Conversation 1: Emma sees Yaming doing a test on animals and plants. 'Sounds fun. Let's take it together.' Yaming asks: 'What's the largest animal in the world?' Emma answers: 'It's the blue whale, right?' Yaming confirms: 'Right. It's also the heaviest animal on earth.' Then he asks which animal runs the fastest. Emma says: 'The cheetah runs the fastest.' Yaming adds: 'I think it's the most beautiful animal in the world.' Emma agrees: 'I completely agree with you.'
What's the largest animal in the world? It's also the heaviest animal on earth. 单音节形容词最高级：the + adj + -est。large → largest, heavy → heaviest（y结尾变i加est）。
最高级：the fastest / the most beautiful
The cheetah runs the fastest. It's the most beautiful animal. 副词最高级：the + adv + -est。多音节形容词最高级：the most + adj。fast → fastest, beautiful → most beautiful。
完全同意：completely agree
I completely agree with you. completely 修饰动词 agree，加强语气。agree with sb = 同意某人的观点。
Conversation 2: Now they answer questions about plants. Yaming asks: 'What is the oldest plant in the world?' Emma is not sure. Yaming says: 'I think moss is one of the oldest plants. It appeared on earth around 470 million years ago ... Oh, look here. I'm correct!' Emma says: 'Interesting! Let's go on!' Yaming asks: 'Which kind of tree is the tallest in the world?' Emma answers: 'The redwood tree, right?' Yaming says: 'Yes! I hope I can see some one day.'
mossredwoodappearone of the oldest plantsgo onone day
one of the + 最高级 + 复数名词
Moss is one of the oldest plants. one of the + 最高级形容词 + 复数名词：最……之一。注意：后面的名词必须用复数形式 plants。
the oldest / the tallest
the oldest plant / the tallest in the world old, tall 都是单音节形容词，最高级加 -est：old → oldest, tall → tallest。
I hope + (that) 从句
I hope I can see some one day. hope 后接宾语从句，表对未来愿望。注意与 wish 区分：hope 表可能实现的愿望，wish 多用于虚拟。
要点摘要
埃玛和亚明一起做动植物测试，讨论蓝鲸（最大最重）和猎豹（最快最美）
讨论植物：苔藓是4.7亿年前最古老的植物之一，红杉树是最高的树
Section A 2a-2d
Bamboo — A Symbol of Goodness
竹子——美德的象征
Ella sees Chen Jie's folding fan and says: 'Oh, what's that, Chen Jie? It's so beautiful!' Chen Jie replies: 'Thanks. It's a folding fan. I bought it last year.' Ella notices: 'Oh! It has a painting of bamboo on it.' Chen Jie explains: 'Yeah. Bamboo is one of the most popular subjects in Chinese paintings. It's a symbol of goodness in Chinese culture.' Ella says: 'I didn't know that before. So, where did you get that fan?'
Chen Jie answers: 'At the Bamboo Sea in Sichuan, the largest and oldest bamboo forest in China. I learnt lots of interesting things when I was there.' Ella asks: 'Really? Like what?' Chen Jie says: 'Well, bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants. Some bamboo can grow almost one metre in one day. Also, it's one of the most useful plants in the world. People can use it to build houses and make tools and instruments.'
forestinstrumentmetrefastest-growingbuild housesmake tools and instruments
复合形容词：fastest-growing
one of the fastest-growing plants 复合形容词由「副词最高级+现在分词」构成，作定语。fastest-growing = 生长最快的。
use sth to do sth
People can use it to build houses and make tools and instruments. use sth to do sth = 用某物做某事。表目的用不定式。
文化拓展
四川蜀南竹海（Bamboo Sea in Sichuan）是中国最著名的竹林景区之一，被誉为「中国最大最古老的竹林」。
Ella says: 'Oh, that's interesting. I remember pandas love to eat bamboo too, right?' Chen Jie smiles: 'Exactly! Actually we eat bamboo shoots too. They're really delicious.'
Actually we eat bamboo shoots too. actually = 事实上、实际上，用于引入新信息或纠正对方的想法。
文化拓展
大熊猫（giant panda）以竹子为主食，是中国国宝。竹笋也是中国人的传统食材。
要点摘要
陈杰展示折扇，介绍竹子在中国文化中的象征意义（美德的象征）
竹海之行使她了解到竹子是生长最快、最有用的植物之一
竹子既是熊猫食物，也是人类的食材（竹笋）
Section B 1b
We Can't Live Without Bees
没有蜜蜂，我们无法生存
Imagine you go to the supermarket in your area, but there are almost no fruits, vegetables, honey, milk, eggs, or chocolate. How would you feel? Disappointed? Angry? Sad? At this moment you realize people, plants, and animals are all connected. We need each other to live, and bees are one of the best examples of this connection.
Imagine you go to the supermarket... Imagine 开头祈使句，引导读者进入假设情境。后接宾语从句。
one of the + 最高级 + 复数名词
Bees are one of the best examples of this connection. one of the + 最高级 + 复数名词：最……之一。examples 用复数。
Bees are very hard-working animals, and their greatest work is pollination. On one trip, they often visit 50 to 100 flowers. As they fly from one flower to another, they take pollen with them. This action helps plants grow. In fact, without their work, about 80 percent of the plants in the world cannot grow. For this reason, many scientists believe that bees are the most important animals on this planet.
pollinationpollenplanethard-workingfrom one ... to anotherin factfor this reason
最高级：the greatest / the most important
their greatest work / the most important animals great → greatest（单音节），important → most important（多音节）。
without + 名词 表假设
Without their work, about 80 percent of the plants cannot grow. without + n. 表示假设条件，相当于条件状语从句：If there were no their work...
Bees are also one of the most interesting animals in the world. For example, they work hard together to make their homes. In order to store honey, they create honeycombs. Another interesting thing about bees is how they communicate. When a bee finds new food, it uses a dance to tell the others where and how far away the food is.
Bees play an important part in the ecosystem of our planet. However, the number of bees is dropping, and scientists are worried. Bees need our help, and there is a lot we can do. Think about what you can do to protect one of the most amazing animals on earth.
The blue whale is the largest and heaviest animal on earth. It can weigh as much as 200 tons. Many people like watching blue whales swim, and they think it is one of the most beautiful things to see. Blue whales live in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean.
the largest and heaviest animal on earth 两个最高级并列：the largest and heaviest，共同修饰 animal。earth 在此指地球，用小写。
as much as 表数量
It can weigh as much as 200 tons. as much as + 数量 = 多达……，强调数量之大。
They eat a lot, but they eat some of the tiniest animals in the ocean. A blue whale can eat around four tons of these a day. Blue whales can live up to 90 years. When a blue whale dies at sea, it becomes food for many kinds of animals living in and around the sea.
some of the tiniest animals in the ocean tiny → tiniest（y结尾变i加est）。对比：蓝鲸最大，却吃最小动物——对比修辞。
现在分词作定语
animals living in and around the sea living in... 是现在分词短语，作后置定语修饰 animals，相当于定语从句 that live in...
This food lasts for over a year and it helps to create a lively and healthy ecosystem. Blue whales play an important role in our world, so we must protect them.