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Reader's Bank_Level 3_Unit 07                                    Reading Text

Christmas is a special time of year. One fun tradition is the Christmas tree. A long time ago in Germany, people had something called a Paradise Tree. It was a wooden tree with red apples. The apples showed a fruit from a Bible story. People used the Paradise Tree at Christmas. They placed it in front of churches. The tree told people that a Bible play was coming soon. Before the play, people walked through town with the tree. They wanted to tell others about the show. The Paradise Tree helped people learn Bible stories. Many people at that time couldn’t read. Over time, the Paradise Tree changed. It became the Christmas tree we know today. Now, we use lights and colorful things instead of apples. The Christmas tree is so bright and cheerful, it’s hard not to love it.

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Cells in our body don’t live forever. Old cells die, and new ones grow to take their place. But how fast does this happen? It depends on where the cells are and what they do. Take stomach cells, for example. They work hard all day to help digest food. So, they live only a few days before new cells replace them. Skin cells are also very busy. They keep us from heat, cold, and germs. That’s why new skin cells take over every few weeks.  Bone cells are different. They don’t have to work as hard, so they last much longer. Some bone cells can stay in the body for years. Each kind of cell has a different job and lives for a longer or shorter time.

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Do you know the fun English expression “go bananas”? It means someone gets very excited or very angry. They can jump, shout, or do silly things. This expression started in the U.S. in the 1950s. Back then, people used “bananas” to talk about crazy actions. Some say it comes from monkeys. Monkeys love bananas. When they see one, they jump and wave their arms. They make noise and look full of energy. That funny situation helps people understand the expression. You can use “go bananas” in good or bad times. Children can go bananas on their birthday. Fans can go bananas at a big game. People can also go bananas when they lose something important. It’s a fun way to show big feelings. So next time someone goes bananas, you’ll know they’re just full of energy—not talking about fruit!