When I was a kid, I always enjoyed visiting the zoo. My family lived far away from the zoo, so we didn’t go there very often. But whenever we went to the zoo, I always had a fun and interesting time.
Some of the animals were very large. Of course, the elephants were huge, and they had such an unusual appearance, with their big ears and their long trunk and tusks. The giraffes were very tall, with long necks that reached high into the trees.
Some of my favorite animals were the big cats. The lions looked very powerful, with their big teeth and paws. The tigers were just as big and strong, with yellow and black stripes.
But the bears were even larger than these cats. The polar bears, with their bright white fur, liked to swim through the water. The grizzly bears had brown fur and liked to roam around on land.
The animals from Australia seemed very unusual. The kangaroos, with their strong legs and long tail, could jump great distances across the ground. The baby kangaroo could go inside its mother’s pouch. Another Australian animal, the koala bear, crawled slowly in the trees, where it ate leaves.
The monkeys and apes were also very interesting. In many ways, they reminded me of people. Some of the monkeys were very small. They could use their arms, legs, and tail to swing through the trees. Some of the apes were very large. The gorilla was the largest of all. Sometimes a big gorilla would stand up and pound his fists on his chest.
To see all the animals at the zoo took almost a whole day. By the end of the day, I was very tired from walking around. But I was also very happy to see all the amazing animals from places around the world.
grizzly bear:
a very large bear that lives in the northwest of North America
________________
roam:
to walk or travel, usually for a long time, with no clear purpose or direction
ￚsee also wander
roam over/around/about etc
*The dogs are allowed to roam around.
*Chickens and geese roam freely in the back yard.
*You shouldn’t let your children roam the streets .
*armed bands roamed the streets
roam the countryside/desert/forests etc
*Wild sheep roam the hills.
________________
pouch:
a pocket of skin on the stomach which marsupials such as kangaroos use for carrying their babies
OR
a fold of skin like a bag which animals such as hamsters or squirrels have inside each cheek to carry and store food
fist:
the hand when it is tightly closed, so that the fingers are curled in towards the palm.
People close their hand in a fist when they are angry or are going to hit someone
*She held the money tightly in her fist.
*Malcolm clenched his fist (=held his fist very tightly closed) angrily.
*Dooley stood up and shook his fist in her face.
*Varney slammed his fist down onto the table so hard the dishes jumped.
My dentist called my house the other day. He told me I needed my teeth cleaned. I set up an appointment to see him on Saturday, June l0th.
When I got to my dentist’s office, I had to sit in the waiting room. There were other people ahead of me. They finally called my name.
I went into his room and sat down on a big blue chair. They leaned it back. A bright light was turned on. It hurt my eyes, so I closed them. My dentist asked me to open my mouth.
I did. I thought my mouth was very big, but he told me to open it even wider!
Soon he began poking around to see if I had any cavities. He flossed my teeth and put fluoride around my teeth too. The fluoride tasted like bubble gum.
I had to spit into a dish-like bowl. It squirted out water. My dentist kept asking me questions. I couldn’t answer because there were weird tools in my mouth! When I tried answering back, he seemed to understand though.
His helper came into the room. She asked me to open my mouth again. I had toclamp down on something that felt like rubber. She put a big camera-type machine right next to
my cheek. She did this on the other side of my face as well. They took two pictures of my teeth. It was really cool.
The dentist told me my teeth were perfect! I didn’t have any problems. I could go home.
“See you next year,” he said.
poke around
phrasal verb
to look for something, especially by moving a lot of things around
poke around in
James began poking about in the cupboard, looking for the sugar.
cavity:
formal
a hole or space inside something
Put herbs inside the body cavity of the fish. I have no cavities (=no holes in my teeth) .
clamp:
to put or hold something in a position so that it cannot move
She clamped her hands over her ears. Creed opened his mouth to speak, then clamped it shut .
Little Annie was very bored one lazy afternoon. She had nothing to do! She had already played with her brothers in the sandbox and had tea with them and her dollies, too. She had baked chocolate chip cookies with her mom and even tasted one! They were very good, she thought. Now Annie was trying to figure out what else she could do to pass the day away.
Little Annie decided that she would go to her favourite spot in the world…the green, grassy field full of daisies, beneath the great oak tree. She took a red and white blanket with her. She laid it down on the ground, and then she lay down on it. She lay there looking at the clouds, fluffy and white. She saw bunnies, huge gray elephants and scary-looking crocodiles. Soon, Little Annie wasdrifting in and out of clouds and reality. The clouds started dancing with her, begging her to come and play. She got up from her blanket and joined the clouds. They flew over roof tops of all of the village people, swam with the fish in the lake and said hello to all of the birds that they passed by. Little Annie was having so much fun!
The clouds had formed into a chariot so Little Annie could drive if she wanted to. She drove over a rainbow that was bright in the sky. Then, she shot through the branches of her friend’s spruce tree!
Annie suddenly came to a STOP! Hearing someone call her name, Annie looked around.
She blinked; once, twice, and finally everything came into focus. Her brother wastugging at her leg, wondering why she was staring into outer space with a big grinon her face!
“Oh,” Little Annie said, not really knowing that she had been sitting there all along.
lazy afternoon:
a lazy period of time is spent doing nothing except relaxing
We spent lazy days relaxing on the beach.
________________
daisy:
a white flower with a yellow centre
________________
drift:
▶MOVE SLOWLY◀
to move slowly on water or in the air
drift out/towards etc
The rubber raft drifted out to sea. Smoke drifted up from the jungle ahead of us.
_______________
chariot:
a vehicle with two wheels pulled by a horse, used in ancient times in battles and races
________________
spruce:
a tree that grows in northern countries and has short leaves shaped like needles
________________
tug:
to pull with one or more short, quick pulls
*The woman gently tugged his arm.
*three men tugged at the rope
*a boat tugged the tanker into the harbor
________________
grin:
a wide smile
He came into the room with a friendly grin on his face . wide/broad/big etc grin ‘Of course,’ he agreed with a wide grin.
Sometimes she asks my advice now about her work or about a problem and I ask her advice. Sometimes she comes in to my office and says ” I’m really angry, can I whine to you?” Then she talks about a problem and I listen, and then she returns cheerfully to her office. Sometimes I go into her office and say. ” I’m upset about something that happened; can I come in for a minute?” Then Igrumble to her and she listens, and then I go back cheerfully to my office. Each of us feels better when we have shared our problems. Then they are no longer problems.
When I started my job a year ago at the university, I did not know my way around. I did not know where to find anything. I had a million questions. But Dianne in the next office took me on a tour showing me the places to eat, the library, the lecture rooms, where to get a picture ID card, how to get from one building to another. When I had a question I asked Dianne: how to use the telephone, where to make copies, where to print with my computer, the location of my mailbox.
She teaches as I do. We both spend a lot of time helping students and answering their questions. She giggles a lot; I hear her laugh with her students.
Dianne is shy in a group of people. She is quiet and does not start a conversation. Everyone around her talks and she listens. On Friday afternoons, she makes popcorn for everyone. We all sit in the staff room and eat microwaved popcorn and drink tea and talk. We start to relax for the weekend and talk about our plans.
She is a good friend; she helps my students when I am not there; she wishes me good luck when I go to a lecture. I am very glad that she can be my friend in the office beside mine.
whine:
to complain in a sad, annoying voice about something
ￚsynonym moan
Oh Charlotte, please stop whining.’I don’t understand,’ whined Rose.
whine about
The sergeant was whining about how hard he had been forced to work recently.
(She’s asking you if you will be supportive and listen to her complain about an issue she’s angry about.)
____________________
grumble:
to keep complaining in an unhappy way
ￚsynonym moan
grumble about/at
Farmers are always grumbling about the weather.
grumble that
A few passengers grumbled that their cabins were too small.
‘This is boring,’ Kathleen grumbled.
There once was a little girl named Rain Angel. She loved to sit at the piano and play. Rain Angel was a very gifted girl. She had a voice that gave people shivers, and she loved to sing!
As Rain got older, she continued to love music. Rain became involved in the choirs and bands at her high school. She loved performing in front of people. She couldn’t help but feel the sense of power she had when she was up on stage, and there was always loud clapping when she finished a song.
Rain soon went out on her own and looked for someone that could help her become famous. Rain wanted to share her talent with the world. She felt that her special talent for music helped people feel good.
Rain went out into the big world, and she did very well. She was always performing her best, and someone finally noticed her. Her new agent helped her to make her first album. Rain became famous because she never quit trying.
Rain loved her new way of life. She continued singing and playing her piano. She was even taught how to write her own music!
Rain Angel had always dreamed of becoming a celebrity. She always remembered her friends and family when she was famous because they had always believed in her.
Rain Angel strove for a faraway place, and it became her reality. She always believed that
what she wanted to become was her choice. She believed that if you have the strength and determination you can make your dreams come true.
shiver:
a slight shaking movement of your body caused by cold or fear
ￚsynonym trembleA shiver ran through (=went through) me.
shiver of
She felt a shiver of apprehension.
choir:
a group of people who sing together for other people to listen to
ￚsee also choral He joined a church choir at the age of eight.
strive:
past tense strove
[intransitive] formal
to make a great effort to achieve something
*strive to learn English with salamzaban
*I was still striving to be successful.
strive for/after
*We must continue to strive for greater efficiency.
*each of us must strive to improve himself
*to strive for success
ￚstriving noun
Another Source
to struggle hard; make a great effort, esp. to gain something: He strove for recognition as an artist. | striving after perfection/against injustice [+to-v] striving to improve their public image
Wow! A big tent was in the middle of the town’s parking lot! We were going to a three-ring circus. I couldn’t wait for it to begin. Inside and outside of the tent, toys, balloons and food were being sold. All of the children were so very excited.
Inside the tent, we found good seats so we could see everything. The band started to play loud music, and the ringmaster came out with a big tall hat on his head.
In one ring, there were small animals, dogs, monkeys and parrots doing tricks. The dogs were dressed in funny clothes, and so were the monkeys. They rode on bicycles, danced and climbed ladders.
There were wild tigers and lions in a big round wire cage. A man with a whip was inside the cage with them. He had them trained to jump through a hoop of fire and to roll over. He even kissed them! He was very brave!
During the break in the middle of the circus, funny clowns came out and did silly things. They had happy faces and sad faces. Some had big red noses that honked if you squeezed them. There were rides on big elephants too. I didn’t go on one because it cost too much money.
The last act took up the whole tent. It was acrobats. They hung from their teeth, their feet and their necks high up in the air! They also swung high up in the air and “flew” to each other. It’s kind of scary to watch because I was afraid they might fall.
I had a very good time at the circus. However, my tummy felt kind of sick from all the cotton candy and junk food I ate!
ringmaster:
the person who introduces the performers and animals in a circus
Each week I go to the grocery store to buy food for my family. I get a shopping cart from the front of the store, and I push the cart all around the store. The cart is large, but when I am finished shopping, the cart is nearly full!
The grocery store is also called a supermarket. When I go shopping, I start out in the produce section of the supermarket. The produce section is where the fresh fruits and vegetables are kept. I like to buy different kinds of fruit, such as apples, oranges, and bananas. The vegetables that I often buy are carrots, peas, and corn. I also buy tomatoes when they are bright red in color. I often buy a bag of potatoes or a bag of rice.
After visiting the produce section, I go to the meat section. Here I buy poultry, such as chicken and turkey. I often buy seafood, especially fish. I also buy beef, and sometimes pork or lamb. I also visit the dairy section, where I can buy milk and cheese. Sometimes I also buy ice cream or yogurt.
When I have finished in the meat and dairy sections, I then move to the bakery section. This is where loaves of bread are baked and sold. There are many different kinds of bread in the bakery section. The bakery section also sells pasta, such as macaroni and spaghetti. And, of course, you can buy pies, cakes, and cookies in the bakery section. These foods are very sweet and tasty!
I also pick up a few other things at the supermarket, such as soap, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies. But sometimes I forget to buy something that I had planned to get. Maybe I should make a list of the things I need to buy!
poultry:
1
[plural] birds such as chickens and ducks that are kept on farms in order to produce eggs and meat
2
[uncountable] meat from birds such as chickens and ducks
pork:
the meat from pigs
pork chops
When the hot summer weather arrives, many people like to cool off by visiting the beach. Often, there is a cool breeze that comes off the water. And, of course, the water itself is cool and refreshing.
One of the favourite activities at the beach is building sandcastles. Children use small shovels and pails to move the sand. They can build small forts and castles by carefully forming and shaping the sand. Building sandcastles is a lot of fun, but you shouldn’t build them too close to the water: a wave might come and wash your sandcastle away!
There are also many games that people like to play at the beach. Some people play catch with a small plastic disc called a Frisbee. The Frisbee glides smoothly through the air. Other people like to play beach volleyball in the soft sand.
Some people prefer just to relax on the beach. They like to lie down on a blanket and feel the warm sunshine. I like to sit on the beach with an ice-cream cone. But you have to eat it quickly, before it melts.
Of course, the main attraction of a beach is the water. Many children learn to swim at the beach, and enjoy playing in the water. Some people like to swim vigorously. Other people like to relax in the water on an inflatable, floating mattress. Other people just wade around in the water, as a way to keep cool. When it is a windy day, some people try sports such as surfing.
Going to the beach is surely one of the best ways to spend a summer day!
breeze:
a gentle wind
flowers waving in the breeze
pail:
a metal or wooden container with a handle, used for carrying liquids
ￚsynonym bucket
a milk pail
pail of
a pail of water
fort:
a strong building or group of buildings used by soldiers or an army for defending an important place
Frisbee:
glide
1
to move smoothly and quietly, as if without effort
glide across/over/down etc
couples gliding over the dancefloor
2
a) if a bird glides, it flies without moving its wings
b) if a plane glides, it flies without using an engine
vigorous:
using a lot of energy and strength or determination
*Your dog needs at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
*Environmentalists have begun a vigorous campaign to oppose nuclear dumping in the area.
*a vigorous debate
*Vigorous efforts are being made to find a solution to the problem.
*The measures provoked vigorous opposition in right-wing circles.
ￚvigorously adverb
inflatable:
an inflatable object has to be filled with air before you can use it
an inflatable mattress
mattress:
the part of a bed that one lies on, consisting of a strong cloth cover filled with soft material or springs:
*I’ll have to get a new mattress for my bed — the springs have gone in this one
Ummmm. Something smells good! My friend’s mom is making cookies. They are chocolate chip, my favourite! I think I’ll go home and ask my mom if we can make cookies, too.
I run all the way home and rush through the door. I yell, “Mom, Mom!” She comes out from her bedroom, her eyes wide. “What?” she answers, a little worried. I breathlessly ask if we can please, pretty please, make cookies. She smiles and says, “I guess so.” “YES!” I reply.
First mom tells me to get out the cooking stuff; so I get out the mixer and bowl, the measuring cups and spoons and the cookie sheets. Then she tells me to get out the recipe book. I remind her that the recipe is on the chocolate chip package. “Right,” she says. Then she asks me to look at the recipe and get out the things we need: like flour, sugar and butter.
We set the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Then, we mix all of the flour and other stuff (ingredients) together. Last, we add the chocolate chips. We drop thebatter by big teaspoons full onto the cookie sheets. We set the timer for 12 minutes and just sit back and enjoy the good smell!
The buzzer rings. We take the cookies out. Oh, do they look good! We don’t even wait for them to cool down. Both Mom and I get a big glass of cold milk and two big warm cookies each. Yum! Yum! Want to join us?!
chocolate chip cookie:
a kind of small biscuit with small pieces of chocolate in it
recipe:
a set of instructions for cooking a particular type of food
recipe for
a recipe for tomato soup
a recipe book
batter:
a mixture of flour, eggs, milk etc, used in cooking and for making bread, cakes etc
Fry the fish in batter. pancake batter
دقت نمایید که چگونه از زمان حال ساده برای بیان رویدادی در گذشته استفاده شد
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are; up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, twinkle, twinkle little star.” This is a little poem/song I always say when I am outside, and I see the stars. When I see the first star of the night, I sometimes say this one: “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight; I wish I may; I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.” Do you have a special thing to say about the stars?
Stars are beautiful bright spots in the sky. Stars are usually seen at night when it is dark. We can’t see them in the day time because the sun is so bright, the brightest star of all. I like staying up late just to look at the stars.
One time I was outside at midnight, and the stars seemed to sparkle and dance. They really did look like diamonds dancing in the sky!
If you watch the stars long enough, you may see a falling star or a shooting star. I have seen both. A falling star is where the star just seems to drop, and it leaves a trail of what appears like star dust. A shooting star is very beautiful. It “shoots” across the sky leaving a long trail of colourful “star dust.” Shooting stars seem to brighten up the whole sky. They usually seem quite close to the earth.
Have you ever watched the stars and got the urge to reach out and touch them, or even to join them in their secret dance? I wonder what it would be like to see a star up close. Would it look like the moon? Maybe one day when I am older, I will go up in a rocket ship and visit the dancing stars in the midnight sky!
sparkle:
to shine in small bright flashes
ￚsee also sparkling
The sea sparkled in the sun. The crystal chandelier sparkled.
A song comes on the radio. My lips start to move, singing along. My fingers start to snap; my feet begin to tap. The music sinks deep into my soul. I listen to the music as it fills my brain, and I remember when I used to sing. I sang in front of huge crowds. I loved it when they watched me and clapped for me when I was finished.
Letting out my feelings when I was sad, mad, happy, or glad was when I would sing. I sang in the shower; I sang in the rain; I sang in church; I sang walking down the street!
Music has always been a big part of my life. It seems like I was a baby when I started playing the piano! I would sit on my sister’s lap while she played the piano, and I would bang on the keys. I remember sitting beside her and learning how to sing. I sang my little lungs out!
As I grew, I listened to other singers on tapes, the radio and C.D.s. I took those things that I heard from different singers and made myself sound like them. Soon, I could take what I had heard all my life and make it into my own sound.
I have always liked singing jazz and blues. I don’t listen to jazz and blues a lot, however. I listen to pop, rock, classical and some country. As you can see, I like many types of music. I have seen musicals, too, like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Those musicals were amazing. There were such bright costumes and stage sets, not to mention the wonderful songs and singing.
Music has been on this earth since the beginning of time, and it touches every one in a different way. I know it has not only touched me, but is a big part of my very being!
snap:
making a noise by moving the second finger quickly along the thumb
______________________________
tap:
▶MUSIC◀
[transitive] to make a regular pattern of sounds with your fingers or feet, especially when you are listening to music
She tapped her feet in time to the music. a toe-tapping tune
______________________________
sink:
▶MOVE LOWER◀
[intransitive] to move downwards to a lower level
The sun was sinking behind the coconut palms. Her chin sank onto her chest, and she looked despairing.
______________________________
bang:
to hit something hard, making a loud noise
bang on
*They were banging on the door with their fists.
bang your fist/hand on something
*She banged her fist on the table.
*The baby kept banging the table with his spoon.
______________________________
blues also the blues
[uncountable]
a slow sad style of music that came from the southern US
a blues singer
ￚsee also rhythm and blues
______________________________
touch:
▶HAVE AN EFFECT◀
[transitive] to have an effect on someone or something, especially by changing or influencing them
He has touched the lives of many people. Unemployment remains an evil that touches the whole community. He was often touched by doubt (=doubt affected him) .
“Ring, ring.” The phone is ringing. My mother answers it. “Hello,” she says. It is for me. When I pick up the phone, I hear a boy’s voice. It is a boy I go to school with.
This boy is very nice, and he is cute, too. He asks me if I want to go out for dinner with him tonight. I say yes. He is going to pick me up at 5:30 p.m. in the evening. He has a nice red car.
Before he picks me up, I have to find an outfit to wear. I am nervous and don’t know what to wear. So my sister picks out an outfit for me. I feel excited and have the sensation of butterflies in my stomach. The inside of my hands are damp, too. I put on my outfit and do my hair. My sister gives me some nice clips to put in my hair.
“Ding-dong,” the doorbell buzzes. My date is here! I hurry to the door, so I cangreet him. He tells me that I look nice and that we are going to a place called M-T Bellies.
When we arrive at M-T Bellies, there is loud music playing. A smiling waitress comes who serves us our food. I order a large caesar salad. My date orders steak. When it arrives, the food looks and is delicious! The waitress asks us if we want dessert after we’ve finished. But we are too full. So we ask for our bill to pay.
My date pays for the meal. I brought money just in case we would share the cost. When we leave the restaurant, we go for a walk by the river. It is a beautiful night.
I am enjoying my first date. I am laughing and having fun. It is time for us to go home. So my date takes me home. I smile and thank him for the great time. I hope he’ll ask me out again!
outfit:
a set of clothes worn together, especially for a special occasion
*She bought a new outfit for the party.
*a cowboy outfit
_______________________________
dampadj)
slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way: damp grass | damp clothes | The tenants complained to their landlord about the damp walls in the bedroom. | an unhealthy damp climate | Use a damp cloth to clean the table.
_______________________________
clip:
▶FOR FASTENING◀
[countable] a small metal or plastic object that holds or fastens things together
The wire is held on with a metal clip. a wad of money in a gold clip
_______________________________
greet:
greet
to say hello to someone or welcome them
Belinda greeted her warmly.
greet somebody with something
Bill opened the door to Harold and greeted him with cries of welcome.
It’s time to sign up forschool. This year Natalie is going to Brock University. She has never been to university before. She is a little bit scared. She hopes she meets nice, new friends. Natalie stood in line to get her picture taken. The picture was put on a card. The card was her picture ID (identification). She would use this card if she needed to buy books from the school bookstore; if she wanted to get a book from the library; or if she wanted to use the pool!
After all of the signing up and money was paid, Natalie went out to lunch with her mother.
“Mom, I’m kind of scared about going to school. I’m going to be the youngest kid there. I don’t know how to take notes. The teachers might be mean….”, Natalierambled on. Her mom just calmed her down and said, “Take one day at a time, Natalie. Worry only about today.” “Hmmm. You’re right, Mom. Thanks!”
Natalie was very scared on the first day of school. She made sure she had all of the books she needed and lots of pens, pencils and erasers. She walked into the front of the building and went on her way to try and find her classroom.
Natalie got through her classes and met a lot of new people, nice people. Her classes seemed to go by really fast, and the day went by even faster.
When Natalie got home she was so excited. She told her mom that classes weren’t all that scary; the students and the teachers weren’t scary either! Natalie knew that the school work would be hard, but she felt good about the people she had met that day. She knew she’d have a good year.
school:
▶UNIVERSITY◀
a) [uncountable and countable] American English a college or university, or the time when you study there
Their kids are away at school now. She was going to school in Boston.
b) [countable]a department or group of departments that teaches a particular subject at a university
school of
the Harvard School of Public Health
law/medical/business/graduate school After two years of medical school, I thought I knew everything.
___________________________________
ramble on:
phrasal verb
to talk or write for a long time in a way that other people find boring
ￚsynonym go on
ramble on about
My father kept rambling on about the war.
___________________________________
Take one day at a time:
don’t expect things to happen at once, results may only come gradually
It is the first school dance that I have ever been to. All of the boys are standing on one side of the gymnasium, and all of the girls are on the other side. There is loud music playing, and I can hardly hear my friends talking.
The music is going fast, and some people are starting to move to the beat of the song. Soon all the girls are dancing, but the boys are still standing against the wall. Then the song ends, and slow music comes on. I don’t know what to do, so I just go and stand against the wall. Then one of the boys in my class comes over and asks me if I would like to dance to the slow song. I really feel awkward and nervous, but say yes.
We go out into the middle of the gym, and he puts his hands on my waist, and I put my hands on his shoulders. We start to move to the music, and we step on each other’s feet! He is bigger than me, so my toe starts to hurt a little bit! As we continue to “slow dance,” more boys and girls come to the middle of the gym to dance together.
It sure is funny to watch people dance because they are stepping on each other’s toes and bumping into each other and turning in opposite directions! Soon the song ends, and the boys go to one side of the gym again. The girls decide that they want to dance to a fast song, so they stay in the middle of the gym and dance with one another.
Our teachers are making sure that we are behaving because they are watching us. I wonder if they want to dance. They probably are remembering their first school dance. I wonder if someday I’ll be grown up just like the teachers and laughing at the memories of my first school dance? I sure hope so!
gymnasium:
formal
a gym
beat:
the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has
a song with a beat you can dance to a poem with a very regular beat
Our health is very important to us. People can have good jobs, money or good looks. However, if they become sick, those things don’t mean a thing. It is wonderful to feel good.
Feeling good isn’t just about our body. It is also about our mind and spirit. We need to feel good in every area of our life.
One of the things we can do to be healthy is to get enough sleep. If we don’t sleep well, or enough, it hurts our body. It is during sleep that our body restores itself.
Everybody knows we should also eat good foods. We need milk products, meats, fruits and vegetables and breads and cereals. We shouldn’t eat too much fat or sugar things either. Of course, we just shouldn’t eat too much at all! Another thing that is very important is water. Most people know our bodies are mainly water, and we need to keep that replaced with good water–often!
Exercise is very good for both our body and mind. It is good for our heart, lungs, muscles and bones. It gets oxygen to our brain to help us think better. It can help us be smarter!
Doing things that we believe are right and good gives us peace inside. It makes us be nicer people and is good for our spirit. When we do what we know is right, it helps to reduce stress, which isn’t good for any part of us.
When we take care of our body, mind, and spirit, we feel good all over and inside, too! What a beautiful world this would be if we could all work at doing these things for ourselves and also trying to be a help to others!
cereal:
a plant grown to produce grain, for example wheat, rice etc
*cereal crops
*wheat is a cereal that has been planted for thousands of years
Ghosts, goblins, witches, princes andprincesses, kings, queens, skeletons! So may of these “things” are walking down my street. “Oh, no! They are coming to my door!” The doorbell chimes, and I slowly open the door. There standing on my front porch, is a little ghost and a cute little witch. They hold up a bag and say, “trick or treat.” I put candy into their bags and they smile and say, “Thank you.”
Every October 31 is Halloween. That is when children dress up as different things (not just funny people, but things like animals or fruits or vegetables, etc). They go from door to door and get different candies or little toys from the people in the houses. Some children, who are not very nice, will do naughty things to houses where people are not home, like throwing eggs at their windows. I think that is bad.
Sometimes people decorate their houses for this day. Some of the houses can be pretty scary. They’ll have scary noises coming from a tape recorder, too. However, it’s only for a few days out of the year, so we may as well have fun with it.
This year my brother is dressing up as a skeleton, and I’m dressing up as a bride. I am wearing my mom’s wedding dress. It is fun dressing up in costumes and putting on lots of makeup. Sometimes our friends don’t even know who we really are!
The best part of Halloween is the candy, of course. I once got an entire garbage bag full of candy. Mom and Dad took it away because I was eating too much. Mom gave me a piece of candy every day, though. If you eat too much candy, you can get a stomach ache. You need to remember to brush your teeth often, too, so you don’t get cavities. Still, that candy sure does taste good!
Well, it’s time to go “trick or treating.” So off I go, door to door, getting yummycandy and hearing people say, “Oh, aren’t you pretty!”
goblin:
a small ugly creature in children’s stories that likes to trick people
____________________________
prince:
the son of a king, queen, or prince
Prince William
____________________________
Princess:
a close female relation of a king and queen, especially a daughter
Princess Anne
____________________________
chime:
1 to (cause to) ring: The church bells chimed.
2 to show (the time) by ringing: The clock chimed one o’clock.
____________________________
porch:
a structure built onto the front or back entrance of a house, with a floor and a roof but no walls
____________________________
naughty:
▶SLIGHTLY BAD◀
to do something that is not right or good, but is not very serious
*I felt a bit naughty going off on my own, leaving the children behind.
*the neighbor’s naughty children
____________________________
tape recorder:
a piece of electrical equipment that can record sound on tape and play it back
____________________________
makeup:
▶FOR YOUR FACE◀
coloured substances that are put on your face to improve or change your appearance
*I don’t usually wear much make-up .
*Her hair looked untidy, and she had no make-up on .
*I’m just putting my make-up on , then I’ll be ready.
*girls in heavy make-up
*Don’t you ever wear eye make-up ?
____________________________
yummy:
tasting very good
This cake is really yummy.
the neighbor’s naughty children
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
What is New Year’s? Well, to me a New Year is when the date of the year changes. This year it is 2001, and on December 31 at midnight it will change to 2002. I wonder who invented the changing of years and how it was made the way it is. It must have been someone a long time ago, since it’s already 2001.
When New Year’s comes closer, a lot of people talk about New Year’s resolutions. I don’t bother making “resolutions” because I never do them anyway! And the ones that I do make are usually ones that will happen anyway. I guess it’s just common sense.
The biggest reason why I like New Year’s is because of the fireworks that we have here in Canada and many other countries, too. You should see some of the fireworks that go off. There are many different colours. There’s pink, blue, purple, yellow, green, red, even white, silver and gold. Fireworks make loud bangs,squeals, siren sounds, and sometimes all at once. There are lots of different sounds, but I can’t even explain what they are all like.
Fireworks are best when it’s very dark outside. They light up the whole sky! Sometimes, they look as though they are going to fall on you.
I like New Year’s because it’s fun in other ways, but the fireworks are the best part. You can buy fireworks to use for your own fireworks show. However, you have to be careful that no one gets burned or hurt.
Usually, there are parties at New Year’s. Some people really dress up fancy and even wear masks. They don’t know who one another is until midnight when they take their masks off. As midnight comes very close, everybody begins to count down, and then everyone yells out “Happy New Year’s” and bang pots and pans or ring bells or honk horns. Join me in the count down on New Year’s Eve. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one – HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
bang:
a sudden loud noise caused by something such as a gun
_______________________
squeal:
a long loud high sound or cry
squeal of
She gave a squeal of laughter.
There was a squeal of brakes.
_______________________
bang:
to make a loud noise or noises
The gate keeps banging in the wind.
_______________________
pot:
▶COOKING◀
[countable] a container used for cooking which is round, deep, and usually made of metal
pots and pans
pot of
There was a big pot of soup on the stove.
_______________________
pan:
▶FOR COOKING◀
a round metal container that you use for cooking, usually with one long handle and a lid
ￚsynonym saucepana frying panpots and pansCook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water.
_______________________
honk:
if a car horn or a goose honks, it makes a loud noise
Several drivers honked their horns and waved.
I like music. I have always liked music. Even when I was very young, I liked music. I like to listen to it, and to make it. When I was a little girl, listening to nice music would sometimes make me cry! That may seem silly, but the music was so pretty that I cried!
As I grew older, I started to take piano lessons. I was not very good at first, but after a while I got better. Also, as I grew older, I started to take violin lessons. I did not sound very good at all at first, but I improved.
When I was a teenager in high school, I made sure I had music classes every year. Those were the classes I enjoyed most of all. Everyone loved music, and we had a lot of fun. I started to take private singing lessons while I was in high school, too. I also sang in the choir, played in a band and acted in plays in high school. The plays were all musicals, so I got to sing and dance and enjoy music that way also. It was so much fun pretending to be other people!
When I finished high school, I went to university to learn how to be a music teacher. That was a lot of fun because every day I was with other people who loved music as much as I do. Mostly I played the piano, but I also learned how to play the drums, a saxophone, a trombone, a French horn, a clarinet, a flute, which I REALLY was not very good at, and a viola. I took more singing lessons, too. We did not have plays to sing and act in, but I sang in the university choir. Some years, I played the piano for other students who were learning other instruments. One year, I played duets with another girl who was also there to play piano. She and I made sure we played fast, funny songs, so we really enjoyed ourselves doing it.
Now, I am a music teacher. I do not have a lot of students, not as many as I used to have anyway. I still find it very rewarding. I like to see people who start off not knowing very much, if anything, and go on to be very good at creating music.
I still love listening to music also. Music makes me happy when I am sad. It makes me want to dance or sing when I am already happy. Mostly, music just makes me glad that I am me and that music is alive in me.
choir:
a group of people who sing together for other people to listen to
*He joined a church choir at the age of eight.
________________________
musical:
a play or film that includes singing and dancing
Webber had three musicals playing in London at one time. Broadway/West End musical (=one that is performed in New York’s or London’s important theatres) Carroll appeared in a number of Broadway musicals.
________________________
clarinet:
a musical instrument like a long black tube, that you play by blowing into it and pressing keys to change the notes
________________________
viola:
a wooden musical instrument that you play like a violin but that is larger and has a lower sound
________________________
duet:
a piece of music for two singers or players
________________________
anyway:?
________________________
rewarding:
making you feel happy and satisfied because you feel you are doing something useful or important, even if you do not earn much money
ￚsee also satisfying, worthwhile
*Teaching can be a very rewarding career.
Another Source
(of an experience or action) worth doing or having; giving satisfaction, but perhaps not much money: Nursing can be a very rewarding career.
See this lesson درس شش – در یک دوست دنبال چه می گردم
________________________
rewarding:
making you feel happy and satisfied because you feel you are doing something useful or important, even if you do not earn much money
ￚsee also satisfying, worthwhileTeaching can be a very rewarding career.
My baby is asleep in my arms. Her soft cheek rests against my chest, while her sweet breath puffs gently on my skin. Her tiny lips are puckered a bit. Her little eyelids flutter.
I wonder what she dreams about as she sleeps. Does she dream? I have heard her whimper in her sleep. Sometimes she awakens with a scream. What is so scary in her little baby dreams? Once I heard her giggle as she slept. Her dreams must have been sweet that day.
I have had three babies. The one I am holding now is my last one. My other babies are grown up more and now at school. I love their childish play and laughter. I miss their baby dimples and their baby sounds and smells.
There is such joy in the birth of a new baby. We hear their first little cry, telling us all is well with their small world. We feel their newborn skin, wrinkled, soft and slightly damp. We feel each little limb and are filled with wonder and humility. Life is good as baby takes its first food from its mother. Family gathers around, each waiting to hold and love this newest member. Each time the baby cries, its mom worries, and their bond becomes stronger.
Babies have their own special smell. Some have described it as “milk and innocence.” It is the sweetest smell on earth, I think. It cannot be copied. Somehow, it disappears as baby grows.
I love to hear my baby talk. Once in a while I can even understand a little bit! She is so serious in her baby talk that I just have to pick her up and hug her. I love to hear her say “Mommy.”
When my baby is tickled, or when the dog or her big brothers do something funny, it is so sweet to hear her baby laugh. It’s such a cute little giggle! Sometimes she laughs so hard, her face turns red, tears come to her eyes, and she falls down weak with the laughter. Those who watch her can’t help but laugh, too. I hope she always laughs so easily.
The parents watch with pride and joy as baby grows and has many “firsts.” There is the first time baby sleeps through the night, rolls over, smiles, laughs, hugs and kisses. Then there is the first tooth, crawling, first step and first word. With each new first, the baby becomes less a baby!
These steps are a little sad to parents, too, because they know they’re “losing their baby.” However, to a mother, even an adult child is still her baby!
My baby is not perfect. Sometimes she gets mad or whines for no reason. But, to me, she is still beautiful. Her smiles more than make up for her tears. Her hugs wipe away when she’s been bad. I intend to cherish each moment with my baby while I can!
I am almost nine years old and my bed time is 8:30 p.m. I think that is so unfair! I think I am old enough to stay up until at least 9:00 p.m. My parents say that I have to go to bed early because I have school the next day. I can’t wait until I am grown up and can stay awake as long as I want. Even though I think I should be able to go to bed later, I do like our night time routine.
At about 8:l5 p.m., my Mom sends us up to put on our pajamas. When we come back downstairs, we read together. Sometimes Mom will read to us, and sometimes we will read to her. If Dad is not working, he will sometimes read, too. Mostly it is Mom we read with though. When we read, Mom helps us with words we cannot read. We have to try and sound the word out, but if we are really stuck, she will help us. If we come to a place in our reading where we do not understand the meaning of what was written, we stop reading and look at Mom. She will tell us what it means or help us figure it out on our own.
After we are finished reading, we say goodnight to everyone in our house. First we say goodnight to Mom and give her a hug and a kiss. Then we do the same for Dad, then our little sister, and then our dog! Afterwards, we go upstairs and brush our teeth.
I have to do special stretching exercises for the muscles in my chest and legs, or I get pains when I run and play. I do my stretching before I get into bed. After my exercises, either my brother or I turn off the lights. We share a bedroom, so we take turns turning the light off.
Before we get into bed, we say our prayers. After we get into our beds, my brother and I talk to each other for a long time. We tell each other about our day, about what we hope will happen in the future, about our friends and all sorts of other important things. After awhile, we get so tired, we just fall asleep in the middle of talking!
Even though we go to bed at 8:30 p.m., we talk so long we don’t go to sleep until about l0:00 p.m. I still do not know why I have to go to bed so early when I am not even tired!
routine:
the usual order in which you do things, or the things you regularly do
John’s departure had upset their daily routine . Try to get into a routine (=develop a fixed order of doing things) . my daily exercise routine Dressing is a task which we do every day as a matter of routine (=done regularly and not unusual) .
____________________________
stuck [not before noun]
1
impossible or unable to move from a particular position
Sara tried to open the window but it was stuck. They got stuck in a traffic jam.
stuck in
The boat was stuck in the mud.
I’ve got something stuck in my throat.
2
informal unable to escape from a bad or boring situation
stuck in/at
Mum resented being stuck at home with two young kids. We could be stuck in this place for days.
3
informal unable to do any more of something that you are working on because it is too difficult
Can you help me with my homework, Dad? I’m stuck.
stuck on
If you get stuck on a difficult word, just ask for help.
4
be stuck with something
informal to have something you do not want because you cannot get rid of it
We are, unfortunately, stuck with this huge, ugly building.
5
be stuck with somebody
to have to spend time with someone or have a relationship with them even though you do not want to
They are stuck with each other with no end in sight.
____________________________
Afterwards:
later, after that
Charles arrived shortly afterwards .
days/weeks etc afterwards
The experience haunted me for years afterward .
She died not long afterwards .
Afterwards, I was asked to write a book.
adj)
