初一学习中心

Welcome This is your new school. There are three buildings and a playground. It’s not big, but it is beautiful. Let’s go around the school together! This is the teaching building. It has three floors. There are 30 classrooms on the first and second floors. And there are 10 science labs and eight computer labs on the third floor. This is our library. It has got many books. There are also reading rooms in the library. We can read and study here. This is our playground. We do morning exercises here. After school, we come to run or play football here. This is our dining hall. It’s not big, but the food is good.

Good morning, everyone! Good morning, Teacher! Welcome to junior high. I’m Mr Pan, your English teacher. I’m so happy to meet you all. I like playing the piano, reading books and travelling. And I love working with students. This year, we’ll explore the world of English together. It’ll be a lot of fun! Now, it’s your turn to introduce yourselves. Please tell us your name and your hobby. Who wants to go first? Hello everyone! My name is Zhu Xiaomeng. I’m thirteen years old. My birthday is in May. I love sports very much. I like running, playing football and swimming. I’m a bit nervous now, but I’m also happy to meet you. I want to make friends with you all!

I’m going to make more friends. Put it on the “wishing tree”. Wishing tree Make more friends. Learn to dance. Join a football team. Get better at English. Learn to play the piano. Read more books. To make more friends, I’m going to take part in sports. Make a plan for your wish and share it with the class. Welcome to junior high! 13 NONE

Learning without thinking is of no use. —/ Our English teacher Ms Chen writes the sentence on the blackboard and says, “Please write this down.” We start to write. I write down the first word and stop. “That’s not right. But is it OK to point out the mistake? Is that polite, in the first lesson?” Questions jump into my mind. “Why aren’t you writing, Wang Han?” I look up at Ms Chen. My eyes meet hers. My mouth feels dry. But then I think about the meaning of the sentence. I put up my hand. “Ms Chen, there’s a mistake,” I say. “That sentence is from Confucius, not from Mencius.” “Well done, Wang Han. In fact, this is my first lesson for all of you. You are now in junior high school. Learning will be more difficult. You need to think more in your learning. Please always remember this.” That’s really an important lesson!

The bell rings, and their / my English teacher comes in. “My name’s Pan Ming. What’s your / his name?” He asks us to introduce ourselves. “How about you first?” I / he look up. My eyes meet his / ours. I feel so nervous. And I give a silly answer! “I’m fine, thank you, sir!” My face turns red. But Mr Pan just looks at me / her with a smile and says, “Oh, Fine is a great name!” His / Our clever words make me feel better. I’m so lucky to have a teacher like him.

The new school is beginning. What are the students’ problems? The biggest problem They have more subjects and more homework. They also have more activities. How can they plan their time? Come and join us! The Students’ Union will hold a talk this week to help you. Listen to the conversation and complete the table. | |Wang Peng|Li Lin| | ---- | ---- | ---- | | |They have more subjects and more homework. It’s hard to plan their time.|Every day, write down your tasks and the time for each task.| | |There are so many tasks.|Do the most important things first.| | |A project may take weeks.|Turn a big task into smaller ones. Then work on them day by day.| Learning to learn Describing problems Sometimes, we need to describe our problems to get help. We can first state our problem. For example, It’s hard to plan time. Then we can provide more details. For example, There are so many tasks. Work in pairs. Choose a problem in planning your studies and give advice. There is a lot of homework today. It’s hard to decide what to do first. A I have a problem. It’s hard to… Can you give me some advice? B Sure. First… It takes one month to finish a book report. It’s hard to finish it on time. A But how about…? B You should… Useful expressions … p117 Talk about what you have learnt about making good plans in junior high in this section.

Dad: Mia, it’s your first day in junior high tomorrow. How do you feel? Mia: Well, I’m a little nervous. Mum: Don’t worry. We’ve got something for you! Look! Mia: A paper boat? Dad: Yes, and it’s also a letter from Mum and me. We want to share some thoughts with you. Mia: Oh, thank you! Dear Mia, Time flies! You are now in junior high! Are you ready for your new life? Primary school is like a small pool. Your boat is safe there. Dad and Mum can protect it from winds. But junior high is like a river. It is wide and the water moves fast. You will face new problems. We are still here to help. But sometimes you have to sail your boat by yourself. Just try your best and work hard. You will go through storms towards the sea. We hope this letter helps you in the coming years! With love, Dad and Mum

Rock music is coming out of my computer. As a rock music lover, I play the electric guitar in the school band. Sometimes I write songs and share them online. There is so much fun in music. Right at this moment, the sound of Grandpa’s erhu cuts in. Yes, music is also my grandpa’s hobby. But it’s a different kind of music. He likes playing the erhu in the park with his friends. They sing Beijing opera together. They have many fans. An idea suddenly hits me: “Why don’t we put our music together? I can write a song for us.” “Grandpa!” I rush into his room… There is an art festival every autumn in my school. I decide to take part in it with Grandpa this year. After a week’s practice, we are on the stage. I nod to Grandpa and we fire up our instruments. Everybody moves with our music. Grandpa gives me a big smile, and I smile back. It feels great to enjoy our hobby together.

There are many young traditional art lovers in our school. Today, let’s get to know two of them. Li Bo is a big fan of Beijing opera. He likes singing it, too. “Next week, there will be a Beijing opera competition in our school. I will join it and I hope I can win,” Li Bo said. Wang Wei and her sister love paper-cutting. This kind of art is over a thousand years old. “I’m preparing for the school art festival. I want to share my works with more people,” Wang Wei told us.

Oliver is awake at midnight. Suddenly, a door appears in the wall. Oliver’s heart almost stops. He walks over and taps on the door. Emma shakes her head and stops writing. She is new at this school. There are no old classmates here. She feels a bit lonely. Emma likes writing magic stories. She wants to make friends and share the joy of writing. She looks around the library. An idea hits her. Hello! This is my notebook. Do you like the story? Please write more! Emma puts the notebook on a shelf and leaves. A week later, Emma’s notebook is still on the shelf in the library. Nervously, she opens it. Her eyes open wide. There are pages of new writing by different people! And there is a note on the last page. “How about starting a writing group? Let’s meet here on Wednesday after lunch.” “It’s the best ending to my story,” thinks Emma.

Along a mountain road, a handsome young man walks fast. An older man with a strict face follows him. This is from my favourite film, Postmen in the Mountains. It’s a touching story about the love between father and son. For years, the father served as the postman for this area. He was often absent from home and the son seldom saw him. But now the son is taking over his father’s position. The father goes with him on his first day of work. Along the way, they start to see into each other’s hearts. For the first time, the son carries his father across a cold river. It brings back the father’s memory of carrying the son on his shoulders. Tears quietly run down his face. This film shows a traditional Chinese father. He is happy about his son’s growth. But he just hides his care in his heart. He doesn’t give hugs or kisses to his son. His love may be silent. But like a mountain, it is always there.

Mum, my sister Zihan and me. We three are sitting in front of the computer. We are waiting for Dad to call. Every year, we take a family photo together during the Spring Festival. But this year photo is different. Dad is abroad for building a high-speed railway. How can we keep our family tradition? “Let’s have a video call!” It is Zihan idea. “Hello! Let’s take the photo together!” (Dad) voice. “One, two, three—cheese!” The photo comes on the screen: four smiling faces. I think it is our family best photo. We are a family, together or far away.

John and Robert Taylor are brothers. They are always close to each other. But Robert has a serious disease and cannot move at all. He has to stay at home every day and he often feels lonely. He wants to join the other kids. He wants to go out and play. John sees Robert’s sad face and wants to help. One day, he finds a way. He puts Robert in a trailer and pulls it along with his bike. For the first time, Robert feels like the other kids. A big, bright smile appears on his face. Now, the brothers often take part in bike races together. It is hard for John to pull Robert’s trailer. But John refuses to race without his brother. They don’t often win. But for the brothers, some things are more important than winning. They enjoy the time together. “We are family,” John says. For the Taylor brothers, the result doesn’t really matter. The love between them powers their bike. And love always wins.

It is my first year of university in the UK. My English friend, Emilia, is a nice girl. Sometimes, she cooks British food for me. Today is the Spring Festival, so I want to treat her to a Chinese dinner. At home, I often watch Grandma cook. I never realised cooking was so difficult. How I wish to have four hands now! It is midnight in China – time for dumplings. My whole family come to help me on the phone. Step by step, they teach me. I even make some cucumber flowers. After Emilia hangs balloons and lanterns in the dining room, I put the last dish on the table. “This is the lion’s head!” “Are you joking? Isn’t that against the law?” Emilia is shocked. I laugh. “It’s a pork meatball. My family always have it at the Spring Festival. Its round shape stands for family reunions. Try it!” Emilia cuts a piece of it with her knife and puts it into her mouth. “I love it!” she says. The smell of the dishes and the sound of our laughing fill the room. I feel like I am back home.

Hi there! Welcome to my blog about Chinese festivals! Today, let’s get to know the Dragon Boat Festival. ¹People call it the Double Fifth in English, because it ²takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The best part of the festival is the dragon boat races. The riversides are ³full of people. Eating zongzi is a must during the festival. Zongzi in the north of China are ⁴sweet. But those in the south are ⁵salty. I ⁶tried a salty one, so this year I’ll be sure to try some! Which taste do you prefer?

Do you know what Christmas could bring…? Around the world, people throw away ¹____ (thousands / millions) of turkeys. Each year, people in the UK use about ²____ (365,000 / 456,000) kilometres of paper for gifts. People cut down nearly ³____ (120 / 140) million trees to use as Christmas trees. But after Christmas, they often throw them away. Some families are ⁴____ (making / buying) plastic Christmas trees, but they can cause pollution, too. Advice: We should ⁵____ (think / learn) about new ways of celebrating. Let’s have a ⁶____ (new / green) Christmas this year. a Let’s not have a ¹____ meal. b And this year, we won’t have a Christmas tree. c Let’s make a tree from old ²____. d Maybe we can ³____ a tree on the wall. e How about using the big ⁴____ in the living room? f But we’ll put ⁵____ newspapers around the gifts. Great idea and No problem. When we agree with others, we can use sentences like these. When we disagree with others, be polite and say I’m not sure about that or I’m afraid I don’t agree. Listen again. Then talk about how the speakers agree and disagree. Work in pairs. Talk about different ways to celebrate a festival or holiday. Name of the festival / holiday: How I usually celebrate it: A different way to celebrate it: Why: Talk about what you have learnt about new ways to celebrate festivals or holidays in this section.

For Chinese people, festivals usually mean a break from work and happy family reunions. But for Leng Wenying, festivals only mean more work. As a doctor in the emergency room, Leng misses many family meals with her loved ones. She is often much busier during festivals. Sometimes she has to work without any breaks for 20 hours. This makes her tired and thirsty. “Festivals are a challenge because our patients are often in a bad situation. We need to stand by every minute,” says Leng. Leng’s duty means she has little time to be with her family at festivals. But she never regrets her decision to be an ER doctor. “I make the most of every minute with my family. I’m very thankful for their support,” she says. Leng is only one of millions of medical workers in China. They give up their family time to answer the call of duty. In the heart of every patient, their hard work shines brighter than fireworks.

It’s quarter past seven. Here’s Worker No.55 in his green uniform. He’s going to start work in the plant. He works in Workshop 1001 in the Leaf. There are 20 to 100 workers in each workshop. They collect sunlight and CO₂ during the day. Now workers from the Root send up water. The water will rise up to the Leaf through the Stem. Then workers in the Leaf will mix water, CO₂ and sunlight. What are they going to produce? Most importantly (for them), there will be sugar! It’s useful for the growth of the plant. Another product will be oxygen, but the plant doesn’t need much of it. It means a lot to animals and humans – they need it to breathe! The workers work hard. Soon it’s going to get dark. They will take a rest. There are millions of plants on earth. They give more than food and oxygen. Without plants, the natural world would be very different!

What is the most popular drink in the world after water? The answer is tea. It is not only good for our health, but also a key part of many cultures. What does tea mean to you? Feng Tao In Chengdu, we have as many teahouses as leaves in a cup of tea! Grandpa used to take me to the teahouse. He and his friends drank tea and shared their news. Now I study abroad. Most of my classmates prefer coffee, but I will always choose green tea. It’s more than a drink for me. A cup of warm tea always makes me feel like I’m back home. Emma Jones It’s no secret that Brits love afternoon tea. But actually, we drink tea all day. My husband can drink eight cups a day! When my kids were young, I always made tea for them after school. Now they’re adults, but they come back every weekend. We chat and relax in the yard with black tea and biscuits. It’s our way of connecting.

• The importance of plants More plants will make: the animals: the people: • Things to do I am going to Useful expressions • Without plants … will / won’t… • … mean a lot to… • … need… to… • … can make… • … give more than… 84 UNIT5 The power of plants 85 2 Listen again and complete Jason’s notes for the vlog. an ear of corn The biggest one is nearly ¹____ (40 / 50) cm long! People started growing corn in Mexico about ²____ (900 / 9,000) years ago. Today, it’s a big part of their ³____. There are over ⁴____ (600 / 100) corn dishes now! Corn isn’t just ⁵____. People even use it to make toys. It’s also part of Mexican culture. Learning to learn Listening for numbers When listening for numbers, pay attention to words and expressions like nearly, about, over, and more / less than. They usually come before numbers. 3 Listen to the conversation and complete the sentences. Corn seeds Tacos are a traditional Mexican food. We ¹____ them from corn seeds. We make chips with corn seeds, too. Corn silk It’s the “hair” of corn. People in many countries make ²____ with it. It is ³____ for your health. Corn husks We make ⁴____ dolls with corn husks. Learning to learn Asking for and giving permission Asking for permission helps us get something in a polite way. We can use the questions May I…? / Could / Can I…? People can reply Certainly, Sure or Go ahead. 4 Work in pairs. Act out a conversation about the uses of a plant. Step1 Choose one of the plants and think about three ways of using it. Step2 Have a conversation about its uses. Try to ask for and give permission in the conversation. Talk about what you have learnt about the different uses of plants in this section. Useful expressions … p118 86 UNIT5 The power of plants 87

1 Who drinks tea in your family? 2 What kind of tea do they like? 3 Where do they drink tea? 4 Who do they drink tea with? 5 Do they have any stories of drinking tea? 6 How does tea make them feel? Step 2 Write your paragraph using the information above. Step3 Check. Did you: □ include the main points in Step1? □ use the words and expressions from the reading passage? □ explain how tea is part of culture? Step 4 Share your paragraph with the class. 90 UNIT5 The power of plants 91

We’re studying birds for Bird Week at school. Some lucky kids got penguins. But I have to write about… pigeons! 😒 I’m watching pigeons in the park now. They just knock around for the whole morning! They leave droppings here and there. Pigeons are BORING and DIRTY! A girl is feeding them. Argh! The birds are flying madly to her. They’re SCARY! I’m doing some online research. Pigeons can recognise themselves in mirrors. How surprising! Are they so clever? I’d better go and watch them again… I’m back at the park again. Oh! That pigeon is looking at itself in the water! Maybe I was wrong about pigeons. I’m reading in the library now. Oh, there are over 200 kinds of pigeons. Some can fly several thousand kilometres and don’t get lost. They can also fly at speeds of over 100 km per hour. That’s as fast as my dad’s car! Well, pigeons aren’t boring or scary. They are AMAZING — I just didn’t know enough about them!

About Bingjie was a smart and worked with firemen. Bingjie had a good sense of . He worked after earthquakes and helped find missing . Over the years, he saved many lives. He did a great after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. He helped to find people. Bingjie died at the age of . He was a hero. Timeline Learning to listen Quickly read the information in the book before listening. Think about the topic and guess the answers. Remember, you don’t need to understand everything on the first go. Listen to the interview and complete the notes. Interview with Ouyang Honghong • Do you remember your first meeting? Yes. I first met Bingjie in 2007. He just ran up to me to say . Then we became best friends! • Can you tell us something about Bingjie’s work in Wenchuan? Bingjie worked very . He got hurt, but he didn’t . On the second day, he found a six-year-old girl. She was the person our team found. • What do you want to say to Bingjie? Bingjie, I want to hug you again. I you so much. You are always my . Learning to learn Asking questions to find out information Questions help us show our interest, get new information and understand ideas. Keep your questions short and simple, and avoid talking over other speakers. Listen again. Then talk about how the host asked questions. Work in pairs. Talk about another animal helper. Use the questions below to organise your ideas. What animal is it? What does the animal do to help people? What is special about the animal? What do you think of the animal? Talk about what you have learnt about animal helpers in this section. Useful expressions … p118

Are you looking at me? Do you know me? I’m a dodo! You may think I’m just a character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Actually, there used to be thousands of us — for real. But now you can only see us in museums. We lived on an island in the Indian Ocean. In the happy old days, there was plenty of food to eat. All the other animals were friendly. What a peaceful and safe life! However, in 1598, humans arrived. They cut down the trees and our lovely forest was gone. They hunted us because we were slow and couldn’t fly. What’s more, their pigs, cats and dogs ate our eggs. As a result, we soon died out. So today we are standing in museums around the world. When you see us, please remember our sad story. The world is full of fantastic animals. Please try your best to help them. Make them as happy as a clam, not as dead as a dodo.

Dodos lived on an island in the Indian Ocean. There was plenty of food to eat and all the other animals were friendly. People arrived in 1598. They cut down the trees and hunted dodos. Their pigs, cats and dogs ate the dodos’ eggs. Dodos soon died out. Today, people can only see them in pictures.

1 Which animal has the longest neck? A. Monkey. B. Horse. C. Giraffe. 2 Which animal can see things from the farthest away? A. Eagle. B. Rabbit. C. Dog. 3 Which animal can remember lots of information? A. Cow. B. Mouse. C. Elephant. 4 How many eyes does a bee have? A. Two. B. Five. C. Twelve. 5 The hummingbird can eat ____ its weight in 24 hours. A. half B. about two times C. more than five times 94 UNIT6 Fantastic friends 95

What animal is it? What is it doing? What is special about it? What do you think of it? Useful expressions • It is a… • It looks like… • Look, it’s… • It can… • It has long / big… • People call it… • It eats… • It’s amazing / clever / … • How surprising / amazing!… 100 UNIT6 Fantastic friends 101 2 Listen again and complete the webpage for Bingjie.