China covers large areas and has a great population. Different living habits have always been an interesting topic in the country. Recently, another difference between southern Chinese and northern Chinese became a hot one: the way people shop at markets.

    People from southern China say that they always buy what they need for just one or two meals. It is normal for them to buy half of a Chinese cabbage, two potatoes and 0.25 kilogram of beef at a time.

    However, one may be laughed at if he does this in the north. Instead, buying vegetables and meat enough for a week is usual. Also, you can buy a small amount (数量) of fruit, such as a single apple or pear, each time in the south. Shop owners even help you peel and cut them. But shop owners in the north hardly offer such service. And many fruits are sold in baskets and boxes.

    The difference could be due to the different weather.

    Food can be kept for a long time in the north, as it is usually cold and dry there. Many northern Chinese have the habit of storing food, especially for the long winter. But the hot and wet weather in the south makes southern Chinese buy just enough food for one meal or one day, or else the food may go bad.

    September 10th is Teachers' Day in China. It is a special and great f{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. A lot of students celebrate this day with their t{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Teachers work very hard all the time in a year. O{#blank#}3{#/blank#}this day they can have fun. Which teacher is your f{#blank#}4{#/blank#}one? What present can you get r{#blank#}5{#/blank#}for your dear teachers? Floweror any little p{#blank#}6{#/blank#}? Your teachers are h{#blank#}7{#/blank#}to get your beautiful presents. Let's say "Happy Teachers' Day to our dear teachers t{#blank#}8{#/blank#}.

What did people do to communicate in ancient times? Here are some very interesting answers to this question.

Alphorns（阿尔卑斯长号角） were once used to communicate in the mountains in Switzerland. They are very long and they are very heavy, too. So, alphorns are hard work to blow. Then why use them? Well, they make a loud sound which travels much further than the human voice. Herdsmen（牧民） used them to call cows in the distance for milking. At sunset, alphorns were also used to send a message down to villagers that all was well. These days, they're mostly used as musical instruments.

The people of La Gomera, an island in Europe, have their own special way of sending messages from mountain to mountain. They use a whistled（口哨） language called el silbo, which comes from their language Spanish. Whistling can be heard within five kilorneters, which means it can be used across much greater distances than shouting. El silbo can be used for all kinds of messages, including greetings and announcements. El silbo is used a lot less than it used to be, but primary school students in La Gomera have to leave it.

Did you know it 's also possible to send messages without making a noise? This is called visual communication, and it includes the use of flags and even smoke. Long ago, soldiers along the Great Wall of China used smoke as a warning. If they noticed the enemy from their signal（信号） tower, they lit a smoky fire. When soldiers in other towers saw the smoke signal, they lit fires, too. In this way, messages about the enemy's arrival could travel as far as 800 km in just a few hours.

Rock climbing（攀岩） did not become a sport until late in the 1900s. But now it has become a popular outdoor activity. While rock climbing may still be necessary for mountain climbing，most people just climb low mountains for fun. 

If you have ever done rock climbing，you will know that it is not a very easy sport. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing both need practice. What most people don't know is that rock climbing is one of the sports that depend on your body and mind（意志）. 

To climb successfully，one must use wonderful skills. One of the important rules is to always have three parts of your body on the rock face. Another important rule is that your arms only hold you close to the rock face while your legs are pushing you up，the closer you are to the rock face，the easier it is to climb. 

Rock climbing is a wonderful sport. Once you start to learn how to climb，you'll find more fun. People who like games such as chess playing or problem—solving may love rock climbing，because they are nearly the same in the way of thinking. For anyone who wants to get into beautiful shape，rock climbing is a fun and good way. Anyone who enjoys a difficult game and loves the outdoors should think of taking rock climbing as a new hobby.