21. I Did a Silly Thing
A few years ago, when my family moved to this city, I became interested in soap-box race That's when I discovered that“it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.”
Dad bought a set of tools to make a racing car for me I just couldn't wait, and one day, while Dad was at work, I decided to have my car going. I looked at the drawings, and I said to myself,“Dude, you can do this.”I got out Dad's toolbox, and I started building. Part A fit into Part B Part C was a little harder to connect to Part D. It was easy to fix Part E. By the time I got to Part G. I'd made a real mess(混乱)of things. I really regret having done such a silly thing.
What did I learn from this experience? Now I know that before I start something, I should know how to finish it.
22. Snakes
Today I read a book about snakes. I found some interesting facts, especially some surprising facts in it Did you know that some big snakes are strong enough to kill a pig or a goat? All snakes eat animals. Without snakes, the world would probably be filled with rats and mice.
You probably didn’t know that snakes smell with their noses and their tongues. Some snakes are even longer than an elephant or a giraffe!
This book made me think a lot about snakes. Most snakes don't hurt people, but some are dangerous. I'm thinking if I saw a snake, would I know if it was dangerous?
23. A Call from the Secretary
Mr. Young was a boss, and he worked hard. Seldom did he have a vacation. His wife was afraid that he would get sick if he continued like that, so she suggested to him taking a vacation. At last Mr. Young agreed. But she was afraid that he might be disturbed by his company, so before they left, Mrs. Young went to see her husband's secretary. Mrs. Young told her,“My husband needs a vacation very much, so whatever happens; please don't disturb him with letters or telephones while were away. Just wait until we get back.”
Then on a pleasant morning, after Mr. and Mrs. Young had been away about a week, when the couple was having a picnic and eating their hamburger, Mr. Young received a phone call from his secretary, she said,“Something terrible has happened to your business, but I remember what Mrs. Young told me. so I'm not going to disturb you with it now while you're enjoying your vacation Bye-bye!”
24. My Collection of Sea Shells
Every summer my family goes to the beach I dig in the sand and search for sea shells(贝壳).
I've collected many shells so far. They have different colors: orange, silver, purple, gray（灰色), brown ... Some are common, others are unusual. I have a shell which is like a bird's wing, and one of my shells is like a whale's eyes.
Last year, my elder sister helped me put all my shells in my drawers and on my desk. When I see them, I will remember the fun I have at the beach.
25. Breakfast Is Important
One of the most important meals of the day is breakfast. People should always eat a good breakfast to keep well. Eating the right food is necessary for good health. You should eat different kinds of food in order to keep a good health
A good breakfast should include eggs, bread, milk, and so on By eating breakfast every morning, you may feel lively in the morning's work Stepping out into the morning air after a good breakfast will make you feel wonderful.
Without breakfast, children may not grow as fast as they should and may not study and play as well in school in the morning as they could. They may have more sickness, and when they are sick, it may take them longer time to get well than children with good health habits.
Food provides energy for the body. Without food the body operation will slow down. So you must eat breakfast to keep well and do your best each morning.
26. The Proper Way to Give Gifts (1)
Everyone has had the experience of giving a gift. A proper gift can help communication and express good wishes, and sometimes it may also bring about unexpected good results. But, an improper gift may not only fail to show good wishes, but also even result in misunderstanding(误会). The art of giving gifts needs more attention, especially in communication with friends from different countries.
When you give gifts to the Chinese, you should pay attention to what you say. In China, people may sometimes say the words like“Yi Dian Xin Yi.”
27. Making Electricity
Because of electricity(电), it is easy for us to turn on an electric lamp or a TV. But where does all that electricity come from? Most power plants (发电厂) produce electricity by using coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy(核能).Other plants make electricity by using sunlight, wind, water, or even heat from underground!
28. One Real Man
In an ancient kingdom(王国),all men were ruled by their wives. The king didn’t believe it. In order to prove it was not true, the king had all the men of his kingdom brought before him. He warned that any man who did not tell the truth would be seriously punished.
Then he asked all the men who followed their wives' orders to step to the left side of the hall. All the men did so but one little man who moved to the right side.
“It's good to see,”said the king,“that we have one real man in the kingdom Tell these chicken-hearted men why you alone among them stand on the right side of the hall.”
“Your Majesty(陛下),”came the reply in a weak voice, “it is because before I left home my wife told me to keep out of crowds(人群). I don't dare to go against her.”
29. Dialogue: Where Is My Pet Dog?
(L: Lisa, S: Sam)
L: Ten years ago, I went on a tour to London with my pet dog.
S: Did you have a good time there?
L: Yes. I did. One day, after a tiring tour, I went into a restaurant with my pet dog.
S: You should feed your dog first, I think
L: Right, so I signed(打手势) a waiter(服务员）to come over. At that time, I couldn't speak English. So I pointed to the dog and made an“eating”gesture, showing that the dog needed some food.
S: What happened then?
L: The waiter nodded and walked away with my pet dog. I was happy because I made the waiter understand me without any difficulty. But after half an hour, he returned with a plate
S: What was on the plate?
L: My pet dog! My pet dog was killed and cooked !
30. Why Shouldn't We Smoke?
To begin with, smoking costs a lot of money. Smokers may also have to spend more on medicine and doctor visits. Another reason not to smoke is that it is bad for people who do not smoke, Secondhand smoke(二手烟)is a serious public health risk It isn't polite for a person to smoke in front of a nonsmoker. Besides, nonsmokers usually don't like the smell left in rooms, cars, or even on a smoker's clothes!
Most importantly, smoking causes big health problems For example, smoking makes it harder to breathe if a person has illnesses like asthma (哮喘). Smoking hurts a person's lungs(肺) , causing diseases like cancer, etc.
So if you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, it's time to give it up.