Chinese dragons aren’t real animals, but they are very important in Chinese culture.
●Ruler (统治者) of water
Long long ago, Chinese people built temples (庙宇) for the “Dragon King”. When there was drought or flood (旱灾或水灾), people went to the temples to worship (敬奉) the “Dragon King”.
●A symbol of strength (实力)
For Chinese people, the dragon is a symbol of strength. If a person is excellent, they usually compare him to a dragon.
● A symbol of emperors
In China, emperors usually used the dragon as a symbol of their power (权力). They called their beds “Dragon Beds”
●Chinese dragons VS Western dragons
In Chinese culture, dragons are kind and friendly. However, in Western culture, dragons are bad. So dragons are always killed by brave people in Western stories.
Chinese dragons | |
| Ruler of water | ★In old times, Chinese people ★They worshiped the “Dragon King” when there was drought or flood. |
| A symbol of | Chinese people usually compare a(n) |
| A symbol of emperors | They called their beds “Dragon Beds”. |
| Chinese dragons are | |
Sidney is a swan (天鹅) who lives in England. His best friend is Rob, a 39-year-old builder. In May, when Rob was working along the river, he found Sidney. The baby swan had two large wounds (伤) on his neck.
Rob took the bird home and gave him food to eat. He named him Sidney and took care of him until he was feeling better.
In July, Rob took him to a wild life center. This way, Sidney could live in a more natural (自然) environment. But three months later, workers at the center asked Rob to take the swan back. They found that Sidney was not happy at the center.
In October, Rob and Sidney met each other again. When Sidney heard Rob’s voice (声音), he ran over to him right away. “I felt like a proud (自豪的) father seeing him come home.” Rob said.
1. How old is Rob?2. Where did Rob find the swan?
3. When did Rob take Sidney to a wildlife center?
4. Why did workers ask Rob to take the swan back?
5. Was Rob happy when he saw Sidney again?
3 . Dogs are known as human’s friends. But in the British woman Caroline’s eyes, her dog Sam means more. This special dog has completely changed her life.
Caroline had some hearing problems when she was a child, but she lived a normal life. However, when she was in her twenties, her hearing got worse and even simple conversations could be very tiring. Since 2007, she has lived in a quiet world with no sound.
One day when Caroline was shopping in a big shop, suddenly she found she was the only person here. All the other people left as soon as the fire alarm went off. But she couldn’t hear it at all. She knew that it was the time for her to ask for help.
Caroline wrote to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a famous charity in the UK, to apply for a hearing dog. Later the hearing dog Sam came into her life. Since then, her life has been different. Sam alerts(向...报警) Caroline to the alarm clock in the morning. This helps her get to work on time. He also alerts her to the doorbells, fire alarms and smoke alarms. With Sam’s help, Caroline can go out whenever and wherever she wants to go.
“With Sam by my side, I now have got my confidence back. He looks at me as if to say ‘It’s fine. I can hear. I will let you know what you need to know.’” said Caroline excitedly. “I feel safe. I cannot imagine the life without him.”
1. How long has Caroline lived in the quiet world?___________________________________________________________________
2. What was Caroline doing when the fire alarm went off?
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3. Where did Caroline get a hearing dog?
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4. How can Sam help Caroline? (at least two examples)
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5. How can we help disabled people, like the blind or the deaf?
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Pandas are not bears(熊). There are not very many pandas living in the wild(野外). In the world the number of pandas in the wild is less than five hundred. They live only in a small part of China, a country in Asia. Chinese people want to protect them best. Until October, 2011, pandas in the wild could live for eighteen to twenty years. Pandas in the zoo could live for more than thirty years. To save pandas, Chinese people keep them in the zoo.
You might see pandas in the zoo. Pandas are covered with fur. They are white with black legs. They have black fur around their eyes. Their ears are black，too. They have short tails(尾巴). Pandas weigh(重量为) about ninety kilograms. Pandas eat a kind of plant called bamboo. Pandas have strong jaw(下颚). They usually eat bamboo with their large teeth. Sometimes they also eat meat. They spend at least twelve hours each day eating. Pandas like to live and play alone. They do not live in groups. Baby pandas are very small. When they are born, they are about as big as a stick of butter(一条黄油).
1. How many pandas are there in the wild all over the world?2. How long do pandas in the wild can live?
3. Which pandas can live over thirty years?
4. What do pandas usually feed on?
5. Do pandas like to live and play in groups?
There are about forty-seven different kinds of kangaroos(袋鼠) in the world. The smallest are about a fourth of a meter long; the biggest are taller than a man. Kangaroos have very long strong back legs. These are for jumping. They also have long strong tails(尾巴) to rest on. Kangaroos’ front legs are much shorter, and are almost like arms. Kangaroos’ heads are quite small, but their ears are quite large.Mother kangaroos have a pocket at the front. They have one baby each year. When the baby is born, it is straight into its mother’s pocket. The baby kangaroos stay there for six months.The biggest kangaroos stand more than two meters tall, and their legs are so strong that they can jump more than nine meters. They are very fast, and can travel at more than 50 kilometers an hour. They are very strong, but they only eat fruit, leaves and grass.
1. How many kinds of kangaroos are there in the world?___________________________________________________________
2. Are their front legs as long as their back legs?
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3. How long do baby kangaroos stay in their mothers’ pockets?
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4. Why can the biggest kangaroos jump more than nine meters?
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5. What do kangaroos eat?
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