My name is Ellen, and I live in a flat in London.<br />I don't live with my parents, they are living in the countryside.<br />An advantage of city life is having everything you need so close at hand.<br />Living beside the underground station means I don't need a car to get around, which saves<br />me money.<br />I can take the underground to school or to visit my friends.<br />Also, there are shopping centers and cinemas everywhere.<br />Of course, London, like any other large city, has its problems too.<br />Londoners don't chat on the train or the bus.<br />My parents don't understand how I can put up with the noise and pollution.<br />However, I see that as a small price to pay.<br />I'm here in the heart of the city.<br />As a famous poet once said, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.<br />My name is Ellen, and I live in a flat in London.<br />I don't live with my parents, they are living in the countryside.<br />An advantage of city life is having everything you need so close at hand.<br />Living beside the underground station means I don't need a car to get around, which saves<br />me money.<br />I can take the underground to school or to visit my friends.<br />Also, there are shopping centers and cinemas everywhere.<br />Of course, London, like any other large city, has its problems too.<br />Londoners don't chat on the train or the bus.<br />My parents don't understand how I can put up with the noise and pollution.<br />However, I see that as a small price to pay.<br />I'm here in the heart of the city.<br />As a famous poet once said, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.

It was the first day of our two-week family vacation to Europe.<br />A year ago when my mom's 50th birthday was coming, she said to us, what about traveling<br />in Europe?<br />She wasn't interested in parties, new cars or celebrations.<br />She wanted to travel.<br />Of course, my brother Michael and I were excited when she put forward the idea.<br />Michael, 23, was finishing up an engineering degree, and I had already borrowed a lot<br />of money for my college education.<br />We weren't going to be able to have a trip like this on our own for quite some time.<br />Obviously, we thought this was the best idea our mother had ever had.<br />But we received phone calls and emails from my mother every day as the date of traveling<br />was near.<br />Don't forget to make copies of your passports.<br />Make sure to call the bank.<br />And seriously, Kara, pack sweaters, you're going to be cold.<br />It had been seven years after I left home.<br />And except during the holidays, my brother and I hadn't spent much time together with<br />our family for a long time.<br />It was the first day of our two-week family vacation to Europe.<br />A year ago when my mom's 50th birthday was coming, she said to us, what about traveling<br />in Europe?<br />She wasn't interested in parties, new cars or celebrations.<br />She wanted to travel.<br />Of course, my brother Michael and I were excited when she put forward the idea.<br />Michael, 23, was finishing up an engineering degree.<br />And I had already borrowed a lot of money from my college education.<br />We weren't going to be able to have a trip like this on our own for quite some time.<br />Obviously, we thought this was the best idea our mother had ever had.<br />But we received phone calls and emails from my mother every day as the date of traveling<br />was near.<br />Don't forget to make copies of your passports.<br />Make sure to call the bank.<br />And seriously, Kara, pack sweaters, you're going to be cold.<br />It had been seven years after I left home.<br />And except during the holidays, my brother and I hadn't spent much time together with<br />our family for a long time.

Welcome to you all. I'm sure you're going to have a great time with us here at Westford College.<br />You'll be in class every morning during the week. Classes begin at 9.30, and go straight through till 1pm.<br />On Fridays, they stop at 12 o'clock to help the weekend get going.<br />You're expected to do more than just study in class.<br />It's important to make use of the school library.<br />There's a wealth of materials there. You can also use the self-access center.<br />All the computers there have access to our network of English learning software.<br />If you want to email home, you might find a spare computer in the common room.<br />Another thing to remember, there will be a food festival between November 5th and 10th,<br />where you can enjoy all kinds of food from about every country.<br />Some of the food is a little expensive, but the good news is that it's free to get in.<br />It's worth going just to look. Talking of money, you can get money off all kinds of things in<br />Westford, if you're a student. Take your passport along to the office,<br />so that they can issue you with a student discount card.<br />Welcome to you all. I'm sure you're going to have a great time with us here at Westford College.<br />You'll be in class every morning during the week.<br />Classes begin at 9.30 and go straight through till 1 pm.<br />On Fridays, they stop at 12 o'clock to help the weekend get going.<br />You're expected to do more than just study in class.<br />It's important to make use of the school library.<br />There's a wealth of materials there. You can also use the self-access center.<br />All the computers there have access to our network of English learning software.<br />If you want to email home, you might find a spare computer in the common room.<br />Another thing to remember, there will be a food festival between November 5th and 10th,<br />where you can enjoy all kinds of food from about every country.<br />Some of the food is a little expensive, but the good news is that it's free to get in.<br />It's worth going just to look. Talking of money,<br />you can get money off all kinds of things in Westford, if you're a student.<br />Take your passport along to the office, so that they can issue you with a student discount card.

A teenager named Lydia Denton was recently named the winner of fueling education student<br />challenge, where she earned $20,000 after creating a car seek device that detects when<br />babies have been left in a hot car and can prevent them from dying.<br />Learning the news, Lydia says she was genuinely shocked.<br />I didn't think I would win.<br />I got really upset about babies being left in hot cars by accident and wanted to invent<br />something to prevent the deaths from happening, she says.<br />After much research and thought, Lydia created beat the heat car seat.<br />It took over 100 tries to get it working, she says, crediting her science teacher mom,<br />Covey Mose.<br />Her older brother and younger sister were also her awesome encouragers who provided hugs<br />and company.<br />For those who may become inspired by her story, Lydia has one message.<br />Don't think that you have to accept things in the world.<br />If there is something that bothers you, think of ways to make it better.<br />A teenager named Lydia Denton was recently named the winner of fueling education student<br />challenge, where she earned $20,000 after creating a car seek device that detects when<br />babies have been left in a hot car and can prevent them from dying.<br />Learning the news, Lydia says she was genuinely shocked.<br />I didn't think I would win.<br />I got really upset about babies being left in hot cars by accident and wanted to invent<br />something to prevent the deaths from happening, she says.<br />After much research and thought, Lydia created beat the heat car seat.<br />It took over 100 tries to get it working, she says, crediting her science teacher mom,<br />Covey Mose.<br />Her older brother and younger sister were also her awesome encouragers who provided hugs<br />and company.<br />For those who may become inspired by her story, Lydia has one message.<br />Don't think that you have to accept things in the world.<br />If there is something that bothers you, think of ways to make it better.

Good morning class. Before we begin today's lecture I would like to take a minute to address<br />the exam results. I have been giving this exam for several years now. Usually the class<br />average is in the high 70s. The class average for this time was an astonishing 87. At first<br />I was questioning these results because this has never happened before. I thought there<br />might have been widespread cheating on this exam. Along with the research department's<br />help and analysis I have reviewed all the data and have come to a fortunate conclusion.<br />You are not cheating at all. The data are clear. Analysis has shown that more students<br />than usual use their access to the review exercises we gave you. It has proved that most of you<br />have done well in preparing for the examination. You have made much progress in your study<br />and you have paid more attention to your exam than ever before. As an added bonus, if your<br />grade was over 90 you have earned a reward. I will allow you not to complete a piece of<br />homework. Congratulations to you. Now let's get started with class.<br />Good morning class. Before we begin today's lecture I would like to take a minute to address<br />the exam results. I have been giving this exam for several years now. Usually the class<br />average is in the high 70s. The class average for this time was an astonishing 87. At first<br />I was questioning these results because this has never happened before. I thought there<br />might have been widespread cheating on this exam. Along with the research department's<br />help and analysis I have reviewed all the data and have come to a fortunate conclusion.<br />You are not cheating at all. The data are clear. Analysis has shown that more students<br />than usual use their access to the review exercises we gave you. It has proved that<br />most of you have done well in preparing for the examination. You have made much progress<br />in your study and you have paid more attention to your exam than ever before. As an added<br />bonus, if your grade was over 90 you have earned a reward. I will allow you not to complete<br />a piece of homework. Congratulations to you. Now let's get started with class.

Henry saw a dog on the sidewalk looking lost and upset.<br />Approaching the dog, he patted its head.<br />Nice doggy, he said to the dog.<br />The dog wagged its tail.<br />The dog had a collar that read its name.<br />Its name was Spike.<br />Come on, Spike, Henry said to the dog.<br />The dog followed him home.<br />He brought the dog upstairs to his room<br />and opened a jar of dog food.<br />He used to have a dog.<br />He poured the dog food into a bowl<br />and placed it in front of Spike.<br />Spike started eating.<br />I'll take care of you, Spike, he said to the dog.<br />He knew the dog did not belong to him.<br />He printed posters of Spike.<br />The poster said, found dog.<br />He went around hanging the poster.<br />Nobody came to find Spike that day, though.<br />Henry saw a dog on the sidewalk looking lost and upset.<br />Approaching the dog, he patted its head.<br />Nice doggy, he said to the dog.<br />The dog wagged its tail.<br />The dog had a collar that read its name.<br />Its name was Spike.<br />Come on, Spike, Henry said to the dog.<br />The dog followed him home.<br />He brought the dog upstairs to his room<br />and opened a jar of dog food.<br />a jar of dog food. He used to have a dog. He poured the dog food into a bowl and placed<br />it in front of Spike. Spike started eating.<br />I'll take care of you, Spike, he said to the dog. He knew the dog did not belong to him.<br />He printed posters of Spike. The poster said, Found Dog. He went around hanging the poster.<br />Nobody came to find Spike that day, though.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.<br />He was hanging the poster.

I read a story in a book the other day.<br />It showed something important, and I wanted to share it with you.<br />The story was set in the years before cars were invented, so the rich had to travel<br />in coaches.<br />One day a young lady wanted to watch a play in the theatre.<br />Her coachman took her to the theatre in a coach.<br />It was very cold.<br />While she was watching the play, the poor coachman had to sit outside in the snow on<br />the driver's seat of the coach, looking after the horse.<br />Inside the theatre, the lady was moved to tears by the performance.<br />Some actors in the play were in extremely poor situations.<br />She showed great pity on them.<br />However, when she came out and saw the coachman covered with snow and almost frozen to death,<br />she just considered it as a normal part of life.<br />Nowadays, whenever I see people in terrible situations on TV, I feel sad, wishing that<br />I could do something to make a difference.<br />But I often ignore people and things around me, like people who struggle with life.<br />They lose their jobs, experience death in their family, or suffer diseases.<br />Help those as you can.<br />This is the story.<br />Is there anyone who can share something you read during the holidays in class?<br />I read a story in a book the other day.<br />It showed something important, and I wanted to share it with you.<br />The story was set in the years before cars were invented, so the rich had to travel<br />in coaches.<br />One day, a young lady wanted to watch a play in the theatre.<br />Her coachman took her to the theatre in a coach.<br />It was very cold.<br />While she was watching the play, the poor coachman had to sit outside in the snow on<br />the driver's seat of the coach, looking after the horse.<br />Inside the theatre, the lady was moved to tears by the performance.<br />Some actors in the play were in extremely poor situations.<br />She showed great pity on them.<br />However, when she came out and saw the coachman covered with snow and almost frozen to death,<br />she just considered it as a normal part of life.<br />Nowadays, whenever I see people in terrible situations on TV, I feel sad, wishing that<br />I could do something to make a difference.<br />But I often ignore people and things around me, like people who struggle with life.<br />They lose their jobs, experience death in their family, or suffer diseases.<br />Help those as you can.<br />This is the story.<br />Is there anyone who can share something you read during the holidays in class?