Beethoven is my favorite musician. He is one of the world's greatest composers and pianists. He wrote a lot of beautiful pieces of music. At the age of four, he could already play the piano. I only started playing when I was eight! Beethoven's first music teacher was his father and he saw that the boy had a lot of talent. He wanted his son to be the next Mozart. Beethoven practiced very hard for very long hours. Because of this, he quickly became very popular. Many people enjoyed his music and liked to hear him play the piano.
However, at the age of 28, Beethoven suddenly started to lose his hearing. He had to stop his successful career as a pianist but he continued to work hard and did not let this stop him. He wrote more music, and some of his later pieces became very famous. They are still widely played today. I have listened to all of his music pieces already and the one I like the most is Symphony no. 9. But life was still not easy. There is a well﹣known story that once someone had to turn Beethoven around so that he could see people standing and cheering for him. When Beethoven realized that he could not hear anything, he cried. He wrote some letters to his closest friends, telling them how he felt. Some of these letters have been carefully kept in museums. I have not visited those museums yet but I really want to!
a. Some of Beethoven's letters to his friends were carefully kept in museums.
b. Beethoven's father saw that his son had a lot of talent in music.
c. Beethoven suddenly started to lose his hearing.
d. Mozart became popular as a pianist.
May 2019 5 CONTENTS May 1﹣3 Page 8 May 4 Page 11 Holidays Viewpoints THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY HOW NOT TO USE A SMARTPHONE Celebrate more than Mother's Day Technology should help you, not hurt you this month. May 11 Page 17 May 13,14 Page 18 Exercise MAKE YOUR BRAIN SMARTER A LESSON IN FINANCE IS A GREAT Tips for developing an exercise GIFT FOR KIDS plan for your brain. Teach your child to spend money wisely. May 16,17 Page 22 May 18 Page 24 Culture Life THE HISTORY OF KEYS DO YOU WANT A DOG? You can't get in unless you have the key! Owning a dog can be fun, but it's also a lot of work. May 27, 28 Page 34 May 29﹣31 Page 37 Happy Facts Business Start﹣up HAPPY FACTS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE These fun facts are sure to make you Plan for all the possibilities. smile. |
As the weather becomes warmer, Wang Xiguang, 50, a store owner from Xingyang in Henan province, becomes more watchful as he walks along the Yellow River in front of his small shop. Growing up along the Yellow River, Wang almost drowned in it when he was 12, but luckily a villager saved him. Soon after that, he started learning how to swim.
Playing along the river is dangerous but it happens all the time, resulting in drowning. Wang says school children are the main victims(受害者). Now Wang is famous for saving many people, about one in a year, from drowning in the river over the past 32 years.
He said he has come to know the river well over the years and that it can become even more dangerous in summer. "My main wish is for people not to play by the river, especially along the dangerous sections where water runs fast, " he said.
In August, 2011, two pupils fell into the river during the summer. Hearing their cries for help, Wang ran out of his shop and jumped into the water. After saving one child, Wang found the other was moving away in the fast﹣running water. But he managed to save both pupils even though the water was becoming much deeper and faster.
With the children in their arms, their parents thanked Wang continuously. He just said, "It was just something I could do. "
Passage I Doing something for a change is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute rest from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work or a weekend finding somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some "me time". Sometimes when I'm sitting on the bus, I let my thoughts fly and it really helps me. Taking a break may mean being very active. It may mean not doing very much at all. Take a deep breath…and relax. Try yoga or a deep thought, or just putting your feet up. Listen to your body. If you're really tired, give yourself time to sleep. Without good sleep, our mental health suffers and our concentration(专注度) goes downhill. Sometimes the world can wait. |
Passage II What do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? What did you love doing in the past? Enjoying yourself helps beat stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you're good at it and being good at something builds up your confidence. Centering on a hobby like gardening or the crossword can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood. I'm learning the guitar. You have to really give attention to getting it right so there's no room in my head for worries. It can be good to have an interest where you're not seen as someone's mom or dad, partner or employee. You're just you. An hour of drawing lets you express yourself creatively. A morning on the football ground gets you active and gives you the chance to meet new people. |
Hong Kong is a shopping heaven. During the Hong Kong Shopping Festival in July and August each year, Hong Kong puts on special events and the stores put on sales for the festival.
Hong Kong is a city full of shopping malls, department stores, and street markets but shopping areas are mainly in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Hong Kong is one of the best shopping places in the world, however, the best three buys are clothes, cosmetics, and electrical appliances(电器). As they are tax free, the prices are always much lower than those found in other countries.
When you shop in Hong Kong, you will find the currency(货币) symbol $. It looks like the symbol of US dollars but it always refers to Hong Kong dollars rather than US dollars. You can exchange your currency for Hong Kong dollars at any money exchanger.
There are many street markets in Hong Kong. Going around street markets is a way to experience the local people's lifestyle and buy souvenirs(纪念品). The famous street markets are Stanley Market, Ladies' Market and Temple Street Market.
Small shops generally open from 10 am to 7 pm daily. But most department stores and shopping malls in major tourist areas will stay open until 9: 30 pm or even later. Please check the opening hours before you pay them a visit.
A. Most Goods Priced in Hong Kong Dollars B. Business Hours in Hong Kong C. Hong Kong, A Shopping Center D. The Most Popular Goods in Hong Kong E. Shopping Parts in Hong Kong F. Street Markets in Hong Kong |
I started to love running at a young age. I loved to race my father and my sister around our big 1. I wished I could run in the Olympics and win lots of medals.
One day my mother saw an advertisement for a race in a newspaper. "Would you be 2taking part in this race?" she asked me, pointing to the advertisement. "Yes, of course," I answered.
I 3 the next few days practicing for my big race. My sister set up a table in the backyard so she could 4me water and time me.
On the day of the race, just before the race my father said to me, "Don't run out of all your energy (能量) at the 5of the race. You need to have energy 6you can run much faster at the end. "
The race began. Following 7words, I didn't run as fast as I could. Then the other runners started 8me, which made me feel nervous. I began to feel tired, and I started slowing down and breathing 9.
Just at that moment I heard, "10 Kelly! You can do it! Don't give up! Keep running!" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dad running beside me around the outside track.
I took a deep breath and tried my best to 11on running. I didn't win the race, 12came fifth, I felt like a winner. I tried my best, and I hadn't given up.
Later, as I thought about the race, I felt thankful that my dad had 13left my side. He always encourages me when I 14giving up. He runs alongside me through my life. I'll remember my dad's words forever, "Never give up. You can be a 15even if you lose. "
My partner Chris and I went traveling around the world for a year. In the end, we couldn't wait to spend 10 days enjoying world's largest rainforest, Amazon(亚马逊).
Of all, tours are (safe)way to visit the Amazon, and we did two. On the first tour, we (leave)from a small town to go through the forest. With a group of six (visit) we made our way in a small boat, wanting to see anacondas﹣big snakes!
Our second tour led us deeper into the rainforest by boat, jeep and foot. Both our guides lived in the Amazon their whole lives and they knew (clear) about the rainforest. While we were sleeping in a small wooden house with water around it, crocodiles (swim)around us.
We didn't finish out our tours we got the chance to visit the people in the middle of the forest. We were (surprise)to learn how the local people live off the land.
Ever then, we have been fans of the wildlife of Amazon!
—Me n, How I wish to go there some day!
Dear Li Bing, How is it going? I am really interested in Chinese legends and stories. You may have a few books about them,so which one is your favorite? How long have you had it? What is the main idea of the story? Why do you like it so much? Write soon! Yours, Paul |
注意:
⒈邮件必须包括提示的问题,可以适当发挥;
⒉词数80左右,开头和结尾已给出(不计词数);
⒊文中不得出现个人真实信息。
Dear Paul, …… Yours, Li Bing |