"What you want," she said," isn't always what you need." My mother always told me.
1my husband and I were talking 2Christmas. "I want a real tree," I said.
"Why?" he asked. "What's wrong with our fake(假的)one?" "A real 3makes a perfect Christmas." "Fine," he muttered(咕). So we4one home and set it up. Then I poured a bottle of water in the tree.
"That's plenty," said my husband. "No," I said, "a little more." I began pouring again. Then suddenly, the tree started to swim. We5 the water with every towel(毛巾)in the house. "Sorry," I said. He didn't reply. 6later the floor was dry and he was7to me again. "The tree smells good," he said. I 8. Then we finished the lights and put the angel on top.
Still, it wasn't quite…9So the next day I added snowflakes10the tree. It's still not perfect, but it's done. And I'm done, 11. But it's still not perfect. The lights on the tree are in a mess. The top snowflakes are showing their age. The berries are falling on the floor. 12at least it smells good. I will always remember that lovely 13 and the look my husband gave me.
My mother was 14. What we want isn't always15we need. I don't need a perfect Christmas. I only need the perfect gifts that Christmas brings: joy and laughter with family.
Millie wants to write about the changes in Sunshine Town for her STEM project and now is interviewing Mr: Chen, who knows a lot about Sunshine Town.
Millie：Do you know Sunshine Town very well, Mr. Chen?
Mr. Chen：Sure. I've lived here since I was born.
Millie：Have you ever moved house?
Mr. Chen：Yes. I first lived in the northern part of town with my parents. When I got married in 1965, my wife and I moved two blocks away and we have lived in this area since then.
Millie：Has the town changed a lot over the years?
Mr. Chen：Yes! We only had some small restaurants and shops years ago. And we had a post office and a cinema in the town center. Now the government has turned part of the town center into a new park. We have a new theatre and a large shopping mall, too.
Millie：Was pollution a problem then?
Mr. Chen：Yes, it was. There was once a steel factory near the Sunshine River. They often put the waste into the river. Later the government realized the problem and took action to improve the situation. Now the river is much cleaner.
Millie：Do you think life is better now?
Mr. Chen：Well, in some ways it is. It could be nice to have a beautiful modern town. However, most of my old friends have moved away. It has become impossible for us to see each other as often as before. We used to play cards and Chinese chess together. Now I feel a bit lonely from time to time. Anyway, it is good to see the amazing changes in the town.
When Grandma welcomed us, she was dressed in bright colors and wore jewelry(珠宝)I never knew she had. She seemed to be in a good mood(心情), but because of her deafness, communication was still difficult.
It had been half a year since my last visit. She must have thought that as an overseas student, I don't get to eat much good food anymore. So, with her wrinkled(皱纹)hand, she passed me some homemade pastries(糕点).
Her hands tested the temperature of my cup again and again, and every time it showed a slight sign of cooling down, Grandma poured in more hot water. She also never allowed me to stop eating. As soon as I finished what was on my plate, she gave me something new to try. Finally, when my stomach couldn't take any more, she stopped and held my hands as she sat beside me.
When it was time to leave, she walked downstairs to see us off. The sun shined on the white pearls(珍珠)round her neck. She was smiling, and her wrinkles sat happily on her soft skin. People usually compare wrinkles to a dry tree trunk(树干). But to me, my grandmother's wrinkles are among the loveliest things I've ever seen.
There used to be a time when I disliked old age and stayed away from elderly people, but that was because of my ignorance(无知). And now I understand that there's beauty in everything. My grandma's wrinkles are just like a thousand stories being told all at once.
①sat beside me ②gave me more to eat ③poured more hot water ④tested the temperature of my cup
Control your house from your hand. Download(下载)a film in just one second. Print a mobile phone at home. These are just a few technologies that we may see this year. Let's take a look at a few of them.
Smart Screens
This year, smart screens will be big news. They use AI technology and look like an iPad. Google Home Hub is a good example. It is a smart screen that people can use for everything from looking up video recipes(菜谱)to looking at family photos. You can also connect your other smart devices(设备)to Home Hub through the Internet. You can turn on lights or the TV simply by speaking to Home Hub or touching a button(按钮)on the screen.
5G Internet
How fast is your mobile phone network? After 3G and 4G, 5G is on the way. According to Science Daily, it is hoped that the US will test 5G this year, while the UK will do so in 2020. China has already tested 5G in some parts of Beijing and Hebei.
5G is very fast. Its speed is about 10 to 20 times faster than networks now, the BBC noted. You can download a whole film in just one second with 5G. This used to take a few minutes with 4G networks.
3DMetal Printing
3D printing isn't new. It first came out in the 1990s. But it isn't commonly used in everyday l life. 3D printers are expensive, each costing thousands of dollars. In addition, they can only print plastics and other basic materials.
But now, some 3D printers can print metal. HP can print some small metal parts for cars, such as key rings and gear sticks(操作杆). People can use 3D printing to make things like toys. But what if people could print these at home? This would help save time and money. More people might think about buying their own 3D printers.
Grandma knows best！
When you have a tiny health problem, do you usually go to the doctor, get something from the drugstore(药店), or use a home remedy(治疗)?
In fact, when people have a cold, a fever, or the flu, they usually go to the doctor for help, or they get some medicine from the drugstore. But many people also use home remedies for common illnesses. Here are some simple home remedies.
Wash the bite. Put some meat tenderizer on a handkerchief and then put the handkerchief on the bite for half an hour. To avoid being biten, it's helpful to eat garlic or take garlic pills.
Put the burn under cold water or put a cold handkerchief(手帕)on it. Then apply aloe veragel(芦荟膏)to the burn. It's important not to put ice on the burn.
Lots of people eat hot chicken soup when they have a cold. They find that it clears the head and the nose. Some people rub oil on their chest for a cold. Other people drink a mixture of red pepper, hot water, sugar, lemon juice, and milk or vinegar.
Put an ice pack or cold cloth on your head, or wash your face with cold water. It's also a good idea to put your hands into hot water and leave them there for several minutes. Also, you shouldn't read or watch TV.
Insomnia(失眠)
Drink a large glass of warm milk. It's also a good idea to soak in a warm bath.
A.
Headaches 
B. Insect bites 
C. Colds 
D. Burns 
|
meaning fast read by they |
Harry：Hey，Alice！I'm a little nervous. I have to finisha book and give a report next Friday.
Alice：That doesn't sound too bad.
Harry：But I'm a slow reader.
Alice：Just read quickly to get the main ideas firstly. Don't read wordword. Read word groups.
Harry：But I don't understand many of . I may need a dictionary.
Alice：Try to guess a word'sby reading the sentences before and after it. You probably understand more than you think.
Harry：That sounds difficult！
Alice：Well, be patient. It takes time. You can become better by reading something you enjoy every day. The more you read, theyou'll be.
A fisherman lived with his wife in an old shack(棚屋)by the sea. Each day he caught a fish, and cooked for his wife. One day he caught a talking fish. The fish asked the fisherman to let him live and the fisherman (agree). For the rest of the day, he caught nothing else.
the fisherman got home empty-handed, his wife asked why. He told her about the magical fish. " It's a magical fish, so ask it to grant(同意)your wish. I hate my shack Ask the fish a nice house," she shouted. The man didn't want a house but he didn't want his wife to get angry either, so he didn't know if he should is ten to his hearthis wife.
The next day, the fisherman told the fish his wife's wish. When he got home, his wife was standing by the sidea nice house. For a week, she was happy but then she started to complain. " Go and ask for a castle(城堡)," she said. "If you don't, I' be(happy)forever. "So he went back and spoke to the fish again. When he got home, his wife was standing in front of a castle.
Life was good for a few (day)but early one morning, the fisherman's wife sad. "I want (be)the queen of the land." The fisherman couldn't believe it. I won't go." he told her. "Then, I will never speak to you again" she said. The fisheman went back and told the fish(nervous).
| Places | Gulou | Dongqian Lack |
| Activities | ▲taste lots of local food like…… | ◆do sports like…… |
| ▲learn…from old buildings | ◆have a picnic…… | |
| ▲…… | ◆…… | |
| Feelings | ▲…… | ◆…… |
参考词汇：homemade手工的；mazi麻稵；go cycling 骑自行车；go jogging慢跑；
【备注】1）短文必须包括你所选择一方的所有要点，并适当发挥；
2）文中不要出现真实的姓名和校名；
3）词数：80--100个；
4）短文首尾句已给出，仅供参考，不计入总词数。
Dear ▲ ,
I think it's a must for you to go to…
