Basic Reading — 第9冊

🔊Alfred's clock has stopped ticking. Maybe it is broken, but more likely it just has a dead battery. Though clocks don't require a lot of power to run, batteries don't last forever, though they will usually last a long time.

🔊You will know when your battery needs to be changed after you've been late for school or work a couple of times because your clock is running slow. If the battery gets really low, your clock might stop running completely. You might even think time is at a standstill, but no, it’s just your clock.

🔊Alfred is changing the battery in his clock. He bought a fresh battery at the local grocery store and is now putting it in. It is not a complicated procedure: just take the old one out and replace it with a new one.

🔊For most wall clocks you will find the battery compartment located on the back. For clock radios and alarm clocks, however, the battery may be underneath the clock and hidden with a small cover.

🔊Now that Alfred’s clock is running again, he can set the time. He does this by turning the dial on the back. The hands begin to move and he continues to turn them until they are pointing at the correct time.

🔊He is finished now and puts the clock back up on top of his stereo. Maybe it's not such a great spot for a round clock. The vibration from the stereo speakers may cause the clock to roll off and crash to the floor. Maybe he should reconsider its placement.

🔊Clocks, such as this one, are “wall” clocks and they don't have a base designed for setting them on flat surfaces. They are designed to be hung on the wall—hence the name, wall clock. There is a small slot on the back that is made for hanging the clock on a nail or screw.

🔊One thing that I really like about Taiwan is that most people do not use electric dryers to dry their clothes. Although they are convenient, they consume tremendous amounts of power to do a very simple job. Hanging your clothes out to dry only takes a few minutes and requires no electricity at all. It is a little more labor intensive than just throwing wet clothes into a machine, but it can save you a lot of money on the monthly power bill.

🔊Cara is hanging her clothes out to dry. She puts each shirt onto a hanger and then hangs it on the rack behind her. For socks and smaller items, like underwear and bras, she has a circular hanger that has several clothes pins attached to it. It hangs from the rack on plastic chains. She clips the socks onto it to let them air-dry. Later, when the clothes are dry, she will hang them in her closet or neatly fold them to be placed in her chest of drawers.

🔊This lady is washing tomatoes. The tomatoes are in an aluminum bowl. She puts them under running water to rinse them off. She does this to remove any dirt or chemicals. Once rinsed, she will drain off the excess water into the sink. Now the tomatoes are ready to be eaten or cooked.

🔊These children look very happy eating the little tomatoes. The tomatoes are served on a small decorative platter. Tomatoes can be eaten by themselves, like an apple, or in a salad with other fruits and vegetables. They are very good for your health and contain many different vitamins.

🔊Tomatoes grow on vines and are green before they ripen. While they ripen, they slowly turn red and become softer and sweeter just like other fruits. Tomatoes that are ripened “on the vine” are thought to be the best for eating. But sometimes they have to be picked when they are green so that they can be shipped to far away stores. Very ripe tomatoes turn a dark red, are mushy and hard to cut.

🔊To make a tomato ripen faster, try setting it next to a banana! Bananas release a chemical as they ripen that helps the tomato to ripen faster. It may sound strange, but it’s a scientific fact.

🔊The local fire department came to our school last week. They were promoting fire safety. Besides putting up posters about fire prevention, they also gave demonstrations on what to do in the case of a fire. We practiced our fire drill for them, so that they could see we knew how to do it. Then they showed us how to put out a fire.

🔊They taught us how to use a big fire hose, too. It was really cool. The hose could shoot water really far and could even hurt someone. The fireman helped me to use it because I am not strong enough to hold it by myself. Other students lined up behind me and waited for their turn. Our teacher was there, too, so that we didn't goof off in front of our guests.

🔊Next, the firemen, who were dressed in red, took us over by the fire truck where a game was set up for us. Several fire extinguishers filled with water were set up in a row. A couple meters away, there were see-saw like things for us to spray the extinguishers at. The idea was to spray the water into the container on the see-saw until it weighed enough to raise the ball on the other end. Whoever did it first was the winner. I didn't win, but it was still loads of fun.

🔊"My hands are so cold," Jason said to himself. "They feel like ice."

🔊He rubbed his hands together trying to keep them warm, but it only worked for a short while before they became cold again.

🔊"Maybe I'll try one of those new heating packets that mom bought for the family," he said as if talking to someone in the empty room.

🔊He searched the room intently for some time. Then inside a drawer in the cupboard he found what he was looking for: the little hand-warmers his mother bought during the last cold spell.

🔊He brought them all to the table and set them down. Then he took one out of the wrapper and rubbed it between his hands. It began to get warmer and warmer. When it was nice and toasty, he put it in his pocket.

🔊"Ah! That feels much better," he remarked, still talking to himself like a crazy man.

🔊Next he tried a strange looking one that was reusable. He pressed the metal strip inside the sealed rubber-like bag. The gel inside magically turned into crystals that created heat. He placed that one in the other pocket.

🔊"Wow! That is neat," he said in amazement as he wondered how it worked.

🔊Now that he had a heater in both pockets he was ready to go outside for a walk. If his hands got cold, he could simply slip them into his pockets to warm up. What a smart boy, even if he does talk to himself!

🔊It is time to take a ride on the scooter, but first we must think about safety. Whenever you ride a scooter, you need to wear a helmet. Helmets can prevent head injuries in case of an accident or a fall. Without a helmet, the risk of injury due to an accident is greatly increased. Helmets protect you against concussions, skull fractures and lacerations. They are a necessity and not just something to make you look pretty. Some think that helmets make them look stupid or un-cool, when in fact not wearing a helmet shows a lack of intelligence.

🔊This little girl has already climbed up on the scooter. Her mother is now going to take the scooter off the kickstand. It is common for children in Taiwan to ride on the front of the scooter holding onto the handlebars. It is also common for young children to ride without a helmet. Children are not old enough to know what is safe and what isn't. They can only assume that their parents will not put them into dangerous situations, but this isn't always the case. Many parents allow their children to ride helmet-less and put their children at great risk of injury or even death by doing so. Don't wear a helmet because it's the law; wear a helmet because it can save your life.

🔊It's time to go home. The little yellow vans are lined up with their sliding doors open. They are waiting for the kindergarten children to board. This is a daily routine outside all kindergartens.

🔊The vans are very brightly colored. This is to make them more visible to other cars and trucks on the road. If people recognize the vans as school vans, then they are more likely to drive carefully near them because they would know that there are children inside. It’s all about getting the kids home safely.

🔊Supervisors watch out for the children so that they are safe. It is their job to make sure that everyone gets in the right van, too. They also need to make sure no one is “in the way” when the vans take off.

🔊Supervisors also help out with backpacks, jackets and anything else that the small students need help with. Carrying big book bags and other essentials can be difficult for small children and they often forget things. It isn’t a wonder they need someone around to help them out.

🔊The lady next to the first bus is helping young students board the bus safely. She occasionally has to assist really small children to get in as well because some of them are just too small to get in without assistance.

🔊Mother's Day only comes once a year, so it is important to show your appreciation for your mother on this day. You can do this in many ways. You can give her flowers, candy, a card, or just tell her how much you love her. It’s the thought that counts and she’ll love whatever you give her or do for her.

🔊This year my school decided to throw a party for the students’ mothers. It was held in the student activity center at our school. We spent all morning setting up and decorating tables and chairs for the event. When we had finished, the room looked fit for a King—or, in this case, a Queen.

🔊The mothers, as well as a few grandmothers, started showing up at around one o'clock. They sat at tables spread out around the room and chatted while waiting for the festivities to start. After everyone was seated, our class came in.

🔊We marched into the room in a line. Each of us carried a small tray. On each tray were a flower, a hand-made card and a cup of hot tea. The trays were presented to our respective mothers and they were tickled pink to receive our tokens of appreciation.

🔊After the presentation, we sat with our mothers and talked while they drank their tea. My mother thanked me for being so thoughtful, but I told her that no thank you was needed. After all, it was her day.

🔊Once everyone had said goodbye and our guests had left, we cleaned up the activity room. In a way, it was fitting to do the cleaning for a change because it is usually our mothers that do it for us day after day, year after year. The difference being, they rarely, if ever, receive thanks for doing it, while our teachers thoughtfully thanked us for the hard work that we did.

🔊Two boys are trying to make papaya milk. It is a good drink for growing children because it is sweetened naturally and contains a lot of vitamins. In addition, milk is high in calcium which is great for strong bones and teeth. But good for them or not, the boys like to drink it because it tastes great.

🔊Picture 1 Tom is slowly pouring milk into a blender. His friend John carefully spoons in some papaya that has already been cut into small pieces.

🔊Picture 2 John pushes the start button to blend the papaya and milk together. The blender makes a horribly loud noise as the blades rotate very quickly, pulverizing everything inside. It only takes a few seconds before it is finished, and he then hits the stop button.

🔊Picture 3 John is trying to pour the thick sludge into the tiny paper cup without making too much of a mess. Tom is holding the cup steady, so that it doesn't tip over. The little girls next to them can't wait to taste the yummy drink.

🔊In the end, the boys wound up with a goopy sludge. They used too much papaya and not enough milk. But for their first attempt, they did a pretty good job. Even if it is too thick to drink, they can still eat it with a spoon. Maybe next time they’ll remember to use more milk.

🔊Twice a week the girls' soccer team meets with their coach to practice. Rain or shine they are required to show up and at least check in. If the field is too wet, they might be given a break but otherwise, they have to be there.

🔊Their coach is a very kind, yet strict man. He teaches them many of the skills they will need to become good soccer players. He instructs them on the rules of the game and how to work together as a team. As well, he teaches them something many coaches ignore…sportsmanship.

🔊Practicing their footwork is an important part of every practice. Often, he has the team stand around as he instructs them on the fundamentals of controlling the ball. He also teaches them such things as how to kick and pass the ball properly. He shows them that by holding out their arms, it will help to them maintain balance when they strike the ball.

🔊One of the drills that the coach likes to use is to set up a ball in front of the goal and let each of the girls take a turn at kicking it into the net. As they run the drill, he will stand by to watch their form. By doing this he is able to give each girl a few pointers that will help her to hone her skills. He is also there to offer encouragement and praise when needed.

🔊While the drill is being run, students wait their turn behind the net and watch their fellow teammates. They can learn a lot by watching others who are better than them and also from others' mistakes.

🔊With diligent practice and repeatedly doing simple drills, they are able to master basic soccer skills. The more time they spend kicking and passing the ball, the more power and accuracy they will develop. With enough practice, handling the ball will become like second-nature and make them much better players. They will be able to dribble past the opposition as if they weren’t even there. Or, as I like to say, turn the opponent into a human pylon.