have you bought her a present yet? I don‘t know what to buy her.
Milly: No, I haven‘t bought a present yet. I‘m in town now, looking for something good. Tom: I thought I‘d buy a book, but she doesn‘t often read books, does she? Milly: No, she never reads unless she has to!
Tom: What about music? The new Arctic Monkeys CD? Milly: Good idea, but John is already getting that. Tom: What else is she getting?
Milly: Raj and Lu are getting her some CDs and I think Kathy is too. Toney‘s away, so he‘s not going to the
party.
Tom: Maybe not CDs then, or that is all she will have.
Milly: I know she really wants to spend a day at the new spa, but it‘s too expensive for me. Not too expensive
for her parents though, I‘m sure.
Tom: Is there anything else that‘s not too expensive that we could get her? No make-up or anything too
childish!
Milly: Is a bag too girly?
Tom: I‘m not sure. But it saves me a trip into town before the party… OK, that‘ll do. Milly: OK, I‘ll buy it and wrap it then. You owe me a favor. See you there!
WORD BANK spa 温泉区 make-up 化妆品
childish 孩子气的,幼稚的 wrap (用纸\\布等)包. 裹 EXERCISES
1. Match the following words with their Chinese meanings.
trip 猴子 town 旅行
monkey 城镇
2. Answer the following questions.
1) What presents will Amy get at her birthday party?
_____________________________________________ 2) What present will Tom and Milly give Amy?
_____________________________________________
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
The universe is huge. It seems to have no end. People who study the universe find out more about it all the time. Until 2006, students were taught that our solar system had nine planets that moved around our Sun. Among them, Mercury come: Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
In August 2006, scientists declared that Pluto is a dwarf planet, which means it is not an ordinary planet. So in fact there are only eight planets in the solar system! Pluto is not the only dwarf planet in the solar system. Earlier in 2005, American scientists discovered a dwarf planet. This dwarf planet is further from the Sun than Pluto. It was given a new name ?Eris‘ in September 2006. We know that Pluto is very cold and consists mostly of ice and rock. Think how cold Eris must be! Can anything live on dwarf planets? Is there life on any of the planets?
Let‘s look at the two planets closest to Earth – Mars and Venus. Because they are the closest, we have studied them more, so we have more evidence about them, Satellites have photographed Mars and Venus from space. Some satellites have landed on Mars and Venus, and collected evidence of what they are like. WORD BANK
solar system 太阳系 planet 行星
scientist 科学家
dwarf planet 矮行星 consist 由…组成 evidence 证据,证明 Satellites 人造卫星 EXERCISES
1. Fill in the blanks according to the text.
1) The universe seems to have no ____________.
2) We know that Pluto is very cold and _____________ mostly of ice and rock.
3) Because Mars and Venus are the closest to Earth, we have studied them more and have more ___________ about them.
2. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1) The more we study the universe, the more we find out about it. ( ) 2) Eris is closer to the Sun than Pluto. ( )
3) People use satellites to take pictures of Mars and Venus from space. ( )
MARS
It‘s 2050, the Earth is dying, and moving to Mars seems to be the only way out for mankind. A team of American astronauts begin to search on Mars. This is what the movie Red Planet begins with. Known as the Red Planet, Mars is the favorite of science fiction writers and filmmakers.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the next planet beyond the Earth. Mars is the only planet whose surface can be seen from Earth. It is about half the size of our planet. The ancient Romans named it after their god of war because of its red color.
The surface of Mars is more like the Earth than any other planet. However, because it is further from the Sun than the Earth, temperatures on Mars are much lower. Most of the time the temperatures are far below freezing. Plants and animals could not live now on Mars. However many scientists believe that such life may have existed long ago.
On 6th August, 1996, scientists discovered a piece of rock from Mars, which fell to the Earth 13,000 years ago, and in which evidence of simple fossile creatures has been found. However, 10 years later, some scientists still don‘t accept the conclusion that there was life on Mars. People may not be so sure about life on Mars until a sample of life is brought back. WORD BANK astronaut 宇航员
science fiction 科幻小说 beyond 越过 surface 表面 ancient 古代的 Roman 罗马人 freezing 冰点
fossile creature 动物化石 sample 标本,样品 EXERCISES
1. Match the words with their Chinese meanings.
piece 电影制作人
temperature 结论
conclusion 一片
filmmaker 温度