7 Lesson 5 - Reading
At least once a month, my mom takes me to the hair salon. P
At the hair salon, I get a new haircut. My mom usually gets a perm. P
She likes to have volume in her curls. P
I like to wear my hair short and straight. My hair looks the best when it is short. P
But I don't like it when the stylist puts gel or wax in my hair. P
It makes my hair too firm and even sticky. P
But my mom loves to use the hair spray. She says that it's supposed to keep her hair in place. P
I think she would look a lot better if she tied it up. P
We usually leave a $5 tip for my stylist, Annie. P
Annie usually washes my hair and puts what she calls "essence creme" on my hair. P
It's supposed to make my hair look shiny and silky. P
But if you ask me, I think I naturally have beautiful hair. Don't you agree? P
7 Lesson 6 - Conversation
How do you want your hair cut today? P
Can you cut it short please? Just under my ears. P
Do you want me to cut your bangs as well? P
Yes, just a little. P
All right, make sure you hold still. P
Don't worry! It's not like this is my first time getting my hair done here. P
Oh, sorry. I didn't recognize you. P
It's fine. I get that a lot. P
Okay, I'll cut your hair perfectly today. P
Thanks a lot! P
7 Lesson 7 - Reading
Yesterday, when my mom was out of town, I snuck into her room, and I opened her make-up box to play dress-up. P
She had almost everything: blue eye shadow, a red lipstick, mascara, a lip liner, an eye lash curler, foundation, and more! P
I don't see why grownups have to put makeup on. P
When I grow up, I wouldn't put anything on my skin. P
My skin looks beautiful the way it is. P
But sometimes, I like to put on a cherry-flavored chap stick. P
It helps my lips to stay soft. P
My mom has what she calls a vanity mirror. It's supposed to help her while she puts makeup on. P
It makes everything look bigger than it really is. P
I guess that's supposed to help her see better. So should we dab a little bit of blush on my cheeks? P
7 Lesson 8 - Conversation
How come moms have to put make-up on? P
Because they want to look prettier. Isn't that obvious? P
I think they still look pretty without any make-up on. P
I think my mom looks beautiful either way. P
Yes, she does! P
I hope I can be just like my mom when I grow up. P
Don't worry. You'll be a mom one day. P
That's funny. I need a boyfriend first. P
One day, you will have nice boyfriend. P
Thanks. But today, I need to study for my test. P
7 Lesson 9 - Reading
There's an old saying about how breaking a mirror could bring 7 years of bad luck. P
I'm not very superstitious, but I think that this is true. P
I knew this one neighbor who broke his mirror and had terrible luck for 7 years! It's true! P
Grownups are always superstitious. P
They say these things to scare little kids like me, but I'm not afraid. P
I'm naturally good with mirrors. P
I take very good care of my belongings, especially my favorite mirror. P
I wouldn't want to have bad luck for 7 years. That would be awful. P
Imagine having a bad hair day for 7 straight years. I wouldn't want to see that. happen. P
So be careful with your mirrors. You never know, it might really be true. P
7 Lesson 10 - Conversation
Do you believe in superstitions? P
You mean as in black cats and stuff? P
Yeah, you know, like getting seven years of bad luck? P
Maybe. I heard it's a sign of bad luck if you break a mirror. I'm not sure if I really believe in all that stuff, but it sure sounds scary. P
If you go under a ladder, you'll get seven days of bad luck. P
I heard you're supposed to throw salt behind your back to ward off bad luck. P
I heard about that cure too. But I don't know if it's true. P
Well, superstitions aren't really true either. P
7 Lesson 11 - Reading
Tomorrow is the day of our school's Spelling Bee! P
Whoever wins at our school gets to compete against kids from other schools. P
Last year, I won first place! P
I'm trying to memorize all the difficult words just in case the judges decide to give me a really hard word. P
They know that I was last year's champion, so I'm afraid that they're going to give me more difficult words. P
I even won against all the older kids at my school last year! P
I'm almost done reviewing all the words that start with J. P
Now I just have to review all the words from K through Z! P
I just hope that I don't get nervous when I'm on stage. P
I can't think as clearly when everybody is watching me. P
Kaleidoscope ? K-A-L-E-I-D-O-S-C-O-P-E. Kaleidoscope. P
I hope I can do well tomorrow! P
7 Lesson 12 - Conversation
It looks like you are getting ready for tomorrow. P
You bet. I want to win again. P
I am pretty sure you will. You are so good with spelling. P
Yeah, but I am a little afraid of something. P
Really long words? P
No. I am not afraid of words. I am afraid of the stage. P
Really? I never would have guessed you had stage fright. P
Oh, I do, and it is really bad. I forget everything I know when I get scared on stage. P
It would really be a shame if you didn't win, after all your practice. Have you tried any stage fright tricks? P
No. Do you know some tricks? P
I have heard there are a few, but I have never tried them. P
Well, I will try anything at this point. P
I have heard if you find one nice person in the audience to look at when you are on stage, it can help. P
That doesn't sound very helpful. P
What if you imagined everyone in the audience was in their underwear? P
I think I am just going to study, okay? P
7 Lesson 13 - Reading
When I was a baby, my parents put baby lotion on me after a bath. P
Now that I'm all grown up, I use the "moisturizing" lotion. P
I put it on my face and my hands so that I can keep my skin feeling fresh and soft. P
Especially during wintertime, when my skin gets dry, I need to put this lotion on. P
Grownups even use this lotion after they wash their hands. P
My mom uses it after she washes the dishes. She says that it keeps her hands from drying out. P
There's something called vitamins inside this lotion. P
It's some kind of "minerals" that's supposed to keep you healthy. P
Now I'm not too sure if it's true, but grownups always say that there's a lot of Vitamin C in oranges. P
And it's supposed to make you look beautiful. Better eat a lot of oranges! P
7 Lesson 14 - Conversation
I think it's supposed to help boost your immune system. P
Your immune system? P
Yeah, it helps you not to catch a cold. P
I better take lots of it, then! P
Just drink a lot of orange juice. P
What about grape juice? P
Yes, grape juice helps your immune system too. But I'd stick with orange juice because it taste better. P
I actually prefer grape juice. P
You can drink whatever you want, as long as it's some type of fruit juice. P
What does vitamin C do? P
7 Lesson 15 - Reading
I love accessories! Don't you? Earrings and rings, bracelets and necklaces. P
My favorite accessory is my bracelet. It has different kinds of charms on it, and I made it myself! P
I used different colored beads and decorated it with different charms. P
I've made several bracelets for my friends, and I even made one for my mom. P
It's not too hard to make a bracelet. P
All you have to do is connect the string through all the beads and tie a knot at the end. P
Next time, I want to try making a beautiful necklace. P
It'll be the most beautiful necklace in the world! Fit for a queen! P
It'll be made from beautiful gems, and it'll sparkle under the sun. P
What kind of necklaces would you design? P
7 Lesson 16 - Conversation
What kind of accessories do you like the most? P
Accessories? Oh you mean like a game boy? P
No! I'm talking about jewelry. P
Jewelry? Who cares about jewelry? It all looks the same to me. P
So you don't have any necklaces? P
I have one that my grandmother gave me as a present, but I keep it at home. P
How about that ring you're wearing? P
This ring belongs to my mother. She gave it to me as present. P
Then you do have favorite accessory. P
I guess you're right. P
7 Lesson 17 - Reading
I've learned that computers are not just about having fun. P
Our teachers are going to make us submit our homework through computers from now on! P
My older brother told me that he even takes a class online. P
My brother is currently attending college in Massachusetts. P
He's studying to be a psychiatrist. P
When he came back home last summer vacation, I saw him submit a lot of his writings through his school's computer system. P
I guess there's a benefit to using a computer to study. P
As my mom always says, "Everything is faster and easier with a computer". P
And besides, maybe I'll get better grades if we start to learn everything through computers. P
But of course, a few of my teachers would never allow that. P
"Never underestimate the power of pen and paper!" they always say. P
7 Lesson 18 - Conversation
Hi. What game are you playing? P
Oh, hello. Believe it or not, I'm not playing a game at all. P
What are you doing then? P
I'm doing my homework. P
Really? It doesn't look like math homework. P
It isn't math homework. It is my social studies homework. P
How do you do social studies homework on a computer? P
Well, I am taking a virtual tour of Washington DC. Then afterwards I have to plan a trip to the nation's capital. P
I didn't know you were going on vacation. P
Oh, it isn't a real trip. Our teacher just wants us to plan one, though, so she will know we really paid attention to our virtual tour. P
7 Lesson 19 - Reading
Sometimes, I stay after school to play basketball with my friends. P
I'm not very good yet, but I still like to practice during recess. P
There's a basketball court at school, and all the kids rush out to play either during our lunch break or recess time. P
My favorite basketball player is Kobe Bryant. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. P
He's a point guard, and I like him the best because he makes a lot of the three-point shots. P
I wish I could visit Los Angeles someday and watch Kobe play. That would be awesome! P
He doesn't play anymore, but Michael Jordan is another one of my favorite players. P
He's so talented in his game and so determined. P
I admire his spirit and energy. I have a poster of him in my room. P
It's a snapshot of his most famous dunk. P
I wish I could be a famous athlete like him one day. P
7 Lesson 20 - Conversation
That was a great shot! P
Thanks. I've been working hard to perfect my free throw. P
When do you practice? P
Whenever I get a chance, at lunch or during recess. P
Well, it appears that your practice is paying off! P
I hope so. I want to get a college scholarship if possible. P
That's cool! Are you going to try to get on the school's team? P
Yeah, if I can. P
Do you have a hero? P
Absolutely! Kobe Bryant is the best. I have his poster on my wall. P
He is great. My dad's favorite player is Michael Jordan. P
Oh yeah! He was great too. I wish I could have seen him play. P
Me too! Maybe we can see Kobe though. P
Lakers games are expensive, but we could start saving money. P