Mary 09:45:10

    Hi, Jim. Nice to meet you! I'm a girl.My name Is Mary Green.My  favorite(最喜爱的) color is red. I have a red bag.My telephone number is 873-3516.

    Jim 09:46:05

    Hi, Mary. Nice to meet you, too! I'm a boy. My name's Jim Hand.My favorite color is blue. I have a blue quilt.And my telephone number is 894-2015.

    Nick is a 14-year-old school boy. His life is full of exams and studies on weekdays. He has little free time. He thinks playing computer games is the best way to make him relax. When he has free time, he sits in front of the computer. Just like that way, he neither eats nor drinks for several hours.

    Last weekend, he played games on the computer again. He was too excited and didn't want to move. He didn't have anything for six hours. When he had to go the bathroom, he found he could not move. He was taken to the hospital. The doctor told him he should do some different kinds of activities.

    After coming back from the hospital, Nick follows the doctor's advice. He often plays soccer with his friends. Sometimes he still plays computer games on weekends, but he never does it for long. Now, he lives a happy and healthy life.

    In common with many countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952, more than 4,000 people died in London because of the smog. The government introduced new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the situation improved a lot.

    Today, London is much cleaner but there is a new problem: smog from cars. Part of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centers. In the past, people often walked to shops near their home. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centers. So, the small shops have disappeared and more people have to travel to do their shopping.

    Critics (批评家) think that Britain needs cheaper public transport. An early morning train trip from Glasgow to London (about 600km) can cost about £100, for example. A 15-minute bus trip can cost over £1. 00.

    Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and the cost.

    If you are visiting England, you will notice that the English have many customs (风俗) and traditions (传统) that are different from those in China. Here's a guide to visiting England. It provides help for anyone who visit England for the first time.

    Standing in the queue

    English people like to form queues. They think it is the fair way to behave. People wait in a queue in shops or at bus stops. People will think you are rude if you don't join the queue.

    Please, Thank you, Excuse me and Sorry

    It is good manners to say "Please" and "Thank you". If someone is in your way, say "Excuse me" and they will move. If you bump into someone or you are in their way, say "Sorry". They will probably say sorry, too, even if it was your mistake. Saying sorry does not always mean you are wrong. Sometimes it is a polite thing to say.

    Meeting a new person

    When people meet for the first time, the usual custom is to shake hands. The next time you meet that person, you can just say hello. English people don't usually hug or kiss if they don't know each other really well.

    Talking to people

    English people find it difficult to start conversations with strangers. If you are on buses or trains, they usually sit as far away from other people as possible. If you want to start a conversation, the topic that English people are always happy to talk about is the weather. So you need to be able to say "Isn't it warm (sunny/windy/wet/foggy) today?" or "Do you think it's going to rain/clear up?" Avoid topics such as politics, religion or how much people earn!

    Just behave politely. Remember: When you are in England, just do as the English people do!

    Have you ever heard of the story The Ant and the Grasshopper(蚱蜢) ?

    One fine winter day some ants were working in the field. They were very busy. Just then a grasshopper passed by." Good day, kind ants," said the grasshopper, "I am very hungry. Will you lend me a little food? I have nothing to eat. I will pay you before the next autumn."

    "You have no food of your own? Why didn't you gather any food during the summer? You know there was much food in the field last summer. What were you doing then?" asked an old ant. The grasshopper answered, "I was singing all day and night during the summer. So I had no time to gather any food. Please lend me some." "Well, then, "said the ant, "you could sing all the summer, and you also could dance all the winter. You only played and did not work during the summer. We'll never lend you any food." And the ants went on working.

    Mr. Reynolds, my teacher, handed us a list of thoughts, and asked us to write a paper on one of those thoughts. I chose the topic" I wonder why things are the way they are."

    I wrote down all the questions that puzzled(困扰)me about life. I realized that many of them were hard to answer，and perhaps others could not be answered at all. When I handed in my paper，I was afraid that I might fail because I did not answer the questions.

    The next day, Mr. Reynolds handed me the paper and asked me to read it for the class. The other students became quiet as I began to read my story：

    Mum, why are the roses red? Why is the grass green and the sky blue? Why do I have to graduate(毕业)？Why do I have to grow up? Why do I have to be called "Grandma" one day？

    Dad, why can't I stay out until 12: 00? Why do I miss my old friends? Why do I miss being at home? Why do you love me so much？

Mum, Dad, why did you have to leave me? I need you.

    At the end of my story, I looked at Mr. Reynolds, and I saw a tear slowly coming down his face. Then I realized that life is not built on the answers we receive, but on the questions we ask.