BR 1-24 The Story of Rome

Life in Rome(P.34)




I was read this book first time. The city of Rome, in Italy, is over two thousand years old, and its beginning is cloaked in mystery. According to myth, it all started with twin brothers - Romulus and Remus. The twins were royal babies. Their mother was a glamorous princess and their father was Mars, the god of war. They should have inherited a kingdom from their grandfather, King Numitor, and lived happily ever after. But king Numitor's brother, Amulius, had banished him and stolen the crown. And Amulius didn't want any rivals... "Take those brats to the River Tider and drown them, " he ordered a slave. But the slave took pity on them and sent the river in a basket. After a while, the basket washed ashore. A wolf heard the boys crying and went to look.  Perhaps she thought they were cubs, because she fed and cared for them as if they were her own habies. Soon after this, a shepherd named Faustulus sotted the boys. Faustulus and his wife longed for children. " I'll rescue them, and we can bring them up as our own sons," he decided. Romulus and Remus grew up big, strong and always ready for a flight. They become shepherds like Faustulus, spending each day in the hills. One day, Remus got into a brawl with some rival shepherds, who dragged him before a local judge.

I was read this book first time. Rome is big city in the world. I want to go in Rome. i want to read many books after this.

Reference

Rosie Dickins. (2006). The Story of Rome. London, England: Usborne.

273 words

BR 1-23 Aesop's Fables

The lion and the mouse(P.53)




I was read this book first time. One day, the hare was boasting about how amazingly fast he could run. His friends just yawned. They'd heard it all before. The hare started to pick on the old tortoise. "You're slow, I'm surprised you ever get anywhere," he teased. "I may be slow," replied the tortoise, "but I bet I can reach the end of this field before you." "Hooray, a challenge!" whooped the hare. "Come on everyone. Watch me win!" The other animals gathered around as the hare and the tortoise lined up to start. "Ready, steady, go!" shouted the badger. everyone cheered as the hare raced off, leaving the tortoise far behind. the tortoise wasn't bothered. She plodded along at her own speed. Halfway across the field, the hare looked back over his shoulder. "That old tortoise will take all day," he thought. "I might as well have a little rest." Soon he had fallen fast asleep in the warm sunshine. Several hours later, the hare woke up in a panic. In the distance, he could see the tortoise about to cross the finishing line. He can as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise had won. One hot summer, a thirsty crow was searching for something to drink. It hadn't rained for weeks and he was beginning to give up hope. Then in the distance ha spied a pot on someone's windowsill. He flew over to take a closer look. he could see water, but he couldn't reach it. Now he felt even more thirsty.

I was read this book first time. I know this story. this is a very famous story in the world. I want to read many books after this.

Reference

Carol Watson. (2003). Aesop's Fables. London, England: Usborne.

306 words

BR 1-22 The Story of Trains

New challenge(P.28)




I was read this book first time. Hundreds of years ago, it was hard to travel from place to place. Most people walked or rode on horses. If they needed to go a long way - as far as the next town or beyond - they took a carriage. But taking a carriage was dangerous. The roads were full of highwaymen, lying in wait to attack. Every passenger rode in fear of the dreaded words, "Your money or your life!" Merchants didn't risk carriages. They used barges and sent their goods by canals. The problem with barges was their speed. It was s...l...o...w... Some took weeks to travel from one city to the next. "We need a fast, cheap and safe way to travel!" people cried. And then they thought, "Tracks!" Since Roman times, every cart driver knew his cart ran more smoothly if it followed the tracks made by other carts. But horses were pulling very heavy loads. Even using the tracks, it was hard to pull a wagon full of coal or iron. Then, one day, a group of coal miners had a great idea. "What about building iron rails for our wagons to run on?" The rails were a huge success. But now the horses had to walk on rails and that was tricky. What was needed was an engine... In 1712, an English blacksmith invented one. It worked using steam, only it couldn't pull a wagon so it didn't help much. Almost a hundred years later, Richard Trevithick had the answer. Excitedly, he attached his engine to five wagons full of people.

302 words

I was read this book first time. Train is very useful I think. I want to read many books after this.

Reference

Jane Bingham. (2004). The Story of Trains. London, England: Usborne.

BR 1-21The Story of Flying

Into the sky(P,3)




I was read this book first time. Not so long ago, people were stuck on the ground. They could only watch as birds soared above them. But some men were determined to fly. In 1487, an Italian inventor named Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for a flying machine. He was sure it would fly. But he couldn't build one that worked, so no one believed him. Twenty yera later, a man called John Damian decided to copy the birds. "I shall fly from Scotland to France!" he declared. Wearing a pair of wings made from real feathers, he climbed to the top of a tower. But John Damian didn't reach France. He didn't even reach the next village. Instead, he dived headfirst into a dung heap. A French inventor, Clement Ader, decided to copy bats. He built an enormous pair of bat wings and stuck them to a steam ungine. But that didn't work either. Some people attached wings to their bikes. But they could never pedal fast enough to lift off. Inventor realized they would need more than a few feathers or a bike to fly. Then would need a specially built machine. In the 1850s, scientist Sir George Cayley built the very thing. It was a glider that was pulled down a slope. When a gust of wind caught under it, the glider rose into the air. Sir George's coachman sat in the glider for its first flight. He didn't want a second trip.


I was read this book first time. I thought "I want to fly in the sky". I want to read many books after this.

276 words

Reference

Sims Lesley. (2004).The Story of Flying. London: Usborne.

BR 1-20 Christopher Columbus

Land ahoy!(P.25)




I was read this book first time. Christopher Columbus longed to go to sea. He thought about it all day and dreamed of it all night. Living near the busy port of Genoa, in Italy, he loved watching ships arrive from far away places, packed with precious silks and spices. he would gaze at the busy, shouting merchants, the sailors and sea captains with a determined look on his face. One day, he7d be among them. His father ran a weaving business and expected Columbus to join him. But his son had other ideas. He meant to travel the world. When he was 14, he joined a merchant ship that carried goods to sell in ports all over the Mediterranean. Columbus wanted to learn all he could about the sea. When he wasn't scrambling up ropes or scrubbing decks, he was teaching himself to read and looking at great charts of the ocean. He experimented with using a compass and learned to plot the ship's position. Then, when he was 26, everything changed. Columbus was sailing on a ship near the coast of Portugal when French warships fired at the crew. Columbus jumped into the sea and grabbed hold of a floating oar. Clinging on tightly, he drifted until he came ashore near Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The year was 1477 and Portugal was flourishing from trade with newly discovered lands along the coast of Africa.


I read this book first time. Columbus is very strong man I think. i want to read many books after this.

260 words.

Reference

Lacey Minna. (2004). Christopher Columbus. London: Usborn

BR 1-19The Shocking story of Electricity

Useful electricity(P.31)




I was read this book first time. Electricity is all around us, making all kinds of machines work. But what is it? And where does it come from? Wherever you look, you'll see things that run on electricity... and billions of people around the world have an electricity supply in their house. Less than 200 years ago, though, there was no electricity supply at all - and no electrical gadgets either. So people used other things. There has always been electricity in nature. Lightning, for instance, ia a giant electric spark. Back in prehistoric times, people could see how powerful lightning was. But they had no idea it was a form of electricity - or that electricity could be useful to them. They thought lightning was a punishment, sent by their gods. In 600BC, an ancient Greek scientist named Thales made a surprising discovery. Thales found that if he took a piece of amber and rubbed it with cat fur, the amber could pull things closer to it. It could even pick up light objects such as hairs or seeds. The Greeks were amazed by the amber's power to pick up objects. They also found that, if they rubbed the amber a lot, they sometimes saw a little spark. Thales and his friends had discovered a kind of electricity, although they didn't realize that's what it was. Some even claimed that if amber had such amazing powers, it must have feelings.


I was read this book first time. electric is very important I think. I want to read many books after this.

264 words

Reference

Claybourne Anna. (2006). Electricity. England: Usborne.

BR 1-18 The Story of Ships

Crossing the water(P.3)




I was read this book first time. Thousands of years ago, there were no ships or boats. If you were born on one side of a river, that's where you stayed. But people dreamed of crassing rivers and seas. People had noticed logs that floated on water. But they didn't do anything with them until a brave man tried to balance on one. To his delight, he could paddle across the river. Steering the log wasn't easy... but falling off was. Some people tied logs together to make a raft. Rafts could carry goods as well as people, but they were very hard to move along. One day, someone had a fantastic idea. "Why don't we cut a log in half and hollow it out?" he said to his tribe. They thought he was crazy but they helped anyway. The men used animal horns to hollow out the wood. To make the work easier, they lit a fire in the log to burn out the middle. It was the world7s first boat. in some parts of the world, people began to make boats from animal skins. First, they sewed the skins together. Then they made a frame from thin pieces of wood. Finally, they stretched the skins over the frame and covered them with tar to keep the water out.


I was read this book first time. Thousands of years ago, peoples didn't have ships. this is a very busy. I want to read many books after this.

253 words

Reference

Bingham Jane. (2004).The Story of Ships. London: Usborne.