How important is your mobile phone to you?

    Imagine that you went to a day camp without your phone. How would you feel? Do you think you could get through your (社会的)life？ Share your thoughts with us!

    I'm not sure, but why would anyone do so? The mobile phone has brought us a much easier life. My old granny says it has (控制) our life. However, my friends and I still think it has many (优点)

—Lizzie Wong

    I would thank it if my family members could leave their mobile phones at home, (尤其)when we get together. Every time we eat out, my son and his wife are always busy checking and replying to emails, while my (孙子) plays online games or texts his friends all the time. We only talk to each other when the waiter (给……看) us the menu. A family get-together is supposed to draw everyone together to have fun, but mobile phones (引起) people less attention on each other.

—Thomas Miller

    My mobile phone is (有帮助的). I use it to check my calendar and to keep in touch with others. The idea of not having it around worries me. (一次)I left my phone at home and I couldn't pay attention to my work at all. My (同伴) in my office have the similar experiences too.

—Alex Watson

    Curt Von Badinski is an engineer of a company in San Francisco. (然而)，his home is in Los Angeles, which is 770 (英里)away from his workplace, so he has to take a plane work and back.

    Every workday morning, von Badinski gets up at 5 a.m. for the 15-minute drive to the airport. After(停放)his car, he goes straight to take the plane. After a 90-minute flight, he (着陆)at Oakland Airport and drives to his company. The (整个的)trip takes him about 3 hours.

    Von Badinski pays the airline 2,300 dollars monthly so that he can fly (自由地)at any time to and from San Francisco.

    Flying to work every day is not (容易的)for von Badinski because he can only sleep five hours every night, but he believes (没有什么)could be more important to him than his family. He had thought about several ways to solve the problem， (包括)moving his family to San Francisco, but none of them worked.

    "The six-hour round trip shows that I have the (能力)to have all the things I want." he explains. "I am always excited to start a new day"

Dear Future Self,

    This is you from ten years ago, the same girl that you used to be, I am sitting in my grade seven classroom, staring outside. Now, trees with green leaves seem so tall and (笔直的). Do you still find them large? Or perhaps they seem small to you now?

    Do you still find the squirrels cute? Do you still have a strong love for (动画片) Or perhaps are all of these childish for you? I (想知道)if my friends now are still friends with you, ten years later? Are you still in touch with them?

    Can you tell me how my high school graduation went? Did you like sitting and (听) to the headmaster and teachers speak? And can you tell me what I will become in the future. Am I a doctor? Am I a teacher, engineer, officer, (科学家), or writer? I'm not sure what I want to be but I'm sure that you have (已经)known. That reminds me, did I do well on my math test (昨天)?

    Oh. I've always wanted to travel around the world! Did you visit Japan, (加拿大), Italy, the United States or China yet? Or did you visit Russia, South Korea or Australia instead?

    Life will always (继续). Please remember all the happy times and all the terrible times, Please remember me, the you who (生活) ten years ago.

Yours,

Ten Years Past Self

    Have you ever heard of "National Smile Month"? It started on the 14^th of (五月) in the UK. During this month, people are made to think about the importance of brushing their teeth, (吃)less sweet foods and going to see the (医生)from time to time.

    The British are （出名的） for their bad teeth． Even a dictionary has the expression" British Smile", meaning" Any smile with bad teeth"． （然而）， in America，the" Holly wood Smile" gets its name because American movie (明星)are so proud to show off their beautiful teeth.

    But what about smiling in the UK? Do the British smile a lot, or do they look (悲伤的)all the time? It's said that the British don't often show their feelings. But actually it all (取决于) on the situation. For example, Britain doesn't (运行) smiling in passport photos. But if you are at a party, you'll find everyone smiling （开心地） and loudly.

    So, the British smile as much as anyone else.

    Charlie's life dream was to become a soldier, but he would never be able to because of his leg condition — he couldn't stand on his right leg. He was very (伤心的) about it.

    One day, Harris, an army officer, (听说)the story. After communicating with Charlie's parents, Harris started to plan secretly to give the poor boy a big (惊奇,惊喜).

    A month later, one day in (八月) 2016, Harris appeared in Charlie's classroom. In front of his classmates, Harris asked the boy, "Would you (介意) taking a ride with me?"

    Charlie was taken to the army Reserve Center, where he  (真正的) dreamed to go. Harris said to Charlie, "Today you will become a member of our team." Charlie was too  (激动的) to say a word. Charlie raised his right hand and repeated the oath  (大声地) , "I volunteer to join the army and make all my efforts to protect the people and the  (国家)."

    Charlie's parents were so thankful. Harris said that it was simply part of his job, "When I joined the army, I made a  (承诺) to protect the people, which also means protecting the dreams of a child."

    Smoking has not been allowed in public places in England since July 2007. This was a successful  (决定)made by the government in years. It was popular with most people. In a survey last month, 78% of the people said they would still (支持) the smoking ban.

    It is now much more pleasant to go into a pub or a (餐馆). Before that, pubs were filled with smoke which made you cough and made your hair and clothes (发出气味). However, (最近), a study shows that 16% of the bar and pub owners are upset to notice a drop in business, because smokers prefer killing time at home and (很少地) go out for a drink.

    No smoking in public places is good for people's (健康). 400, 000 people in England have given up smoking (慢慢地) and the number of people with heart problems has fallen by more than 2%. It also has a good (影响) on non-smokers. For example, the number of children with asthma has dropped by around 20%.