The umbrella is a very common object. It keeps the 1and the sun off the people. Most umbrellas can be folded up(折叠) so it is 2 to carry them.

    However, the umbrella was not always as 3 as it is now. In the past, it was a symbol of importance. Some African countries still use umbrellas in this 4. Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or important person.

    Umbrellas have a long history. People in different parts of the world began to 5 umbrellas at different times. The Chinese had them more than 3,000 years ago. From there, umbrellas 6 to India and Egypt. In Greece and Rome, 7, wouldn't use them. They believed umbrellas were only for women.

    England was 8 the first country in Europe where common people used umbrellas against rain. The weather there is very 9 and umbrellas are very useful.

     Everybody uses umbrellas today. The next time you 10 one, thinking that for centuries only great men and women used them, you'll feel you are the important person, too.

Alice:Hello?

Susan:Hello.  

Alice:Yes, it is.

Susan:  Would you like to go to the bookstore with me tomorrow? I'd like to buy some books.

Alice:Sorry. I don't need any books. I can read books on the Internet.

Susan:Yes, but you can't always read on the computer. 

Alice:Oh, I see.

Susan:And in the bookstore we can find many wonderful books.

Alice:OK. I'll go with you. 

Susan:What about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon?  

Alice:Great. See you then.

Susan:See you.

     Michael Leung,a famous TV host (主持人) in Hong Kong, wrote a letter to his son. It is not only  to children, but also good for all ages.The following are chosen his letter.

     Life is short. While you are it today, you'll realize you are at the end of it tomorrow. So the earlier you start to value your life, the you can enjoy it.

     You might not be successful you don't study hard, although a lot of successful people haven't  higher education.

      I don't expect you to support (供养) me for the rest of life, so I'm not going to do the same for you. You will be living on your own when you grow up.

     You can require yourself to be nice to others, you shouldn't expect the same from others.

     I've been buying the lottery (彩票) for almost twenty , but I'm still poor. I have never got the place even once. So you have to work hard to be successful. There is no free lunch in the world.

假如你是李丽，你的一位英国笔友Peter发来了e-mail，说他下星期来中国，他向你询问中国的餐桌礼仪，请你给他回一封e-mail，告诉他相关事宜。

要点：

1.让客人和长辈先吃每一道菜；

2.不要用筷子敲碗；

3.不要将手伸到饭桌对面（reach across）夹菜；

4.等大家都到齐了，才开始吃；

5.为主人的长寿、健康或成功干杯。

提示词：guest客人，elder长辈，tap敲，longevity长寿

…… 

Yours,

Li Li

    Nowadays more and more people in the world are getting fatter, which troubles them a lot. In the past 25 years, the number of the people with obesity （肥胖症）in Europe has grown fast. Experts say that it has a lot to do with our eating habits.

    Our eating habits are very important for good health and a strong body.①Most of us prefer eating sweets and ice cream to eating meat and rice. Sweets and ice cream are not bad for us if we eat them at the end of a meal. If we eat them before a meal, they may take away our appetite（食欲）.

②It's important for us to eat our meals at the same time each day. When we feel worried or excited, we may not want to eat. A long time ago, in England, some judges often decided whether a man was telling the truth by giving him some dry bread. If the man could not swallow the bread, it meant that he wasn't telling the truth.A man who is worrying about something has difficulty in swallowing anything dry, because he loses his appetite.