Why are so many British people interested in historical television programs like Downton Abbey (《唐顿庄园》)? Maybe because they want to see how both rich and poor people lived years ago. Or is it because they like looking at the beautiful buildings people lived in the country houses?

Downton Abbey is not a real place, but the house they used for the program is real. Highclere Castle in the south of England was a castle (城堡) 900 years ago, but in the 19th century, people changed it into a house.

Why did people build country houses? Probably because they wanted other people to see how much money they had. These houses often had lots of furniture (家具), paintings and servants (仆人) to cook, clean, and look after the family.

But as we know from the story of Downton, the money of the families who lived in these houses did not last.

Today, many country houses are open to anyone. People pay money to take a look inside. Some of the houses were sold and became hospitals, schools, hotels, and even prisons (监狱). And some are used for making films and TV programs like Downton Abbey.

5 . You may know the English letters A, B, C, but do you know there are people called “ABC”? You may like eating bananas, but do you know there are people called “banana people”? If you don’t know, I will tell you about them. They are some Chinese people like you and me, but they aren’t in China. Why do people call them like that?

If we call somebody an “ABC”, we mean he or she is a Chinese person but was born in America. Sometimes, people also call them “banana people”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So if somebody is a “banana person”, he or she is “white” inside and “yellow” outside. By saying that, we mean he or she has yellow skin (皮肤) but does things in an American way. “Banana people” were born in America and they live in America for a long time, so they think like Americans and do things like Americans. However, these people still have Chinese blood (血统). Their parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents are from China. They all have black eyes and black hair, so they look like us, Chinese people.

There are many famous “banana people” in America. They do very well in America and they are really great in their own fields.

6 . This book is for children. It is about the seas. It tells us about different kinds of water pollution and the things we can do to keep the seas clean. It also tells us about the different ways we can save water. In this book, Simon Walker said, “Three-fourths of the Earth is water. For thousands of years, the seas have helped us by giving us food and water, but we are feeding them with dirty water from factories and rubbish from our homes. Now, the seas are crying because they are very sick. Please help to save them!’’

You can see many wonderful photos of the seas in this book. There are also beautiful photos of sea animals like whales and seahorses. You can also see photos of the pink dolphins.

I think it is a very interesting and useful book.

7 . What’s your favourite weather? Do you like sunny or rainy days? Many people like sunshine a lot. They don’t like rain. They think rain can make them feel sad. During a long holiday, they like going to the beach to enjoy the sunshine. Sunshine can make them feel good and happy. I like sunshine very much, but I also enjoy rain.

I enjoy the sound of rain. It can make me feel quiet. On rainy days, I like listening to music and doing some reading, or just looking at the rain and daydreaming. When you daydream, you don’t have to think about other things. I think it’s a good way to relax when it rains.

Sunshine can make one run around and rain can make one quiet, so I hope you can feel happy no matter it rains or shines.

8 . Funny School Rules in the World

①Every school has its own (自己的) rules. Most rules are the same. But some are different. And some rules are funny to us. Here are some funny school rules:

● Strict Japanese rules

②Most Japanese schools ask students                  (穿，戴) uniforms. Some schools even regulate (规定) the colour of underwear (内衣)! Other Japanese schools tell students that they cannot go to the movies, leave home at night or play video games at home.

● Different shoes in the US

At some US schools, students must have a pair of indoor (室内) shoes at school every day. This can keep the schools clean.

● No strange hair in the UK

③In some British schools, students can’t wear strange hairstyles (发型). But the students can wear strange hairstyles during the World Cup years.

10 . Hello, boys and girls. My name is Peter Miller. I’m 13 years old. I’m in Yuying Middle School now. I like music very much. I can sing and dance. I go to the singing lessons(课) and dancing lessons every Saturday. My favorite musician is Jay Chou. ①他唱歌很好。And he is also cool. I can sing many of his songs. I can also play the piano. But I can’t play it well. I like sports, too. ② I often play ping-pong and basketball with my classmates after class. I think they can make me relaxed after a busy day. Now I want to learn tennis because many classmates of ________(my) like playing it. My friend, Mike, can play tennis well.   I want to learn from him. I think he can help me with it.