My mother was telling me about how she and her family got their first television when she was a teenager. Of course, it was black and white. She said she only watched it at night. When I was young, we had only about 3 or 4 different channels. My brothers, my sisters and I would sometimes fight about which channel to watch. But we usually enjoyed the same shows.

   Nowadays, we can get hundreds of channels on TV. There are channels with old movies, cooking, fishing and so on. It's amazing! I wonder how much my brothers, my sisters and I would fight if we had hundreds of channels when I was a child. Of course, we had only one television set. These days I notice families with 2 or 3 or more television sets in their homes. I guess it stops people from arguing over which channel to choose.

    K.L. Rothey, 71, from the United States, a retired lawyer (退休律师)

    Rothey has given himself the Chinese name of Luqi or “roadside beggar (乞丐)”. In his eyes, beggars are doing important work—collecting rubbish. What they do is not dirty.

    Rothey first visited China in 1984 and soon he became interested in Chinese culture. Married to a Chinese woman, he lived in Huangshi. Many people know him because he often shows up in the street collecting rubbish. “Huangshi is my home so I hope it becomes cleaner and more beautiful,” says Rothey. He has also organized volunteers to collect rubbish in other cities, including Wuhan.

    Jill Robinson, 50, from Britain, founder (创立者) and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation.

    She has been working for nearly 20 years to stop people from getting the bile (胆汁) from moon bears.She began working for the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Hong Kong in the mid-1980s. A business trip to a bear farm in 1993 changed her life. She saw so many moon bears killed by people. She said she would be back to set them free.

    In 1998, she set up the Animal Foundation. In July 2000, the foundation agreed to free 500 farmed moon bears. In 2002, the Moon Bear Rescue (救援) Center was set up in Chengdu.

    “As much as we save them, they save us. These bears save us every day and they teach us to be better people,” Robinson says.

D

    When I was a child，I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and go to the city．We lived on a farm，and especially in winter，we were quite out off from the outside world．As soon as I left school，I packed my bags and moved to the city．However，I soon discovered that my life has its disadvantages，too．

    One big disadvantage is money．It costs so much to go out，not to mention basics like food and housing．Another disadvantage is pollution．①空气是如此的脏以至于我害怕出去。 Then there is the problem of traveling round．Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams．One choice is to go by bike，but that can be dangerous

    Of course there are advantages．First，there is so much to do in the city．And there are wonderful jobs and more chances of moving to a more important job or position．Finally，if you like shopping，the kind of goods is very surprising．②What's more，there are many shops that are not far from your home．

    Is life better in the city then? Perhaps it is，when you are in your teens or twenties．However，as you get older，and especially if you have small children，the peace of the countryside may be a better choice．I certainly hope to move back there soon．

    Mr Perkin stood at the bus-stop and watched the cars go by. Many of the car were new Beta 400s, and most of them were yellow. Mr Perkin always wore the same clothes as other men, ate the same food as other people, and did the same things after work, and at the end of the week, Mr Perkin did not like to be different.The following week, Mr Perkin bought a new, bright yellow Beta 400s. He was satisfied with it, and drove to work in it the very next day. He was even more satisfied with his new car, when he saw all the other Beta 400s, in front, behind, and on both sides of him.He likes the feeling of being the same.Mr Perkin parked(停车) his car in a big car-park(停车场) near his office, and walked the rest of the way. But when he came back at five o'clock, there were so many bright yellow Beta 400s in the car-park that he did not know which car was his. He tried his key in some of the cars, but people passing by gave him a look he didn't like. So he stopped. Time went by.Poor Mr Perkin had to wait nearly two hours until his was the only yellow.Beta 400s in the car-park. After he got back home, he felt frustrated and thought to himself that maybe being different is not so bad.

    Everyone likes to have fun, but not everyone has much money to spend on entertainment. Here are some free or cheap ways to enjoy yourself.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Go with your friends if you don't want to stay at home. Hike or bicycle with a friend on a nearby path or in a park. If you live in a city, you can go window-shopping. Or you can explore an old part of town and admire the buildings.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Planning and taking pictures can make you aware of the beauty all around you. Photographic equipment can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You probably already own a camera or a cellphone that can take pictures.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Stop by one to find out what's going on. And while you're there, borrow a book or movie for free. Museums and universities also hold free events. If you can't find a free event, you can volunteer at an event that requires tickets. People who organize concerts and plays need help. You can set up or take down chairs or greet visitors. Sometimes they reward volunteers with free tickets.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whatever you do, find a friend to share it with. For example, invite a friend for a walk, an event or a time working on your hobby. Hosting doesn't have to be difficult. If your friend comes in the afternoon, you don't have to serve a meal. You can sit and talk, play board games or card games or watch a movie together.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} From the bulb to the computer, our life has changed a lot. If you are interested in a creative activity, you might as well put it into practice, starting from small things in daily life, to make your life more colorful.

A. Our life is more convenient because of inventions.

B. Going outside in good weather can be a lot of fun.

C. Relationships are often the best things in life.

D. While you're out, take pictures of things you find.

E. It's a good idea to stay at home to watch a movie alone.

F. Libraries often hold free public events, or you can get free tickets through volunteer activities.