【推荐1】With the development of Chinese and Western culture, more and more people go to different countries to study. As learners, we need to know the cultural differences. In this way, it can help learners make fewer mistakes, too.

First, Western people say their opinions directly, while Chinese act oppositely. So if you are not satisfied with a foreigner, because he or she can’t understand your thoughts.

Second, the opinion about things is different between Chinese and Western people. We Chinese seem to be more worried about tomorrow and like to save money, while Western people like to spend tomorrow’s money. Western people believe that they should enjoy life today and tomorrow is another thing.

But remember, there is no judgement about which one is better. We just need to know the differences and learn to understand each other. Every country’s culture has its own special meaning. What we need to do is respect (尊重) each other’s culture and get along with each other peacefully.

【推荐3】The kite is a normal thing now. Many people like to fly kites in spring. No one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of the kite was more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted to bring down a king. He decided to dig a tunnel（隧道）into the king’s palace. He flew a kite over the wall of the palace to make sure the length of its string（线）. In this way, he could decide how long the tunnel should be.

Kites have been flown in Japan for many years. In the 1700s, kites were flown in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. Today in Japan, kites are often flown as a part of a celebration, such as the beginning of a new year. And kite festivals are held each year in many parts of the country.

Kites have been used for scientific purposes in the western world. In the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave invented the box kite to test ideas about flight.

From 1898 to 1933, the United States Weather Bureau（气象局）used box kites to collect weather data（数据）. The Wright brothers also experimented with kites. What they learnt helped them make the first airplane flight in 1903.

【推荐1】Look at the picture of Linda's family. The man in it is Mr. White. He is Linda’s father. The woman is Linda's mother. The girl in a yellow dress is Linda. She's 7 years old. The boy next to Mrs. White is Jack. He is Linda's brother. He is 9 years old. Linda and Jack are students, but they are not in the same school.

【推荐2】Tom and his family lived in the countryside. They had to use an outhouse (户外厕所) near a river. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. And it smelled all the time. Tom hated the outhouse. He wanted to push it into the river.

One day, a heavy spring rain made the river rise. Tom decided it was time to make his move. So he got a large stick and used it to push the outhouse. Finally it fell into the river. That night, his dad told him that they were going to the woods after dinner. Usually, this meant Tom would get a spanking (打屁股). Tom asked why. The dad answered, “Someone pushed the outhouse into the river today. It was you, wasn’t it?” Tom answered yes. Then Tom thought for a while and said, “Dad, I read in school that George Washington cut down a cherry (樱桃) tree and didn’t get into trouble because he told the truth.” The dad said, “Well, son, George Washington’s father wasn’t in that cherry tree.”

Fever, coughing, sore throat... most of us at one time or another have had these signs. What causes them?

In fact, many diseases are caused by viruses, including some deadly ones like AIDS, SARS and COVID-19 which breaks out in China and all over the world.

What are viruses? How can viruses cause so much trouble? Viruses are very tiny particles which are about one millionth of an inch long. Unlike human cells or bacteria, viruses aren't living organisms–they can’t reproduce on their own. Instead, they enter the cells of living organisms to reproduce, spread and take over.

Virus can infect every living thing–from plants and animals down to the smallest bacteria. For this reason, they are always a hidden danger to humans.

Viruses lie around our environment all of the time, waiting for a host cell to come along. They can enter our bodies by the nose, mouth, eyes or breaks in the skin. Once inside, they try to find a host cell to infect.

But the basic question is, where did viruses first come from? Until now, no clear explanation for their origin exists. Finding out the origins of viruses is difficult, “Ed Rybicki, a scientist at the university of Cape Town in South Africa, told Scientific American, because viruses don't leave fossils and because of the tricks they use to make copies of themselves within the cells they've entered.”

However, there are three main theories to explain the origin of viruses. First, viruses started as independent organisms, then became parasites. Second, viruses evolved from pieces of DNA or RNA that “escaped” from larger organisms. Third, viruses co-evolved with their host cells, which means they existed alongside these cells.

For the time being, these are only theories. The technology and evidence we have today cannot be used to test these theories and identify the most reasonable explanation. Continuing studies may provide us with clearer answers. Or future studies may find that the answer is even more unexpected than what we have considered now.

【推荐1】On Miriam's 9th birthday two years ago, her aunt, who lives in Kenya（肯尼亚）, gave money to a group that cares for elephants to celebrate Miriam's birthday. Then Miriam and her mother visited Africa to learn how the group was helping elephants. Later, Miriam fell in love with the animals and wanted to help save them.

A few months after visiting Africa, Miriam watched How I Became an Elephant, a film about the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand, and a young girl's effort to save them. Miriam decided she wanted to raise money to save elephants.

Last year, Miriam created a program called They Deserve（应得） to Be Free after seeing how young elephants are abused in Thailand. She learned how people take a baby elephant, don't give it food or water for days and beat it hard. "It made me really sad. I need to do something useful." Miriam said. Miriam is working to make money for Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. She asked her friends to give money to the park rather than giving her birthday gifts. She recently joined about 12 other students in an art center. They made elephants from clay and decorated（装饰） them. Then she created a plan to sell clay elephants. Kate, Miriam's art teacher, opened her art studio（工作室）to Miriam and her friends on weekends so they could make clay elephants. She even gave them the clay." It's great to see a young student wanting to spend her time on something meaningful. This is what we should all work towards," Kate said. Miriam says she has sold 180 clay elephants worth 2, 000 dollars, and all of that money has been sent to Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.

【推荐2】One day a red rose blossomed (开花) in forest. A pine tree (松树) not far away said, “You’re so beautiful! I wish I could be lovely like you.” The rose said, “I am the most beautiful plant in the forest.” Then the rose looked at a cactus (仙人掌) and said, “Look at that ugly plant. It is full of thorns (刺)!” Sometimes, the red rose would look at the cactus and say, “This plant is useless. I’m sorry am his neighbor.”

Summer came and the plants and animals needed water, but no rain fell. One day the rose saw some birds stick their beaks (鸟喙) into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. The pine tree told the red rose, “You can also drink from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help.”

The red rose felt ashamed, but she still asked the cactus for help. The cactus agreed kindly and the birds filled their beaks with water for the rose’s roots. Later on, the rose never judged (判断) anyone by appearance (外表).

【推荐3】Perhaps you’ve already watched or heard about Readers(《朗读者》), a TV show that has recently become popular. It invites different people to read aloud on the stage, as well as tell the touching stories behind them. They can read everything, like poems(诗), books, and letters.

Many people are fans of the show and begin to enjoy reading aloud at home. Now the show gives people a special place to read across China. Reading pavilions(朗读亭) are now in cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xi’an.

The pavilion is quite small. Only one person can come into it each time. There is a microphone(麦克风) in it and it records people’s voices. Everyone can read anything they like for three minutes in the pavilion. The show will later pick out some of the readers and invite them to read on TV.

People of all ages have come and read in the pavilion, according to People’s Daily. “Reading should be just like singing and talking,” said Dong Qing, the hostess of the show. “We can actually express our deep feelings through reading aloud.”

Both the TV show and the pavilion are promoting (推动) reading among the public, reported China Youth Daily. In fact, this is also what our country is trying to do now. During the two sessions(两会) this month, deputy(人大代表) Lu Yaping suggested that a national reading day be set up. This received support from many other deputies.