新外研版英语九年级上下全册课文电子稿word版

M1U2 P4

The greatest wonder of the natural world

When I arrived, it was early morning and it was raining. I got out of the car, went through a gate and walked along a path. In the east, the sky was becoming light, but beside the path, it was still very dark. I knew it was there, but there was nothing to see.

After about a kilometer, a stranger appeared in front of me. ―Am I going the right way?‖ I aske d. He knew where I was going. ―Yes,‖ he replied, ―you’ll get there in five minutes.‖ Finally, I came to some rocks, and stopped. I looked carefully over them, but it was sill too dark to see anything.

Suddenly, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped. The sun rose behind me and beyond the rocks. I saw that ground fell away and down to a river, far below me. . I was on the edge of the Grand Canyon, one of the wonders of the natural world.

I looked down to the Colorado River about 2 kilometres below me. If you put the three tallest buildings in the world at the bottom of the canyon, they still won’t reach the top. Then I looked across to the other side of the canyon . How far is it? It’s 20 kilometres , maybe more. Finally , I looked to my left and to my left and to my right , and on both sides the canyon disappeared into the distanc e … over 400 kilometres long . The Grand Canyon is not just big . It’s huge!

That morning on the edge of the canyon, I asked myself a question . It’s not ―How deep is it ?‖ or ―How wide is it ?‖ or ―How long is it ? ‖ but ―Is the Grand Canyon the greates t wonder anywhere in the natural world ? ‖ I know the answer. But what do you think?

M2U2P12

The adventures of Tom Sawyer

Here is our monthly article on a favourite great book. This month, our guest Writer is Mr Jackson.

My favourite great book is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Tom lives with his aunt Polly in the quiet streets of St Petersburg, Missouri. He's a lively and clever young boy, and he finds himself in many exciting adventures. He runs away with his two friends, Huck Finn and Joe, to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River for several days. With Huck he goes looking for treasure, with Becky he gets lost in a cave, and finally, they find a box of gold.

My favourite scene in the book is when everyone thinks Tom is dead. He decides to go to his own funeral. He hides and watches for a time, and then suddenly he appears. Everyone is surprised to see him but they're also pleased to see him alive.

Tom is the hero of the story, but there are other important characters. Huck is an outsider and everyone is afraid of him. Becky is pretty with fair hair, Joe is Tom's best friend, and Injun Joe is the bad man of the story.

The themes of the story are to do with children growing up and becoming more serious. It describes how strangers are seen in small towns of America. Finally, it talks about freedom social rules and how people are punished for bad behaviour

Why do I think Tom Sawyer is a great book? Mark Twain wrote the story in 1876. but it’s still read and loved by people all over the world today. And although it’s only a story, Twain wrote it in the everyday English of the southern states of America in the 19th century, so it sounds very real. Today it’s thought to be one of the greatest books in American literature. Go on—read it! I know you’ll enjoy it, too.

M3U2P20

Liu Xiang- trained for gold

Sports yearbook 2004

For Liu Xiang, life as a sporting hero has just begun .First of all, he'll be invited to competitions around the world. He'll be chosen to represent China at the Olympic Games. He's a symbol of China's international sporting success.

And now that he's well known all over the world .Liu Xiang will also be asked to appear in advertisements and films, and even to record music. But his coach Sun Haiping is making sure that he trains regularly .Liu Xiang will be advised by his coach on how to be a great sportsman and by his manager on how to be a star.

Liu Xiang is not an overnight success. He was born in Shanghai on 13th July, 1983 and, like many Olympic sports stars, he started training when to the Junior Sports School of putuo District of Shanghai. Liu was encouraged at first to train as a high jumper. Then, in 1998,his skill at hurdling was noticed by his coach Sun Haiping.

Liu Xiang was helped by a special programme. It was set up in 2001 to help young sportsmen and sportswomen. Liu's races were recorded with the world's best sports stars .Sun Haiping used the information to change Liu's training programme. In 2002 he won his first international 110m hurdles event in Switzerland, and in the same year, a gold medal at the Asian Games in

Korea .In 2004, Liu won the first Olympic gold medal in the same event for China in Athens, Greece.

So what's next for Liu Xiang? Has he found out that there's more to life than training? Will he be encouraged to spend more time away from sport?

No, Liu Xiang will go for more medals for China because he was trained for gold!

M4U2P28

Can books be replaced by computers?

by Tony Smith

Every morning my father buys a newspaper on his way to work. Every day I open my books in class and start my lessons. Every evening my mother looks through magazines at home. And every night, I look at the posters with photos of David Beckham and Yao Ming on my bedroom wall before I go to sleep. Can we imagine life without paper or print?

Paper was first created about 2,000 years ago, and has been made from silk, cotton, bamboo, and, since the 19th century, from wood. People learned to write words on paper to make a book. But in those days, books could only be produced one at a time by hand. As a result, they were expensive and rare. And because there weren't many books, few people learned to read.

Then printing was invented in China. The first printed books were made by putting ink on a wooden block and holding the paper against it. When printing was developed greatly at the beginning of the 11th century, books could be produced more quickly and cheaply. As a result, more people learned to read. After that, knowledge and ideas spread quickly, in a way that can be compared with the introduction of the Internet in the 20th century.

But will books be needed in the future? Today information can be received online, downloaded from the Internet rather than found in books, and information can be kept on

CD-ROMs or machines such as MP3 players. These machines are smaller and lighter than books so that they can be carried very easily.

Computers are already used in classrooms, and newspapers and magazines can already be read online. So will books be replaced by computers one day? No, I don't think the Yao Ming poster on my bedroom wall will ever be replaced by a computer two metres high!

M5U2P36

The Science Museum in London

by Tony Smith The most unusual museum in London is the Science Museum. In most museums, there's no shouting and no running, and you aren't allowed to touch the exhibits. But the Science Museum is different… because it's noisy! People talk about what they can see and do there, and some of the machines are noisy as well. Visiting the Science Museum is fun and it's a great way to learn about science because you can work things out and try out ideas.

When I visit the Science Museum, I go to the Launch Pad. This is my favourite room because you can do physics experiments. For example, if you want to fill a bag with falling sand, you have to move a kind of truck on wheels into the correct position. I also go to the Rocket Show. You can learn how we travel into space and back again.

Then I go upstairs to the Human and Nature room. You can compare your speed with animals there. You hear a noise and push a button. If you aren’t fast enough, the lion catches you! I’m faster than all my friends, but the lion still catches me.

There are also rooms on transport, the environment and space technology, as well as maths, physics and chemistry.

You can do a lot of things in this museum, but you have to obey some rules as well. For example, you mustn’t take photos of the exhibits in the museum. But you can buy postcards of them in the museum shops.

Above all, the Science Museum is free. That means you can stay as long as you like-it’s open every day, from 10 am to 6 pm. So if you ever go to London, make sure you visit the Science Museum. It’s my favourite museum in the whole world.

M6u2p44

How to be green

By Zhao Ming How green are you? Do you care about protecting the environment and saving energy? Try these questions and see.

Do you try to walk or ride a bike to school?

Do you buy new clothes just because they are the latest fashions?

Do you open a window instead of turning on air conditioning?

Do you buy things produced locally instead of made abroad?

Do you take your own cloth bag when shopping instead of using plastic bags?

Do you sort the waste before throwing it away?

We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it does harm to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. Here are some ideas for you. Remember these three words: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reduce

Reduce means ―use less‖. Don’t waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going in to the environment. Before we buy something new, think whether it is really necessary – or may be the old one will be just as good! When we do buy things, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from abroad.

Reuse

Reuse means ―use again‖. Use things for as long as possible. When we buy things, make sure that they will last, and we should repair them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don’t use a paper cup or a paper bag. It’s better to use a china cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.

Recycle

Recycle means ―change things into something else‖. Although it takes energy to change

so mething into something else, it’s better than throwing things away or burning them find out what can be recycled in your neighborhood and take part in recycling programmes. We should also buy products made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save trees.

M7U2 P58

Dear Mum and Dad,

I’m writing this letter to you from the centre of Australia. At the moment we’re staying near Uluru —that’s the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock. On the first day, we took a helicopter tour over the rock, and I was surprised at how big it was: 3.6 kilometres long and 348 metres high. The colours of the rock are fantastic, and at different times of the day, they change from purple to red. The Aborigines are the first people of Australia, and the ancient Aboriginal stories describe the spirits that created the world. Uluru is a centre of Aboriginal culture.

The Australians have many British relatives and they’re like us in many ways. Their family life is similar to ours, and they enjoy the same food and hobbies. The food and drink that most Australians like are grapes, lamb, ham and especially wine that they make in the south of the country. They love all sports, but the games that they love the most are football, cricket and rugby. Because most Australians live near the coast, they love going to the beach, swimming and surfing.

Although it’s December, it’s summer over here. The sunshine is very bright, and near the coast the countryside is very green. There are lots of sheep in the fields and on the hills, but the outback is more like a desert, full of rocks and sand.

Most Australians speak English, although they have some special expressions such as ―Good day!‖ and ―No worries, mate.‖ They mean ―Hello!‖ and ―Don’t worry about it. It’s not a problem!‖

The next day after we arrived at Uluru, we went on a camel ride. The camel that I rode had a bad temper, and I got very tired. Everyone else thought it was very funny that my camel kept lying down …

Finally, later this evening, we’re taking the plane back to Sydney and coming home. It’s been a fantastic trip!

Love,

Tony

M8U2 P66

Results of student photo competition

We were very pleased with the photo competition. Compared with other years, we received many more photos. Even though all of the ph otos are excellent, we can’t give prizes to everyone. There are four prizes, so read on to find out who the winners are.

The person who won the prize for the Most Beautiful Nature photography is fifteen-year-old Li Wei. Li took photos of the mountains in X iangshan Park. The park isn’t far from his home, about 500 metres, and he knows it very well.

The photo which we liked best in the Historic China group was taken by Zhao Min. Zhao is only 12 years old. Her photo is of Tian’an men Square, the largest public square in the world. It’s 880 metres from north to south and 500 metres wide at the northern end. Her photo shows the size and beauty of the square perfectly.

The best photo in the Music category was taken by He Zhong. His photo of this year’s best band Crazy Feet shows the singer. Becky Wang, and the band playing at a concert in Shenzhen. He Zhong manages to show the movement and the sounds of this great new band, and the fun which their fans are having.

A collection of photos called ―The many Faces of Our City‖ which features Beijing won the prize for the Most Unusual category. Three pupils at the same school worked on this entry. It includes photos of different parts of the city, old and new. It successfully shows the rich culture which makes Beijing so famous.

Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone who entered the competition. We are very lucky that the famous photographer John William is in China to talk about his new book. He has agreed to present the prizes at the prize giving ceremony at the end of this month.

M9U2 P74

Cartoon heroes

Nemo, a cute orange-and-white fish, and Shriek, a huge green monster, have won the hearts of young people in China and the all over the world . The heroes of popular cartoons are everywhere, on office desks, handbags, and computer screens.

But there are some cartoon favorites which are older. The cartoon of the monkey King has just had its ―40th birthday‖. Called havoc in Heaven, it tells the story of a monkey who leads a group of monkeys against the rule of the Emperor in heaven. He flies into a peach garden and ears as many peaches as he likes. He makes a mess in each room in heaven. But it is above all the jokes played by the monkey that people remember. ―Havoc in heaven‖ has become a common expression used by a parent or a boss when they return to the house or office and see a mess. Another favorite who has celebrated an important birthday in China is a reporter with hair and a small white dog. Tintin has traveled to the jungles, the backstretch of Shanghai and even the surface of the moon. Tintin has been popular for 75 years, ever since Belgian cartoonist Here invented the character in 1929. His books have been translated into more than 50 languages, and about 200 million copies have been sold. In December 1984 the whole series of Tintin began to be published in China. Many Chinese still keep collections of these black-and-white Tintin books. There are several fan clubs in China which have held birthday parties for Tintin in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Wuhan.

Finally, Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s lovable dog who lives in his own private dream world, also had his ―50th birthday‖ celebrated by China’s Snoopy fans in 2000.

―I didn’t draw the cartoons only for children. Adults who have experienced li fe understand them better,‖ said the late Charles Schultz, creator of Snoopy and the Peanuts cartoons.

M10U2 P82

Feed me better

Jamie Oliver is a young cook who wants to improve school dinners. In 2005 he went back to school to see what the children were eating.

1 ______________________________

Jamie asked the children what their meals were like. ―We hamburgers and chips, or pizza,‖ they told him, ―and sometimes there is fruit, but we prefer ice cream.‖ Jamie thought the menu was terrible. The children were eating junk food, and it was a problem. Junk food isn’t just bad for the body. Children whose midday meals were unhealthy were difficult to teach in the afternoon. Teachers said that children behaved very badly after lunch.

2 _______________________________

When Jamie took vegetables into class, the children didn’t know what they were. Jamie realized that the children didn’t know about healthy food. Then he talked to the people who worked in the kitchens. He found out that t hey didn’t know enough about food and health, and they didn’t have very much money to spend.

3 ________________________________

He decided to teach the cooks and the children about healthy food. It was hard work! He cooked healthy meals for them including meat, rice, pasta and vegetables, but a lot of the teenagers refused to eat the new food. Jamie showed them why the junk food wasn’t healthy. In the end, when Jamie persuaded them to try his cooking, they like it!

4 ________________________________

Jamie talked to the government. He told them they need to ban junk food from schools, train the cooks, educate the children and spend more money on school dinners. A lot of parents, teachers and children agreed with him. The newspapers wrote articles about him, and a TV programme showed his visits to the school. Jamie is a cook whose ideas are changing school dinners all over Britain.

M11U2 P90

Visions of the city

Jo is 15 and lives in Parkville. When Jo’s grandparents first came to Parkville 50 years ago, it was a quiet country village in the centre of the country. At that time, they had a small house on the edge of town, with some fields and the hills in the distance.

But Parkville was close to a big city, Arnwick, with about 200,000 people. People from the countryside began to arrive in Arnwick to find jobs and have a better life. And of course they needed somewhere to live. However, it was expensive to live in the centre of Arnwick, so the city government decided to build flats around the edge of the city. And soon, Parkville became a suburb of Arnwick. It now has over a million people. Jo’s family live in one of those new flats —there’s no room for small houses any more.

The small local school in Parkville closed down five years ago. Jo goes to a school close to the centre of Arnwick, with 2,000 pupils. No one knows all their names.

It takes Jo an hour to get to school, and this adds to the traffic and pollution. But it’s not her fault. She liked her old school.

Arnwick needs larger hospitals and more doctors, better public transport and fewer private cars. There need to be more shops and offices. It also needs clean water and no rubbish in the streets. It’s difficult to run a big city, and to protect people from crime. So it also needs more laws and more police, and more taxes to pay for everything.

Well, what do you think of all this? Do you like the things which are happening in Parkville? In fact, ―Visions of the city‖ is just a story. But does your town have the same problems a s Arnwick?

M12U2 P98

Learn English in Los Angeles

We provide summer English courses which are the best you can find. You will enjoy coming to Los Angeles to learn about America culture and improve your English at the same time. The courses last for four, six or eight weeks. They start at the beginning of July and August. Our teachers are well –trained and very experienced. They teach English classes for four hours a day. You can choose between small groups of two or three, or largest groups of up to 15. We provide weekly tests to see the progress you’re making with your lang uage skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. We also provide books and other materials.

As well as learning English, we want you to experience life in the USA. You live with an American family, and you take part in American life. You have meals with an American family and do some activities with the students which last a long time. Of course, If you prefer, we can arrange hotel accommodation.

Of course, there are many things to do in Los Angeles. Every day we have activities which take place after class. You can choose to take trips to Hollywood, Disneyland or the famous beaches around LA. You can also go to various shopping centers, sports centers, movies and concerts. There are also weekend visits organized to San Francisco and other places of interest in California.

We try to give our students the best possible experience of English and life in the USA. Just ask our students! They say our summer English courses are fantastic!

We hope that you’ll enjoy a course with us, too. If you’re interested, please fill in our application from where you will also find our list of prices. The course must be paid for one month before it begins.

新外研版英语九年级下册课文电子稿word版

Module 1 P4

Excuse Me. You're Sitting in My Seat!

The train to Beijing! Lin often dreamed about the train, and about going to the capital. Now it was in front of him, to set off soon. He looked at his brother.

"Don't forget where you come from, little brother," Jin said. "And watch your bags carefully."

Lin nodded, unable to speak. This was his first long trip by train at the start of his new life, leaving his village and his home for the last 16 years.

He held Jin in his arms. With tears in his eyes, Jin pushed Lin away. "Go, brother. Write to us as soon as you get there, OK?"

Lin jumped onto the train. There were people and bags everywhere. He pushed past them towards his seat.

A young man was sitting in Lin's seat. He was wearing jeans and a very smart jacket, and was smoking a cigarette.

What should he do? Six pairs of eyes looked at Lin, while the man looked out of the window.

"Sir, you're sitting in my seat," Lin said, with a nervous smile. The other people watched with interest.

The man didn't turn to look at Lin, but just looked out of the window.

"Excuse me. I have a ticket with the number of the seat you're sitting in!" Lin said in a stronger voice.

"I also have a ticket with that number—though it is in another car. Besides, I was here first," said the man, without moving his head. Though he was sitting, he looked very tall and strong.

Lin looked at the other passengers for help. "But ... " he started to say.

"But what?" The man turned and looked at Lin. "I'm not moving."

Finally a man wearing glasses spoke in a loud voice. "This young man has the right ticket for that seat. You should move."

Lin felt brave. "See? Please move. I've got a long way to go."

"How long?" the young man asked.

"To the last stop, Beijing."

"I'm getting off before you. Then you can have my seat. "

"Where is that?" asked Lin.

"Hangzhou."

Lin thought Hangzhou was far away.

"It's seven hours away from here," the man with glasses said. "Even if it's only 10 minutes, you should move."

Slowly the young man stood up, dropped his cigarette on the floor, and disappeared down the train.

Module 2 P12

My School Life

My name is Sally Maxwell, and I'm 15. I've been at Park School, London since I was 11. If I pass my exams next year, I'll stay here until I'm 18.

Park School is a secondary school, about 20 minutes by bike away from home. Before I came here, I went to primary school, near my home. I started primary school when I was five and stayed there for six years.

The schoolday is from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. We spend the first 10 minutes in our classroom while our teacher checks which pupils are present or absent. Then everyone goes to the main hall. There our head teacher makes a speech and tells us any news about the school. Lessons begin at 9:05 and last for an hour. We have a break at 11:05 until 11:20, then another lesson, then lunch for an hour. We have two more lessons before school finishes.

This year I have 11 subjects: maths, biology, chemistry, French, history, geography, music and IT, PHSE, ADT and PE (these stand for Information Technology; Personal Health and Safety Education; Art, Design and Technology and Physical Education). Fortunately, we don't have exams in every subject. PHSE is about the dangers of drugs and smoking, among other things. In ADT we also do things like learning to cook as well as drawing and design. Some people can do Italian and Spanish instead of French, but no one is learning Chinese ... yet! PE involves physical exercise, basketball, training in the gym and swimming—we're really lucky to have a swimming pool.

I took exams when I was 7, 10, and 14 years old. Next year I take my exams in eight subjects, and then I can do between three and five subjects for the exams in my final year.

We have a large sports ground where we play football, tennis and do athletics both during and after school hours. After-school activities, such as sports clubs and language societies are popular, too. During the school year there are usually visits to museums and galleries, and to camps for activities, such as climbing and cycling in the country. There are parties and discos and a sports day, and the school play is a really important event. Once a term, there is a parents' meeting, so our parents and teachers can talk about our progress.

What's the best thing about school? English, history, music ... and my friends. What's the worst thing? Homework ... and exams!

Module 3 P20

Life in the Past

Mrs Li is over 70 years old, and has lived in Beijing all her life. I asked her about life today

and in the past.

Tell me about your parents, brothers and sisters.

My parents, my sister and three brothers lived in a small house beside a restaurant. We weren't very rich, but we were happy. My sister was the eldest child and she left school when she was only 12 to help my mother at home.

Families have changed a lot since I was young. They were much bigger in those days. Most of my friends had lots of brothers and sisters. Today most people only have one child!

Did your parents have jobs?

My father went out to work. He was a factory worker, and he often worked 12 hours a day. My mum wanted to work. She was a teacher before she met my father. Looking after us was a full-time job, so she stayed at home. Today it's normal for married women to go out to work, but it was less common in the past. My father had the same job the whole of his working life. These days people change their jobs much more often.

What was life like at home?

Well, I remember the family meals, three times a day. My mother was always cooking for us. We weren't rich but we ate enough. And the food was always freshly cooked—my mother never bought ready-made food as people do today, so it was much better for us. And of course we didn't have television, so we played games together and read a lot. I helped my younger brother with his homework in the evenings.

Where did you meet your husband?

I first met him 60 years ago. I was carrying some heavy bags on my bike and I fell off! He stopped and picked up my bags. My parents liked him, and thought he came from a good family so we got married a year later. I was only 19.

These days most couples meet at work, and they just hope their parents will be happy for them if they marry.

Has Beijing changed?

Yes, there are lots more buildings and so much more traffic! I can't believe the number of cars on the streets. But I suppose it's the same everywhere. And I walk less these days and take the bus more.

And do you think life is better today?

Well, I think so. I'm healthier than I've ever been. We live longer and we eat better. One day I'll be talking to your own grandchildren!

Module 4 P28-29

Looking Cool

1. What do you look for when you go shopping for clothes? Do you choose something fashionable ... or comfortable? Do you like to look different? Or do you wear the same clothes as your friends? Do you go for this year's colours? Is it the logo—the company symbol—that

catches your attention? Or maybe film stars are wearing these clothes? What helps you choose the clothes you like?

2. Everyone spends money on clothes, and everyone has their personal look. The best-known clothing companies sell their "designer" clothes all over the world. But the number of these big name companies is in fact very small, and the clothes they make are more expensive than the clothes made by less well-known companies. Many people even prefer them to cheaper clothes. Why?

3. Many young people today care about the way they look. They often buy "designer" clothes because they think they look cool. Then the less well-known companies make clothes which look the same. But they don't sell as well because they don't have the logo.

4. People also think designer clothes are better made. For example, many people think the right running shoes will make you run faster or play better. Of course, this is not always true. It's the training—not the trainers—that improves your speed or your score. But that's not the point. People believe that it's true ... and then buy the shoes. The big companies only want to make a lot of money.

5. Above all, designer clothes are more popular because of clever advertising. All of the international companies spend millions of dollars every year to make us buy their clothes. And they succeed!

6. Most people dress in a way that shows off their personality. But if some of us buy expensive clothes just to look cool, what does that say about us? Maybe it's just clever advertising.

7. So next weekend, think about the clothes you put on. What's the logo on your trainers? Who made your jeans? And how many of your friends wear the same clothes as you do? And then think that maybe some of us could spend our money better.

Module 5 P36

Watch Out! Bears About!

On our first evening, the three of us were tired after walking for about eight hours. We soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, there was a strange noise outside. But when I looked out of the tent, there was nothing to see.

In the morning, I got up to make breakfast. The bag of food was open.

"Bears," said Joe. "We should hang the food in a tree tonight."

Later that day we stopped in a beautiful valley by a stream. It was very peaceful, and we fell asleep listening to the sound of water.

During the night the bears came back. This time they took the food from the tree.

"How did they do that?" I asked.

"Not high enough. Bears can climb trees. They can smell food from a distance. We should pick up the rubbish, too."

The first rule of camping is to keep a clean camp site. You can't leave anything which bears

might think is food.

"OK, let's tidy the site up, and move on. Oh, and we should make lots of noise, too. If they know where we are, they may not come any closer," said Joe.

"If you see a bear," said Joe, "you mustn't move or make any gesture. And above all, you mustn't run. No one can run faster in the forest than a bear."

We went to sleep ... or we tried to.

The next day we stopped at midday for something to eat, and while the others were resting, I went for a walk in the forest.

Suddenly, I saw a baby bear playing with some sticks and stones. He looked so friendly, and I remember thinking, "If I reach out, I can just touch him."

There was a loud noise behind me.

I stood very still. I didn't even turn my head. There was another loud noise, and I still couldn't see what was happening. The baby bear looked up, and ran past me into the woods.

I stayed in the same position for five minutes, maybe more. Then slowly I turned round, and on the hillside about 300 metres away I saw the baby bear and his huge mother.

I have never run so fast, back to my friends.

For the next 10 days, every time there was a sudden noise, my blood went cold.

Module 6 P50-51

Six Rules for a Safe and Healthy Life

Thanks to improvements in both health care and personal safety, most people are living healthier, longer lives. Someone who is born today can expect to live 25 years longer than someone who was born in the 19th century. It's even thought that in the future more and more people will celebrate their hundredth birthday. Here are six rules for a healthy life.

1. Be careful! It's dangerous out there!

We all know that we shouldn't run across the road in front of the oncoming traffic, or cycle too close to cars. But we're not sure about how to stay safe in the countryside. When you're out walking, you should always go with someone, and tell your parents where you're planning to go. Remember! Climbing may also mean falling—what goes up must come down. Safety rules and advice are there to help you, not to make life less fun.

2. Don't be a couch potato!

Sure, it's comfortable to sit on the couch and watch. But experts say you should walk at least 10,000 steps every day to keep fit. In the past, people's jobs required more physical effort. When farmers were working in the fields, they were keeping fit at the same time. Think about it: do you get the same amount of exercise today as they did in the past?

3. Watch your diet!

It's important to eat plenty of the right things, above all, fruit, vegetables, and to see fast food or sweets as something very special—maybe just now and then. The wrong diet means

you'll put on weight, one of the fastest ways to an unhealthy life.

4. Rest up while you can!

When we were babies, we slept for much of the day—if our parents were lucky! Teenagers don't need as much sleep but it's important to get about eight hours' sleep. At weekends, you've got more time, so use it not just for your friends, but for rest, too.

5. Don't worry. Be happy!

Many doctors believe that happiness is important for our general health. If you're worried about something, talk to your parents or your teacher.

6. Say no ... to smoking and drugs!

Yes, you knew I was going to say this! But it's so important. More teenagers damage their health through smoking and taking drugs than any other dangers. Think about the effect on your family and friends, and think about its effect on you and your health.

Happy living!

Module 7 P58-59

Do as the Romans do

There's a saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." And when you eat Western food, do as the Westerners do. Here are some things you may wish to know about eating together in the West.

In the West, lunch is eaten later, always after midday, sometimes at one o'clock. Dinner is served around 7 p.m. or even later. In Spain it's usual to eat lunch at 2 p.m. and dinner at 10 p.m.!

At the start of a meal the Chinese usually say "manman chi". The French say "Bon appetit", and the Italians say "Buon appetito". But there's no similar expression in English! "Enjoy your meal" is usually only said by a waiter. For "ganbei", you can say "Cheers"!

Chopsticks are only used when people eat Chinese food. Knives and forks are used for most food. The fork is held in your left hand and the knife in your right, and the food is held with the fork and cut with the knife. Americans often cut all their food first, and then put the fork in their right hand to eat it. Soup is drunk with a spoon. However, there is some food which can be eaten with your fingers, such as chicken legs, seafood, bread and cake.

At the start of a meal, if you're the guest, you'll be invited to serve yourself ("Help yourself!"), or your plate will be filled by your host ("Can I serve you?"). If you've been given something you don't like, it should be pushed to the edge of the plate and left. You don't have to say why, but if you feel an explanation is required, just say, "I'm sorry. I can't eat this." No one will be cross. If you're offered more food, but can't eat any more, just say, "No, thanks. It was delicious, but I've had enough."

Generally, fewer dishes are prepared than in China. It isn't thought to be so important to offer too much food.

Finally, it's sometimes difficult to know when the meal is over. If you've been invited to dinner by Western friends, you'll know that you're expected to stay and talk around the dinner table long after the last dish has been brought to the table, and it's thought quite rude if you leave as soon as you finish eating.

The golden rule is: Watch the other people. Do as they do.

Module 8 P66

The City that Never Sleeps

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!

The Bronx is up and the Battery's down!

(On the Town, by Leonard Bernstein)

New York is probably the entertainment capital of the world, and a great place to see the big names and top stars in films, television, theatre and music. Sports fans have plenty of chances to watch some great sport, and the New York nightlife is world-famous.

Madison Square Garden is the place to watch the New York Knicks Basketball Team and the Golden Gloves boxing competition. To watch baseball, go to the Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees or Shea Stadium for the Mets.

At New York's finest arts cinema, the Film Forum, you can see the latest foreign and American movies. But New York itself is the subject of many movies by directors who come from New York, such as Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.

The great names of jazz have played in the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village, and fans can listen to the stars of today and tomorrow at the world-famous Blue Note.

The Metropolitan Opera House is the place to go for opera lovers, but you have to book tickets a long time before you want to go. One of the most important things to see at Christmas is the Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Centre. Carnegie Hall is well-known for its concerts of all types of music, classical and modern.

Broadway is not just a street but an area of New York. There you can see some of the biggest and the best plays and musicals, such as Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. If you ever come to New York in summer, remember to spend a day in Central Park watching a play by Shakespeare in the open air, with famous actors from Broadway and Hollywood.

For lovers of painting, the best plan is to go to the Museum of Modern Art or the Guggenheim Museum.

Restaurants can be found everywhere, and are open at all times of the day or night. There have always been a huge number of Italian, Chinese and Japanese restaurants, but now you can eat food from Thailand, Vietnam, India, Burma or the Philippines. Try the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station for the best seafood in Manhattan.

New York's nightlife includes discos, like the Limelight, and night clubs. In fact, it's easy to see why they call it "the city that never sleeps".

Module 9 P74-75

Who Owns English?

English is spoken by about 400 million people in Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. In Ghana, India, Nigeria and Singapore, English is used for government, education and trade, although there are many other languages for everyday use. In China and most other countries, it's the most important foreign language that children will learn at school, because it's essential for tourism, international business, entertainment, radio, television, newspapers, and the Internet. So English is now used by about 1.5 billion people—or a quarter of the world's population, and wherever you go in the world, there is a good chance that someone will speak English.

How did this happen? English has not always been the most common language. Until English became important in the 20th century, people who had any education spoke French. What's more, English spelling doesn't give much help with pronunciation, and its grammar is difficult, especially the word order.

The reason is that in the 18th century, the UK was a country whose industrial products were sold all over the world. In the 20th century, the USA spread English all over the world through newspapers, television, films and advertising. It's now the common language for international travel, science, industry and in recent years, information technology and the Internet.

But it's also important to remember that English has borrowed many words from other languages, either exactly the same word or very similar. It uses restaurant from French, zero from Arabic, piano from Italian, and typhoon, china and many others words from Chinese.

Will the importance of English last? Many people think that, if China continues to grow in importance, Chinese will become as common as English by the middle of the 21st century. More and more schools in Europe are teaching Chinese as a foreign language, in place of other European languages. And tourism puts China into the top 10 countries for visitors. But at least for the next 20 or 30 years, English will be the language used most widely.

So who owns English? The answer is everyone who speaks it—the English, the Indians and the Chinese all help make it a rich language. It changes every year with new words and expressions. Even though there are differences in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling, we all belong to the international English speaking world. We all own English.

Module 10 P82

Head teacher, teachers, grandparents, parents and classmates, I'm very proud that I have been chosen to speak to you all today. I'm a bit nervous as I've never made a speech before to so many people, so please forgive me if it shows!

As we all know, this is the school leavers' party, and it's time to say goodbye to everyone. We're sorry to leave you at the end of our junior high school education, and we promise that