1-2 Reading 2
When I was five, my little sister Olivia and I each adopted a cheetah. P
Did we raise cheetahs at home? No, we donated to a charity that protects wild cheetahs in South Africa. P
Our parents told us that if we did not protect them, we might not be able to see cheetahs in the near future. P
We soon became interested in helping other endangered animals. P
A few years later, with help from our parents, we created a non-profit organization to protect them. P
We wanted the next generation to be able to see these animals, so we named our organization One More Generation. P
We also studied endangered animals and educated our friends about them. P
1-3 Reading 3
Then one day, a terrible oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. P
A lot of sea animals were completely covered with oil, and they were dying. P
We had to do something. P
We started collecting animal rescue supplies such as pet carrying cages and rubber gloves from everyone in our neighborhood. P
Four months later, our family drove to the Gulf of Mexico to deliver what we collected and helped to save the animals. P
While we were working there, we learned something very useful. P
When we put mayonnaise into a turtle's throat, the turtle threw up. P
That way, we were able to get oil out of turtles. P
I never knew mayonnaise could be used to save animals! P
1-4 Reading 4
On our last day, we met a marine life specialist. P
She told us that plastic waste is more dangerous to sea animals than oil spills are. P
A lot of sea animals and sea birds die from eating plastic waste. P
After we came home, we created an educational project about how to reduce plastic waste. P
In addition to this, our organization continues to do various projects to save animals. P
Although we started small, we are making a big difference. P
What you do today can change the world, so take that first step! P
2-1 Reading 1
Odin, who is the highest god, gave up his eye for wisdom. P
Thor is Odin's son and the strongest god of all. P
Frey, who is the god of the harvest, controls the weather. P
Loki is a god who plays tricks on others. P
Thor woke and knew immediately something was wrong. P
His wife's beautiful golden hair was gone. He knew only Loki could do such a terrible thing. P
Thor soon found Loki, who was drinking at home. P
"You'd better undo what you did, or you'll be sorry," Thor said angrily to Loki. P
Loki was scared. He promised that he would get golden hair for Thor's wife. P
2-2 Reading 2
Loki knew only the sons of Ivaldi could make fine golden hair. P
He went to them and said, "I heard Brokk and his brother are the finest smiths. Is that true?" P
"No, it is we who are the finest smiths," the sons of Ivaldi replied. P
"They're making three treasures for Odin, Thor, and Frey," said Loki. P
"Do you think you can make treasures better than theirs?" P
"Of course we can," they answered. P
"O.K., then you should also make three treasures for them," said Loki. "The gods will decide on the best treasure." P
Loki also told them that one of the treasures had to be golden hair. They went to work immediately. P
Loki then went to see Brokk and his brother. P
"Ivaldi's sons are making three treasures for Odin, Thor, and Frey," said Loki. P
"I bet that you can never make treasures as fine as theirs." P
Brokk became angry and accepted the challenge. He and his brother produced three treasures of their own. P
2-3 Reading 3
Loki went to see the three gods with all the treasures. Brokk came along. P
Loki showed them the treasures from Ivaldi's sons. P
The first treasure was for Odin, who had only one eye. P
It was a spear that never missed its target. P
The second treasure was a big ship that could turn into a piece of cloth. It was for Frey. P
The third treasure was for Thor. P
Loki showed Thor the flowing golden hair for his wife. P
Thor put the hair on his wife's head, and it took root and became real hair. P
It was now Brokk's turn to show the gods his gifts. P
He gave Odin a gold arm ring that produced eight more gold rings every ninth night. P
Brokk then gave Frey a pig. P
It could pull his carriage faster than any horse. P
"My third treasure is for you, Thor," said Brokk. P
"This is the hammer Mjolnir, which you'll love. P
If you throw it, it'll always come back to you. P
Moreover, nothing can ever break it.” P
It was an easy decision to choose the greatest treasure. P
It was Mjolnir that the three gods liked most. P
They thought the hammer would protect the gods from their enemies. P
"Brokk and his brother,' said Odin, "are the better smiths. P
Brokk proved that Loki was wrong, and the three gods now had precious treasures. P
3-1 Reading 1
Popeye and the Great Spinach P
Popeye is a world-famous cartoon character. P
He gets his super power by eating spinach. P
When Popeye became popular in the 1930s in the United States, a lot of children began to eat spinach. P
Crystal City in Texas, which is called the spinach capital of the world, even built a statue of Popeye. P
Although eating spinach will not give us super powers, spinach does have a lot of nutrients. P
It is actually considered one of the ten healthiest foods on the planet. P
3-2 Reading 2
Spinach can be used in a surprising way. P
When it absorbs water, spinach also absorbs many other things from the soil. P
Some scientists have used this characteristic of spinach to find bombs hidden in the ground. P
They make special spinach plants with sensors on their leaves. P
When these plants soak up traces from bombs, the sensors light up. P
3-3 Reading 3
In 1940, the Royal Air Force defeated German fighters during World War II by using a radar system. P
The British government wanted to keep this technology a secret, so it published an article in the newspaper. P
It said that British pilots improved their night vision because they ate a lot of carrots. P
Everybody believed the story and began to eat a lot more carrots than before. P
Can we really improve night vision by eating lots of carrots? P
Not really, but carrots contain a lot of vitamin A, which does keep our eyes healthy. P
In the future, carrots may actually be used in wars. P
Scottish researchers have discovered a way to turn carrots into a very strong and light material. P
It can even be used to make battleships. P
This new material has already been used to make snowboards and bicycles. P
3-4 Reading 4
Tomatoes, the Scariest Vegetables P
We all know that tomatoes are good for our health. P
Up until the 1800s, however, most Americans thought that tomatoes were poisonous. P
In 1820, a man named Robert Johnson wanted to prove that tomatoes were safe to eat. P
So, he ate a basket of tomatoes in front of many people watching him. P
They all expected him to die, but nothing happened to him. P
Ever since then, Americans have enjoyed eating tomatoes. P
We are no longer afraid of tomatoes, but some insects are still scared of them. P
If you want to keep insects away from your room, place a bowl of crushed tomatoes in a corner of your room. P
Insects will not come near the tomatoes. P
4-1 Reading 1
For the past several years, the underwater photographer Zin Kim has promoted the culture of Jeju haenyeo worldwide. P
Haenyeo are Korean female divers who harvest seafood without any breathing devices. P
Their culture made UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. P
At her studio last week, Zin Kim was interviewed about her experience of taking pictures of haenyeo. P
4-2 Reading 2
How did you become interested in taking photos of haenyeo? P
One day, I happened to take pictures of a haenyeo. P
I was surprised to find that she was enjoying her job. P
Until then, I had only seen black-and-white photos of haenyeo who looked very tired. P
However, she kept laughing even after she had been in the water for over five hours. P
I realized then that I should take pictures of haenyeo. P
You take beautiful pictures of them, but isn’t it difficult to take pictures of haenyeo? P
At first, they didn’t understand why I wanted to take their pictures. P
They didn’t think they looked pretty in their wetsuits. P
I said to them, “You’re very special. P
I want to show your culture to the world." P
They opened up to me then. P
Of course, I also promised them that I would make them look beautiful in my pictures. P
4-3 Reading 3
Could you tell us more about haenyeo? What’s so special about them? P
I can tell you three things. P
First, haenyeo are a symbol of strong women. P
Jejudo, which is a volcanic island, is not suitable for farming, so many haenyeo have become the breadwinners for their families. P
Second, haenyeo form their own communities and help each other. P
For example, more-experienced haenyeo train less-experienced haenyeo. P
Third, because they stay in the water without any breathing devices, haenyeo can't catch a lot of seafood. P
This is good for the underwater environment. P
Catching too much marine life at one time in one place can destroy the ocean. P
4-4 Reading 4
Lastly, please tell us what you’re planning to do in the future. P
I once attended an overseas exhibition with a couple of haenyeo to give a talk about their lives. P
When I finished my talk, one of the haenyeo held my hand tightly. P
She said to me, “Thank you so much. P
I’ve never known in my whole life that I was such a special person. P
She was crying with happiness. P
Everyone in the audience was deeply moved. P
I can never forget that moment, so I’ll continue to take pictures of haenyeo. P
I want to tell more beautiful stories about them to many more people in the world. P
5-2 Reading 2
How do I become less nervous? P
It was five minutes before Jisu’s big presentation in front of the whole class. P
Feeling nervous, Jisu was carefully studying her notes in her chair. P
Then, her teacher came over and told her to stand tall like Wonder Woman. P
After standing tall for a few minutes, Jisu did not feel nervous anymore. P
In fact, she was confident that she would make a great presentation. P
According to Amy Cuddy, a famous psychologist, P
we can become more confident just by standing tall for two minutes before stressful events. P
Our bodies change our minds, and our minds can change our behavior. P
Do you want to feel confident? Stand with your feet apart, and place your hands on your hips. P
You will not only feel sure about yourself but also look confident to other people. P
5-3 Reading 3
Who can help me feel better? P
When he graduates from high school next year, Taeho wants to become a professional farmer. P
However, he has never told anyone about it. P
He is worried that his parents or his friends will not understand. P
Wanting to clear his mind, Taeho decided to take a day trip on a train by himself. P
On the train, he told a complete stranger sitting beside him about his problem. P
He had no idea why he did it. P
However, he felt much better when he got off the train. P
Strangely enough, we often tell strangers about our problems just like Taeho. P
That is because we do not have to worry about being judged or seeing them again. P
If you have a problem that you cannot share with your family or friends, try talking to a stranger. P
You will feel much better. P
5-4 Reading 4
How do I turn a rival into a friend? P
Benjamin Franklin once had a political rival who did not like him at all. P
Franklin wanted to become friends with him, so he came up with a plan. P
His rival had a rare book. P
Franklin asked his rival to lend him the book for a few days. P
When Franklin returned the book, he thanked him deeply. P
Since that day, his rival became not only a political supporter but also a good friend. P
Franklin famously said, “Enemies who do you one favor will want to do more." P
If you want to turn a rival into a friend, don’t do your rival a favor. P
Instead, ask your rival to do you a favor. P
6-2 Reading 2
In 1473, twenty-year-old da Vinci worked as a cook at a restaurant in Florence, Italy. P
When he took charge of the kitchen, da Vinci changed the menu completely. P
He made simple but artistic dishes like fish with a few carrot slices. P
Some dishes were even decorated with flowers. P
Customers, however, were unhappy because they were used to dishes with big servings of meat. P
As a result, da Vinci lost his job. P
A few years later, da Vinci opened a restaurant with his friend Sandro Botticelli. P
He wanted to create a place where people could try his innovative food. P
They put up a beautifully painted sign and made a uniquely written menu. P
Da Vinci believed that people would soon appreciate his creative cooking. P
Unfortunately, that never happened. P
6-3 Reading 3
In the early 1480s, da Vinci began to work for Ludovico Sforza in Milan. P
He was given many different roles, such as a musician, a painter, and an engineer. P
He was also put in charge of the kitchen. P
He was happy to be given another chance to pursue his passion for cooking. P
Da Vinci did not stop at cooking creative dishes. P
He wanted to cook much more quickly and easily. P
Thus, he invented new machines for his kitchen. P
He created machines that could crush vegetables and pull spaghetti. P
He even made a device that could scare frogs away from the water tank. P
Surely, they were all very innovative, but most of them were too big or too difficult to use. P
6-4 Reading 4
In 1495, Sforza asked da Vinci to make a grand painting, which was based on the last supper of Jesus, on the wall of a church in Milan. P
Da Vinci gladly took on the project because he had always been interested in food. P
He spent a lot of time cooking all kinds of food to decide what to put on the table in his picture. P
“Da Vinci has wasted his time in the kitchen for over a year. P
That's the reason why he hasn't finished the painting yet," complained the people from the church to Sforza. P
Although da Vinci never became a successful cook, he showed great interest in cooking throughout his life. P
He was not only a great painter but also a creative cook. P
Now that you know all about his secret passion for cooking, you will never look at The Last Supper the same way. P
7-2 Reading 2
Sweet Punishment. P
To test his officials' wisdom, Akbar often asked them strange questions. P
One day, he came up with an interesting question. P
Akbar: Someone pulled a hair from my head today. P
What should I do to him? P
Official 1: He should be punished, of course. P
Official 2: Yes, punish him! P
7-3 Reading 3
Akbar turned to Birbal. P
Akbar: What would you do if you were in my place, Birbal? P
Birbal: If I were you, I would give him sweets. P
Official 3: What's he talking about? P
Official 4: Birbal's crazy! P
Akbar: What made you say so? P
Birbal: The person who pulled your hair must be your grandson. P
No one else could do such a thing. P
Akbar: You are indeed correct, Birbal. P
I'm so glad to have someone as wise as you near me. P
7-4 Reading 4
A Potful of Wisdom. P
One day, the king of Persia sent an official with a strange favor. P
Persian official: I hear you have a lot of wise men in your country. P
I've been asked by my king to bring him a potful of wisdom. P
Official 5: That makes no sense! How can we put wisdom in a pot? P
Akbar: Can you bring him a potful of wisdom, Birbal? P
Birbal: It won't be a problem. P
Birbal: Could you please wait a few weeks? P
Persian official: Of course! Take as much time as you need. P
7-5 Reading 5
A few weeks later, Birbal came back with two pots whose necks were really narrow. P
He offered one to the Persian official. P
Birbal: You can take this pot of wisdom to your king. P
Please ask him to return the pot to us after he takes the wisdom out of it. P
Birbal: The pot is very precious, so please be careful not to break it. P
We only have two pots of wisdom. P
The Persian official looked inside the pot and became speechless. P
He thanked Birbal and left for his country. P
Persian official: It would be great if there were a man as wise as Birbal in our country. P
7-6 Reading 6
After the Persian official left, Akbar asked Birbal what was Inside the pot. P
Birbal: Here is the other pot. P
You can see for yourself. P
Akbar looked inside the other pot and found a pumpkin just as big as the pot. P
Akbar: I see! The pumpkin can't be taken out without breaking the pot. P
How did you do it? P
Birbal: I put the pots over pumpkin flowers and waited until the pumpkins grew as big as the pots. P
Akbar: Hahaha! This certainly is a potful of wisdom! P