It's March, 2050.

   Frank and Mary Smith wake up in their comfortable house in the morning and switch on the bedroom computer to get the latest news. They used to read the Times, but changed to electronic newspapers many years ago.
   There is the usual news about space: another space flight has returned from Mars and scientists have discovered a new planet. Then they turn to business news: the US dollar has risen greatly in Shanghai, one of the world's leading business centres. Mary tells the computer to buy 5,000 dollars, and there is a quick response that it has been done.
   As they watch the screen, Mary orders one of the household robots to make coffee for them.

   Frank disappears into the study to join a video conference with his partners around the world. He is a computer engineer, working for several companies. This is his third job: he used to be in marketing and then television.
   Mary has a quick look at the shopping channels - the usual selection of electric cars, household robots and cheap travel offers - before picking up the video phone to talk to her assistant. She also has a job and she is doing medical research. Both she and Frank used to have an office desk in London, but in 2014 they decided to move to the seaside and work from home.
   Frank and Mary have one daughter, Louise, who also has her own workstation at home. She goes to school only one day a week, mainly to play with other students. Classrooms disappeared in 2030 because there was no longer any need for them: communications systems have made it much easier to learn at home.
   Louise, now thirteen, is studying Chinese at present, which has become a world language as important as English. Louise has many Chinese friends. They communicate by computer.
   According to the family doctor, Louise will live to at least 130. Her wish is to work for a few decades (十年) and then spend her time on music and painting.

      What do you think is the most common illness? Do you get ill sometimes? We are lucky to live now because there are lots of medicines to make people better．

     The most common illness in the world is the cold．It often begins with a sore throat．Then you sneeze and your nose runs．You usually have a headache，too．Often you cough later．It's not a very bad illness but you can feel quite ill．   

     There isn't a cure(治愈)for a cold but you can take medicines to make you feel better．For instance aspirin(阿司匹林)can stop your headache．It is good to rest and to drink a lot of water，too．A doctor once said to me，“With the proper medicine a cold will last for seven，days．With no medicine it will go on for a whole week!”

     Where does our medicine come from? A long time ago people knew that some plants made them feel better．They ate the leaves，the roots，the I fruit or the seeds of those plants．For instance the juice of lemons makes a sore throat feel better．

     In modern times scientists have looked at these plants and found out which chemicals(化学物质)are in them．Many of our medicines today are made from those chemicals．   

     There are some illnesses which we can't cure yet．And nobody has found a cure for old age．But because of modern medicines most people now live longer than their grandparents．   

Four ways to have a good school life

    Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you get the most from them, and be sure you do not waste (浪费) this great chance to learn?

    Be active (积极的) at school

    Don't say things are difficult or boring. Take interest in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Put up your hands quickly in class. Go around the school with a big smile. If you are not working, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable (令人愉快的).

    Keep fit

    If you don't eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and don't have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play enough sports every day in order to keep your body strong.

    Face the problem

    Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish the race if you rest all the time. Everyone fails some exams, loses some matches and has bad days. Don't make small problems very big and important. Don't forget to ask for help. You are young, and no one thinks you must do everything quite well!

    Spend the weekends

    Don't waste time lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday morning. Go and play sports, get together with friends in the park to relax, learn to play the piano, or help someone with problem. If you don't want to go out, there are also a lot of things to do. You may read a book, practice English or help Mum with housework.

    Follow our advice, and have a happy school life!

    Henry is an English boy. He is 14 years old. He visited Beijing with his family last summer. Then he became interested in(对……感兴趣) Chinese culture. He wanted to learn Chinese, so he asked his aunt to teach him. His aunt is from China. He also wanted to learn to play the erhu. But he didn't know where to buy one in England. So he asked his pen pal(笔友) Li Gang for help. Li Gang is a Chinese boy. He lives in Shanghai. He bought a erhu and mailed(邮寄) it to Henry. Now Henry is waiting for his package(包裹). He can't wait to receive it.

    Do you know the weather in Henan? There are four seasons in Henan. The weather in Henan is not the same in four seasons.

    It is warm in spring. People like to climb mountains. In spring, a lot of children go out to plant (种植) some trees.

    What's the weather like in summer? Well, it is bot in summer. People like to go swimming in summer.

    It is cool in autumn. Sometimes it is windy. People like to go on a trip in autumn.

    How's the weather in winter? It is cold in winter. Sometimes it snows. People always wear warm clothes in winter. The old people don't go out because it is cold, They usually watch TV at home and keep warm.