31-year-old Rob from California USA was born without arms or legs. But like each of us, he has a dream and with the support of his parents and two sisters, Rob has made his dream come true.

    His interest in football began when he was 13 and a high school football coach gave him a sports shirt. "To a 13-year-old kid, it just made me excited. I felt the need to know more about the sport," Rob said. After a full understanding of it, Rob dreamed of becoming a football coach. And he made it.

    To do his job, Rob has to use a special chair he controls with his head and neck, and write by using his mouth to hold a special tool.

    Last autumn, Rob worked as head coach of the Prospect High School Junior team. Under him, the team won 8 and lost 2. It gave Rob confidence(信心) and courage. Clearly, football isn't just a sport; it is his life now.

    I love singing. But I am often laughed at for being a woman with a really deep voice. I couldn't go to the choir (合唱团) as a kid. Because of this, I never sing when people are nearby.

    I only sing in the car if I'm alone or when I'm home alone. My husband knows that I have this hobby. He wants to hear me sing. However, I never feel comfortable doing so.

    One day, we were driving and it was a beautiful trip. I got a bit excited and I was feeling a bit brave. I said to my husband, "Could you put on my favorite CD?" He did and my true feelings came out. I couldn't help singing.

    My husband started crying. Then I started getting choked up (哽咽). It was such a fantastic day. Now I want to share it with anyone who might listen. Sing out loud, people. Don't be afraid to be laughed at. Someone might even sing along.

    I bought a new car. My old car was still in good condition and worth $1, 500 at least at the used-car market.

    I have a co-worker, Tom. He is a great worker. He has no enough money for a new car and has been looking at used cars. So I asked him how much he was looking to spend on a car. He thought about $300 to $500. So I told him I'd sell him my old one for $300.

    My mom, who I work with, asked if I had any luck selling my old car. I told her I planned to sell it to our co-worker Tom for $300.

    She started crying. She told me how glad she was that she had brought up a selfless (无私的) kid who would help someone out so much. She told me to give it to him for free and that she would pay me $1,500. I didn't expect her to say so at all and of course I didn't take her money either. I want to help more people like my mother does.

    The longest river in the world is the Nile. It is 4,160 miles long. But the Nile is not the mightiest (浩荡的) river. The Amazon is. The Amazon is also the second longest river in the world. It is 3,900 miles long. How long is that? It is longer than a road going from New York City to San Francisco.

    The Amazon is the mightiest for this reason. It has the greatest amount of water. More water runs out to sea than from the Nile. Mississippi, and Yangtze rivers combined. That's a lot of fresh water! The force of its current (水流) is great too. The current can be seen 200 miles out in the sea. There's a story to show the Amazon's amazing current. A ship sailed (航行) far away from Brazil. It ran out of drinking water. Another ship passed by. The first ship asked for water. Someone on the second ship said. "Just put your buckets (桶) into the sea."

    Here are a few more facts. At its mouth, the Amazon is 90 miles wide. Even up the river, you can't see the opposite bank. The river is also very deep(from 22 to 76 meters). During rainy season, the river rises about 16 meters more. Big ocean ships can sail about 1,800 miles upstream (向上游). Smaller ships can sail 1,000 miles farther.

    What's the most bloodthirsty fish in the world? No. It's not the shark It's the Amazon's piranha.It is only about 10 cm to 20 cm long. It has sharp teeth. Thousands travel in a group. No animal can swim across the river. A 1,000-pound horse would be just bones (骨头) in three minutes. Are you planning a trip to the Amazon? Here's a piece of advice. Leave your swimsuit at home!

    Yun Siqi from Beijing is a 19-year-old young pianist (钢琴家). He started to learn the piano at age 4 and it has been his favourite hobby since then. Before that, he often heard his elder sister playing the violin and he loved the classical music she played. "I wanted to beat her in something and I chose the piano," Yun said.

    At 4, several minutes of practice a day was enough. As Yum grew up, at ages 7 and 8, he had to practise for four hours a day. The time kept going up after Yun was 12. Now, he needs to practise at least seven hours every day. He sleeps for only five to six hours a day, but he is still full of energy(活力).

    Yun never got tired of the piano. In fact, he had great fun playing it. "Music is my special luck, and it is a real enjoyment to be with it every day," he said.

    Yun worked hard and soon he stood out. From 2013 to now, Yun shone at different music festivals, concerts and competitions. Yun said successes or failures（失败）were not important and they would not affect his understanding of music or his plan for the future. "If you lose, think carefully about it, and if you win, just work harder," the young pianist said "I still need to practise more to become better, to bring out the real beauty of classical music through the piano. It may take a lifetime."

    Me: Hello, Television Viewers! I am Aziza Bellamy, and thanks for watching. I want to especially thank you, Ms. Bertha, for agreeing to this interview on live television. It's a pleasure to meet you, the first-known trans-galactic visitor to Earth. Now, I understand that you are from a planet called Zadernol?

    Bertha: Just call me Miss Bertha or Bertha, please, but not "Ms."

    Me: Okay, sorry about that. So, you've been on Earth for about a week now. What have been your biggest disappointments or challenges so far?

    Bertha: It's not the worst planet I've ever been to. Mercury was much worse. The aliens— oops, I mean humans, have been unkind, overall. The family I'm staying with, for example, were nice at first. But now they roll their eyes whenever I open my mouth to say anything. They're not interested in any of my stories. And I think they may be trying to avoid me. Worst of all, they make me wash my own dishes and bathe myself. They're so rude.

    Me: Oh, um. . . wow. That's just.…

    Bertha: I am used to having high standards when I choose where to stay, by the way. I have stayed with royalty and presidents on other planets. And they all adored (崇拜) me and begged me not to leave. But I gave this human family a chance to host me. I mean, really, they should be grateful that I selected them, of all the people on Earth, to wash my clothes and cook my meals and entertain (款待) me.

    Me: Well, what you're saying is surprising, Bertha. Do you think it's possible that this family just wants you to pitch in a little, to be a good guest?

    Bertha: It's odd to me that you're not agreeing with me. If you were smarter, you'd agree with me. That's another thing. Everyone on Zadernol is smarter than the smartest person on Earth. Earth is below me.

    Me: You know what. Bertha? I'm starting to see why you're so unhappy here on Earth. You're just a boastful (自夸的), spoiled alien.

    Tea is tasty and good for you. It is also one of the most popular drinks around the world. But what is tea? And why is it so popular?

    All tea comes from tea leaves but tea is not always the same. There are many kinds of tea. You can drink black tea, green tea, white tea or fruit tea. Each type of tea has a different taste and a different colour.

    The history of tea begins in Asia. In China, Korea and Japan, tea is still very important today. In Japan, it can take many hours to prepare and drink tea with your guests. In Malaysia, a popular drink at breakfast is teh tarik ('pulled tea'). Malaysians say it is good for you and tastes good with canai bread.

    Tourists in Kuala Lumpur like watching the tea sellers make ‘pulled tea'. The tea sellers pour hot water on black tea. After five minutes, they add sugar and milk. Then they 'pull' the tea—they pour the tea from one cup to another many times.

In many countries, you must have a special kettle to make tea. People in different countries also like to add different things to their tea. For example, Russians use a special kettle called a samovar. They like drinking tea with lemon. Sometimes, they also drink tea with some sugar or jam.

    In Turkey, tea comes in a Caydanlik. A Caydanlik has two kettles: one for the water and one for the tea. Drink Turkish tea with some sugar.

    Arab tea, called karak, has cardamom, ginger, milk and sugar. In the United Kingdom, they add some milk and sugar.

    The British usually eat biscuits with their tea. In Japan, they like…

    Happy, Happy Chinese New Year by Demi Hitz

    In a book that is itself a celebration, Demi explains the ideas behind the Chinese New Year festival. The last 15 days of the old year are spent cleaning and preparing （Wash your hair and get a new haircut. Pay the debts that you owe and collect what is owed to you!）.On the eve of the new moon, a special feast is prepared…The first 15 days of the New Year are spent celebrating with lion dances, firecrackers, and other activities.

    Demi has long been interested in Eastern art and philosophy, which inspired her to create this book about the Chinese New Year celebration. She has written and illustrated more than 20 books for children, including The Empty Pot, Gandhi, and Kites：Magic Wishes that Fly Up to the Sky.

    Chinese New Year for Kids by Cindy Roberts

    Chinese New Year for Kids is a full color book with beautiful, Chinese illustrations. This is a hands-on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old, for use in the classroom or at home. Children will enjoy the Chinese New Year party ideas, dragon dances, lion dances, art projects, and Chinese games.

    The art projects for Chinese New Year are designed to be easy, as well as inexpensive to reproduce for large groups. All the activities in this book have been tested in the classroom, with very successful results, and have caused lots of enthusiasm from children and teachers alike. Music, physical movement, art, and food all add to the ambiance of taking an imaginary trip to China during the Chinese New Year.

    Robert likes to take a walk in the park after work. One day when he was walking in the park, he heard a woman calling his name. He stopped to look around, but didn't see anything except a little snake. Shortly after Robert saw it, it was gone.

    Though Robert felt a little strange, he did not think about it too much and sat down for a rest on a bench in the park. Then he noticed the snake he had just seen climbing up the bench. Robert was too afraid to move away from the bench. Right at this moment, a woman behind him shouted, "Come here, Robert. You can't stay on the bench like that. People will be scared by you."

    In surprise, Robert turned around and said to the woman." Excuse me, but that's not a very nice thing to say, and in fact some people say I'm handsome."

    "I'm not talking to you, "said the woman." I'm telling Robert, my pet snake, to get down from the bench, not you."

    You must be told many times about the four historical stories. However, have you learned anything different about them in history classes?

    George Washington lost his first adult tooth at the age of 22. When he became the first American president, he only had one real tooth left. All his other teeth were made of wood.

    Everyone knows that in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to prove (证明) that the Earth was round. However, the truth was that Columbus didn't think the world was round at first.

    Many of us believe that Isaac Newton was hit on the head by an apple and he had the idea about gravity (引力). In fact, he was never hit on the head by an apple. The story by Voltaire didn't appear until the year Newton died. Newton's story is interesting, but it isn't true.

    Besides being one of the greatest people in history, Napoleon Bonaparte is remembered as a tiny man. And thanks to a famous painting by Louis David, people think he always had his hands hidden in his coat. But in fact, his height was about l.7 meters. It is very normal even at present.

    Of course, sometimes it's difficult to tell whether some historical stories are true or not. However, most of them can bring us much fun and teach us a lot.