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23（16年15）

My neighbours are kind and helpful. Some of them are volunteers. They have different skills and often help us with all kinds of problems.

Usually there is a “helping hands” meeting at the weekend. People go there when they need help with their problems. Computer engineers are popular. They help people check their computers. You can also find someone to fix things like broken bicycles. Students can get help with their homework. There are some college students among the volunteers, and they are always ready to help.

We are lucky to live in a neighbourhood like that. People here are like a big family.

24（16年24）

Kites have a long history in China. The Chinese began to make kites over 2,000 years ago. The first kite in history was made out of wood by Mozi. His student Lu Ban used bamboo to make kites. In the Eastern Han dynasty, Cai Lun found a new way to make paper, and then people began to use paper to make kites. In the 13th century, an Italian man called Marco Polo visited China. He told people in the West all about kites. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, kite flying became a very popular outdoor activity. People liked to fly kites on sunny, windy days in spring.

25（16年3）

My ideal school starts at 8 a.m. and finishes at 3 p.m. I love sports and computers, so we have PE and computer lessons every day. The classes are quite small. There are about 20 students in each class.

There is a big dining hall. There we can eat and chat with our friends. There is a park on one side of our school and a shopping mall on the other. We have a big library. We also have a tennis court and a swimming pool.

There are lots of clubs and after-school activities. Every month, we go on a school trip to a museum or a theatre.

26

Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in 1980. He got his first basketball when he was only four years old, but he did not become serious about basketball until he was 12. Yao joined the Houston Rockets in 2002 and became the best Chinese player to have ever played in the NBA.

When Yao Ming lived in the USA, he returned to China whenever he was needed. He took part in the Olympics in 2004 and in 2008 as one of the Chinese athletes. Since he ended his basketball career, Yao has done a lot of charity work, especially for poor Chinese teenagers.

27

UNICEF was set up in 1946 to help children after the war in Europe. Now, UNICEF helps children all over the world. It works in 158 countries. It helps governments and families make the world a better place for children.

UNICEF gets its money from donations. It raises money by selling Christmas cards and organizing other fund-raising activities. People can help UNICEF by doing voluntary work.

UNICEF believes that all children should have clean water and food so that they can be healthy. It also believes that they should go to school instead of working to support their families.

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28

My name is Lucy. I am in Year 9 at Woodland School near London. It is a mixed school. Boys and girls have lessons together. My favourite subject is French. Learning foreign languages is fun.

Our school has a Reading Week every year. During the week, we can borrow more books from the school library. We can also bring in books and magazines from home. I often read more books than my classmates. Near the end of the week, we discuss the books with our classmates in class. Time seems to go faster when we are reading interesting books.

29（16年5）

Dear classmates,

Have you ever had any problems? Are you wondering who you can ask for advice? If so, you can write to Mr Sigmund Friend.

You may wonder who he is. He is a youth worker. Do you know what a youth worker does? Mr Friend says that youth workers help young people solve their problems. They are doing a great job. Some of my friends wrote to Mr Friend and asked how they could deal with their problems. Soon they got his replies. Now they know what they should do. Best wishes, Millie

30

In the Chinese lunar calendar, there are 12 animal signs. Each of them represents a lunar year.

It is said that the animals held an exciting race to decide their order. After the race began, the strong, hard-working Ox took the lead. Suddenly, the clever Rat jumped on the Ox’s back and won the race! The Ox came second, the Tiger third, and so it went. The Pig took his time and came last.

The cycle of animal years repeats every 12 years. Some people believe that people born in the same animal year may share similar characteristics. For example, they believe people born in the Year of the Dragon are powerful and energetic.

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