With sadness, I looked at the piano music book. My brain seemed unable to tell my fingers which keys to play next, 1 I ended my practice.
I started taking piano lessons because of Uncle Sahil, a wonderful pianist. I always dreamed to play like 2 and I begged (乞求) my parents to let me take 3 . The first few months of lessons were fun, but the 4 began once I was ready to progress.
At the end of each lesson, I would leave the teacher's house 5 a new song. The music would be 6 in my head. But when I tried to play the same song at home, it sounded terrible. Without any 7 , the piano was no longer my friend, and I was afraid to practise.
My parents talked with me about my piano lessons. "If you give up when things are 8 , you will not succeed at much," my father said. "Why not ask Uncle Sahil for help?"
The next morning, I called Uncle Sahil and 9 my difficulty. He thought for a while, "Kalinda, do you know that I 10 gave up playing the piano when I was your age? But my strong love for piano drove me on. I 11 whenever I was free. "
This really 12 me. The beautiful music did not happen by accident. For the next six months, I worked as hard as I could on music. I was 13 to find out that the harder I worked, the better I became.
Finally, I was ready to do something that I had 14 . Uncle Sahil and I were going to play together. As we drove to the hall on the night of the concert, the stars winked (眨眼) 15 at me. I smiled back at them and was proud of what I had done.
Holidays are coming! It often means less time studying and more time to dive into a great book-but where do you start? Libraries hold so many books that it may be difficult to choose the right one. Here are some tips to pick a great read.
1 Challenge (挑战) yourself
Reading something comfortable might be your "go-to" when it comes to picking a book, but challenging yourself to read something more difficult is a really good way of pushing yourself to improve your reading skills. You might even surprise yourself!
2 Series books (丛书)
These are great for new readers and bookworms. If you like the characters in a story,
then it can be meaningful to read about them growing up or getting into different adventures. Some books in a series need to be read in order, while others are stand-alone stories. Check this out before you get started.
3 Ask an expert
The very best people to throw your questions and needs at are. . librarians! They really are unbelievable book brains. If you tell a librarian what you've read before and what you did or didn't like about it, they will be able to suggest some possible reads for you to try next.
4 Read reviews
Book reviews (评论) can help you decide if a book is for you. There are usually mini-reviews in books, but you can also read reviews online. Booktrust has a great "What to Read After" tool on its website with book suggestions from writers, children, librarians, parents and teachers.
School is back, and students are in lunchrooms to eat together. Studies show that kids who eat a nutritious (有营养的) lunch at school have more energy and are better able to learn. But over the past ten years, lunch time has gotten shorter as schools try to find more time for study. The number of students has increased, too, leading to crowded lunchrooms and less time to eat. Some people say longer lunch time would let students enjoy the advantages of a healthy meal, while others believe the extra (额外的) time should be spent on learning. What do you think? ____▲____
Yes. Lunch should be less hurried. When the lunch bell rings, students have to crowd forward to the lunchroom, wait in line for food, then eat. That leaves less time to finish their meal. When students are hurried, they often choose whatever is the easiest, like potato chips. Kids who don't have time for a healthy lunch could have trouble paying attention and fall behind in school. A longer lunch time would stop that and also give students time to hang out with friends and take a break during a long, busy school day. -Michael |
No. Kids go to school to learn. The longer they spend in the lunchroom, the less time they spend in a classroom. Besides, longer lunch time doesn't ensure that students will use the extra time to eat. They might spend it chatting with friends instead. Also, if schools made more time for lunch, they might have to make the school day even longer. That would be tiring for kids, and it would also stop them from joining in after-school activities. -Sophia |
In January 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope (望远镜) discovered a new planet which goes around a star outside our solar system. The JWST was sent into space in December 2021. The telescope is expected to teach scientists much about how stars, galaxies and systems of planets develop, and bring new information about the early history of the universe.
Studying far-away stars is a way of studying history. Light travels fast, but it still takes time to cover long distances. This means in fact the light we see from far-away stars left those stars long, long ago. Scientists believe the JWST will help them see light from as far back as 13. 6 billion years ago - not long after the universe began.
Scientists had been working on the project for nearly 30 years. The new telescope is expected to be about 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, which, up until now, has been the best tool scientists have for studying far-away stars. And the JWST can also tell where much weaker light comes from.
Light travels in waves. Different wavelengths show up as different colors of light. There are far more colors than the human eye can see. To collect them, the JWST will use a group of infrared light (红外线), which humans can't see. By studying infrared light, the JWST will even be able to study the atmospheres(大气层) of planets outside our solar system.
The JWST began its real work in June 2022. There is still a long way to go, but scientists believe the telescope will help them better understand the history of the universe, and how important parts of it developed.
Recently, several short videos of Chinese college students giving fashion shows became popular. Encouraged by this, Tang Ziyan (提出) to hold a similar fashion show at Summer Life, a nursing home (养老院) in Yichun.
On October 20, 2022, six 75-year-old men showed (他们自己) perfectly. They walked out of their rooms to the same music used by the college students. They wore hats and sunglasses and looked (英俊的). The next morning, some women gave a show, too. They wore their favourite clothes and silk (围巾). About 20 people took part in the shows. The (最年轻的) was 67 and the oldest was 99.
Tang mentioned, "The shows brought a lot of (快乐) to the people in the nursing home. Unlike the (传统的) activities, the shows brought them a sense of freshness and confidence. They took the shows (认真严肃地) and they were very patient while matching their clothes. At first, they were a little shy about walking like models, but they quickly (感觉) comfortable and confident in their new roles. They made progress day by day. "
Zhang Xinwen, 89, said in an interview, "It's a very interesting experience for all of us. We don't want to (浪费) our time although we are old. We want to learn new things and make the best use of our lives. "
When you visit a new place, traffic signs are very helpful. It's hard to imagine world without traffic signs. You may want to ask: When did people invent traffic signs?
It may sound (strange), but the first road signs were milestones (里程碑). They were used in ancient Rome. Back then, ancient Romans traveled on horseback or on foot. They placed milestones every few (kilometer). The milestones let travelers (know) how far they were from Rome.
After people invented cars, signs became more and more important. Drivers would get lost signs. As a result, Americans began to place signs on busy roads. In the 1920s, Americans (make) the first manual (说明书) for traffic signs. The book showed each sign meant. Now, different countries have different manuals.
The need for new traffic signs is always growing and changing. In the future, signs may be different, their purpose will not change. Traffic signs will still need to be able to tell people what to do on the road quickly.
Most of us think that animals are fun to watch. Others are fun to have as pets. But did you know animals help humans and the whole planet?
Many animals can be trained as service animals. Dogs are easy to train. They have a very strong sense of smell. They have been used as helpers for people with certain illnesses. Dogs are also used as guides for people who cannot see or hear well. Monkeys can be service animals too. They help disabled people to move. For example, capuchin, a kind of trained monkey, does many things that people with different disabilities cannot do, from turning off lights to turning the pages of a book.
Dogs use their strong sense of smell to find dangerous materials in public places. Other animals use their sense of smell to help too. The African giant pouched rat is trained to find hidden explosives (爆炸物). They can find people after natural disasters, like earthquakes. Bees can also make specific buzzing sounds when they find dangerous
chemicals.
Animals also help protect the earth. One national group puts dogs to work, finding where endangered animals and plants are living. The group then follows and protects these wild lives. Some animals can travel to places that humans cannot. So scientists have put monitors on the Arctic's elephant seals and sea lions. They can monitor the temperature and currents of the ocean. This information helps scientists learn about how the earth's climate is changing.
A. Keeping Safe B. Making us glad C. Being of Service D. A helping hand or paw E. Protecting the Environment |
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