— I hear she volunteers to look after the old.

— Yes. I think all these meals are amazing.

    The umbrella is a very common object. It keeps the 1and the sun off the people. Most umbrellas can be folded up(折叠) so it is 2 to carry them.

    However, the umbrella was not always as 3 as it is now. In the past, it was a symbol of importance. Some African countries still use umbrellas in this 4. Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or important person.

    Umbrellas have a long history. People in different parts of the world began to 5 umbrellas at different times. The Chinese had them more than 3,000 years ago. From there, umbrellas 6 to India and Egypt. In Greece and Rome, 7, wouldn't use them. They believed umbrellas were only for women.

    England was 8 the first country in Europe where common people used umbrellas against rain. The weather there is very 9 and umbrellas are very useful.

     Everybody uses umbrellas today. The next time you 10 one, thinking that for centuries only great men and women used them, you'll feel you are the important person, too.

    We all waste food, you and me, every day, millions of tons of it. In China, enough food is wasted in restaurants every year to feed 200 million people. And the amount of food wasted by Chinese consumers is increasing fast. So our nation is being encouraged to stop wasting food.

    So what should Chinese consumers do to prevent food waste?

    ◆Buy only what we need

    We should ask for smaller potions in stores. We should also check how much food we have before buying more. We shouldn't bring much food we don't need home even if large posters ask us to do so.

    ◆Develop the habit of packing food

    Chinese consumers are generous and friendly. In restaurants, often too much food is ordered and served. So when ordering out, we are supposed to exclude the food in the order if we don't plan to eat it. And order smaller servings in restaurants and take home what we cannot finish.

    Helping your child read and write at home will improve their skills and confidence— it will also better equip(装备)them for learning in the classroom environment.

Reading and writing skills are needed by every child in every subject in every year of their school life and outside school. As parents, you can play an important role in improving your children's literacy(读写能力) by practicing reading, writing, spelling and speaking with them outside school. This kit(工具箱) includes a number of tips on how to help your child to read, write and spell, such as:

    *reading aloud each night

    *reading your child's writing

    *trying not to ask questions that require a “yes” or “no" answer

*practicing reading and writing by writing letters, or emails.

     Michael Leung,a famous TV host (主持人) in Hong Kong, wrote a letter to his son. It is not only        to children, but also good for all ages.The following are chosen       his letter.

     Life is short. While you are       it today, you'll realize you are at the end of it tomorrow. So the earlier you start to value your life, the       you can enjoy it.

     You might not be successful       you don't study hard, although a lot of successful people haven't        higher education.

      I don't expect you to support (供养) me for the rest of       life, so I'm not going to do the same for you. You will be living on your own when you grow up.

     You can require yourself to be nice to others,       you shouldn't expect the same from others.

     I've been buying the lottery (彩票) for almost twenty       , but I'm still poor. I have never got the       place even once. So you have to work hard to be successful. There is no free lunch in the world.

Alice:Hello?

Susan:Hello.        

Alice:Yes, it is.

Susan:        Would you like to go to the bookstore with me tomorrow? I'd like to buy some books.

Alice:Sorry. I don't need any books.       I can read books on the Internet.

Susan:Yes, but you can't always read on the computer.       

Alice:Oh, I see.

Susan:And in the bookstore we can find many wonderful books.

Alice:OK. I'll go with you.       

Susan:What about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon?  

Alice:Great. See you then.

Susan:See you.

要点提示：1. Learn a lot. 

2. Have an interest.  

3. Be creative. 

4. Never give up.

How to become an inventor?