1-1 Reading 1
My name is Richard Turere. I live in Kenya in the southern part of Nairobi National Park. P
The southern part of the park does not have a fence, so wild animals like lions move out of the park freely. P
They kill the animals that farmers are raising. P
As a result, farmers try to kill the lions because they want to protect their animals. P
One morning, I woke up and saw our cow lying on the ground. P
It was dead, and I felt so bad. P
At first, I thought I couldn't do anything because I was only eleven. P
Then I realized I shouldn't ignore the problem. P
I really wanted to help the people in my town in the same situation. P
1-2 Reading 2
My first idea was to use fire. P
I thought lions were afraid of it. P
Sadly, it didn't work. P
Instead, the fire helped the lions to better watch the cows move. P
Then I had another idea. P
It was to use a scarecrow. P
But the lions were very clever. P
The first day, they were turned away. P
On the second day, they jumped in and killed more animals. P
One night, I was walking around the cows with a light, and the lions didn't come. P
I discovered that lions were afraid of a moving light. P
So I came up with an idea. P
I decided to invent lights that move electronically. P
Because I like machines, I could find what I needed to make the lights. P
I found an old car battery, a small device from a motorcycle, a switch, and a broken electronic light. P
1-3 Reading 3
At thirteen, I finally made what I called "lion lights. P
"My father said, "I'm so proud of you, Richard!" Since then, P
I have set up lights at seven homes in my community and haven't heard anyone complain about lions. P
They thanked me, saying "This is exactly what we wanted, lovely boy!" P
Surprisingly, my idea is now used all over Kenya to scare away other animals, such as elephants. P
From this experience, I realized that I could make a difference in people's lives even though I am just a young boy. P
I was also able to prevent lions from being killed. P
Thanks to my work, I got a scholarship to a great school in Kenya. P
I am really excited about this. P
In my new school, I am now teaching my friends how to make and use the lights. P
I tell my friends, "Our ideas can make a difference in people's lives!" P
2-1 Reading 1
Spork, Chopsticks, Knork, Barehands, and Ms. Disher are close friends in the Dining Republic. P
Spork, Chopsticks, Knork, and Barehands travel a lot with their families, but Ms. Disher's family does not travel much. P
She makes up for this by hosting a dinner for her friends coming back from their trips. P
She is always eager to listen to their adventures. P
They often talk about what they learned from their recent trips. P
The most recent topic was about the best way to eat and Ms. Disher's guests began to argue. P
2-2 Reading 2
On a recent trip, I have found that it is best to use a spoon and fork. P
A spoon is best for grains and soup, and a fork is good for eating meat. P
No! It is much better to use a knife and a fork instead. P
Don't you think it is easier for you to hold a fork in one hand and a knife in the other? P
What can be more elegant than using them to cut meat on a plate! P
Why do you use two different kinds of utensils when you can use two of the same utensil? P
Plus, you can use chopsticks with just one hand! P
No way! When I eat with my hands, of course I can see and smell the food, but I can also touch it. P
Because I use my sense of touch when I eat, I get to enjoy my food more. P
They raised and argued many points, and nobody wanted to give up. P
It was not easy for their host, Ms. Disher, to listen to their arguments patiently. P
So, she hurriedly, yet quietly, left. P
2-3 Reading 3
Where is Ms. Disher? She has disappeared. P
What should we do? Without Ms. Disher, this dinner is not complete. P
Where did she go? Let's go out to find her! P
After hours of searching all over the Dining Republic, they finally found Ms.Disher sitting under a huge tree. P
We're sorry we became boastful and ignored you. P
Please forgive us and come back and join us. P
It's okay. I forgive you. Let's go back to my home. P
Since then, every time they meet, they allow one another to eat in the manner that they please. P
In their hearts they now know that food will always be delicious regardless of which utensils they use to eat it with. P
3-1 Reading 1
From flying birds to self-cleaning plants, the way nature works fascinates us. P
Some people not only use nature but also imitate it to find solutions to their problems. P
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one such person. P
He wondered how birds could fly. P
He closely watched birds, made notes, and drew pictures of them. P
Even though his invention was not successful, he imitated a bird’s wings to try to make a flying machine. P
Since then, more and more people have successfully imitated the surprising abilities of nature’s genius. P
Let’s explore some of them. P
3-2 Reading 2
Learning from a Bird: Moving Fast and Quietly. P
The high-speed train was first made in Japan. P
But it had one problem. P
When the train entered a tunnel, the sudden increase in air pressure created a very loud sound. P
It often woke people up and caused headaches. P
A team of engineers tried to solve the problem, but they didn’t know how they could reduce the noise. P
One day, one of the engineers was watching a bird in search of a meal. P
He saw the bird quickly and quietly diving into the water. P
He wondered how the bird entered the water so gracefully. P
So, he studied more about the bird and discovered its long, narrow beak. P
He redesigned the front of the train by imitating the bird’s beak. P
It was successful. P
Now the new train travels not only more quietly but also 10% faster with 15% less electricity. P
3-3 Reading 3
Learning from Burrs: Inventing an All-Purpose Fastener P
One day, a Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, was hiking in the woods with his dog. P
On his way home, he saw that burrs were stuck to his clothes and his dog’s hair. P
He wanted to know how that happened. P
He took a closer look at the burrs and noticed that the ends of the burr needles were not straight. P
He wondered if he could apply that to make something useful. P
After a lot of testing, he finally invented two new materials. P
One had many tiny needles like those of burrs and the other had a hairy surface. P
When they were pressed together, they became a very good fastener. P
It was not only strong but also easy to use. P
Since then, many people have used his invention in many different ways. P
It is often used for clothing, shoes, and bags. P
Some people use it to play a number of different games. P
In space, it keeps things from floating away. P
There is nothing useless in nature. P
We just have to become curious and ask questions. P
4-2 Reading 2
Yes. My brothers and I thought it was time to build our own houses. P
so we built houses with straw, sticks, and bricks. P
One day, the wolf came and completely blew down my brothers’ houses. P
He almost blew down my house, but it was made of bricks, so he couldn’t. P
How are your brothers doing now? P
They are so shocked to lose their houses. P
They are resting in my house. P
4-3 Reading 3
Now, let’s meet our second guest, the wolf. P
Mr.Wolf, could you tell us what happened? P
This whole “Big Bad Wolf” thing is wrong. P
The real story is about a sneeze from a terrible cold and a cup of sugar. P
What do you mean? P
Back then, I was making a birthday cake for my dear old grandmother. P
I ran out of sugar. P
I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar. P
When I knocked on the door, it fell down. P
Then I called, “Little pig, are you in?” P
I had just grabbed the broken door when I felt a sneeze coming on. P
I sneezed a great sneeze and you know what? P
The whole straw house fell down. P
I was very surprised by what had happened. P
Unfortunately, the same thing happened to the second little pig’s house. P
4-4 Reading 4
Then why did you go to the third little pig’s house? P
I still needed that cup of sugar, so I went to the next house. P
The third little pig had built his house of bricks. P
I called out, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but are you in?” P
And do you know what he answered? “Go away. P
Don’t bother me again!” How impolite! P
I thought I deserved an apology, so I kept knocking. P
When the police came, of course they thought I was breaking into this pig’s house. P
Do you think you were framed? P
4-5 Reading 5
The news reporters of the town thought a sick wolf going to borrow a cup of sugar didn’t sound very exciting. P
So, they made me the “Big Bad Wolf. P
”Could you maybe lend me a cup of sugar? P
Reporter: Thank you for your time. P
Everyone, which do you think is the true story, the pig’s or the wolf’s? P
5-1 Reading 1
Enjoy the “Planned Confusion. P
Comparing the two pictures below, you can easily notice some differences. P
For example, the picture on the left is called a labyrinth and only has an entrance. P
The picture on the right is called a maze and has both an entrance and an exit. P
You can find the origin of the labyrinth in Greek mythology. P
It is said to be a prison that you cannot escape. P
But you may notice that the labyrinth has only a single path. P
There are no dead ends. P
This means you don’t have to worry about getting out of it when you enter it. P
If you follow the path all the way to the end, you will reach the center. P
To get out, you simply have to turn around and walk back out the way you came in. P
5-2 Reading 2
When you are in a maze, it’s a different story. P
There are many choices to make and dead ends to frustrate you. P
You have to keep making decisions about which way to go. P
If you are not careful, you can easily lose your way. P
These days, mazes are often considered left-brain puzzles. P
Many people willingly visit maze parks and enjoy the “planned confusion.” P
And some of them came up with their own solutions. P
The easiest and most reliable one is to place a hand on one wall from the very beginning. P
Then you just keep following that wall. P
It’s like walking in a dark room. P
Unfortunately, this simple method may not be effective in certain types of mazes, P
especially when all of the walls are not connected. P
5-3 Reading 3
Mazes are made with a variety of different materials, like walls and rooms, hedges, bricks, mirrors, and even snow. P
In fact, they can also be printed or drawn on paper. P
Here is one as an example. P
This is called a number maze. P
You start from point A and have to go in the order of 1 → 9 → 8 → 5 → 1 → 9 → P
Why don’t you give it a try? You have 30 seconds to escape! P
Labyrinths and mazes are truly fun, but that’s not the end of the story. P
Looking at them closely, you may find the beauty of order and regularity. P
They may also show you how creative human beings are. P
If there is a maze park on your next trip, why don’t you stop and take some time to enjoy it? P
It will surely be worth visiting! P
6-1 Reading 1
Every now and then, words of wisdom have influenced people and changed their lives in a great way. P
For example, “Actions speak louder than words,” means the following: P
what you do is more important than what you say. P
So people try to do things instead of just saying something. P
However, some people have different opinions. P
To them, it is words that speak louder than actions. P
How? They think that words can influence others to do good things. P
It is natural to have different ideas. P
Let’s take a look at some other proverbs upside down. P
6-2 Reading 2
Look before you leap: P
Check what is in front of you before making a decision. P
I totally agree. P
We should always be careful before we decide to do something. P
Then we’ll be happy with the results of our decisions. P
However, if we don’t take time to think things over, we may regret it. P
Also, we’ll make mistakes if we do something without giving it a second thought. P
As a result, it will take us more time to fix. P
I don’t agree. P
Opportunities don’t come often. P
If there is a chance, we should grab it. P
Or, it will be too late. P
Last year, I was asked to be the captain of the school hockey team. P
However, I took too much time to decide, so another friend became the captain. P
Now, I regret it. P
As the saying goes, “Strike while the iron is hot. P
6-3 Reading 3
Out of sight, out of mind: P
Something is easily forgotten if it is not near us. P
I agree with this saying. P
I had a close friend from elementary school. P
Sadly, we went to different middle schools. P
At first, we met two to three times a week. P
However, it was hard to keep in touch. P
We started to spend more time with our new friends. P
I started thinking less and less about him and more and more about my new friends. P
Now, we have stopped talking or seeing each other. P
I disagree with your opinion. P
I was really close with my neighbor, Jenny. P
She was from America and we liked the same basketball team. P
We spent a lot of time watching games together. P
Then her family moved away three years ago. P
I haven’t seen her since, but I still remember the times we had. P
I miss her more and more as time goes by. P
It is the quality of time that makes people remember each other. P
Well, what is your opinion? There is no right or wrong answer. P
It is you who should decide what is best for you. P
7-1 Reading 1
Different people live in different houses. P
Some use ladders to enter their houses. P
Others live in houses on the water. P
And others share their houses with many people. P
Imagine you live in one of these houses. P
How would that change your life? P
If I lived in a pueblo, I would climb up a ladder to enter my house. P
There’s a hidden opening on top of the house. P
If unwelcome visitors appeared, I would pull the ladder up to stop them from entering. P
The thick walls are made of earth, straw, and water. P
They would keep me cool in summer and warm in winter. P
The house has a flat roof. P
I would sometimes sleep up on the roof under the moon and stars. P
7-2 Reading 2
If I lived in Venice, I would take a gondola to school every morning. P
Venice has 118 small islands. P
On weekends, I would travel from island to island by a vaporetto, a water bus. P
At high tide, the water from the Adriatic Sea often rises and leaves the streets full of water. P
However, I would be able to walk around the town through the raised walkways. P
Venice is known as the “floating city.” P
In Venice, there are many colorful houses on the water. P
You may wonder how and why they built the houses on the water. P
The old Venetians decided to live there to keep themselves safe from invaders. P
But it was not easy for them to build their homes on this swampy surface. P
So they installed more than 10 million wooden poles in the ground. P
It is these wooden poles that support Venice to this day. P
7-3 Reading 3
If I lived in a tulou, a huge round house in Fujian, China, I would always have friends at home to play with. P
I would sometimes hear my neighbor calling me to come over for tea or dinner. P
In a tulou, there are usually three to five floors. P
The first floor is used for cooking and eating. P
And people store food and tools on the second floor. P
Do you wonder where I would sleep? My bedroom would be on the third or fourth floor. P
A tulou is like a village. P
The people living in a tulou mostly have the same family name. P
Some large tulou can house up to 50 families. P
They work together and share many things. P
Living together in one building keeps them safe. P
Homes are everywhere. P
But they are different all over the world. P
What is your home like? P
8-1 Reading 1
Pascal was doing his math homework in his room. P
He was struggling with graphs. P
It’s too hard to read and draw graphs. P
Why do I need these anyways? No one needs graphs in real life. P
He put down his pen and picked up his favorite book, Robin Hood. P
He decided to read himself to sleep. P
When he was about to open the book, he heard a voice. P
He looked up from the book to see who was talking. P
He couldn’t believe his eyes. P
It was his dog, Manny, who was talking! P
“Close your eyes and repeat after me. P
Cogito ergo sum,” said Manny. P
“You can talk?” P
“Just repeat! Cogito ergo sum.” P
Pascal closed his eyes and repeated the words. P
8-2 Reading 2
Suddenly, he heard men shouting. P
When he opened his eyes, he saw soldiers on horses. P
They were chasing a man with arrows in his hand. P
The man saw Pascal and shouted. P
“It’s too dangerous for you to stand there. Come on. P
”The man pulled Pascal onto his horse and rode into the woods. P
When they arrived at a house, the man stopped and got off his horse. P
“Hello, my name is Robin Hood.” P
“Wow! Are you the Robin Hood from the book?” P
“No, I’m the Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. P
Who are you and why are you here?” P
8-3 Reading 3
“My name is Pascal. P
I don’t know why I’m here, but there must be a reason. P
You saved me from the soldiers. Thank you so much. P
Is there anything I can do for you?” P
“Well, can you help us get back the money that the king took from the people? He taxed them too much. P
He is too greedy to share with the people, so they don’t have enough money to buy food. P
I want to help them get their money back. P
However, there are many soldiers in the tower, so no one can get inside.” P
I think I have a solution. But first, can you take me to the tower? I need to count the number of soldiers.” P
I think I have a solution. But first, can you take me to the tower? I need to count the number of soldiers.” P
I think I have a solution. P
But first, can you take me to the tower? I need to count the number of soldiers. P
8-4 Reading 4
Robin and Pascal hid up in a tree and counted the soldiers one by one. P
“There are five soldiers from midnight to six in the morning. P
Next, there are three soldiers until noon, and then there are eight soldiers until six in the evening. P
Lastly, there are twelve soldiers until midnight. P
So, you should go inside between six in the morning and noon.” P
“What? I don’t get it.” P
Pascal thought for a moment. P
A graph might make this easier to understand.’ P
Pascal drew a graph and showed it to Robin. P
8-5 Reading 5
“Look, the most dangerous time is between six in the evening and midnight. P
Four times more soldiers work at that time than from six in the morning until noon. P
Do you see what I mean?” P
“Aha! I get it now. P
Thank you so much, Pascal!” P
“You’re welcome. P
Now I realize the importance of graphs. P
No one can say that we don’t need them anymore.” P
Pascal walked out of the woods. P
When he looked back, he saw Robin Hood waving at him. P
Pascal waved back and said to himself, “It was a great adventure. P
How do I go back? Oh, I know. P
I should say the words Cogito ergo sum!” P