JAPAN Japan , an island nation in East Asia has the total area of about 378,000 square kilometers . In Japan , the climate is rainy and humid with four distinct seasons . It is the world’s ninth most crowded nation with a population of about 128 million . The official language in Japan is Japanese and the dominant religion is Buddism . The basic unit of currency of Japan is the yen . The largest city in Japan is Tokyo , the national capital . Tokyo is also the center of government, business , banking ,manufacturing, education , and communications . One of the oldest and most famous sports in Japan is Sumo wresting which is well-known to the world with the image of very heavy wresters trying to knock opponents out of the ring . Japan is among the top nations in the world in education with 99% of the population that can read and write . After the United States , it is considered the world ‘s second largest economy with one of the world’s highest living standards . With a colourful culture , every year , Japan attracts millions of tourists coming from all over the world . KIMONO The kimono , a dress that looks like a robe , is the traditional clothing of Japan . Kimono styles have changed significantly in Japan’s history . Today , men , women and even children in Japan wear kimonos . The colors , cloth materials , and decorations of a kimono vary among people who wear it . They are different according to the sex , the age and the marital status of the wearer . They are also different according to the seasons of the year and the occasions for which the kimono is worn . Although most Japanese people now wear western-style clothe such as suits , shirts or skirts , they wear kimonos on holidays and special occasions . INTERNET All information is transmitted across the internet in small units of data called packets . Software on the sending computer divides a large document into many packets for transmission . Software on the receiving computer groups incoming packets into the original document . Like a postcard , each packet has two parts : a packet header shows the computer where the packet should be delivered , and a packet payload contains the data being sent . The header also tells how the data in one packet should be combined with the data in other packets by recording which piece of a document is contained in the packet . EARTH DAY On April 22 , 1970 , Earth day was first internationally observed to emphasize the necessity for conservation of the world’s natural resources . Since then , Earth Day has become a major education and media event . Environmentalists use this occasion to report environmental problems of the planet such as the pollution of the air , water , and soil ; the destruction of the habitats , natural resources , plants and animals , and so on . In addition , they also emphasize on solutions that can stop the negative effects of human activities such as recycling used materials , banning the use of harmful chemicals , protecting rain forests and animal species . ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Nowadays , environmentalists are so worried about environmental problems that can directly affect people’s life . Among the problems mentioned every day on mass media , air pollution and water pollution are considered the most serious ones . There are many factors that cause the pollution of the air : chemicals from burned fuels, smoke from automobiles , and acid rain from chemical transformation . Smoke can cause serious health problems while acid rain is responsible for the destruction of many forest ecosystems . Raw sewage , garbage , and oil contribute to the pollution of water . When water is polluted , it cause a lot of waterborne diseases and threatens marine wildlife . About 1.5 billion people around the world lack safe drinking water and every year , 5 million people die from diseases . British countryside The countryside of Britain is well-known for its beauty and many contrasts : its bare mountains and moorland , its lake , rivers and woods , and its long , wild coastline . Many of the most beautiful areas are national parks . When British people think of the countryside , they think of farm land , as well as open spaces with peace and relaxation . They spend their free time walking or cycling , or go to the country for a picnic or a pub lunch . Only a few people commute to work in towns . Many others dream of living in the country , where they believe they would have a better and healthier life . Energy Energy control is a program that allows customers to buy electricity for about half the cost of the standard rate . The power company will reduce energy supplied to electric devices at times of high demand such as during cold winter days when heating systems run often , or during stuffy summer afternoons when air-conditioners work at most . In most cases , the power company controls the power with radio signals . During the periods of high electric demand , a radio signal activates the switch to turn off certain devices . When electric demand decreases , a second radio signal returns the devices to normal operations . In exchange for the power company to control their systems , customers receive electric rate for about half the price of the standard one . TSUNAMI Tsunami means “ harbor wave “ in Japanese . This indicates a seismic sea wave by an undersea earthquake or an undersea landslide or volcanic eruption . A tsunami ‘s wavelength can reach to 200 km and may travel hundreds of kilometers across the deep ocean at the speed of about 725 to 800 km/h. On the way from sea to shore , the height of the wave changes from half a meter to 15 meters or more . A tsunami always has tremendous energy because of the great amount of water . It can destroy all settlements along the coast and cause plenty of deaths and property damage . MARS Mars , one of the planets in our solar system , is sometimes called the red planet because it appears very red in the Earth ‘s night sky . It is about 228 million kilometers from the Sun . Mars is a rather small planet , about half the diameter of the Earth . The surface of Mars is almost exactly the same as the surface of the dry land on Earth . Mars is believed to be about the same age as the Earth , that is approximately 4.6 billion years old . Many people think that Mars is very hot ; however , it is quite amazing that it is an extremely cold place . At the surface , the average temperature is about – 55 0 C and at the extremes, it ranges from about –140 0 C to 15 0 C. Although there is a lot of evidence about life on Mars , most scientists today do not believe that there is any life on the surface on the planet . The minimum conditions required for life on a planet such as water , heat and organic molecules do not seem to exist on Mars; therefore , all of the evidence is not convincing enough for people to believe that Mars is a good place for living creatures . The Sun Objects in the solar system are influenced by the Sun ‘s heat and light . These factors also allow life to exist on Earth . For humans , the Sun is not only useful and beautiful but powerful and dangerous as well . Energy from the Sun is very useful for plants and living creatures , but it is also harmful to people skin and eyes with ultraviolet light . Therefore , people are warned not to look directly at the Sun, even with sunglasses . The Sun is believed to be about 4.6 billion years old and to go on shining for another 7 billion years . WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART IN LONDON Mozart was brought to London as a child of eight in the spring of 1764 , together with his sister Nannerl , to impress English audiences with the same feats of precocious musical genius that had already created a stir on the Continent . His father , Leopold , court musician to the Archbishop of Salzburg , installed the family in lodgings , first in Cecil Court on Tottenham Court Road and then in Frith Street in Soho , and set about advertising the arrival of the prodigies. In a newspaper of March 1765 , Leopold assured prospective visitors to the Mozarts that they may not only hear this young Music Master and his sister perform in private ; but likewise try his surprising Musical Capacity , by giving him anything to play at sight , or any Music without Bass ,which he will write upon the spot , without recurring to his Harpsichord. London music lovers were suitably impressed and a report by the philosopher Daines Barrington on Wolfgang’s remarkable abilities was presented to the Royal Society . The young Wolfgang also appeared three times at court where he easily mastered the keyboard exercises King George III had devised for him. The Mozarts moved to Ebury Street , where the blue plaque can be seen , for several weeks in the summer of 1764 after Leopold had fallen ill . Barred from playing any musical instruments during his father ‘s recuperation , Wolfgang amused himself with composition . His first symphony was one of the results and it was performed at one of the concerts the Mozarts undertook after Leopold recovered . The Mozarts left London in July 1765 , after fifteen months in the capital , and Wolfgang never returned . In 1790 , the year before his death , he was offered the opportunity to conduct a series of concerts in the city but he declined . EL NINO In the 19 th century and fishermen in Peru noticed something unusual . They saw that the Pacific Ocean water was sometimes warm in December . The fishermen called this El Nino. The warm water caused problems It kept many fish away. The fishermen caught fewer fish and their families were hungry. Today , El Nino still causes problems . Every two to seven years and warm water of Australia’s coast ( ngoài khơi bờ biển ) moves east to South America. This changes the weather around the world . El Nino sometimes causes hot and dry weather in Southeast Asia and parts of South America and Australia . It can also cause very heavy storms ( giông tố ) and high tides ( triều cường ) in eastern Africa and on the western coasts of North America , Central America and South America . El Nino made 1998 a difficult year . Parts of Canada and the United States lost power for 15 days because of an ice storm( bão băng ) . In Colorado a blizzard ( bão tuyết ) knocked down 31 square miles ( 80.6 square km ) of trees. El Nino caused droughts ( hạn hán )in Indonesia , the Philippines and Brazil . It brought tornadoes ( cơn lốc ) to Florida and New Mexico and mudslides ( vụ bùn sụt lở ) to Peru and California and floods to China, Somalia and Ecuador . El Nino also brought some surprises . It caused warm winter weather in Western Canada and fewer hurricanes ( bão lớn ) in the Atlantic . It also brought snow to Guadalajara , Mexico and for the first time in more than 100 years. Scientists are not sure what causes El Nino and but they agree that El Nino causes certain kinds of weather . This information is very helpful . For example and scientists can tell governments to plan for heavy rains . Then , governments can protect public buildings such as city halls , schools , libraries and courthouses from floods . Fire and police departments can plan how they will work together in case of emergency ( trường hợp khẩn cấp ). WHICH BIRD HAS THE BIGGEST WING SPAN ? Albatross ( chim hải âu ) , a large sea bird , has the biggest wing span of 3,5 metres . It spends most of its time in the air wandering over the oceans. Most albatross live in regions south of the Equator , where they soar ( bay vút lên cao ) gracefully ( một cách duyên dáng )over the waves . They come to the shores only to breed ( sinh sản ) or during stormy weather . They can sleep peacefully on the ocean’s surface and drink a lot of sea water . They have special glands ( tuyến ) in the head to get rid of the salt that comes in with water . These birds are known to follow ships for hundred of kilometers to pick up food scraps(mẩu thừa) thrown over-board ( qua mạn tàu ). ENVIRONMENT In the decade of the 1970s , the United Nations organized several important meetings in the human environment to study a very serious problem . We humans are destroying the world around us. We are using up all of our natural resources . We must learn to conserve them , or life will be very bad for children and our grandchildren . 1.Population : Most problems of the environment come from population growth . In 1700 , there were 625 billion people in the world. In 1900 , there were 1,6 billion . In 1950 , 2,5 billion and in 1980 , 4,4 billion. In the year 2000 , there will be 6,3 billion . More people need more water, more food , more wood , and more petroleum. 2.Distribution: Scientists say there is enough water in the world for everyone , but some countries have a lot of water and some have only a little . Some areas get their rain during one season. The rest of the year is dry. 3.Petroleum: We are using up the world’s petroleum. We use it in our cars and to heat our buildings in winter. Farmers use petrochemicals to make the soil rich. They use them to kill insects that eat plants . These chemicals go into rivers and lakes and kill the fish there. Thousands of people also die from these chemicals every year. Chemicals also go into the air and pollute it. Winds carry this polluted air to other countries and continents. POLLUTION and ENVIRONMENT Many people are worried about pollution ( the air , water and land around us) as a result of the harmful effects of human activity. Some of these activities cause pollution ( dirty air , land and water ) and some are destroying the environment . Here are some of the problems: The ozone layer: A layer of gases that stops the sun’s harmful radiation from reaching the earth. Recent researches show that there are now holes in parts of the ozone layer. The green house effects : When gases ( from polluting ) trap the sun’s heat , in the same way that the glass of the green house ( a glass building for growing plants in winter ) holds the heat .This may lead to global warning . Global warning : An increase in word temperature caused , in part , by an increase in carbon dioxide and other gases. Acid rain : Rain that contains dangerous chemicals ; this is caused by smoke factories. LONDON I live in Hampstead _ about 5 km from the center . I love London . Life is fast and there is always something to do _ cinemas , theaters , restaurants . Shopping is fantastic _ you can buy anything you want in London . Shops are open late in the evening and on Sundays . I like the pubs _ many have music in the evenings . The street markets are great and I love London’s parks too . Lots of people in London don’t have gardens so it’s good to get out for a walk . There are bad things about London too, of course . There are too many people _ you have to queue for everything _ in the banks , supermarkets , post-offices . And it’s true that London is dirty because people just throw things in the street and I hate that . It’s also very noisy and there is also much traffic . But I still prefer London to any other places I know . The moon We can see the moon in the sky at night . The moon is like a bright face in the dark sky. But sometimes there are clouds in the sky . When there are clouds in the sky, we can’t see the moon or the stars . What do we know about the moon ? Is there any life on the moon? Are there any animals , trees or grass there ? When we look at the moon , we can see some bright parts and some dark parts on it . This is because there are mountains and “seas” on the moon. But there is no snow on the mountains and there is no water or ice in the “seas”. There is no water on the moon. We know that there is no air around the moon and there are no clouds . There are no clouds because there is no water on the moon. We think that there is no life on the moon . On the earth day and night last 24 hours . On the moon day and night last a month . Day lasts 2 weeks and night lasts 2 weeks. When it is day on one side of the moon , it is night on the other side . The days on the moon are very , very hot and the nights are very , very cold . POLLUTION Pollution happens when chemicals that are harmful to living things get into the environment . Chemicals that cause pollution are not easy to get rid of. They stay in the air , ground and water for a long time . The best way to fight pollution is to stop producing it in the first place . Governments can pass laws that forbid or limit the use of chemicals that cause pollution . Laws can stop factories from dumping poisonous chemicals in lakes , rivers , and the ocean . Factories and power plants can clean up the smoke that they give off . Engineers can build cars that burn less gasoline . They can find ways for cars to give off cleaner exhaust gazes. Scientists are looking for fuels to replace coal and oil. They are looking for ways to use the power in wind and in rays from the sun . They are looking for safe ways to get rid of nuclear waste . You can help cut down on the amount of garbage you make . A lot of this garbage can be recycled , or turned back into something useful . You can recycle paper , plastic , glass bottles , and metal cans. Recycling helps cut down on pollution. . In 1700 , there were 62 5 billion people in the world. In 1900 , there were 1 ,6 billion . In 1950 , 2,5 billion and in 1980 , 4,4 billion. In the year 2000 , there will be 6, 3 billion . More people. about 4 .6 billion years old and to go on shining for another 7 billion years . WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART IN LONDON Mozart was brought to London as a child of eight in the spring of 1 764 , together. Street in Soho , and set about advertising the arrival of the prodigies. In a newspaper of March 1 765 , Leopold assured prospective visitors to the Mozarts that they may not only hear this young