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    With the development of the television and the Internet, many people have changed their hobbies and the way that they enjoy their free time. Because of the television and the Internet, many people spend less time reading, so the aim of this article is to give reasons why people should read just for pleasure. The reasons that I give you are quite simple: to improve your knowledge, to have more fun, to make your imagination（想象）fly, to find new ways to express your ideas, and to have a better understanding of life.

    Firstly, you can improve your knowledge when you read. There are nil kinds of good books to choose from. People who read more usually have a better idea about life than those who do not read so often.

    Secondly, you can have fun and increase your imagination by reading books Children have very good imaginations, so parents need to read lots of stories that feed their imagination. Adults should try to develop their imagination by reading books that make them think amazing things.

    Finally, no matter how old you are, it can help you to have a better understanding of life and express your ideas to others in a simple and correct form.

    So I suggest that you read more. I know that many of us like to play on the Internet when we are free, but we must also not forget to read books. Try to choose good books in the beginning, and then I'm sure that you will never stop reading.

    In Alaska, the US, the grizzly bears are not alone because of Timothy Treadwell. Everyone knows that grizzly bears can be very dangerous to people. However, people can be perilous to grizzly bears, too, because their fur and food are beneficial for some people. In fact, half of the grizzly bears die before they are five years old, even though they can live for about 30 years.

    Grizzly bears hibernate every winter. They sleep for several months. During this period, they don't wake up or eat anything. When they wake up in the spring, the grizzlies are in danger. But Timothy can protect them. He sleeps in a tent near the bears and bathes in a river with them. People do not hurt the bears when Timothy is with them.

    Timothy went to Alaska for the first time about 17 years ago. He was attracted by the beauty of the land and the prettiness of the animals. When he learned that people kill many grizzly bears every year, Timothy determined to protect the grizzly bears and to keep the bears safe from danger, so he lives with the bears for four to five months every year. At the beginning, Timothy's parents didn't agree, but later, they firmly supported him to do so, because they also wanted to protect bears as him.

    Timothy has lived with the grizzlies every spring for about 17 years. Some bears are now his friends. He gave them names. His friend Booble sometimes gives him fish which he likes. His friend Lazy sleeps near his tent every night. Every winter, when the bears hibernate, Timothy returns to his home in California. Then he teaches children and adults about his friends in Alaska.

    Can dogs and cats get along well in the same home? People who are thinking about getting a dog as a friend for their cat are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found that if the cat is taken back home before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. In two-thirds of the homes cats and dogs have a good relationship.

    However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression(侵略，好斗) and fighting were found in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body languages are just different. For example, when a cat turns its head away it means aggression, while a dog doing the same means submission(顺从).

    In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers found a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk "Dog", and dogs can learn how to talk "Cat".

    What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to become smarter. They can learn to read each other's body languages, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was expected. Once familiar with each other's body language, cats and dogs can play together, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa.

    The importance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don't get along well, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even countries. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.

    With 830 students aged between 12 and 8, Lochaber High School, at Fort William, is one of the largest secondary schools in the Highlands, It covers a huge area and many of the students come from small communities (社区) and travel up to 40 km to get into school each day, In the past, the school covered a much larger area and many students had to stay in one of the school dormitories, or-if older to live with local families, but other high schools have opened in the West Highlands, so the catchment area（责任区域） for Lochaber High, though still very large, is not as large as it used to be. Students travel into school by car, by bus, or by special minibus each day, and some come on foot or by bike. Most students live in Fort William itself, or in one of the surrounding villages.

    At the end of their high school life, and after getting higher or advanced higher grade exam results, most students decide to move on to some form of further education. Some students can remain, taking specialised courses at the West Highland college, but most leave home in Lochaber and go south or east to cities, Many young people in this area feel that there are not enough opportunities here, Going to a city certainly means new friends, a whole new lifestyle, and a more exciting night life.

    Even though Fort William is, in a way, small and far away from cities, as far as I am concerned, it is a great place to live. There is a real community atmosphere(氛围)here, and many people know, or are related to, many other people. There is always something to do or see in Fort William and there is no excuse for being bored! But there is one thing that is certain for everyone, that is, Highland hospitality. It is still very real, very alive! People look forward to seeing you!

    It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp(军营). It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course it was a good place for training the new soldiers. But it was difficult for the young men to go outside. Mr White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he hardly let them leave the camp.

    Once Mr White was ill in bed. He couldn't work and a young officer, Mr Hunt, began to train the new soldiers instead of him. He knew the young men well and let nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and none came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood at the gate. It was five to twelve when Mr Hunt decided to go to the town and see what was happening to the young men. He started the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers came back. It seemed they drank wine. Of course they found the officer was angry.

    "I'm sorry, sir," said the first soldier. "I left the town on time. But something was wrong with my bus on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast. Bad luck! It died and I had to run back."

    And the other seven soldiers said they were late for the same reasons. It was the last soldier's turn. He said, "I'm sorry, sir. I got on a bus on time, but……"

    Having heard this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He called out, "If you say something was wrong with your bus, I'll punish you at once!"

    "No, no, sir," said the young man. "My bus was all right, but the dead horses were in its way!"

Millions of people crowded onto trains, airplanes and buses across China last week. They were hurrying home, to be with their families for China's most important holiday, Chinese New Year. More than one billion people around the world are celebrating the New Year.

History Behind the Holiday

The Chinese New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice (冬至). (The winter solstice is one of the two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator. It is also the shortest day of the year. ) According to an ancient legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. 12 animals came, and Buddha named a year after each animal. The animals were: the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

A Good Year to Be a Pig

Buddha announced that people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. If you were born in 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995, you were born in the year of the Pig. People who were born in these years are believed to be polite, honest, hardworking and loyal. They are also supposed to be lucky, which is why many Chinese like to have babies in a Pig year. They are said to get along best with people born under the year of the Rabbit, Goat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse and Dog.

Festivals, Lions and Feasts

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and feasts. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy (神圣的) animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions (or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air) perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear in red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15­day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and relatives. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lanterns are hung in parks around China.