I started to keep a (11) last year, after my teacher told us that writing a little every day would help our English. On weekdays I am so busy with school and homework that I only write a few lines. On weekends, when I have more time, I can fill a whole page. Last Saturday my father and I went to the zoo, where we stayed for three hours and watched a man feed the birds. (12) Sunday, however, was quiet. I read a book beside the window (13) it rained all day. Sometimes I also draw small pictures in my diary, which help me remember little happy things. (14), I will keep writing it for many years.
Last month our class took a train to Hualien for two days. We waited on (15) two for twenty minutes because the train was late, and some of us began to complain. (16), once it left, it ran at such a high speed that we still arrived before noon. During our brief stay, we visited a small museum and walked on the beach, where the sound of the sea was louder than our voices. Our teacher, (17) grandfather was born in Hualien, told us many stories about the past of this old town. (18) On the way home, everyone was sleepy but happy, and I knew I would remember this trip for many years.
Amy: Mom, our class trip to the science museum in Taichung is this Saturday. Could you drive me to the train station that morning?
Mom: Sorry, I have to work on Saturday morning, but your elder brother, who starts work later than I do, can take you. Which train will you take?
Amy: Mr. Lin wants us to meet on the platform at 8:20, ten minutes before our train leaves. Here is the time list that he gave us.
| Train | Leaves Taipei | Arrives in Taichung | Student Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 8:00 | 9:10 | $350 |
| 103 | 8:30 | 9:50 | $300 |
| 105 | 9:00 | 10:30 | $250 |
Mom: OK. Remember to check the weather first, because the school may cancel the trip if a typhoon comes.
Amy: I will. I am so excited that I may not sleep well on Friday night!
Green Hill Youth Camp: For Young People Only!
This summer, Green Hill, which sits beside a lake in the mountains, will hold two camps for teenagers from 13 to 18.
The price for one week is NT$4,000, but students who sign up for both weeks pay only NT$7,000. We give you three meals a day and a warm bed, but you must bring your own clothes and shoes, because the roads are often wet.
Children who are still in elementary school cannot join, even if an elder brother or sister is coming. To sign up, call 03-556-7788 or visit your school office before June 20.
Dear Mia,
How are you? Our new term started two weeks ago, and I am already very busy. I have seven classes every weekday and a vocabulary test every Friday, so I study new words on the bus every morning.
My elder sister, who used to share a room with me, just went to college in Tainan. To be honest, the silence at night is so hard for me that I often cannot fall asleep for hours. Luckily, she comes home on weekends, and we talk until midnight.
You said that you write a weekly diary in English. I would like to try that, too, but I never know how to start. Could you tell me how you begin each one? Please also send me a photo of your school.
Yours,
Ruby
Long ago, before people had clocks or calendars, they looked up at the sky to measure time. The moon, which seems to change its shape every night, goes from a thin line to a full circle and back again in about thirty days. We call this period a month.
People also watched the sun, whose path across the sky changes with the seasons. The earth goes around the sun in about 365 days, and that is the length of one year. In the past, farmers used the moon and the sun to decide when to plant rice and when to protect their fields from the cold.
Today most people check the time on their phones without thinking about the sky. However, the months and years that we use every day still come from it.