Healthy Days Raymond Knott 
                                     Published by Macbooks, London, 2004 212 pages
    Bookshops are full of books on healthy living. A new book needs a new idea. Raymond Knott's idea is
to organize his book like the human body with chapters on the head, eyes, chest and so on.
    Knott believes that we keep healthy by having a peaceful mind. He thinks we should not get too excited
about anything. He says people cannot be happy if they are not healthy, and cannot be healthy if they are
not happy. Some readers, like this one, may not agree with this.
    Knott has a lot to say about diet. One problem with the book is that he often says the same thing more
than once, so the same information on diet is given in the chapters on the skin, heart and stomach. Maybe
he does not expect people to read the book from start to finish, but only to read the chapters they are
interested in.
    Knott tells us to eat very little meat. He says fruit and vegetables are much more healthy for us. In the
chapter on the mouth, he advises us not to eat much sugar, and in the chapter on the heart, he writes a lot
about how dangerous salt is. Knott is a fan of water, and thinks we should drink as much as possible to
wash away things that are bad for us. He thinks this is the way to have good skin.
    In the chapter on the chest, Knott tells us to keep our lungs healthy by not smoking, and by making
them work hard. He believes that climbing stairs, steps and even mountains is very good exercise. This
exercise is also good for the heart. Knott says a lot more on exercise in the chapters on the arms and legs.
These are my favourite chapters. There are a lot of ideas for keeping fit and strong. Clear diagrams explain
the movements and they are easy to follow. 
    Knott believes that we can all be healthy by following his advice. I do not really agree with him. Healthy
living is very important, but not all ill-health is caused by the way we live. Sometimes our bodies are weak
and the problem is genetic, coming from our family, not from our habits. Knott does not say much about
doctors either. Going for health checks and tests is important, especially as we get older. Knott's book has
lovely pictures and some interesting ideas, but not all of them are good.

A. Reviewer's opinion of the book
B. Healthy diet advice
C. Organization of the book
D. Exercise advice
E. Repeated information Health and happiness advice
F. Health and happiness advice
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Dear grandma,
     How are you? I hope you are feeling well and your leg is improving. Can you walk a bit now? Is your
neighbor, Mrs Lu, bringing you enough books to read? I hope so.
     You'd love our school library, grandma. There are so many books for all kinds of subjects. The other day
I found a book about electronic engineering. I couldn't really understand it but I hope to learn more about this
topic sometime. This term I have three new subject classes, so I thought I'd tell you about them.
     I now study biology, which is really interesting. I'm learning all about the human body, where everything
is and what it does. Do you know that we have a kissing muscle? It's called 'orbicularis' (轮匝肌) and it's a
circular muscle that closes your mouth and moves your lips forward. I love biology. It's so interesting!
     Another new subject is religion. I didn't think I would like this one, but actually it is very interesting to
hear about how different people worship (崇拜). We are learning about lots of religions from all over the
world, not only Asia. Do you know about the religion on the island of Bali in Indonesia? They have a unique
religion which is based on Hinduism but also has elements of Buddhism as well. It is called Bali Hindu Dharma.
I am just learning more about it but it sounds fascinating.
     My other new subject is Spanish. It's really difficult to learn a new language but I know it will be useful
for me in the future, if I want to travel the world. Spanish is one of the official languages of the European
Union and the United Nations. I've learnt that Spanish is not only spoken in Europe but in South America, too.
Countries like Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico also speak Spanish. You know I've always wanted to go to
Mexico, so if I can speak some Spanish it would be really useful.
     Did you study these subjects when you were at school? I suppose subject choice changes over time,
doesn't it? I'll come to visit you again in the next holiday, which I think is in eight weeks' time. I'll bring you
some of my new books if you like. I hope you can write back soon and tell me all the village news. I miss you
very much.
                                                                                                                                Lots of love,
                                                                                                                                     Sara

1. Can grandma go to the library by herself?
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2. What does grandma like doing, reading books or chatting on line? 
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3. How many new subjects does Sara study this term? 
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4. When will Sara probably go to see her grandma? 
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5. Why does Sara write this letter to her grandma? 
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