Teenage life — better now，or in the past?

    Does this situation sound familiar (熟悉)？

    You are complaining (抱怨)to your parents about something. Maybe your computer isn't powerful enough to play the latest games. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Then you hear...

    When I was your age, there weren't any computers or video games. And I didn't get a bike until I was sixteen. And it was second-hand. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    So, is it really true that life is better for teenagers now? It is certainly true that many teenagers have got more things nowadays.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} So parents have got more money to spend on each child. And many things are cheaper than they were when our parents were children.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Forty years ago, no one could imagine a world with tiny computers and amazing smartphones. And now these things are necessary — we can't imagine living without them!

However, technology often means we spend more time at home. And often it is just us with our computer or television. Teenagers don't do enough exercise. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And, although young people still get on well with their friends，some people think teenagers today don't have so many social activities as they did in the past.

    What do you think? How is teenage life better these days?

    When people travel abroad(国外), they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is a homestay.

    I am living with an old English couple, in the west of London. They have a clean four-bedroom house. This is a new house. It has two bathrooms and a garden with many beautiful flowers. I have a bedroom of my own.

    There are some shopping centres and a restaurant next to the house, and the house is close to an underground station. It takes about 30 minutes to take an underground to the centre of London.

    I think a homestay may be a good choice for you if it is your first time to visit abroad. The local people are friendly and ready to help. If you want to celebrate the holidays with them, you will get to know more about their culture and customs.

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Up in the Sky

    Take a trip up a hill on a windy day. What is flying high in the sky? It isn't a bird or a plane. It is a kite!

    Kids and adults like flying kites. Long ago, the first kites were made by Chinese people. Then, people around the world began flying kites.

    One story tells a man's hat got lifted off by wind. He had fun chasing his hat, so he did it again! His hat became the first kite. Other stories tell that people liked watching leaves on windy days. They tied leaves to strings and watched them fly.

    Long ago, kites became important in keeping China protected. A man might be lifted up by a kite while he spied(监视) on an enemy. He could use the kite to fly high like a plane. He could also fight from the air!

    Kites come in many shapes, sizes, and styles. They are usually made of cloth or paper. A kite might be shaped like a bird, a fish,  or just a box. Kites are also painted with colors.

    You can use a kite to catch fish. First you tie a fishing line to a kite. Then you put bait(鱼饵) on the line. You watch the kite with hopes as it flies over the water. When you pull the kite down, you might find a fish on your line! Some people think this is more fun than using a fishing pole(杆).

    Many countries have special days to honor kites. People make, sell and fly many types of kites. There are several kite festivals in China. The Beijing International Kite Festival is usually held in April every year. People spend all days flying kites. You might see famous fighter kites. People fly these kites quite fast and try to cut other flyer's lines.

    There is much to learn about kites. From long ago in China until now, kites have had many uses. They have been used for spying, fighting, and fishing. But the best way to use a kite is to fly it high for fun!

    One year, two Australians，Adam and Stephen，decided to go to Jamboree(童子军大会)by bike．It was in Sweden，about 20，000 kilometers from their home in Adelaide! They didn't take normal bikes；they took bikes with three wheels instead．These are more comfortable and easier to ride up hills．

    They took everything they needed．They had a tent each，things to cook with，clothes，maps，computers and phones，and things to repair the bikes．They also took their passports (护照)because they planned to travel through 22 different countries．

    The journey began in Australia but it didn't go well．After just a few days，Adam's bike broke．He left Stephen and went back home by coach (长途汽车)．He got a new wheel for his bike，then bought a plane ticket and flew to Perth．In Perth, he took a train to a town called Merridien．After he got off the train，he put his bike together and rode to meet Stephen．

    After that，they flew to Johannesburg and then they began their bike ride though Africa. They slept in tents by the road，and in some places they saw a lot of wild(野生的)animals .One night, they could hear lions ,and another night , an elephant walked past their tents．

In Europe, they rode up some very high mountains．And the most wonderful  thing， they thought，was that they saw snow for the first time in their lives．

    In every country，along the way，Adam and Stephen met a lot of interesting people and had lots of interesting people and had lots of adventures(奇遇)．The journey took 269 days．

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    People may have different dreams as they grow older. What do you want to be when you grow up? Everyone needs to answer this question.

    When I was a little girl, my parents always asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I used to tell them a general, doctor or guard. But now I am a 18-year-old boy, and I really know what I want to be. I want to be a fashion designer.

    What made me want to be a fashion designer? It was the fashion shows on TV because they are fascinating. The tall, thin models wear beautiful clothes and walk beautifully on the stage. So I decided to be a designer and design beautiful clothes for people and make them look even better.

    Fashion magazines are my favorite books. They are quite expensive, but my parents say they will pay for them if I am really interested in reading them. They want me to learn as much as possible.

    For me, I will try my best to make my dream come true. I believe that one day my parents will take pride in what I can do.

Information Card

    Waste sorting(垃圾分类) is a big matter worldwide. In order to sort the rubbish properly and protect the environment, people in different countries are using different methods to sort their waste.

    UK A UK company invented a "smart bin" to help with waste sorting. People just need to drop their waste into the bin(垃圾箱). A camera and sensors(感应器) in the bin can tell what type of rubbish it is and correctly sort it. The bin also compresses(压缩) the waste so it takes up less space.

South Korea South Korea is using a method called "Pay For Your Waste" to encourage its people to reduce food waste. When throwing away rubbish, people have to separate their food waste from their other rubbish and put it in a bin. The smart bin then weighs the food. People have to pay for their food waste by scanning(扫描) a barcode(条形码) on the bin. If they throw away more rubbish, they will pay more.

    Japan Japan is leading the world in waste sorting. They sort waste so carefully that even plastic bottles and their caps go into different bins. Different types of paper products have their own bins.

    China China is improving its waste sorting efforts. Shanghai has worked with Alipay to create a "green account(账户)"service for its residents(居民). The city is asking all of its residents to sort their waste into four groups: wet, recyclable, harmful and dry.