8 Lesson 1 - Reading
I'm almost halfway done with a book that my aunt gave to me as a present. P
On her trip to China last month, she brought me a translation of an old Confucian text. P
The cover of the book is absolutely beautiful. P
It has a long list of intricate Chinese calligraphy on it. P
Of course, I can't recognize any of these letters, but I'm planning on taking Chinese when I'm older. P
This book contains many of the teachings of a man named Confucius. P
He was a famous teacher and a philosopher. P
He taught values of justice, sincerity, and respect during the Han Dynasty. P
Some of his teachings are a bit too complicated for me to understand, but he says that I should respect my parents and be true to my friends. P
And I couldn't agree with him more. P
When I grow up and have my own children, I'm going to make sure that they read this book! P
8 Lesson 2 - Conversation
What are you working on? It looks beautiful. P
Do you really like it? P
Oh yes. What is it? P
I am practicing Chinese calligraphy. P
What is that? P
It is writing that is part of the ancient Asian culture. P
What does that figure mean? P
I really don't know. P
You don't know? P
No. I haven't taken enough Chinese lessons. P
That could be dangerous. P
Dangerous? What do you mean? P
Well, no matter how beautiful they are, you shouldn't write words when you don't know the meaning of those words. P
I guess you are right. I could say something I don't want to say. P
8 Lesson 3 - Reading
My favorite time of the day is when I take a bubble bath. P
I let the water run for just over a minute and I pour my bubble gel into the tub. P
The bubbles start to form right away, and they quickly fill up the tub. P
The bubbles usually smell like green tea, because I use the green-tea aroma gel. P
After a long day, I like to dip into a warm bath. P
If I stay in the water for longer than 30 minutes, my fingers and toes become pruned. P
I like to splash in the water and play with my water toys. P
But if I make too much of a mess, my mom will get upset. P
I need to make sure that everything is in order once I'm out of the tub. P
After a long bath, I use my favorite pink towel to wrap myself with. P
It's so soft and fuzzy. I love taking bubble baths! P
8 Lesson 4 - Conversation
I feel so much better today! P
How come? P
I took a really long bath when I went home yesterday, and now I feel so much better. P
I don't see how a bath could make so much of a difference. P
It does! You should try it. P
I'll take your word for it. P
It's supposed to help you relax. P
I don't have bath tub at my house. P
That's fine. There's local spa around our house. They have huge bath tub. P
Great idea. I'm going to go to the spa during my day off. P
8 Lesson 5 - Reading
Table manners are very important. P
I learned my table manners when I was only four years old! P
There are different types of utensils for different kinds of food. P
There's a carving knife for the steak, the salad fork for vegetables, and a spoon for the Soup. There are chopsticks for the rice and so many more that I can't remember them all! P
You're not supposed to slurp when you drink your soup, and you can't play with your chopsticks when you eat rice. P
And most importantly, you must always thank your host for preparing the delicious meal. P
And it's not a nice thing to leave the table until everyone else has finished eating. P
All these rules may seem difficult to remember at first, but they'll come naturally if you keep practicing. I said no slurping! P
8 Lesson 6 - Conversation
I got such scolding from my parents because of my table manners. P
You mean because you didn't have any, right? P
Yeah, so you've noticed, too? P
Well, I always eat with you, so of course I've noticed. P
I don't know how to fix my bad habits. P
Just keep trying. I'm sure you'll get better at it. P
What am I doing wrong? P
You shouldn't burp at the table. You should try to fix that first. P
But I can't help it. P
Then you should stop drinking soda. P
8 Lesson 7 - Reading
When you wake up, you must always brush your teeth and wash your face. P
I brush my teeth as soon as I wake up. P
My mom is a dentist; she fixes people's teeth. P
My mom tells me that if you eat too many sweets, you'll get cavities! P
And that's not too good, because from what I hear, the dentist will pull out all of your teeth! P
I usually use my mint flavored toothpaste. P
My mom says that this toothpaste is supposed to make my teeth look sparkling. P
It's always good to keep a good dental hygiene. P
You wouldn't look too good with yellow teeth. P
And whenever you brush your teeth, it's important to gargle at the end. P
You're supposed to brush your teeth at least 3 times a day, every day. P
Morning, afternoon, and before you go to bed at night. P
I sometimes forget to brush before I go to bed, but you shouldn't! Or you'll end up pulling your tooth out! P
8 Lesson 8 - Conversation
I have the worst toothache ever! P
You do? You should go to a dentist. P
But I hate going to see the dentist. I'm afraid. P
Come on. Don't be such a baby. P
I suppose so. I wonder if it's another cavity. P
I bet it is! Get it checked right away! P
I should schedule an appointment as soon as possible. P
Do you have a regular dentist you usually go to? P
No, I don't. P
Then you should give Dr. Tom call. He's the best dentist in town. P
8 Lesson 9 - Reading
Ice hockey is one of the most exciting sports out there. P
Since it's played on ice, you need to wear extra protective gear, including a helmet. P
Once the players have all of their skates on, they use their hockey sticks to move a "puck". P
A puck is a hard ball-like disk that the players must score into the goal tender's net. P
There are six players for each team, including the goal tenders. P
The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible by shooting the puck into the goal net. P
This game is one of the most popular games in the Winter Olympics. P
Many teams from many different countries compete against each other for first place. P
A few of the best ice hockey teams include Russia, the U.S, and Canada. P
I'm not very good with ice skates, but if I were, I would love to play ice hockey. P
It looks dangerous at times, but it sure looks fun! P
8 Lesson 10 - Conversation
Wouldn't you rather play ice hockey than watch it? P
No. I like my teeth too much. P
What do you mean by that? P
Have you seen how fast that puck moves? P
Well, they wear protective gear, don't they? P
Sure. They do. But I am not sure it is enough. Sometimes those guys look pretty bad by the end of the game. P
Yeah. Sometimes they do look a little worse by the end. I think playing the sport looks worth it though. P
I can enjoy all of those things from the stands. P
8 Lesson 11 - Reading
Australia is home to some of the strangest animals on earth. P
For example, the koala bear, a native animal of Australia, sleeps on a tree! P
My sister is a big fan of the koalas, and she always explains that these bears are the cutest of all animals. P
Koalas have gray fur, and they usually carry their babies on their backs. P
Like the koalas, the kangaroos are also indigenous to Australia. P
But the kangaroos don't sleep on trees. P
They jump around with their powerful legs, and they can travel up to 43 miles per hour over short distances! P
The kangaroos carry their babies in a pouch on their bellies where the babies spend most of their time. P
The baby kangaroo must be so warm inside its mother's pouch. P
I wonder what it feels like to stay inside a kangaroo's pouch. P
I heard that in Australia, there are some traffic signs that warn drivers to slow down for kangaroos, which sometimes jump across the roads! P
8 Lesson 12 - Conversation
I love kangaroos! P
Aren't they great! P
It is really fun to study about Australia and the animals that live there. P
I think so too. P
You know, I have always loved kangaroos, even when I was a little girl. P
I think I always loved koalas like your sister. P
You know my sister thinks that koalas are bears. P
I thought they were too! P
No. They are more closely related to kangaroos than they are to bears. P
Really? How is that? P
Both koala and kangaroo mothers raise their babies in a pouch. P
I am surprised. P
I was too when I first found out. P
It is funny that even as a young child I knew about the kangaroo's pouch, but I never knew about the koala's pouch. P
I remember Kanga and Roo from Winnie the Pooh. P
I remember that book. It was fun to read. P
8 Lesson 13 - Reading
For our class field trip, we went to the local aquarium. P
There were so many different types of creatures in the tanks that I couldn't recognize most of them. P
My favorite part was when we got to go through the underground aquarium where there were sharks! P
I never knew that there were so many different types of sharks. P
Aside from the Great White Shark, which is one of the most fiercest creatures underwater, there's the Hammerhead Shark, the Whale Shark, and even a Tiger Shark. P
The audio recording I listened to during our trip explained that sharks, unlike whales, are not mammals. P
Therefore, the Whale Shark is the biggest fish in the world! P
Although I had a lot of fun watching these sharks swim in the aquarium, I couldn't help but feel that they all wanted to return to their homes. P
An aquarium is not a safe place for a shark. P
My dad once told me that many sharks don't live longer than 2 years in an aquarium. P
I wish that all the sharks I saw today could return to the ocean. P
8 Lesson 14 - Conversation
What a great day. I loved going to the aquarium. Wasn't it fun? P
It was fun, I guess, but I didn't like it that much. P
Really? Why not? P
Well, I don't think they should keep sharks in tanks. P
I think it is fun and educational to see them up close. P
It makes me sad for them. P
I understand, Susan. They were born free and you think they should live their life the same way. P
That is exactly what I think. P
You know, there is another way to think about it. P
Really. What do you mean? P
Well, when we learn about sharks and see them up close we want to take care of the ocean so they will live a good life. P
That's true. It does make people more interested in keeping the oceans clean. P
Maybe if sharks could choose, they would be willing to give up their freedom to educate people. P
Maybe they would. P
8 Lesson 15 - Reading
It would be about a completely different planet that somehow collides with earth and starts a whole new evolution of species! P
Then again, I'm not even sure if many people are interested in hearing about things like that. At least my friends are. P
I can't believe school is going to be over soon. It seems only like days since it started! P
During summer break, I'm planning on going to a summer camp. P
It's actually a writing boot camp where I concentrate on my writing and reading skills. P
My parents always say that books give you all the knowledge you could ever ask for. P
I was given a 2 page reading list that I must complete before the summer camp is over. P
There are a few interesting titles in this list, too. P
I'm especially looking forward to all those science fiction novels because I'm a huge sci-fi fan. P
Who could resist UFOs or flying saucers or long-armed aliens coming to take over our world? P
If I were to become a writer, I would definitely write a science fiction story. P
8 Lesson 16 - Conversation
What are you doing? P
I am going to write a sci-fi story. P
You are kidding! P
No I'm not. I love sci-fi stories, and I want to try to write one. P
Well, you are not writing now. What are you doing? P
I am creating a world. I may even create two! P
But you're drawing! P
I decided the best way to write the story was to draw a map first. P
What a great idea. Can I help? P
Well you could create some creatures to fight or to be pets. P
Wow. That would be fun. What are you drawing? P
I am drawing the map of the city that the hero lives in. It gives me ideas for adventures the hero could have. P
You know what? I think I would like to draw some cool vehicles for the characters to drive. P
That would be great! I could use the help. P