2 . More than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have been lost overseas, most of which were stolen and illegally shipped out (运出) of China during the times of war before 1949. About 1.67 million pieces are housed in more than 200 museums (博物馆) in 47 countries, which accounts for 10 percent of all lost Chinese cultural relics, and the rest are in the hands of private collectors.

Most of these treasures are owned by museums or private collectors in the United States, Europe, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. There are more than 23, 000 pieces in the British Museum, most of which were stolen or bought for pennies more than 100 years ago.

The major method to recover these national treasures was to buy them back. In some cases, private collectors donated the relics to the government. Also the government can turn to official channels (渠道) to demand the return of relics.

In 2003, a priceless (无价的) bronze pig’s head (青铜猪头) dating from the Qing Dynasty (清朝) was returned to its home in Beijing after it was removed by the Anglo­French Allied Army over 140 years ago. Macao entrepreneur (企业家) Stanley Ho (何鸿燊) donated 6 million yuan to buy it back from a US art collector and then donated it to the Poly Art Museum in Beijing.

Although buying­back is the most feasible way to recover the lost treasures, limited funding is always a big headache.

In recent years, the Chinese government has improved efforts to recover the precious cultural relics lost overseas. It has started a national project on the recovery of the treasures and has set up a database (数据库) collecting relevant information.It has signed several international agreements with many countries on this matter, and is also looking for international cooperation to recover the relics by working closely with several international organizations.

5 . Dolphins (海豚) are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time — at least twenty or thirty years.

Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.

Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.

There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903 Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered (恢复) and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area — except for The Penguin.

Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.

6 . Computers are very important to our life now.Many people think that in the future computers will be in lots of everyday life.We won’t have to go shopping because we can get most things on the Internet.There will be no more books because we can get the texts from computers.Some people think that one day we will not read paper books.Instead,we will buy and read books using computers.The computers can keep many different kinds of books in them at the same time.And we won’t need to turn lots of pages and we will save paper.We can play games,see films and buy food.We can even make telephone calls by computers.

Some people are glad about these new ways of shopping and communication.But others do not think that computers will replace(代替)our old ways because they think Internet shopping is not such a pleasure as going to the shop.They think it is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy.And they also think paper books will perhaps be more friendly.

An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.

The father asked his son, “What is this?” The son replied, “This is a crow.”

After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?” The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”

After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for third time, “What is this?” This time, the son was irritated (生气) and said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.”

After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?” This time his son shouted in his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘It’s a crow’. Are you not able to understand this?”

A minute later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered(破旧的) diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the read it, the following words were written in the diary:

“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel annoyed, but instead felt a deep affection for my innocent son.”

After reading the diary,the son was in tears and began to reflect on the days when he used to sit together with his father.

Feeling ashamed, the son got down on his knees before his father.

“Want to go to the pool tomorrow?” Rosa asked Stephanie during break time.

The pool Rosa mentioned was one of their favorite places.

Rosa and Stephanie did everything together. They rode the school bus together. They sat together during lunch. They took dance lessons together and even went to the same summer camp. They were best friends. Most of the time.

Sometimes, though, when Stephanie was with other friends, she ignored Rosa or treated her like a little kid, even though they were the same age.

Today was one of those times.

“Sorry. I’m already going to the pool,” Stephanie said. “Toni and Vanessa and I are going.” She smiled, but it wasn’t her nice smile. She walked away to join Toni and Vanessa, and Rose was left standing alone.

After school, at dance class, Stephanie talked and laughed with the other dancers as they stretched in front of the mirror. Rosa wanted to join them, but she still felt too upset.

Then she noticed Kiara, the new girl, standing with one leg up on the barre. Rosa joined her and began stretching, too. Kiara smiled, and Rosa smiled back. Rosa tried not to check the mirror to see if Stephanie had noticed. I hope she feels left out. Rosa thought.

The next morning, when Rosa got on the bus, Stephanie was waiting in their usual seat. Stephanie quickly moved her schoolbag off the seat to make room for Rosa. But Rosa walked past her and took the empty seat next to Kiara.

How does it feel now? Rosa thought.

On the bus ride, Rosa discovered that Kiara was not the quiet girl Rosa had thought she was. She talked a lot-about her little brother, about the tree house her uncle had built, and even about swimming.

“I love swimming!” Rosa said.

“Me too,” Kiara said. “My dad said he’d take my brother and me to swim tonight.”

“Great!” Rosa said.

“Maybe you can come with us tonight,” Kiara said. “That would be fun,” said Rosa.

When they stepped off the bus, Stephanie was waiting on the sidewalk.

Rosa suddenly began to feel unhappy and her face began to burn.

Since it was founded in 1947, Italy’s first public playhouse has consistently staged some of Western theatres’ most challenging works, such as Euripides’ and Shakespeare’s. Shows here are guaranteed to be daring and thought-provoking (发人深省的). Tickets are priced from €22 to €30. You can buy tickets from the box office or book online.

Address: Via Rovello 2, 20121 Milan

It was opened in 1778, with the debut (初次登台) of Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta. There are operatic performances mostly year round, as the theatre is closed during the month of August. Tickets range from €24 for seats with blocked views of the stage to €210 for orchestra-level seats. You can buy tickets online, from authorized sales agents and from the box office.

Address: Filodrammatici Street, 2 — 20121 Milan

Originally a 1930s cinema house, today it hosts a full calendar (日历) of symphonic and choral (合唱的) music. Its productions range from the classics to the contemporary, with symphonic tributes (颂歌) to Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and Queen. The cheapest tickets are priced at €8.

Address: Largo Mahler — 20136 Milan

Founded in 1850 as a theatre for dramatic plays, Teatro Manzoni was destroyed by bombing in 1943. It was rebuilt to the designs of architect Mario Cavalle and reopened in 1950. Today it’s a great space for various kinds of performances, including plays, variety shows and musical performances. Tickets start at €20, and parents can frequently find productions that will appeal to young children.

Address: Alessandro Manzoni Street 42 — 20121 Milan