In common with other 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. In December 1991, there was very little wind in London and pollution increased a lot. As a result, about 160 people died from pollution in just four days.

      One of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centres. In the past, people often walked to shops near their homes or went by bus. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centres. Because the small shops have disappeared in the downtown, more people have to travel to do their shopping.

      Critics say that Britain needs better and cheaper public transport. Transport in Britain is very expensive. An early morning train trip from Glasgow to London (about 600km) can cost about £100, for example. A short 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.

      In classes, your teachers will talk about the topics that you are studying.  The information they provide will be important for you to know when you take tests. So you must be able to take good written notes from what your teachers say.

    Here are three stages (阶段) of taking notes and what you should do during each stage.

    Before class

    Review your notes you have taken before you come to class. This will be good for remembering what was covered. Get you ready to understand new information your teacher will provide.

    During class

    Keep your attention on what your teacher is saying and "the signal words" that tell you what your teacher is going to say and it is important to write in your notes.  Examples of signal words are "The most important point.” and "Remember that . . . ” Be sure to include in your notes information that your teacher repeats or writes on the blackboard. Write quickly so that you can include all the important information in your notes. Do this by writing abbreviations such as med for medicine, using symbols such as % for percent, and writing short sentences.

     After class

     Rewrite your notes to make them more complete and accurate (准确的) by changing abbreviations into whole words, symbols into words, and shortened sentences into longer sentences. Use them to answer your questions. If necessary, ask your teacher for help.

阅读理解

    Water is a liquid (液体) ; but it can also be a solid when it is very cold and turns to ice. It can also be a gas, when it evaporates (蒸发) and become water vapour (水蒸气) .

The water cycle

    Water is very important, and without it life on Earth would be impossible. The oceans that cover three quarters of the Earth's surface can be thought of as our great water reservoirs. All the time, water is being evaporated from the ocean's surface by the warmth of the sun. High in the sky this water vapour, turns into clouds which drift (漂浮) over the land, often creating rainfall. As the rain falls,it seeps (渗漏) into the soil and then into rivers that flow back into the oceans, where it is ready to begin all over again!

下面是被打乱的有关The water cycle（水循环）的信息，请根据短文内容重新排序。首句己给出：

Water is warmed by the sun and turns into water vapour and rises into the sky.

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    He often came to my house to tell me how to write stories and encourage me with his own experience. He told me he was born in a poor family. As a little boy, he had a dream to become a famous writer. He overcame thousands of difficulties to have entered a university. After graduation, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, and up till now, he is very famous around the country.

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    ⑴We have thirty minutes' rest between classes in the afternoon. Look! Most of us are playing during the rest time.

    Some students are on the playground. They are having a basketball game. Oh! A boy is running with a ball. And another is trying (尽力) to stop him. They are so cool. And there are some girls watching the game. Some students are in the classroom. They are talking. A few of them are reading or doing their homework. Look! ⑵A girl is looking at the birds in a tree in front of the classroom. She must be thinking of something interesting because she is smiling (微笑). What are the teachers doing? Do you know? Some of them are working in their office, and some are talking with students. Everyone is busy with his or her things. Busy and happy!