Leeks are so common that you have probably never thought much about them. They grow easily in our gardens and don’t look very special, but that doesn’t mean they are not interesting! Leeks belong to the Allium family of vegetables, which also includes onions. Like onions and other members of the Allium family, leeks are a kind of vegetable with white soft parts and leafy green tops. The bulb (鳞茎), however, is not round, but just slightly larger than the stem (茎) nearest the roots. The more rounded the bulb, the older the leek. Leeks are usually about 30cm long, but they can grow much bigger. Do you know growing leeks can win you a prize? Some gardeners grow big leeks and hold competitions to find the biggest type of leek. The heaviest leek ever weighed more than 8kg.

People have been eating leeks for thousands of years. The Ancient Roman Emperor Nero ordered his cooks to serve him leeks every day, as he believed they would improve his singing voice! People in Wales loved the leek so much that they made it their national symbol. As the story goes, about 400 years ago, Welsh soldiers were fighting in a war. They put leeks in their hats so that they could tell their friends from their enemies.

Leeks are especially loved by cooks all over the world, as they give flavor (味道) to lots of dishes. Leeks taste a bit like onions, but their flavor is much weaker. They taste especially good in soups. In France a leek and potato soup is eaten cold. Leeks go well with meat.

So now we know that leeks are delicious but are they good for you? Yes! Leeks are full of iron (铁). Experts now believe that eating leeks and other members of the Allium family can also help people keep their blood pressure under control and their hearts healthy.

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Manners are very important for our daily life. There are many different customs and habits among different countries. We must find out and follow their customs. Here are examples of the things that a person with good education should do.

If you visit a family in China, you should knock at the door first. When the door opens, you will not move before the host says “Come in, please.” After you enter the room, you should not sit down until the host asks you to take a seat. When a cup of tea is sent to your hand, you should say “thank you” and receive it with two hands. Before entering a house in Japan, it is good manners to take off your shoes. In England, a visitor always finishes the food to show that he has enjoyed it. The host will be pleased with that.

You have to give your present in public in the Middle East. But it’s good manners to give your present in private(非公开地) in Asia

“Come any time” means “I want you to visit me” in India. If you don’t suggest a time at once, the Indians will think you are refusing the invitation. But if an Englishman says “Come any time”, they will think you are impolite if you start fixing a date.

Children around the world use lots of different forms of transport to go to school: bus, train, and even helicopter（直升飞机）! How do you go to school?

My name is Diego. I live in a small village in Peru. My village is in the Amazon rainforest. There aren’t many roads in the rainforest so there aren’t many cars or buses. I go to school by canoe（独木舟）. Every day a big canoe collects all the children from the villages along the river and takes them to school. There are usually about forty children in the canoe when it reaches the school. It takes half an hour to get to school.

I’m Haruka. I’m from Tokyo in Japan. My school is a long way from my house, so I travel to school by train every day. Trains are very popular in Japan. Millions of people use trains to get to work and school. The trains in Japan are clean and fast, but they are usually very crowded. I leave home at half past seven every day. I walk to the train station with my brother. The journey takes about one hour. It’s a long time, but some of my friends travel for two hours to get to school. I like my journey to school because I can talk to my brother on the way.