1 Reading : Becoming a vegetarian

Avoiding meat is only one part of the picture. A healthy vegetarian diet should be rich
in foods with known benefits.
People become vegetarians for many reasons, including health, religious convictions,
concerns about animal welfare or the use of antibiotics and hormones in cattle, or a
desire to eat in a way that avoids excessive use of environmental resources. Some
people follow a largely vegetarian diet because they can't afford to eat meat.
Vegetarianism has become more appealing and accessible, thanks to the year-round
availability of fresh produce, more vegetarian dining options, and the growing
culinary influence of cultures with largely plant-based diets.

Traditionally, research into vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional

deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies
are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating
is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk
for many chronic illnesses. In July 2009, the American Dietetic Association weighed in
with a position paper, concluding that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets,
including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and
may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases"
(Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009).
"Appropriately planned" is the operative term. Unless you follow recommended
guidelines on nutrition, fat consumption, and weight control, becoming a vegetarian
won't necessarily be good for you. A diet of soda, cheese pizza, and candy, after all, is
technically "vegetarian." For health, it's important to make sure that you eat a wide
variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's also vital to replace saturated and
trans fats with good fats, such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and canola oil. And
always keep in mind that if you eat too many calories, even from nutritious, low-fat,
plant-based foods, you'll gain weight. So it's also important to practice portion
control, read food labels, and engage in regular physical activity.

2 Reading : INVENTORS

JOHN LOGIE BAIRD

John Logie Baird was a Scottish inventor and engineer who was a pioneer in the
development of mechanical television. In 1924, Baird televised objects in outline. In
1925, he televised human faces. In 1926, Baird was the first person to televise pictures
of objects in motion. In 1930, Baird made the first public broadcast of a TV show,
from his studio to the London Coliseum Cinema. Baird developed a color television in
1928, and a stereo television in 1946. Baird's mechanical television was usurped by
electronic television, which he also worked on.
ARTHUR WYNNE

The crossword puzzle, a word game, was invented by Arthur Wynne in 1913. Arthur
Wynne was a journalist born in Liverpool, England. Wynne wrote weekly puzzle for
the US newspaper called the New York World. The first crossword puzzle by Wynne
was a diamond-shaped puzzle that was published in the Sunday New York World on
December 21, 1913. The first British crossword puzzle appeared on February 1922; it
was published in Pearson's Magazine.
EARLE DICKSON

Bandages for wounds had been around since ancient times, but an easy-to-use

dressing with an adhesive was invented by Earle Dickson (a cotton buyer at the
Johnson & Johnson company). Dickson perfected the BAND-AID in 1920, making a
small, sterile adhesive bandage for home use. Dickson invented the BAND-AID for
his wife, who had many kitchen accidents and needed an easy-to-use wound dressing.
Dickson was rewarded for his invention by being a vice-president of the Johnson &
Johnson company.
RICHARD G. DREW
Richard G. Drew invented masking tape and clear adhesive tape. Drew was an
engineer for the 3M company (the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing).
Drew's first tape invention was a masking tape made for painters in 1923 in order to
help them paint a straight border between two colors. This early masking tape was a
wide paper tape with adhesive on only the edges of the tape - not in the middle. Drew
made an improved tape called Scotch (TM) Brand Cellulose Tape in 1930. This tape
was a clear, all-purpose adhesive tape that was soon adopted worldwide.

3 Reading : Moving on
Several years went by. Then Father Boone called the family together. "Pack your
things," he told them. "We are leaving here. Boones never stay long in one place.
Besides, our farm land is worn out. We can buy rich land cheap to the southwest of
here. We will settle there."

Sixteen-year-old Daniel was happy. "I'm glad we are going," he said. "I feel crowded
here. There are too many houses and too many people. And the game is getting
scarce."
Father Boone made ready for the journey. He got out the big wagon and hitched two
horses to it. Mother Boone packed clothes, quilts, dishes, pots, pans, and kettles. She
would fix food for the family along the way. Daniel tied a cow behind the wagon.
The family said good-bye to the neighbors and to their old home, and started. Mother,
the girls, and the little children rode in the wagon. Father and the boys took turns
riding the horses. Sometimes all of the Boones walked so that the horses could rest.
Father and the boys had guns to kill birds and small animals for food along the way.

The Boones traveled across Pennsylvania. On and on they went toward the new
country. At last the family came to the rolling, green Yadkin Valley in North Carolina.
There were a few houses there already, but it was much wilder than in Pennsylvania.
Father Boone said, "This is good farming land. We will stop here."
Daniel looked all about him. There was level land close by. There were woods not far
away. And there were mountains in the west. Daniel knew the hunting would be good.
"I like this place," he said. "There's plenty of room here."
Father Boone and the boys jumped off the horses. Mother Boone and the girls climbed
down from the wagon. They fed the horses and the cow. They made a campfire. Father
and the boys cut down trees and started to build a log house. Soon the Boones had a
new home in the new land.
The years went by. Daniel grew taller. His shoulders became wider. He was fairhaired and blue-eyed, lean and rugged. He hunted in the woods of the Yadkin Valley.
He often brought home deer and bear. The Boones' neighbors said that Daniel was the
best shot for miles around. Daniel Boone had grown up.

4 Reading : Grace Darling

It was a dark September morning. There was a storm at sea. A ship had been driven
onto a low rock off the shores of the Farne Islands. It had been broken in two by the
waves, and half of it had been washed away. The other half lay yet on the rock, and
those of the crew who were still alive were clinging to it. But the waves were dashing
over it, and in a little while it too would be carried to the bottom of the sea. Could
anyone save the poor, half-drowned men who were there? On one of the islands was a
light-house; and there, all through that stormy night, Grace Darling had listened to
the storm. Grace was the daughter of the light-house keeper, and she had lived by the
sea as long as she could remember. In the darkness of the night, above the noise of the
winds and waves, she heard screams and wild cries. When day-light came, she could
see the wreck, a mile away, with the angry waters all around it. She could see the men
clinging to the masts. "We must try to save them!" she cried. "Let us go out in the
boat at once!" "It is of no use, Grace," said her father. "We cannot reach them." He
was an old man, and he knew the force of the mighty waves. "We cannot stay here and
see them die," said Grace. "We must at least try to save them." Her father could not

say, "No." In a few minutes they were ready. They set off in the heavy lighthouse boat.
Grace pulled one oar, and her father the other, and they made straight toward the
wreck. But it was hard rowing against such a sea, and it seemed as though they would
never reach the place. At last they were close to the rock, and now they were in greater
danger than before. The fierce waves broke against the boat, and it would have been
dashed in pieces, had it not been for the strength and skill of the brave girl.

After many tries, Grace's father finally climbed upon the wreck, while Grace herself
held the boat. Then one by one the worn-out crew were helped on board. It was all
that the girl could do to keep the frail boat from being drifted away, or broken upon
the sharp edges of the rock. Then her father clambered back into his place. Strong
hands grasped the oars, and soon all were safe in the lighthouse. There Grace proved
to be no less tender as a nurse than she had been brave as a sailor. She cared most
kindly for the ship-wrecked men until the storm had died away and they were strong
enough to go to their own homes. All this happened a long time ago, but the name of
Grace Darling will never be forgotten. She lies buried now in a little church-yard by
the sea, not far from her old home. Every year many people go there to see her grave;
and there is a monument has been placed in honor of the brave girl. It is not a large
monument, but it is one that speaks of the noble deed which made Grace Darling
famous. It is a figure carved in stone of a woman lying at rest, with a boat's oar held
fast in her right hand.