3 . A man was walking on the street. Then he saw a boy with many birds for sale in a cage (笼子). He stopped and watched those little prisoners (囚犯). They were flying about the cage and trying to get out.

“How much do you ask for your birds?” He said to the boy.

“Fifty cents (美分) for any one, sir,” said the boy.

“I do not mean how much for one,” said the man, “but how much for all of them? I want to buy them all.”

The boy started to count and found they came to five dollars (1 dollar = 100 cents).

“Here is your money,” said the man.

As the boy happily took it, the man opened the cage door, and he made all the birds fly.

The boy, in great surprise, cried, “What did you do that for, sir? You have lost all your birds.”

“I will tell you why,” said the man. “I was kept in a French prison (监狱) for three years, because of the war (战争). In my life, I will never see anything in prison as long as (只要) I can make it free.”

6 . Do you know Quan Hongchan? She is a sports star (体育明星). She is in China’s diving team (跳水队).

Quan is from Guangdong. In her family, she has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She is fifteen years old, but she is an Olympic champion (冠军). Quan has good eating habits (习惯). For breakfast, she likes eggs, milk and bread. For lunch, she often has some rice with chicken and vegetables. She doesn’t have ice-cream or hamburgers. She thinks they are not healthy (健康的) food. She eats an apple and some fish for dinner. She can’t eat too much, for she doesn’t want to be fat and it’s not good for her training (训练).

Red is Quan Hongchan’s favorite color. She is often in red sports clothes. She likes diving very much. She likes playing games after training, too. But she doesn’t play them for too long.

7 . Do you know Quan Hongchan? She is a sports star (体育明星). She is in China’s diving team (跳水队).

Quan is from Guangdong. In her family, she has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She is fifteen years old, but she is an Olympic champion (冠军). Quan has good eating habits (习惯). For breakfast, she likes eggs, milk and bread. For lunch, she often has some rice with chicken and vegetables. She doesn’t have ice-cream or hamburgers. She thinks they are not healthy (健康的) food. She eats an apple and some fish for dinner. She can’t eat too much, for she doesn’t want to be fat and it’s not good for her training (训练).

Quan Hongchan likes diving very much, and she likes playing games after training, too. But she doesn’t play them for too long. She is often in sports clothes and red is her favorite color.

Welcome to England! The weather of England is very changeable. It can be rainy, sunny, cloudy, windy, stormy, warm, foggy, or cold at any time of the year. If it is raining when you get up in the morning, it can be hot and dry by the afternoon. It may be sunny when you get up. but when you go out it may be rainy. So don’t forget to take an umbrella with you. The west of England is wetter than the east, and the north is cooler than the south. You should be ready for any kind of weather in England, shops are usually open from 9:00 a. m. to 5:30 p. m. On Sundays, some shops are open from 10:00 a. m. to 4:00 pm. But a lot of shops are closed. Banks, museums or other places are open from 10:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. You can go to the parks at any time.

All the cities have buses, trains and taxis. People wait in line for buses and they are unhappy if you push in at the front. Don’t forget that traffic goes on the left. Be careful with yourselves when you travel in England!

It is exciting to take a cross-country road trip, but do you know what to do before you go?

●Decide which place to go to. If you don’t have enough time, only visit special places or enjoy special festivals or activities along the way.

●Buy a map or buy a software programme (软件程序) and plan your route. Also think of joining the American Automobile Association (AAA) and take trip books. They are useful for planning a cross-country road trip.

●Think of joining clubs like AAA and AARP: They give you discounts at different places. You will spend less money in the long trip. Carry your membenship card (会员卡) with you on the trip.

●Make a list of the views you really want to see. Work out how far you’ll have to go and the time you’ll spend.

●Buy some trip food. Healthy and nice snacks and a lot of water are very important when you are going to spend long hours in the car. Try to keep the least junk food.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain (谷雨), the last term in spring, generally starts on April 20 and ends on May 5.

Grain Rain comes from an old saying, “Rain raises hundreds of grains”, which shows that rainfall is very important for the growth of crops (庄稼). Here’s something that you may not know about Grain Rain.

History of Grain Rain

It’s said that the Festival is celebrated by fishing villages in northern China. Grain Rain marks the start of the fishermen’s first voyage (航行) of the year. The custom dates back to more than 2,000 years ago.

Sandstorms Happens

Grain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the temperature rises much higher than it does in March. With dry soil and strong winds, sandstorms may happen more often.

Drinking Tea

There is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is good for eyes. It is also said that drinking tea on this day would keep away from bad luck.

Eating Toona Sinensis (香椿芽)

People in northern China have the tradition to eat toona sinensis during Grain Rain. An old Chinese saying goes “Toona sinensis before the rain is just like silk (嫩如丝).” It is good for the body.