NOTE: gadget ['gædʒɪt] n. 小装置
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It just hadn't been a very good week. On Tuesday, Sam's father lost his job. Then on Wednesday, Sam's mother announced that the (房租) on their apartment was going up. Now it was Friday, and Sam received an invitation from Rosa to her birthday party.
Sam knew Rosa from Adventure (冒险) Club. He knew he would enjoy Rosa's party, but he didn't want to go without a gift. What could he possibly buy her with the little bit of money he had? Sam knew he couldn't ask Mom or Dad for any money—not this week!
Later that afternoon, Sam noticed a second-hand book sale going on. He went there and had a quick look. Two books caught his eye, The first was a cookbook of Puerto Rican foods, and the second was a book about women explorers (探险家) . "Rosa would like these, " Sam thought, "but would it be tacky (蹩脚的) to give her second-hand books for her birthday? "
Sam decided that a second-hand gift was better than no gift at all. Besides, Rosa supported recycling in a big way. So, she would probably like it. With his last dollar, Sam bought the books and went home. He felt a little better.
The party was on Saturday. Rosa opened all her gifts and thanked everyone for the nice things they had given her. She paused (停顿) when she opened Sam's gift, which made him wonder if she liked the books, but nothing was said.
When Sam got home, he opened his e-mail and found this note from Rosa.
Dear Sam,
Of all the gifts I received today, yours was the nicest. How did you know I would love a book about women explorers and a cookbook of Puerto Rican foods? Now I have something to read that will inspire me to follow my dream of becoming an adventurer, and I have a book that I can share with my grandmother. She is getting older and wants to be sure her granddaughter knows how to make the -wonderful foods of Puerto Rico. Thank you so much.
Love,
Rosa.
The week turned out to be a good one after all.
When most people decide to buy food, they go to a grocery store. Grocery stores sell many different kinds of food in just one store. Some grocery stores also sell household goods such as kitchen paper, cleaning things, and diapers(尿布). A grocery store is a convenient place to shop for the kitchen and others.
Although it is comfortable and relaxing to shop at a grocery store, some people decide to buy their food from other places like fanners' markets. At a farmers' market, local farmers sell the foods they grow to customers. The foods they sell often include fruits, vegetables, and meats. Most of these foods are freshly harvested (收获) with no man-made additions.
There are several ways in which farmers' markets are less convenient than grocery stores. For example, packed foods usually are not sold at farmers' markets. Besides, many farmers do not accept credit (信用) cards or checks (支票) as payment for their goods. What is more, most farmers' markets are only open for business once or twice each week. This makes some people not want to shop at farmers' markets, but others are willing because of the fresh and local food there.
Deciding whether to shop for food at grocery stores or at farmers' markets is a personal choice. This choice reflects a person's values about life and about food. Those who value convenience and (多样) will probably choose to shop at a grocery store.
People who value freshness and enjoy supporting local farmers will probably prefer the farmers' markets. Luckily, most communities provide choices for both kinds of shoppers.
Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, in 1564. His father taught music while his mother cared for kids at home. The family was not wealthy, but Galileo's parents paid for him to go to school.
At first Galileo planned to become a doctor, but he changed his mind. He liked a different kind of science—physics. In Galileo's time, not much was known about how objects moved. Centuries earlier, a Greek (希腊人) named Aristotle had written down his ideas about movements, and everyone seemed to believe them. Galileo questioned those ideas and did experiments (实验) that showed how things really worked. For example, Aristotle thought that a heavier object would fall faster than a lighter one of the same size and shape. No one had ever really tested this idea. It just seemed to be true. Then Galileo came along, dropped two balls from a high tower, and discovered that they hit the ground at the same time!
In later years, Galileo became interested in how the stars and planets move. He watched the sky with a telescope (望远镜) he built himself. Once again, he saw things no one had ever seen before. For example, he saw that the moon was not smooth. Then he noticed that the sun had spots (斑点) that seemed to move. Galileo realized from his observations (观察) that the earth was moving around the sun. A Polish (波兰的) scientist named Copernicus had said this recently, but no one believed him. Galileo knew that Copernicus was right. Unluckily, Galileo's announcement got him into trouble with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church said that the earth was at the center of the universe (宇宙) with the sun traveling around it. This was what people had long believed, but Galileo said it was untrue. So he was sent to jail (监狱) . He was soon set free, but for the rest of his life he had to stay in his house and yard
Galileo died in 1642, but his work helped to change the world. He is sometimes called the "father of modern science" because he showed us how important it is to look carefully at things and to test out ideas with experiments.
NOTE∶ damage [' dæmɪdʒ] n.& v.损害;毁坏
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Tips to save a wet phone |
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First |
Get the phone the water as quickly as you can. |
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Next |
the phone right away to stop water damaging the inside of it. |
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Then |
Dry the outside of the phone and gently to let the water inside come out. |
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After that |
Put the phone in a plastic box or a plastic bag with some uncooked (未煮过的) in it. Close the box or the bag so that air can't get in, and leave it there for . |
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When it's time to take it out |
Try turning it on. You might be lucky and find the phone is working well. |
Sitting at the bedroom window, Melissa was watching her new neighbor Lily Green.
There, in the garden, Lily (play) freely and wildly, in jeans and a T-shirt.
"How I want to be like her!" Melissa sighed (叹息), " But I always (ask) to be a little lady in dresses. "
One day, the doorbell rang. Melissa and her mother opened the door They were Mrs Green and Lily. Lily stared at Melissa, who was wearing a princess dress with crown (皇冠), as if she came from another planet.
"Do you want (come) and have tea? ", said Mrs Green.
"How kind of you…, but…maybe tomorrow, " said Melissa's mother.
All next day Melissa worried about the tea. What would she wear to the party? How would Lily laugh! Suddenly, she threw all her smart dresses onto the floor and jumped on them.
Finally, she put on her only trousers and a school T-shirt.
Just then her mother came in. "What you (do) there?"
"Getting dressed for tea!" said Melissa.
" But you've spoiled (损坏) all your lovely clothes!" shouted her mother.
They are not my clothes, they are yours. " Melissa shouted back, " You only want me to look like YOUR DOLL(玩偶)! But I won't—not ever again!"
With these words, she (run) next door.
Lily stared down at her from the tree house. "You (look) different today! Would you like to be in? I bet (敢说) you (not get) up here! "
Huh, that's easy." said Melissa—and swung herself quickly to the top.
Melissa s mother was watching from the Greens' kitchen, worried and upset.
" Melissa was so naughty (顽皮的), "sighed Melissa's mother, " She has spoiled all her pretty clothes. "
"Oh? And why do you think she did that?" asked Mrs Green.
"I…don't know, "said Melissa's mother.
"Maybe she just doesn't like (look) like that, " Mrs Green said, "Maybe she just wants to be herself. Don't you think we have to let our kids just be kids?"
Just then Lily and Melissa ran into the kitchen, laughing loudly.
"I never (see) Melissa look so happy. n thought Melissa's mother. She felt sorry for what she had done to her daughter. "I never (do) it like before. "
"Oh, Mum—You're here," Melissa said, looking worried, "I . . I'm sorry about the clothes. Fm sorry I was so naughty. "
"Oh, but I'm not." Melissa's mother reached out the arms and hugged her.
The smell of popcorn was in the air. I could hear kids laughing and shouting. People were everywhere!
My family and I walked around the amusement park, getting snacks and going on rides. I loved almost all types of rides. The o rides that I didn't like were rides that turn you upside-down. But my elder sister, Laura, loved them. When we finally were near a ride that went upside-down, she started asking me to go with her. I told her I didn't like those rides, but she kept asking b she really didn't want to go alone. I was feeling sympathy (同情)for her, so I stalled thinking that maybe I s go with her, even though I really don't like to go upside-down. I turned to my parents for h.
"Matt, you are allowed to stand up for yourself. If something makes you feel really uncomfortable, you can tell people n. It's OK to tell Laura that you love her, b that you can't go with her because going upside-down makes you uncomfortable. Be strong but kind when you tell her, so that she will k you're serious." Mom said.
"I don't want to make Laura mad or sad," I replied to Mom, "and I don't want her to think I'm being mean."
"There's a d between being aggressive (有攻击性的)and being assertive(坚决主张的). Saying 'no' doesn't mean you are willing to hurt her feelings. You're just listening to your own feelings to make sure you stay safe." Mom answered. "The s goes for Laura. If you ask her to arm wrestle (角力)and she doesn't feel comfortable, she's allowed to say 'no', too. We are all allowed to stand up for ourselves."
"Thanks, Mom." I said. I told Laura that I love her and like to do things with her, but that the upside-down rides make me uncomfortable because they scare me. She was sad, but went on the ride by h and was really happy when it was over. We had a great rest of the day at the amusement park!
Pigs are misunderstood (误解). Some people think of them as lazy and stupid. Did you know that pigs are very smart? Pigs are smarter than most pets and wild animals. （1） Experts say that pigs are easier to train than dogs and cats. Would you want a pig for a pet?
Keeping a pet pig is fun, but it is work. Pigs like to go for walks like a dog, Would you like to walk a pig down your street? They can be trained to do tricks, and they like to be petted. They usually get along with other pets.
Pet pigs must be kept on a diet (节食). They like to eat like hogs (肉猪)! （2） An adult pet pig should not weigh more than 150 pounds. But many weigh up to 300 pounds because of overfeeding.
Pigs are some of the cleanest animals on the earth. They can learn to use a little like a cat. Many live in houses and apartments. But they can get in the way.
Pigs have a good sense of smell. They help find (松露）in the forests. These plants sell for high prices. So the pigs are valued for their work.
Besides pork (meat from pigs), pigs provide us with many useful products. Pig hair is used to make hairbrushes and furniture（家具）. Some of pig parts can be used to help sick people.
Pigs are found in every part of the world. They serve many useful purposes. They can work as guards like dogs. In the United States, two pigs were kept to guard the gate on the farm, which worked really well.
means that we must slow down and drive near the school.
