Ann and Joe meet each other for the first time. + V:P-D  
How do you do? 5B+>28G%  
How do you do? rDNz<{evj  
My name is Ann. YmP`Gg#>p  
I am Joe. TV$Pl[m  
Glad to meet you. 5@3[t`n'  
Glad to meet you, too. ~RSOUrR  
I'm afraid I must be going now. x <^vJ1  
See you tomorrow. b2;+a(  
19od# d3+  
Ann and her friend Carter meet Mr. Bush at the airport. [jl'5ld  
Excuse me. Are you Mr. Bush from England? %1Gat6V<'  
Yes, I am. May I have your name? *@'4 A :A  
Sure. My name is Ann Taylor. How do you do? /60`
"xH  
How do you do? ;Ab`b1B  
May I introduce Mr. Carter to you? 2kV[A92s  
Yes, please. Vx_lI #3  
Mr. Bush, this is Mr. Carter. Mr Carter, this is Mr. Bush. He is from England. 82Fq}N <  
Pleased to meet you! -|^}~yOx0=  
Pleased to meet you, too! fII;t-(x  
o)'u%m  
Bill and Susan meet each other. 9"_JiX~3  
Bill: Good morning, Susan. c;_GZ}8  
Susan: Morning, Bill. How are you? iMRb` \KH  
Bill: Fine. Thank you. And you? bF %#KSVw  
Susan: Me, too, thank you. How about your sister Lily? h: :'s&|  
Bill: She is fine, but she is very busy. .{D[!Dp#h  
Susan: Please give my best wishes to her. (gBP`*2  
Bill: I will. RWmQP%A}aw  
VKy:e.  
A Day of Bill GL&ri!,  
Bill is a manager. He is 35 years old. He is married. He lives in Beijing with his wife and his two children. Bill works in a big company. He goes to work on foot, because his company is very near. XNwY\y  
Every morning, Bill gets up at 9 o'clock. After breakfast, he leaves his home. Bill arrives at his office at ten to ten. He works until 6 p.m. Bill does not come back from work for lunch, because Bill and his wife have no time to do the lunch. So, Bill always has lunch in a small restaurant near the company. Bill often eats beef or rice for lunch. Sometimes he eats fish, too. In the evening, Bill has dinner at home with his wife and two children. They feel quite happy to have dinner together. Bill usually goes to bed very early, because he is tired after work. Sr~zN:wn  
+U&aK dQs  
s]`&9{=E  
Asian Athletes Can Run Fast, Too QQPbKok>  
Liu Xiang became a national hero after winning the gold medal with a time of 12.91 seconds in Athens Olympic Games. Liu is the first Chinese, as well as the first Asian in history to win the men's 110m hurdles at Olympic Games. $s.:wc^  
When he was 15-year-old, a well-know coach found him. The coach believed Liu would be a star in future and persuded Liu's parents to let Liu practice the 110m hurdles. In 2000, Liu started his career with a great show in World Youth Championships. He ranked number four in 110m hurdles and broke the World Youth and Asian record. In 2001, he won the gold medal in the World Student Games - Beijin, China 110m hurdles. In 2002, Liu won the first IAAF Grand Prix in Lausanne with a world youth and Asian record time of 13.12 seconds in the 110m hurdles. Two years later, at Osaka, Liu managed to beat Johnson with an Asian-record time of 13.06 seconds. This race brought confidence to Liu to challenge Olympic. At last, Liu got the gold medla in Olympic Games in Athens. `g6XVa*%#  
"My goal is to set a new world record," said Liu Xiang, "My victory has proved that Asian athletes can run fast, too."

Ann talks to Bill. +B](5z4  
Excuse me, would you tell me who that girl is over there? *TJ<  
Oh, she is Sue, Mr. White's daughter. ,b.kw}k  
How old is she? s8{-c^G:R  
She is sixteen. She studies very well in our class, and she is the first League Member of our grade. ]<Z&=0i#9  
Her smile is very sweet and pleasant. I think she must be very kind. 5f/@:~  
That's true. She is a very kind-hearted girl. We call her Sweet Sue. 3zk:59  
I wish I could make friends with her. $,p.=j;P  
xU#]w6  
Judy runs for the president of the class. X}_QZO=z  
Hello, everyone! Big news. I am planning to run for president. h9,wiT  
I can't believe it! The president of the United States? Lw!?T(SK  
Of course not! I am running for the president of the class. @1/Q  
I know. Just for fun. You know what? I'm always thinking that you are born to be a president. You will be a good president. I hope you will get it! =U)n`#6_j2  
Oh, dear, you are so sweet! Thank you so much! FKDamHL<  
You're welcome. Go ahead! vE^h}~5U  
ph}wnIW]  
Li Hua and Gao Ming are talking about Yao Ming. c,b`N0dOKL  
Hey, there will be a basketball match on TV tonight. Yao Ming plays. hY4)
W  
I'm afraid I have to miss it, because I must finish my homework earlier. But can you tell me more about Yao? I am very interested in him. GU;TK'Yy?  
Well, he is the first Asian to play in NBA. And he plays there as one of the best centers. \N'hbT=  
Wow. I believe he can do it as well as the American players. Ivd[U`=Q  
Of course, he can. ;%b <u V  
Where did he play in China? xv(xweV+d  
Shanghai Sharks. _{Fdw  
And whom does he play for now? b_K?ocq  
He plays in Rocket now. qxecp2>U  
I see. He is a famous star in his field now. Z<,CzKs+||  
Yes. But Yao Ming never cares about it. He is very kind. One day I saw him playing basketball with children. He is very friendly. I/e2,  
h
q&  
The Real Spiderman .T62aJ   
Is there a Spiderman in our world? The answer is "Yes". The Spiderman not only lives in films and books, but also lives in the real world. Alain Robert is such a Spiderman who lives in the real world. V.P5v{  
Alain Robert is a Frenchman. He is forty-two years old. He has already climbed many famous buildings: the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Shinjuku Tower in Tokyo, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Empire State Building in New York. Now, Robert's next goal is to climb the Jinmao Tower in Shanghai. The Jinmao Tower is the third tallest building in the world. 0[$Mo3c+'  
Robert started to climb buildings at the age of twelve. Once, he left the key in his parents' house. Little Robert didn't wait for his parents. Instead, he climbed up the eight-floor house. It was the first time for him to climb the building from outside. After that, Robert started his life as a Spiderman. R1b )   
"I am not willing to give up, because I was born to do something different. That is my way of life." Alain Robert says, "Modern people are only willing to believe in their computers, while I believe in myself." !Z0rTC3d  
7&;jje[ <g  
A Great Writer a@a1 TpLQ  
Ba Jin, one of China's most famous writers, died in Shanghai at the age of 101. His most famous books include "The Family", "The Spring" and "The Autumn" and so on. +<9q]
V  
In 1904, Ba Jin was born in an official family in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in Southwest China. Ba Jin received education both in his hometown and Shanghai, and then went to France from 1927 to 1928. Rcx'a:k  
It was in France that Ba Jin started his literature career. His first novel, "Destruction", was a story of romance and revolution. He was best-known for his trilogy "Torrent" - "The Family", "The Spring" and "The Autumn". These three were very popular with Chinese youths at the time and throughout the century. In them, Ba Jin told a story about a traditional Chinese family. It is a story about fight, love and hatred of the young generation in the old-fashioned family. >-@{vyoOy  
Some of his best books were written during China's War Against Japanese, including short novels "A Garden of Repose" (1944), "Ward No. 4" (1946) and "Cold Nights" (1947), according to a specialist, who has carried out academic researches on Ba Jin and his works for two decades. w2C!>fJ]1  
Ba Jin was regarded as one of the most important and widely-read Chinese writers of the 20th century.

Shelly and Allen are coffee lovers. ^0~1/ PhOw  
Hi! What a surprise! You are here! PiQs><FK8  
How good a surprise! Do you come here for the first time? daNIP1Qn  
Of course not. I come here almost every weekend as long as I have time. mMWNUkDq  
I come here twice a week. The coffee here is the best in the city. wfzb:Aig`  
Yeah, I agree with you. But, why didn't I see you before? VlNzm  
I sat upstairs before. This is the first time that I have been downstairs. b)@x@3"O  
Oh, that is why we didn't meet before! I always sit downstairs. (*gpa:Sc  
!*-cf$  
Tom and Jerry are talking about taking part in clubs. \59h W%Di  
Hi! Tom. I read the news about the play After the Fire on BBS today. I am quite interested in it. I wonder if you are still in the club. "de:plMofy  
Not any more. I went to another club this year. I find something more interesting than it. Q4*c L5j  
Oh, what a pity! I am thinking of knowing more about this play. G7?EaLsfQ  
You could ask Peter. He has a role in that play. He loves it so much!  X}Fv*  
Right. Thanks for telling me. By the way, what club are you in now? C5z4%,`f  
I am on the school basketball team now. I am a big fan of Yao Ming. I am dreaming of playing basketball in NBA one day, just as Yao does. ?`$4ZDM  
You are a great dreamers. Don't forget to work hard! %h rR'*nG  
kE}?"<l  
Rose wants to do some shopping from the Internet. J/Li{xp)Lg  
You have been sitting in front of the computer for the whole morning. What are you doing? b3H;Ea?^^<  
I want to do some New Year shopping on-line. See, the New Year is coming soon. I want to buy something for my family. 04:Dbt~=?p  
Do you have any idea what to buy? 7w|s8B  
Yes. I think of buying my sister some old books. She is crazy about old books. Besides, I want to buy a pair of shoes for my mother and a hat for my father. .jU9
{;[  
Sounds interesting! Do you often buy things from the Internet? V#gXchH[L  
Very often. Have you seen the CD of Neil Young? I got it from ebay at 5 Yuan. n~Ix8|S h  
What a bargain! You know, I went to every place for it and didn't get it. EHOdst  
Perhaps you could surf the Internet. Many people sell CDs of Neil Young. You know, he has many fans. %o-*~GQ@B  
Tn|reXc0e  
Good Luck or Bad Luck 1D$k:|pP~  
This morning, all the people in the office are excited by a piece of good news. It comes from the office manager. According to the news, Wang Wei, the sales manager of the company, will be sent to America on business for a month. After that there will be a week holiday in New York. The office decides to have a party for Wang Wei after work. Harry, the only foreigner in the company, is going to plan the whole thing. Wang's friends would like to give him a big surprise, so they don't tell Wang anything about the party and just ask him to go to restaurant after work. a[/p(O  
When Wang Wei finishes his work, he goes to the restaurant. But unluckily, at the second crossing, a bike knocks him down and hurts his leg. Wang Wei walks on because he doesn't want to miss the party. ~vgW:]i  
At the moment he opens the door, a big cake flies onto his face. And at the same time, friends all around shout, "Break your legs!" Wang Wei looks very surprised and ask, "how do you know that?" A/MOY@%G  
\l`;]cA  
English Club Gathering 9X-DR  
Our club's principles are making friends, promoting using English and exchanging experience. (mzyA%;W  
There are two kinds of gatherings: the indoor gathering and the outdoor gathering. The former one takes place in Chez Tico bar at 3:00 p.m. on the first and the third Saturday of each month. For the latter one, we need a volunteer to organize the activities for our club. If you want to offer some help and become outdoor organizer, please post a message on the topic you are interested in. For example, sports, hiking, traveling, etc. E^rN)  
If you want to attend the gathering, you could let us know by posting a brief note in billboard or sending an email to ticotico@hotmail.com. You could just come without our email permission. If it is an outdoor gathering, we will discuss with you by phone if it is necessary. {uw]s< 6  
If you are a new comer of the club, you'd better send an email to ticoclub@hotmail.com to introduce yourself. We will collect the contact information at each gathering and update the contact sheet after every gathering. Welcome to join us! We don't have any big speeches. We make friends and talk just like you are talking with friends in your daily life. The atmosphere in each gathering is friendly and relaxed. Come on! Share your experiences in your club.

Tom is looking for a room. T3bBc  
I heard from somebody that I could find a room here. lK{h%2A\b  
Yes. I've got a small room. vzfWPjpKW  
Does it have a telephone? ]@
_*O$  
Yes, of course. E<0Y;tR  
Good. And can I cook? U4Il1| M&  
Sure. But you have to share the kitchen with others. O o$i,|$$  
That's OK. How much then? Ju# - >]  
$25 a week. By the way, you cannot smoke here, and you have to go to sleep before 11 p.m. .O
@T#0&=_  
That's fine. Can I see the room now? saY":fva  
Just a minute. I'm on the telephone. |U)M.\h  
].w~FUa  
Alice is describing her house to Jack. MfQ
9d9  
Where do you live, Alice? ,v,#f .  
Well, my house is on the Maple Street. _Fkz^B*  
Maple Street? It's very quiet there, isn't it? 3127 4O  
That's true. There are not so many cars. bY&!d.  
Which floor is it on? ]"ou?ot }  
The third floor. fQQj2>3w  
Soulds nice. Does it face south? m9 41 Y  
Well, the bedroom faces south, and the living room north. And there's a garden. +R"Y~ m{F  
Great. Do you often go to the garden? ?[?;%Y  
Yes. I take a walk there after supper every day. zb3,2D+P  
Is the living room large? i0nu5kD+d  
Yes, it's quite big. And there is a small kitchen and a bathroom. I even have a study there. I= 2jQ>$Q  
Really? That's wonderful. ;;S9kNp^v  
vM?,#:
5  
Alice is visiting Tom. !i_~<6Wa7  
Wow, your room is nice! SohNk9u[8  
Thank you, Alice. RdB,;Um9f  
I love the curtain. It's so beautiful. 7+Er}y>  
Well, my favourite colour is green, so I asked my mother to buy this kind of curtain for me. !yvw5As%  
Oh, what's that? >,.\`.0  
What? {mY=LaS<  
On your desk. Is that a ball? "EVf1iQ  
No, that's a table lamp. :;;k+Sw3  
Really? That's interesting. Oh, here comes Kitty. She's so nice. \TLfLqA  
Yes, we all like her very much. We get on very well. @vL0gzE?nB  
);?tGX  
My Old House: Yesterday and Present iVo-z#  
This is my old house. When I walk in the village, I can see the old building. I lived here when I was a child. It was not only a place to live in, but also a palace to play in. My friends and I often played in the basement. It was always exciting because the basement was so cool and dark. We hid a lot of toys there. In winter, snow fell and the roofs of my old house would become thick, and all the trees would become white. All the children were out of the house to the big farms and threw snowballs to each other, running, shouting and laughing. There was a small river near the house. In spring, the trees would be green and the flowers red, yellow and white. My friends and I would go there to take pictures. In summer, we usually lay under the trees and saw people swimming in the river or catching fish there. It was so sweet. \9~Q+~@{G  
Now, the building is different. The windows are all broken. At that time, the walls were white and clean, but now, they are all covered with dirty marks. The water in the river is black, too. It is polluted. The river does not smell good. There are no fish there. The trees and flowers nearby are all dead. Nobody would like to go there. My old house has gone. (!?
%
"e  
lanU)+U.  
Housing ` +)Bl%*  
Mrs. Green lived in a small flat. She was old and did not like any noise at all. If there was a noise, she could not sleep. Above her flat, there lived a young couple. They always quarreled with each other until midnight, so Mrs. Green could not have a sound sleep. So when the couple moved out, Mrs. Green was very happy. A new young lady moved in, and Mrs. Green thought, "Yes, she looks very quiet." ?kRx;S+  
But at four o'clock in the next morning, Mrs. Green was woken up by the barking of a dog. sxdDI?W4  
"There is nobody here who keeps a pet," thought Mrs. Green, "The dog must belong to the young lady in the flat above." So she telephoned the young lady, and said some unpleasant words to her about the dog. And then, without waiting for her to say anything, she hung the telephone and went to sleep again. s=1k9   
The next morning at three o'clock the dog was again barking. Just then, Mrs. Green's phone rang. She answered it, and a voice said, "I'm calling to tell you that I don't have a dog."

Helen and Victor are working in their house. D+w?  
Oh, what a lovely house! I can't believe it! :3b\pEO9\  
Yes, we got our own house at last. Well, where are we going to put the bed? TXbi>t:/S{  
I think the bed should be put on the left. The best place for the table is here, beside the window. d_&~^*>  
Good suggestion! Wouldn't it be a good idea to place the sofa here, right in the middle? #8%~u+"N  
No, it'll look too crowded. It will be much better if we put the sofa in the living room. I]
Z"?T  
OK. If the sofa is here, the TV will be there. #?Ob->v  
That's right. 20M]gw]  
$SzuUI  
Kevin is talking with Bill. 7!e kINQ  
Do you often watch TV with your parents? 2W/*1K}  
Sure I do. Both my parents are crazy about tennis. All my family are tennis fans! {!pYQ|#  
Wow, that sounds great! You share the same interest with your parents. Fl\kt.G  
Yes, that's true. My parents met when they played tennis together. And my father hit my mother with his ball. Then they got to know each other and fell in love with each other. ,!98VJmr  
Really? It sounds nice. x`K"1E{2  
Yes. When I was a child, they often took me to watch tennis match. I love tennis. :|= Xh"l"  
How interesting! De49!{\a  
n%{oFTLCo  
Paul is discussing about doing housework with Jane. ASr3P5/  
Do you mean you take care of the baby? QhPpo#^  
That's right. I take care of Tom during the day.
=CL h<&  
And your wife goes out to work? (9+N_dLx~P  
Yes, Mary is the manager of a factory. S{~j5tQv^q  
And what do you do? n:%A4*  
I'm a nurse. I work at No. 1 Hospital. 9~}8?kPNw=  
Oh, tell me how you share the housework. oRl@AhS  
Well, we had an agreement about housework in the morning, Mary does the breakfast. Then she takes our son to school on her way to work. 2Zi&=Zj"  
And you look after Tom? }-paGM@'Nd  
Yes. I feed Tom and then do the dishes. 3$kElq[  
Who cooks dinner? 2$oGy  
I cook dinner every night. I enjoy cooking. 'Ie
!%k^  
8?k.4{?  
My Brother's Wedding Day OY(znVHU  
It was a special day yesterday. It was my brother's wedding day, and all my family and friends came to his wedding. Everybody had a good time. '5n=tRx  
The wedding was held in our beautiful garden. My brother's wife, Helen, was standing in front of the cherry tree. She was wearing a beautiful white wedding dress. Uncle Tom was taking pictures of her, and Aunt Mary was crying. She was too glad. p:8]jD@}%  
The band was playing my favorite light music. My father was dancing with Helen's mother, and Helen's father was dancing with my mother. They were talking to each other happily. }ilX 2s?>  
My sister and Helen's brother were standing before our house, eating cakes and talking about their favorite films. Our grandparents were sitting under the tree and talking about their own wedding day. $6\W8v  
Everybody enjoyed himself/herself. People were singing songs, dancing and laughing. It was a very special day. After the party, everybody came to congratulate my brother and gave them gifts. We were all very happy. dLTA21b#  
K?aUIkVs  
The Whites' Weekend rz gzX  
Every weekend, the Whites' family would clean up the house. Mr. and Mrs. White thought they would love their home more especially when their children also shared some housework. Yesterday they stayed home all day doing housework. Bn{0-5nj  
In the morning the Whites worked outside. Their daughter, Mary, cleaned the yard and swept the driveway. Their son, Tom, painted the fence. Mrs. White planted flowers in the garden, and Mr. White fixed broken front steps. In the afternoon the Whites worked inside the house. Mary washed the floors and vacuumed the living room. Tom dusted the furniture and cleaned the basement. Mr. and Mrs. White stayed in the kitchen all the afternoon. He cooked spagehetti for dinner, and she baked apple pies for dessert. S~ 3|  
The Whites finished all their work at six o'clock. Both inside and outside of their house looked beautiful. oM#S
. f?  
Mrs. White served dinner in the dinning room at 7:30. Mr. White proposed a toast, "For the beautiful house and for our lovely home." Everybody enjoyed the meal very much. A)q,VSR8  
After supper everyboy sat in the living room. First Tom played the piano and his sister, Mary, and his parents sang. Then they turned on the stereo and they danced. They all had a good time.

Alice is talking about her family with Sammi. O}3M+  
You come from a large family, Sammi, don't you? $0zH2W  
Yes. I have a sister and two brothers. G{ $Zg  
That's four children! It must be difficult to take care of everyone! }f6x>  
I guess so. But we get along really well. What about you? What kind of family do you have? G#! j`  
I have a sister. She is five years younger than I am. ]eq3cwR[|  
I guess it was nice to grow up with a baby sister. ;.h5 ; `&  
gGU3e(!Uc  
George is asking Terra to do something for him um&e.V)N  
Terra, would you do me a big favor? +Z[%+x92  
Yes, of course. ^\mN<z(  
Would you put my clothes in the washing machine? %2oLND}?z  
No problem. s$:]$&5  
And if you don't mind, could you just get the washing machine to work? #D+Fq^="P  
OK. I think I can do that. \{+7`4g  
Oh, and if I'm out, would you take my clothes out? kZGhE2np  
Okay. I'll see to it. YQX>)'  
And if it's not too much of a bother, would you put them on my bed? WM=kr$/3  
OK. What else? #0Oqw=F  
Oh, let me think... no, nothing more at present. L1C'V/g  
Thank God! 1<59)RiO>  
vW)GUAF[  
Susan is talking about her Christmas. ha8do^x  
Susan, would you like to tell me something about your Christmas? (uV7N7 <1  
Well, it's really the happiest time of my family. My two brothers returned home with their children. Q}fAAZ&7h  
Wow, your house must be crowded with so many people. {&h&:  
That's true. My parents were very happy to see their grandchildren around. They prepared a lot of presents for them. B|GJboQ  
Wow! The children must be very, very happy. Y6D=tb  
You are right! They jumped up and down when they found the presents in their socks in the next morning. zw5~|<  
So how did you make food? Your parents must be very busy. HK[sHB&
 
They were not, because everyone cooked one dish for the meal. It was really the moment you felt that you were in a family. When we sat at table, my parents even cried. G0(c@FBK  
I can imagine that! l[fNftT-  
+pcj8K%  
American Family VUnEI oKM  
In the United States, most families have two or three children, and there are also even larger families. Q[b({Vj;tG  
Certainly, children live together with their parents. But when the children have families, they will move out and have their own houses. Parents usually keep in touch with their grown children and take great interest in their grandchildren. On holidays, members of the larger family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - often have meals together. <m6Xh^Ko;  
Both Mother and Father can have a voice in the family, but not all families are run this way. Many families still live by the old rule that Father's word is law. 
}DM2#E`_  
Now, some mothers do not stay at home any longer. They also go out to work. Today, about 10 million American mothers with children under eighteen have jobs. In some families, mothers have to work because the father can neither find jobs nor make enough money. In other families, the mother may work to make more money so othe family can enjoy a better living. Many working mothers have to look for a cleaning woman one day or more days a week to help with housework and look after the children. `?D_=Gw  
bNaUzM!,H  
Marriage LQh\j|e9  
The married people argue most over issues like who is going to be in control. When I was younger, my need to control arose out of fear, a lack of trust and insecurity. Finally I realized I didn't need to control my wife - that, indeed, I ought not to control her, that I couldn't control her, and that if I tried, I would destroy our marriage. Giving up control is often confused with weakness. But the winner in a home argument is never really the winner. When you win a battle and your partner submits, you have actually lost. - dOT/%Ux  
What do we want most from a marriage? To love and be loved. To be happy and secure. To grow, to discover. A love relationship is the garden, in which we plant, cultivate and harvest the most valuable crop, our own self; and in which our spouse is provided with the same rich soil in which to bloom. We cannot obtain what we want unless our partner also gets what he or she wants. A woman may, for example, want to go to the cinema. Her husband might dislike the film. But spending a few hours with his wife can bring joy to his wife. That's a very small price to pay for joy, isn't it?

In the morning, Mum comes to wake Jack up. bF KPV%`  
Jack, it is at six thirty now. Have you got up? |tg?b&QR  
Yes, Mum. I am dressing myself now. Please come in. 2&Byq  
(Mum comes into Jack's room.) @"I#b99  
Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well last night? ?fmt@@]T?  
Yes, Mum, what about you? You don't seem to be yourself. ^)q2\YE;  
Well, I didn't sleep very because of the noises outside. W"kw>JEt  
Oh, yes, but I am used to them now. ~+#--BhV  
OK, boy, go to wash your face and brush your teeth quickly. The breakfast will be ready in five minutes. 
j/9
QV  
What's for breakfast? ]VWfdG  
Bread and milk. Q H_W\W  
B#aH
\$_U  
Now it is at six. Peter and Mum are watching TV at home. z"K( bw6  
Mum, I think it's time for Tom and Jerry. Will you please turn to Channel Thirteen? z9 w&uZzi  
OK, just a few minutes. This program will come to an end quite soon. y5/6nvH_6  
Is there anything interesting? You seem too interested in it! l
mQ6X  
Oh, dear! Is there anything interesting in Tom and Jerry? You are too interested in it, too! HRV*x!|I  
Jerry is bright, and he always makes fun of Tom. Mjj}E >&  
Same here, dear. Oh, that's the end. Now it's your turn. h/Hl?O8[  
=dM.7$6) R  
Tom and Helen are preparing for Christmas Party. xHB/]Vd-  
Helen, pass me that little light, please. I want to have it here. JzMZB"Z?  
Here you are. Oh, take care. Don't fall down off the chair. vJRnBq+y  
Hmm, here, just here... Helen, do you think it goes with the Christmas tree? e40udLH~x  
Not quite good. Why don't you try that blue one? This year, blue comes in. )'5<6Q.]  
You are right. Then hand me the blue one, please. W|d pFh`  
All right... Just now I saw that blue light. But now I just couldn't find it. 8/3u/  
Oh, yes. It's right at the back of the big box. I can see it from where I am. Go and get it. aDL)|>"Q  
j z~[5m}J  
mG)8U{L  
Do It Yourself XFW5AP  
When the Americans are at home, they usually enjoy spending their free time on all kinds of DIYs (do it yourself). Maybe this is a little different from our Chinese people. When we Chinese are at home, we would like to enjoy ourselves by watching TV or receiving our friends. But American people like spending their time in doing some kind of work on their own. They believe it to be helpful and interesting. Ly9Q}dL  
In their eyes, DIYs will not only help them to develop their brains but also save them much time. For a very little job, they will need to think twice before carrying it out well. This will certainly do much good to their brains and make them brighter and brighter. D_d|=
i  
Some Americans live far away from the service centre. When something goes wrong, they will have to wait for a long time before finding the right service. In these cases, they would also love to manage by themselves. So in American, DIYs are very popular. There are a lot of newspapers on them, even books and websites. ?6i;)eIOI  
SIq1X'7  
A Clever Man E0QPE5_  
There is a village. In the village everybody is very rich. They are rich because they do well in business. One day a young man came to the village and met with a businessman. "Look!" he said, "people here are very rich. All of you are good at business. What is the secret?" "secret is that we eat a lot of fish. And the fish is good for our brains. It makes us clever." answered the businessman. &Yp+k}XU  
"Oh, I see," said the young man, "Please tell me what the name of the fish is." :B ZMnCfA  
"I don't know," said the businessman, "But if you give me 10 dollars, I can send you some." dK.R[aQ  
The young man thought that was a good idea. So he gave ten dollars to the businessman and left his address. Soon the young man received a box with three fish. >uTPjR[  
One month later, the young man met that businessman again. :#{-RU@PS  
"Thank you for the fish," he said, "But listen! Ten dollars for only 3 fish is too expensive."  %[`a  
"Oh, you see!" said the businessman, "The fish is beginning to have an effect on you. You are becoming clever."

John comes to join the Easter party in Mary's home. >w.'KR0L  
It's nice to see you again, Mary. #`ls)-`7  
Nice to see you too, John. Please come in. Peter and I are expecting you from half past three. SEM8`lnu  
(John comes into the house after Mary.) p|qyTeg  
It looks as if you'll have a big Easter Day. There are so many beautiful eggs on the table. g97]Y1g  
Yes, tonight we'll have seven people here for the Easter party. #NNewzC<*  
Who else will come to join us? gR Nv-^  
Tony and Anna will arrive at five. Mr. and Mrs. Robert will call by and only stay with us during the dinner time. S8vV!xO  
I am really looking forward to meeting them. It's nearly half a year since I saw them last time. ^Q.,\TL01  
Yes. You may have a good talk tonight. Oh, Peter is calling me in the kitchen. Please help yourself to some fruit. The knife is right on the table, John.  HpW 42  
jz'<  
John and Rose are meeting Jack, a friend of John's. +K~NV?c  
Could you hear it, Rose? Did she say "Beijing"? @;Opx."  
I didn't hear anything just now. There's too much noise around us. When will Jack's train arrive? 8g~EL{'  
He arrives at 9:30. v;EQ, NL  
Oh, my God, it's almost a quarter past ten now! The train must have pulled into the station. Why don't you go and ask at the Information Desk? (Ddp|a"b  
OK. And you go and wait at the gate over there. (John goes to the Information Desk.) sLL7]m}  
Hey, wait a minute! What does Jack look like? I don't know him. FMw&(  
Oh, he's like me, but taller and thinner. His hair is much darker, just like yours. Don't worry. I'll be back in a minute. ,&^3Z  
s +s" MI  
After dinner, Liu Jun says goodbye to Ma Lin. ]T:;Vo  
Oh, it's already half past eight now. I'm afraid I must be going now. 0&+k.Vg  
Why don't you stay here for some more time? Coffee will be ready. H}}$V7]^),  
Thanks a lot. But my daughter is waiting for me at home. I need to come back home. At nine o'clock, I will tell her a story before she falls asleep. .Pndx%X9s  
You are really a good father. Then I won't keep you long. }yn0IWVa  
Thank you very much for such a nice dinner. Your husband is really a good cook! s^Nw%KAv  
I am glad you enjoy it. Next time, please bring your daughter along. My husband and I would like to meet her. BaI $S>/Q  
OK, I will. And I'm sure she will be happy to come here. c_grPk2O4  
I'm sure she will. Goodbye. zET^T5>:  
Thank you. Bye-bye. zG }?  
jl.p'$Fbn  
American Hospitality $ i)bq6  
American hospitality begins at home - especially when it comes to the way of visiting friends. When someone plans to pay a visit to his American friend, he'd better send a notice to this American before he really starts to go. Only very close friends can call by without a notice before. This is especially true if the guests want to stay for a few days. Here's a very good suggestion for house guests: Short stays are best. As one French writer put it, "The first day a man is a guest; the second a burden; the third a pest." Even relatives don't usually stay for several weeks at a time. 94uNI8  
While you're staying with an American family, it will be worth your trouble to keep your living area neat, tidy and in good order. And family will owe great thanks to you. They may even invite you back again! 1d"Z>k:mn  
Most Americans believe themselves to be hospitable. In all parts of America, people welcome their guests with open arms. So don't be surprised to find the welcome mat out for you. Just don't forget to keep your feet clean. K;?,FlH  
h!~3Dw>,N  
Visit the Patient b5$Jf jI  
When a friend or a family member is ill, we all want to help him or her. Flowers can show your care and make a hospital room cheerful. However, make sure they are permitted in the patient's room. And there may be dietary restrictions, so don't bring chocolates unless you know the patient is able to eat them. You can also bring books, magazines, or other things to your friend's interests. cMyiW$;  
Consider these guidelines for visiting someone in te hospital: First, don't visit unless you are healthy. Even a common cold can cause serious complications to a patient. Second, confirm that visitors are allowed. Some units only allow certain family members to visit. Finally, limit visits to about 15 to 20 minutes. This is long enough to show your care but not so long as to exhaust your friend. Receiving visitors can take more energy than you would expect. '
w>_+jLT  
A few people would prefer nothing to be done. They may feel guilty about accepting help, because they feel strongly every favor must be repaid. So every time, we must think it over carefully.

The manager of the LG company, Tony, is having an interview with Jenny. t+5E#!y  
Can you sell yourself in two minutes? Fk(JSiU  
Yes. I am always working hard, and I'm quite careful. I'm sure my skills will contribute to the development of your company. &] \X]p  
Tell me something about your present job. /R>nr"  
This is the tenth year that I have been working in B & T Computer Company. And I'm the manager of the Marketing Department. pO8ePc@=D  
Why do you want to give it up? TCT57P#b  
Well, I feel I have got to the "glass ceiling" in my job. I am hoping to get an offer of better one. {R/C0-Q^^  
Do you think you are able to deal with the pressure from the work? V d=yr'?  
I believe I can. I'm ready to meet any challenges. )'*5R<#  
Well, when will you get to work if we would like to have you with us? E*#]**  
Ah, as soon as you agree to take me. vD 5vbl  
C>[Uvc  
Bob, the secretary of the company, is going to meet a new worker. Me6+~"am/  
How do you do? 3Vp#a:  
How do you do? Glad to be here for this interview. 4A9{=~nwT  
Sit down, please. My name is Bob. And I hope we'll have a nice talk. 7Sz?S_N/j  
I wish we could! My name is Guo Lin. | Yq$sU  
Hello, Ms. Guo. I see your major is marketing. Have you taken any other lessons? 8u!
"#S#>a  
Yes. In my spare time I have had some lessons of art. 0(_l|PScF  
Coud you please tell me why? Cuc$3l(%  
I think marketing is not for business only. There should be something of art in it. @-OnHE  
Right on the beam! I think you are the right person for the job. But I am afraid you have to meet the head of our company. He will have the last word. QM?#{%31  
Thank you. Gn;@{
x6  
c^`]`xiX  
Jane comes into the office with a piece of good news for Peter. xnE|Umz  
Hi, Peter, I have a piece of good news for you! h=_mNG>R)  
You're always having a nose for big news! What's that? U?. 9D  
My friend Bill is going to be the head of our department. w\}?(uO  
Is Bill your friend? I know he is always doing very well here. I believe, with him, our department will become better and better. `-3o+ID\  
As I know, Bill is always very down to earth. He likes to make friends here and there. That will be very good for sales. xooY'El*#  
Yes, and his new ideas work well. Though he has to go back to square one sometimes, he never gives up. With such a head, our department will certainly become the best, I believe. ^T~gEv  
So do I! *%vwM7  
%6--}bY^  
In an Interview 21RP=0Q:  
Now many people are not quite interested in their jobs. Some of them would like to find a new one. But the interview seems to be too difficult. The managers have a lot of hard questions for them to answer. If they don't prepare themselves very well for these questions, they are very likely to fail. Zf7&._y.  
So in the job interview, it is necessary to have the answers right and clear, because those questions are very important. The managers will listen to the answers with great care. Through these answers, the managers will find out the right person for the job. But as for some other questions, one or two words will be enough. The managers may not have much time. What they need is the main points only. (Z5##dS3  
What's more, to be honest is also necessary. Most of the managers want their workers to be honest and careful with work. So all of the people should be honest with their strong points and their weak points in the interview. In this way, chances may come. lcV<MDS  
%P;Q|v6/|  
April Showers Bring May Flowers ;WL1B   
There is a happy truth to be shared with all: April showers bring May flowers. This is a truth that promises light bursting from darkness, strength born from weakness. If one dares to believe, life emerges from death. r6'UUu  
Farmers all over the world know that importance and immutability of the seasons. They know that there is a season to plant and a season to harvest; everything must be done in its own time. Although the rain pours down, ceasing all outdoor activities, the man of the field still smiles. He knows that the rain provides his crops the nourishment. The torrential rains in the month of April, give rise to the glorious flowers in the month of May. fFjH "2WD  
This ancient truth also applies to the man who experiences tragedy in life. A lost job here can provide the chance for a better job there. A broken dream can become the foundation of a wonderful future. Everything has its place. H UoyLy  
Remember this: When you are in a season of sorrow, hang in there, because a season of joy may be just around the corner...

Mary and Steven are in the park. j\RpO'+}  
Steven, I didn't know you are so interested in taking photos. vFrt|JC_{  
Yeah, I like it very much. sM1RU  
But why do you only take pictures of birds? Can't you see how beautiful these flowers are? 'cDx{?  
Do you think that the flowers are beautiful? k&hc m  
Yeah. bt+,0\Vg5  
That's what I'm feeling about birds. I think birds are quite beautiful. p<WFqLe(":  
But how do you know that? P];JKE%  
I have taken a lot of pictures of birds. And each time I took they had different expressions. z/&;{J  
Do birds have expression? r0m)j  
Yes, they do. If you spend some time on them, you'll get to know them. iZ[tHw||  
D1,O:+[;.  
Ted and Jenny are talking. D_|B2gdZY  
Oh, my God! What should I do with all these used cards? 4YbC(f  
What cards? X7aXxPCq1  
IC cards. There are so many. I really don't know... 'zSgCgCHX8  
Eh, Ted... if you don't mind, would you please give them to me? g"t^r3  
What?! They are useless. sz09+4h#  
Yes, I know. But I am interested in collecting IC cards. +h[e0J|v{  
Oh, no, what's use of the used cards? !Cj(A"uqY  
I'm serious. I have collected a great number of ic cards. q&M:17+:Q  
Really? I can't believe that. UC9{m252  
It's very interesting. If you just take a look at the cards, every card is differnt from another. There are places of interest and famous people and so on. ]UUI~sFE  
That sounds reasonable. I've never noticed that before. Wow, you know so much about it. NM L|"R;
 
Sure I do. So, would you give me your cards? 5gNLO\  
Of course, I'm very glad to. GJak.,0t  
_om[VKJd  
Kevin is talking about his hobby. #\b ;2>  
What are you doing here, Kevin? kME^tpji  
Making a ship. AP@<r   
What? jaqV[*440U  
A toy ship. It's made of wood. I enjoy making all kinds of toys, like planes, horse, sheep and birds. LVmY=d>  
Wow, that's great. You can make toys by yourself. By the way, do you sell them? Ars,V3ep  
No. I do it just for pleasure. Sometimes I give them to my friends. 3uO8v{`  
But how did you learn it? It must be very difficult, I believe. w-dI<s  
Eh, it's not so difficult for me. You know, my uncle is very good at mending chairs and tables. So he taught me a lot. Do you like it? I can teach you. AY@k-4  
Really? I'm looking forward to. iPkT*Cl8  
Bn_g-WrT  
Lily's Hobbies hG~Uz
  
Lily loves riding bike but she does not care for walking. She loves playing, but thinks little of computer games. She is not interested in ringing friends and she prefers talking face to face. /'"R Mq  
In her spare time, Lily would like to watch TV. She is crazy about Korean TV serials. Sometimes she will go to the cinema. Her favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. Sometimes she will listen to music. She is keen on music. She prefers light music to pop music, because light music makes her feel relaxed. However, sometimes she will buy some Hip-hop CDs because this kind of music can help her cheer up if she is unhappy. But she does not like singing, because she is not good at singing at all. So if friends ask her to sing in the Karaoke, she will go away. "Y(%oJS]D  
Lily loves fishing. She has also visited a lot of places. But she hates to go to other cities in holidays because there will be so many people everywhere. So she feels like a trip to the countryside at weekends, because the air is better there. Uk|9@Auav  
e~*S4dKR  
My Hobby
XC2Q*Z  
Football is the kind of sport that boys in my hometown like to play. That is why it is not surprising that I has grown up with the football. My father told me that I liked kicking the ball around when I was only about two years old and had much fun with it. Since then, playing football has been my favorite sport and it is my hobby whenever I am free. It is interesting and amazing when I score a goal or my teammates do it. That feeling is like I have just achieved something very important. Playing football also helps me to relax and become confident when I have stress. For example, after doing homework or studying all day long, I feel tired. However, having fun with the ball such as kicking it against the wall or trying to do some tricks, all of my exhaustion would go. Football is not only about passing and kicking the ball but also required a lot of thought, and some basic skills. So I often practice it. I feel more healthy and stronger. Besides that, football has also taught me the spirit of teamwork and created a strong sportsmanship in me.