Life today is much{#blank#}1{#/blank#} . However, there are new problems. One of the biggest ones is pollution. Water {#blank#}2{#/blank#} has made rivers dirty. It kills fish and {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us speak {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  and become angry more {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . Air pollution is the {#blank#}6{#/blank#} serious kind of pollution. It's bad for all {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  things in the world.

Simon: Hey, Anna. This is Simon, calling from the Old Town of Lijiang!

Anna:  Hi, Simon! You are already in Lijiang! Great to hear you! So{#blank#}1{#/blank#}do you like the Old Town there?

Simon: Oh, we love it very much. You know it is so different from {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

Anna: Really? How long are you staying there?

Simon: Four days. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}my dad has to go back to work next Monday. We arrived yesterday and visited the Old Town. Tomorrow we're going to Yulong Snow Mountain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}save time, we're taking the cable car up there. If we still have time, we're planning to see Blue Moon Valley and Yak Meadow.

Anna: Sounds great! Oh, don't forget it's much colder on Snow Mountain. Be sure to keep {#blank#}5{#/blank#}!

Simon: Thanks! We're bringing sweaters and coats with us, so I hope we'll be OK. I'll see you in a few days! Talk to you soon.

    For most of us in China, we only have to turn on the tap to get clean water. We seldom think twice about where it comes from.

    Day after day, thousands of children in poor countries have to{#blank#}1{#/blank#}hours walking for miles to collect water. What's more, the water is dirty and can cause serious diseases, such as diarrhea(腹泻). It's hard to believe, but every 20 seconds a child dies as a result of a water-related disease.

    The international water-aid charity called Just a Drop{#blank#}2{#/blank#}clean water to some of the poorest areas in the world, by building wells, pipelines(永管)and toilets. The charity has helped about 1.5 million people {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Betty, from Uganda, is just one of the people who have been helped by Just al Drop. 11-yearold Betty had to walk two miles every day, carrying two heavy cans{#blank#}4{#/blank#}dirty pond water before Just a Drop placed a well in her village. "I used to get sick from the water. Now, I don't have to walk long distances and I feel much safer with this clean water."

    If you visit the animal shelter (收容所) in Salinas, California, you'll see huge signs that have a picture of a dog and a cat on them. These {#blank#}1{#/blank#} are put in front of the shelter to catch people's attention. The signs {#blank#}2{#/blank#} people interested in the shelter and encourage them to visit it and maybe even take a cat or a dog into their homes.

    Each year, the shelter accepts thousands of dogs and cats. The animals are{#blank#}3{#/blank#} lost ones or left by people who can't take care of {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Of all the animals, some of them are taken into new homes. Some {#blank#}5{#/blank#} are moved to other shelters. And, unluckily, some cannot be saved because they are too sick or are thought to be dangerous.

    Animal shelters {#blank#}6{#/blank#} food, medicine, and safe places for animals. But they are not the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} homes. The animals stay in small cages (笼子). The people who work at shelters do their best {#blank#}8{#/blank#} for the animals, but the animals do not always get the attention or exercise they need.

    To prevent animals from becoming homeless, pet owners should take good care of their pets. Most pet doctors also suggest people make {#blank#}9{#/blank#} their pets have a special surgery (外科手术). It {#blank#}10{#/blank#} animals from having more babies. And that reduces (减少) the number of homeless animals.

    Today is March 5^th. It is my birthday. I get a lot of{#blank#}1{#/blank#}from my friends and family.

    They are in the{#blank#}2{#/blank#}boxes. My father gives me a yellow box and there is a book in it. My mother says, “It's our present for you, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it's good for you.” Jack, one of my friends, gives me a small box. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}is in it? There's a pen. My sister gives me a round box. I think it is a big cake, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}it is a football. I like playing football very much, so I am happy to have it. My uncle gives me a big red box. I open it and find{#blank#}6{#/blank#}box in it. What colour is this box? It's green. I open the small box and find a piece of paper in it. It says,” Go to your bedroom, then you'll see a black box. Your{#blank#}7{#/blank#}present is in it.” I go to my bedroom and{#blank#}8{#/blank#}the box on the table. Then I open it. I am very happy to find a radio in it！