BR#12 “Government in Australia”

A government is a group of people who make decisions about the way people live. Governments are elected by the people they represent. People vote for the person they want to represent them in parliament. Parliament is the body that is made up of all the representatives who are successful at an election. Australia’s system of government is known as a federal system. Australia’s first federal government was formed in Melbourne in 1901. Australia’s federal system of government has three levels. The first level is the Australian, or federal parliament. It makes decisions for the whole of Australia. At the second level are the state and territory parliaments. Three parliaments make decisions for their own state or territory. The third level is local government. Local governments make decisions for local communities. Australia’s federal parliament has two houses, a lower house and an upper house. The lower house is called the House of Representatives. The role of the House of Representatives is to introduce laws. The upper house is called the Senate. The role of the Senate is to review the laws introduced in the House of Representatives.
I’m not interested in government, but I think government is very important organ for living. So, I’m trying read newspaper and watch TV news. Recently, the program which a caster explains about news lucidly was broadcasted. I can understand about recent news, so I sometimes watch the program, and study about Japanese and worldwide problem. To know about government is also important for job hunting. I need to know it more.

(258 words)
(Nicolas Brasch/Government in Australia/2007/FAST FORWARD)

BR#11 “Unusual hobbies”

Hobbies make fun people. For example, playing a game or sports, and making or collecting things. In this book, they are introduced about unusual special hobbies which are twister chasing, UFO watching and train spotting. First, twister chasing is following and looking at tornadoes. Some states in the middle of America are hit by a lot of tornadoes. These area are called “Tornado Alley.” Twister chasers sometimes travel in group. Many twister chasers study the weather and storms. They carry special equipment to help them work out when thunderstorms will come up, and how strong they will be. They always have camera equipment, good maps, rain wear, a first aid box, a radio and phone, and food and water when they watching tornadoes. Second, some people just like to read about UFOs or watch programs about them on TV. Other people go out looking for UFOs in place around the world. This hot spot are North and South America, Australia, and Scotland. Third, train spotting is looking at and collecting things about trains and railways. Train spotters are interesting in railway engines and railway cars, railway lines and train stations, and equipment used on trains and in stations. Some train spotters collect the numbers on railway engines and cars.
Sometimes I watch a TV programs about people who have some unusual hobbies. I couldn’t understand about the hobbies’ good point, but I think they have something which they are interested. And, I heard the word “Otaku” recently. This is the same as hobbies.

(253 words)
(Carmel Reilly/Unusual Hobbies/2007/Fast Forward)

BR#10 "Garbage"

Garbage is the name given to all the things people. Other names for garbage are trush, rubbish and waste. In Australia, a person discharges a ton of garbage per one year. That is to say, a person takes out three kilograms garbage everyday. The garbage come from people’s home, Building sites, Council waste, and Business. The percentage is 43 percent from people’s home, 16 percent from Building sites, 5 percent from Council waste, 36 percent from Business. In the most big cities, the garbage is sent to transfer stations by the trucks. The garbage is distinguished three types. One is the garbage which can burn out. Second is the garbage which is sent to landfills. Third is the garbage which can be recycled. Recently, people think it is important to recycle for the earth. Because to burn out the garbage bring high temperatures, and the place for landfills are smaller year by year. So, people often use the bags called eco bag now in Japan.

(165 words)
(Alan Trussell-Cullen/Garbage/2007/FAST FORWARD)

BR#9 "Clothes Then and New"

Sometimes, our clothes tell other people something about us, such as the work we do or what religion we are or more things. First, people made clothes from animal skins on ancient times. They wore clothes to keep them warm. Over time, People learned to make fabrics from natural materials. People made fabrics from wool, cotton, or silk. Wools are made from sheep, cotton are made from cotton plants, and silk are made from silkworms. Today, clothes are made from natural and synthetic materials. Synthetic are light and strong.
I also love clothes. Especially, I have some money which I earned by a part time job, so I bought some clothes recently. I love one-piece dress. So, I bought one-piece dress or skirt these days.

(125 words)
(Julie Haydon/Clothes then and now/2007/FAST FORWARD)

BR#8 "Twins"

The name of twin came from ancient Greek “twine.” There are three type of twins, identical twins, fraternal twins, and conjoined twins. Identical twins have same DNA. This is made up of dividing single egg in the mother’s womb. So, almost twins look like each other. But, some of twins don’t look like. For example, one had curly hair and the other has straight, or one may be light hand and the other may be right hand. Fraternal twins don’t have same DNA. Two eggs grow up in the mother’s womb. This is occurred one per 125 couple of twins. Conjoined twins are joined together at a part of their bodies. This type is rare case. The famous twins are Chang and Eng Bunker. They was born in1811 in Thailand. The conjoined twins were sometimes called “Simese twins.” This is occurred one per 200 couple of identical twins.
There are twins near me. Almost the couple of twins who I met looks like each other. But, they don’t take after the character. So, I think it is very difficult to take after the character.

(184 words)
(Alan Trussell-Cullen/Twins/2007/FAST FORWARD)

BR#7 "The Story of Cars"

For hundreds of years, people carried things by to push or pull. As early as the 1400s, an Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for a vehicle that was driven by clock work. Another Italian made a wind-powered tricycle, but this didn’t succeed. People had to wait 400 more years. In the 1700s, steam engines were invented. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot tried using one to power a cart. Thirty years later, Richard Trevithick had an idea that it used a steam engine to pull a wagon along iron track. This idea became the train. His friend, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney designed a steam passenger coach that didn’t need tracks. In 1886, German engineer Karl Benz designed and built the first petrol-driven vehicle. It had three wheels, one seat and a small engine at the back. Then, many people improved the cars. Now, engineers are inventing cars that won’t pollute the air. They might run on energy from sun or give off water instead of nasty fumes. And, the cars used electricity are sold. The cars were formed by the power of many people for the long time.

(185 words)
(Daynes Katie/The story of cars/2005/USBORNE YOUNG READING)

BR#6 "The Burglar’s Breakfast"

Alfie Briggs was a burglar. He likes breakfast. One day, Alfie tried to take breakfast after he stole as always. But he notice that his favorite foods were stolen all. The cornflakes were stolen by goat, eggs were done by fox, six sardines were done by cat, waffles were done by mouse, sugar was done ants. Alfie was furious. At Rosie’s Café, he ate an enormous breakfast. He read a newspaper. There was an article about new job. The job is a private detective. He flourished and he can eat enormous breakfast as every day.
I thought the breakfast is so important? The main character, Alfie was furious without his breakfast. Then, he isn’t furious without lunch? I thought that it’s enough to eat for me. It doesn’t matter that it’s breakfast or other meal for me.

(137 words)
(Felicity Everett/The Burglar's Breakfast/2002/USBORNE YOUNG READING)

BR#5 "Corduroy write a letter"

Corduroy is a stuffed toy bear. He is Lisa’s. One day, Lisa worried about taste of cookies. Lisa’s favorite cookies and the cookies making her mother is something different. So, her mother suggested that Lisa write a letter for a bakery’s owner. Lisa tried to write, but she couldn’t guess good beginning. When Lisa was out of her room, Corduroy wrote and mailed the letter in behalf of Lisa. Then, the bakery’s owner gave some cookies. That night, Lisa and her mother went to the movies. The light of signboard were out on two of the letters. Lisa also tried to write a letter to inform for owner, Corduroy wrote and mailed the letter again. The next day, the signboard was all fixed. Next, Lisa wrote a letter that Lisa asked to play music for radio station, and read and play the music for Corduroy on radio.
This is a wonderful story! A bear write a letter. This situation is very cute. I think that the bonds between Corduroy and Lisa is so strong. I have many stuffed animals, so I want to take conversation!

(185 words)
(Don Freeman/Corduroy write a letter/2004/PUFFIN EASY-TO-READ)

BR#4 "The Clubhouse"

Peter, Amy, Archie, Lily, Louie are friends. One day, they had a problem. They couldn’t find the place for playing. Then, Amy suggested to make a clubhouse. Lily soon agreed with Amy. Other three boys disagreed at first, but they started making that. First, they moved a lot of trash. They went to Mrs. Lopez’s store, they got some wood. And, they borrowed hammer and nails from Mr. Frank. Finally, the clubhouse completed. They decided they did a party. They bought something to eat using everyone’s money.
I think that kids’ thinking is very interesting. I can’t come up with making a clubhouse. Kids are good about invention. All adults in this story are good men and women. It’s good to offer the tools used for making the clubhouse for free.

(131 words)
(Ezra Jack Keats/The Clubhouse/2003/PUFFIN EASY-TO-READ)

BR#3 “Simple Machines”

This book has seven chapter. What is a machine?, the lever, the wedge, the screw, the wheel and axle, and the pulley. A machine is a tool that makes work easier to do. And, they’re made our lives wealthy. Simple machines have a lot of kinds. For example, there are tool moving the whole, and that moving the part of thing. The lever is simple machine too. It’s used to lift objects that is heavy. This related to fulcrum, effort, and load. We can carry ten bricks by monocycle, this also use the principle of leverage. We use inclined plane at the time to carry a load to higher level from lower level. Then, ramp is convenient when the person who stepped on the wheelchair moves. People use the pointed edge of a wedge to split things apart. And the axe head can cut through wood, and the chisel can cut through wood with a hammer can also cut through stone. The screw is helped when we hold objects. The axle is made up of wheels. When either the wheel or axle is turned, the other part also turns, making work easier. The pulley is like the wheel and axle. At the end of the rope or chain is a hook that can be attached to a heavy object. All of these tool was made by ancient people. The wisdom of the old person is grate!

(236 words)
(Carmel Reilly/Simple Machines/2007/NELSON CENGAGE Learning)

BR#2 “Making a Cake”

This book has four section. There are Art or Science, Art, Science, Changes. This book wrote these four sides of making cake. The people are divided. One group of people say that making a cake is art, the other group say that it’s science. It’s all about how good the cake looks and tastes. But the people who think making a cake is science say that it’s all about the changes that happen when many ingredients are mixed together to make something new. The ingredients have to be mixed in the right way and cooked at the temperature. Then, it become a good cake. Cooking a cake is a good way to look at chemical change. For example, chocolate is hard, but we use it melting once and hard again. After all, to make a cake is art and is also science. Because a new something is made if we can’t mix. And, we can decollate the cake.

(158 words)
(Carmel Reilly/Making a Cake/2007/NELSON CENGAGE Learning)

BR#1 “Percy and the Pirates”

Percy Pike and his family lived on a farm by the sea. They spent all day working in their tiny field. They annoyed foods. One day, Percy made a fishing rod and went out to sea. When he did fishing, the boat sank. He called the near ship. He rode on the ship, the ship was pirate’s ship. The captain was Crook. The ship’s motto was that all the stolen treasure put in Crook's chest. One day, Sam Scurvy, who was a crew, rode in The Crimson Cuttlefish and stole gold coins. He ought to put the gold coins on Crook’s chest. But he concealed it. So, He became shark’s dinner. Willy Weevil and Ronnie Rum did same thing, and became shark’s dinner. Another day, the Captain Crook and Percy found The Red Herring. They rode in. Percy found a map there, and wrote in false information. He hand the map to Captain Crook. They went to false treasure spot. They reached the point, Captain Crook started dig a hole. When Captain Crook couldn’t go out the hole himself, Percy talked true thing. Percy went back with many treasure, and spent happily lives.
This story talked about pirates. I thought this story was scary at first, but I feel funny after finishing to read. Percy was brave boy.

(218 words)
(Russel Punter/Percy and the Pirates/2007/USBORNE YOUNG READING)