Intermediate_Level

Bookworms Intermediate Level

Cricket A cricket is an insect. But cricket is also a sport. It is played all over the world. It is like baseball. But cricket is older than baseball. Cricket comes from Great Britain. Cricket is over 500 years old. It was first played by children. They used a stick of wood to hit a ball. By 1610, adults played it, too. In 1900, cricket became an Olympic sport. A game of cricket has two teams. They play on a field. One team is at field. This means they will bowl, or throw, the ball. The other team is at bat. This means they will try to hit the ball. When a team is at bat, each player takes a turn hitting the ball. Then that player runs and tries to score points. Then the teams trade places. Now those players will try to score points. In the end, the team with the most points wins. A cricket game, or match, can be long. It can last many hours. It may last many days. The longest cricket game was in 1939. Great Britain played South Africa. The game lasted nine days! It should have been longer. But Great Britain asked to end the game. They had to leave on a boat. So, the game ended in a tie. There was no winner. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Lifeguards Swimming is fun. It is a great way to spend time in the sun. But the water can also be dangerous. If people are not good swimmers, they could drown. This means that they cannot get air. They could die. It is good that there are people who protect swimmers. These people are lifeguards. Some lifeguards work at a swimming pool. Some lifeguards work at a beach or lake. They sit in a tower or a tall chair. They watch swimmers. They look for signs of danger. If they see a person who needs help, they will save that person. They will also look for other problems. Lifeguards must be trained. They must be excellent swimmers. They must practice saving people in the water. They must learn first aid. This means that they can help if someone gets sick or hurt. A lifeguard wears a swimsuit. A lifeguard might also wear a hat. Some lifeguards wear sunglasses. In an emergency, lifeguards must be ready. They will need to jump into the water quickly. Lifeguards keep swimmers safe. If you see a lifeguard, say thanks. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Diet We can do many things to stay healthy. We can exercise. We can take a bath. We can brush our teeth each day. We can get enough sleep. If we do these kinds of things, we can live longer. We can be happier. And we may get sick less often. Another part of being healthy is diet. Diet means what we eat and drink. Our bodies need nutrients. These are chemicals that help our bodies grow. They give us energy. They keep us healthy. Nutrients come from food. A healthy diet has many nutrients. A healthy diet has three parts. The first is variety. Variety means eating many different foods. Different foods give us many different nutrients. The second is balance. Balance means the right amount from each food group. We should eat many fruits and vegetables. We should eat less sugar, fat, and meat. The third is moderation. Moderation means not eating too much. A person should not eat more food than the body needs. Eating too much can make a person's body sick. If we follow these suggestions, we will have a healthy diet. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

The Taj Mahal Many years ago, there was a prince. He fell in love with a woman. They were married. Later, they became king and queen of India. They had many children together. Sadly, the queen died at a young age. She was only 39 years old. The king missed her very much. He liked to build things. So he decided to build something to remember his wife. In the city of Agra, he bought a garden. It was a beautiful place near a river. The king could see the garden from his palace. In the garden, he buried the queen, or put her dead body in the ground. And that is where he built the Taj Mahal. Many workers helped build the Taj Mahal. Many elephants carried materials to the garden. People came from other lands to help build it. Some people think that the name Taj Mahal means “Crown of the Palace.” It is a beautiful building. It reminded the king of his wife's beauty. The building has white walls. The walls also have jewels. These are colorful stones. They shine in the light. At the center of the Taj Mahal is a large dome. This is a roof that is shaped like a ball. The top of the dome is pointed. It is very tall. There are four towers around the building. The Taj Mahal still stands today. Both the queen and king are buried there. Millions of people visit this building every year. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Snowboarding Do you like surfing? Do you enjoy skateboarding? Those are good sports for warm, sunny weather. But they are not winter sports. If you like snow, then you should try snowboarding. Like skiing, snowboarding is done in the winter. Skiers and snowboarders often use the same trails. There is one important difference between these sports. Skiers use two skis. Snowboarders use one board, and both feet are on the board. Snowboarding is like surfing and skateboarding. Snowboarding began in the 1960s. Contests and races began in the 1970s. In 1998, snowboarding became an Olympic sport. Some snowboarders like to race. Others like to perform tricks and jumps. Snowboarding can be dangerous. Snowboarders should wear helmets. They should wear a visor or glasses. These protect the eyes from the snow and the sun. Snowboarders should wear good boots. They should also wear warm clothing. New snowboarders should take lessons. Lessons can teach them how to avoid injury. At first, they should practice on easy trails. Then they can try more difficult trails. Snowboarding can be good exercise. It is a good way to lose weight. It can make leg muscles strong. Even arm and back muscles get exercise. This is because snowboarders use them to balance. Snowboarders get to enjoy the outdoors. They work hard, so they keep warm. Next winter, you might want to try snowboarding. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Time Time is used to measure things. It shows when something starts and ends. It helps us see changes. Time lets us celebrate birthdays. It brings holidays each year. Weekends, summer, and breakfast all happen because of time. A long time ago, people measured time using the sun. There was day and night. They also noticed changes in the moon. The moon became full about 12 times in one year. Each new full moon was called a month. People also divided the year into four seasons called spring, summer, fall, and winter. A normal year has 365 days. Every four years, there is a leap year. It has an extra day. A leap year has 366 days. A day has 24 hours. Each hour has 60 minutes. Each minute has 60 seconds. Clocks measure hours and minutes. This helps people work together. We can wake up in time for a job. We can all arrive at school together. We can meet at a restaurant at the same time. We can meet for fun or for business. Calendars help us measure days, weeks, and months. This helps us make room for different activities. It lets us celebrate a birthday on the same day each year. We should use our time well. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Book Clubs Do you like books? They are fun to read. You might like to read under a tree. Or you may choose a soft chair at home. Some books can be difficult to read. They are hard to understand. It may also be hard to find time to read. That is why there are book clubs. Books can be even more fun to read with friends! Book clubs are a meeting or party. They often happen once a month. Each meeting may last about one hour. Your group meets at a friend's home. Sometimes you will host the party. This means that the party is at your home. Food or drinks may be served. As you eat, you talk about the last book you all read. It is okay if you did not finish it! It is still good to talk about the book. As you meet, ask questions. “Did you like it?” “Which character did you like best?” “What did this chapter mean?” At the end of the hour, the group picks a new book for next month. In a book club, you can read any book. It can be short or long. It may be fiction or a true story. It may be funny, sad, or exciting. Pick a book, and start now! Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Video Calls Do you have friends, family, or co-workers who live far away? Do you wish that you could see them? A telephone shares your voice with them. But it would be good to see them, too. You can! Video calls are a technology that allows people to see and hear each other. Some video call services only allow you to talk with one person at a time. Others allow many people in the same video call. For example, many business workers in different locations could be on the same video call. Or family members who live in different cities can talk together. Perhaps they cannot travel to meet for a family reunion. But they can meet together in a video call. The first video calls were made in the 1960s. The technology then was new. The images were poor. The calls were very expensive. Over time, the technology has improved. Now, many people use video calls each day. It is easy! To make a video call, you will need a computer. You can also use a smartphone, a tablet, or a TV. You should make sure that you have a webcam. It is a type of video camera. The webcam takes your video. It sends it to the other people on the video call. They should also have a webcam. This way, you can see them. You must also have a good internet connection. It must be fast. If not, the video will be poor. So you may not be able to see or hear your friends. It is a good idea to test your equipment before an important call. Try sharing a video call with a friend. Or you may want to test it with a group of friends. This can help you make sure that the sound and video work well. Then you will be ready to enjoy video calls with your friends, family, and others. Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

Big Ben Clocks tell us the time. They help us know the time. They remind us to arrive on time. Big Ben is the nickname of a famous clock tower. It stands high in London, England. Big Ben is not just famous. It is also one of the world's tallest clock towers. It is 316 feet (96 meters) tall. That is 16 stories! A person must climb 334 stairs to reach the top. The tower was completed in 1859. It is over 150 years old! The clock tower is made of bricks and stone. There are four sides to the tower. Each side has a clock face. The real name of the tower used to be the Clock Tower. But in 2012, it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower. It was named for Queen Elizabeth II. In 2012, she celebrated 60 years as queen. However, many people still refer to the tower by its nickname, Big Ben. There is a bell inside the tower. The bell is made of bronze and tin, two types of metal. In fact, Big Ben was first the nickname of the bell, not the tower. It may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall. He helped build the tower. The bell used to be called the Great Bell. Today, most people call both the bell and the tower “Big Ben.” Big Ben always has the right time. If you are in London, you don't need a watch. Just look up at Big Ben! Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/

LEGO© Building Have you ever played with LEGO® bricks? They are a type of building block toy. They are also one of the most popular children's toys in the world. The LEGO© company was founded in Denmark in 1932. The name LEGO® came from parts of two Danish words which mean “play well.” At first, the company made only wooden toys. In 1961, the first plastic bricks were sold in America. This was perfect timing for LEGO©. At the time, America was involved in the Cold War and the Space Race. People wanted toys to teach their children to think. LEGO© bricks link to each other. People can build with them. LEGO© bricks began to help kids learn. More than 50 years later, the plastic bricks are still a favorite. They can be bought as loose bricks or in sets. These sets can be small or large. They can be based on history or fairy tales. They are also based on TV shows or films. Some are simple and not expensive. Others may cost up to hundreds of dollars. People of all ages and places love them. They are now sold in more than 130 countries. Some artists use LEGO© bricks to create art. They do it for fun. Some sell their work. These artists have built all kinds of things. They have made statues of people or buildings. Some tell a story with their brick art. Others copy old paintings with their bricks. Some LEGO© art, like a piano, can be played. Some can even be driven—like a car! A lot of LEGO® art can be found in LEGOLAND®. LEGOLAND® is a LEGO© theme park. It has rides and shows. There are five of these parks around the world. People love the parks and the art inside. The rides are fun. And the parks also remind people of the fun they have had playing with LEGO© bricks. .Source: https://www.rhelevate.com/Library/