1、Unit 8Amy: Steve, have you decided yet which book to write about for English class?Steve: Yet, Little Women. Ive already finished reading it!Amy: Wow, youre fast! Whats it about?Steve: Its about four sisters growing up. It was really good, so I couldnt put it down. Which book did you choose?Amy: I c

2、hose Treasure Island, but I havent finished reading it yet. Im only on page 25.Steve: Have you at least read the back of the book to see what its about?Amy: Yes, I have. It looks interesting.Steve: You should hurry up. The book report is due in two weeks.Amy: Yes, I know. Ill read quickly.When I fir

3、st arrived on this island, I had nothing. But Ive found the ship and made a small boat. Ive brought back many things I can use-food and drink, tools, knives and guns. Although I have lost everything, I have not lost my life. So I will not give up and I will wait for another ship. I have already cut

4、down trees and built a house. I go out with my gun almost every day to kill animals and birds for food. Im even learning to grow fruit and vegetables.A few weeks ago, I found the marks of another mans feet on the sand. Who else is on my island? How long have they been here? Not long after that, I sa

5、w some cannibals trying to kill two men from a broken ship. One of them died but the other ran towards my house. I helped him kill the cannibals. This man now lives with me and helps me. I named him Friday because that was the day I met him. He is smart and I have already taught him some English.A C

6、ountry Music Song Changed Her Life ForeverWhen Sarah was a teenager, she used to fight over almost everything with her family. But five years ago, while she was studying abroad in England, she heard a song full of feelings about returning home on the radio. It made Sarah think about her family and f

7、riends back in the US. She came to realize how much she actually missed all of them. Ever since then, she has been a fan of American country music.Country is a traditional kind of music from the southern states of America. Nashville, Tennessee is the home of country music. Many songs these days are

8、just about modern life in the US, such as the importance of money and success, but not about belongs to a group. However, country music brings us back to the “good old days” when people were kind to each other and trusted one another. It reminds us that the best things in life are free-laughter, fri

9、ends, family, and the beauty of nature and the countryside.Sarah hasnt been to Nashville yet, but is is her dream to go there one day. She has already read a lot about the place and done some research on it. She knows that there is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. There are al

10、so a lot of great country music concerts with famous musicians and singers, like Garth Brooks. Sarah has already listened to most of his songs. “Garth is one of the most successful musicians in American history. Hes sold more than 120 million records. I hope to see him sing live one day!”Unit 9Anna:

11、 I went to the film museum last weekend. Have you ever been there?Jill: Yes, I have. I went there back in April.Anna: Its really interesting, isnt it? Its a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.Jill: Yes, I love all the old movie cameras there. I learned about the inventions that led to color mov

12、ies, too.Anna: So, what did you do on the weekend?Jill: I camped in the mountains with some friends. We put up a tent and cooked outside.Anna: That sounds fun. Ive never been camping.Jill: You should try it!Ken: The most interesting museum Ive ever been to is the American Computer Museum. They have

13、information about different computers and who invented them. The old computers were much bigger. Its unbelievable that technology has progressed in such a rapid way! Ive also learned that there was a special computer. It could play chess even better than humans. I wonder how much more computers will

14、 be able to do in the future.Amy: Ive recently been to a very unusual museum in India, the International Museum of Toilets. I just couldnt believe my eyes when I saw so many different kinds of toilets there. The museum teaches people about the history and development of toilets. It also encourages g

15、overnments and social groups to think about ways to improve toilets in the future.Linlin: Last year I went to the Hangzhou National Tea Museum. Its a relaxing and peaceful place near a lake. The tea art performances show how to make a perfect cup of tea with beautiful tea sets. Watching the tea prep

16、aration is just as enjoyable as drinking the ea itself. Ive finally realized why my grandpa loves drinking tea and collecting tea sets.Singapore-A Place You Will Never Forget!Have you ever been to Singapore? For thousands of tourists from China, this small island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful and

17、 safe place to take a holiday. On the one hand, more than three quarters of the population are Chinese, so you can simply speak Putonghua a lot of the time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country, so its also a good place to practice your English!Have you ever tried Chinese food

18、 outside of China? Maybe you fear that you wont be able to find anything good to eat when you travel. In Singapore, however, youll find a lot of food from China; you wont have any problem getting rice, noodles or dumplings. Singapore is also an excellent place to try new food. Whether you like India

19、 food, Western food or Japanese food, youll find it all in Singapore.Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a Night Safari. It might seem strange to go to a zoo when its dark. However, if you go to see lions, tigers or foxes during daytime, theyll probab

20、ly be asleep! A lot of animals only wake up at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in a more natural environment than in a normal zoo.One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature os almost the same all year round. This is because

21、 the island is so close to the equator. So you can choose to go whenever you like-spring, summer, autumn or winter. And, of course, its not too far from China!Unit 10Linda: Welcome to the Sunshine Home for Children. Im Linda.Amy: Hi, Im Amy. I have some things for the kids. Ive had this magazine for

22、 a couple pf months. The stories inside may be a bit old, but theyre still interesting.Linda: Great! Many children here love reading.Amy:And check out these soft toys and board games for younger kids. Ive had them since I was a child. Theres also a sweater and a dress.Linda: Perfect! We always need

23、toys and clothes.Amy: One last thing is a bread maker. My moms had it for a long time but it still works.Linda: Thanks so much!My children are growing up fast. My daughter is 16 and my boy is already in junior high school. As they get bigger, our house sees to get smaller. So we want to sell some of

24、 our things in a yard sale and give the money to a childrens home.We have already cleared out a lot of things from our bedrooms. We have decided to each sell five things that we no longer use. My son was quite sad very fast. Although he has not played with his old toys for a long time, he still want

25、ed to keep them. For example, he has owned a train and railway set since his fourth birthday, and he played with it almost every week until he was about seven. And he did not want to lose his toy monkey, either. He slept next to the monkey every night when he was a child. My daughter was more unders

26、tanding although she also felt sad to part with certain toys.As for me, I did not want to give up my football shirts, but, to be honest, I have not played for a while now. I am getting older, too!Hometown FeelingsSome people still live in their hometown. However, others may only see it once or twice

27、 a year. Nowadays, millions of Chinese leave the countryside to search for work in the cities. Among these is Zhong Wei, a 46-year-old husband and father. He has lived in Wenzhou for the last 13 years. With a hard job in a crayon factory, he doesnt find much time to visit his hometown. “I used to return home at least once a year, but I havent been back for almost three years now. Its a shame, but I just dont have the time,” he says.Many people like Zhong Wei regard with great interest how their ho