What about your resolution? Listen to five students talking about their resolutions.

Vince: I want to be a _________ when I grow up. I am going to take flying lessons. I really _________ flying and I hope to have _________ plane.   

Jake: I want to be _________ engineer when I grow up. I’m going to study design and engineering in _________. My dream is to build the longest bridge in the world.

Ted: I want to be an actor when I grow up. I’m going to take _________ lessons. I hope I can be famous one day.

Toby: I want to be a _________ player when I grow up. It isn’t easy, so I will keep on _________ it. I want to be just _________ my hero, Kobe (an NBA star), one day.

Jack: I want to be a ______________ when I grow up. I’m going to a cookery school in Europe. I hope I can work in a five-star hotel in Beijing when I’m older.

Larry is going to be a pilot. He wants to fly an airplane. But Larry is not a rich man. He doesn’t have an airplane. He has only a chair. Larry ties 45 big balloons to his chair and then sits in the chair. The chair goes up.

For a few minutes, everything is fine. The view from the chair is beautiful. Larry can see houses and trees below him. He is happy. He is flying!

The chair goes up very high. Larry is afraid. “I don’t want to go very high,” Larry thinks. “I want to go down a little.” With a small gun, Larry shoots 10 balloons. Then something terrible happens. Larry drops the gun, and it falls to the ground. Larry can’t shoot more balloons. The chair goes up and up.

Larry is three miles above the ground. Airplanes are flying over him. Larry has a small radio. “Help! Help!” he says into the radio. “I’m flying in a chair, and I want to come down!” People hear Larry, but they can’t help him.

Larry flies in the chair for 45 minutes. Then the balloons begin to lose air, slowly the chair comes down, and Larry is back on the ground. He is not hurt.

Here are the New Year’s resolutions of my four friends.

My name is Dave and I am from the United Kingdom. I’m going to drink more water and less cola. I’m also going to brush my teeth before breakfast and after dinner, and wash my hands before eating.

My name is Tina and I am from the United States. I want to make more friends this year. I’m going to be nicer to the other children in my class. I’m going to be friendly to children who need friends－like someone who is shy or new to my school.

I’m Selina and I am from the United States. I’m going to work harder this year. I’m going to do all the homework that our teachers ask us to do. If I have any problems with my subjects, I’m going to ask my teachers for help.

My name is Toby and I am from Singapore. I’m never going to play computer games. When I feel angry or stressed, I’m going to find better ways to relax, like exercising, reading or discussing my problems with my friends.