Computer technology has become a major part of people's lives. This technology has its own special words. One example is the word " mouse". A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a small device (装置) that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer.The mouse moves the cursor (光标) on the computer screen.

    Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early nineteen-sixties. The first computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer.

    Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hackers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word" hacker" is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.

    Another well known computer word is Google. It is the name of a popular search engine for the Internet.People use the search engine to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people whostarted the company named it Google because in mathematics, googol, spelled g-o-o-g-o-l,is an extremely

    large number. It is the number one followed by one hundred zeros.

    When you "Google" a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it. Some people like to Google their friends or themselves to see how many times their name appears on the Internet. If you Google someone, you might find that persons name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Web log. A blog is a personal Web page. It may contain stories, comments, pictures and links to other websites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.

    The coffee shop Starbucks will give people a discount if they bring their own cups. It wants to cut down on the number of paper cups that are put in the rubbish bins. It is part of a two month experiment in cafes in England. Starbucks wants to reduce waste and recycle more, The president of Starbucks in the UK said, "We are very happy to increase recycling rates(比率)，and reusable cups are a key part of our waste reduction plan." Bosses will decide later if they will continue the discounts. People who bring their own cups will not get a discount on the cafe's cheaper filter coffee.

    The problem of paper cups has been in the news a lot. Around seven million cups are thrown away every day. Reporters say that some cafes lie about how many paper cups they recycle. The reporters say the cafes do not recycle as many cups as they say. Customers wrongly believe that a coffee shop is environmentally friendly. Less than one in 400 paper cups at coffee shops are recycled. A coffee drinker said she would bring her own cup. She said, "I am so sad that cafes recycle so little. I thought they were more responsible."

Volunteer Work Done by Class 10 in Winter Holiday

(32 boys and 27 girls)

Is it difficult to learn English well? For many Chinese students, the answer might be "Yes". Some still find it boring, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} they know English is important. Here are some ideas on how to learn English well.

To warm up, listen to English as often as possible. You can find {#blank#}2{#/blank#} materials from tapes, radios or TVs. If you can't hear them clearly, try a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} time. With English around, you will feel much easier to get started.

When you are learning new words, deal with your {#blank#}4{#/blank#} and feel free to pronounce them. Normally, you can {#blank#}5{#/blank#} get the pronunciation correct if you just keep silent without opening your mouth. Besides, some apps on the mobile phone can help with your spoken English practice. After you complete the tests, they can even show {#blank#}6{#/blank#} to tell how well you can pronounce.

What's more, you can watch English movies. There are tons of English movies {#blank#}7{#/blank#}Spider Man and Captain America. You are sure to get interested in them. Listen to the characters carefully and learn useful English expressions. If you {#blank#}8{#/blank#} to understand, try to connect them with the actions of characters. This will help {#blank#}9{#/blank#} guess what they mean.

All in all, there are many ways to learn English well and you just need to find the best way for yourself. Remember that everyone {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the skills to learn a language well. Always believe that you can make it.

Do you find that your dinners with your parents are less happy than before? Do you find it easier to chat in the past but now it's difficult? Do you and your parents often disagree on things? You're not alone. Many kids and their parents have such experiences. 

When you're growing up, your body changes a lot. You might worry about getting taller or heavier than your friends, or about your voice changing or getting spots on your face. When you feel worried, you might get angry at your parents sometimes. 

It's also hard to balance(平衡) your feelings as you grow up. You get to a strange time called middle ground— no longer a small child but not quite an adult(成人). You want to do things by yourself more, but you still need your parents' love and help. You want to make decisions by yourself, but your parents might not always agree. This can make you feel sad. 

But don't worry too much about arguments with your parents. Many kids have them too. The most important thing is to talk to them. Tell them how you feel, even if it's hard. They might not agree with you right away, but if you keep talking and listening to each other, you can find a way to make things better. 

Remember, your parents love you and want to help you. Sometimes they forget how hard it is to grow up. But if you keep talking to them and trying to understand each other, you can work things out. So keep trying, and you'll find that you and your parents can get along just fine.