My grandmother is over eighty years old. She always complains about how greatly things have changed, and she often says that life used to be better.

    Families aren't families the way they used to be. If a husband and wife are having problem with their marriage, they don't stay together any more. They choose to divorce. Mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now everyone is busy working; no one has time to look after children at home.

    And the cars! No one walk any more; people get richer and richer, and more and more people buy cars and drive. We used to walk five miles to school every day, even in winter. But now children don't.

    And in school, children don't have to think any more. When I was at school, I used to add, subtract, multiply and divide using my head in math class, but now, children use calculators instead.

    Most families have computers and TVs now. In the past we didn't have computers or TVs, we spent a lot of time talking with our family members. But now, people are too busy to talk to each other. If they have time, they'd watch TV or surf the Internet rather than talk to family members. They are even too busy to eat and think.

    Life used to be simple, but it isn't any more.

Information Card

To be a good tourist

    Nowadays, travelling is becoming an important part of our life. However, some people have bad habits when visiting places of interest.

    Some people often make loud noise that makes others feel uncomfortable. Some people don't realize the importance of protecting our environment. They throw rubbish everywhere. Some people like to take photos in wrong places, even in dangerous places. These are very rude and unwelcome in public.

    As a student, I think we should remember to do something to be a good tourist. First of all, we should throw rubbish in the dustbin instead of dropping it everywhere. Secondly, don't make too much noise, especially in some quiet places. It is not polite. Finally, we understand that many people like taking photos while travelling. It is fun. But we should take photos in proper places and always remember safety comes first.

    In a word, if all of us can try our best to be good tourists, I believe we can make a great difference to our environment and we can have more fun as well.

Information Card

    Which university would you like to go to in the future? It's not too early to think about it right now.

    Students at Hilltop School had a University Week at the end of last month. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For instance, they designed a flag for a virtual(虚拟的) "University of Hilltop".

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He said he started the program to help students form their aims.  "University may not be for everyone, but we want the program to help students form their aims." He said.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eric, a student in Grade 8, said, "University Week made me realize that university is only four years away. I should do research about where I want to go. "Paul, another student in Grade 8 said that he realized there were so many universities for him to choose. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The school also invited people to give career talks. The first talk was given by Captain Brown, a policeman. He talked about how to choose a career way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    "The program opened up the students' eyes." Said Mr Miller.

A. According to the students, the program worked well.

B. Eric thinks it's too early to think about which university to go to in the future now.

C. During this week, they took part in all kind of activities.

D. Mr. Miller is the teacher who started the program.

E. After the research, he said he wanted to choose the University of California.

F. He also talked about the importance of math, reading and writing in his career as a policeman.

   ①   

    How much money do you spend every week? Write it down on your notebook. Then you will know how to manage your money. It's best to plan to spend money buying useful things. So you can put your money into good use. Don't spend money on useless things if possible.

    ②  

    Perhaps you like having delicious foods outside with your friends or family. Invite your friends over to your house instead of going out to a restaurant. You can enjoy home-made foods and play games together. It's an excellent way to have fun, but at a lower cost.

   ③   

    Instead of buying tea or coffee with a meal, drink water. It is widely known that water is the most popular drink in the world. It is good for your health. Drinking water makes you full of energy and it also saves money.

    ④  

    Walking is a great way to get some exercise and save money. This is a lifestyle that costs nothing. You'd better choose to walk rather than drive as much as possible. Doing this, not only can you feel good about enjoying the fresh air, but you get to spend time exercising a lot.

    Bobby came from a poor family. He wanted to buy his mother a Christmas present, but he only had a dime(十分硬币). He walked from shop to shop and finally came to a flower shop. Bobby asked if he could buy just one flower for his mother as a Christmas present with a dime. The shop owner said, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you."

    The shop owner came out a little later with twelve beautiful roses, "That will be ten cents, young man. I just happen to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen(一打). Would you like them？"

    Bobby took the long box from the man's hands and left the shop happily. As the shop owner returned inside, his wife asked, "Who were you talking to and where are the roses you took out？"

    The man replied, "This morning while I was preparing to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice. It told me to put aside a dozen of my best roses for a special present and I did so. Then, just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with a dime. When I saw him, I remembered my experience many years ago. That time I was a poor boy with nothing to buy a Christmas present for my mother. A man that I didn't know stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew whose voice that was, and I put together a dozen of my best roses."