Switzerland (瑞士) is one of the most developed countries in Europe. It is famous as one of the cleanest countries in the world.

The Swiss (瑞士人) think that recycling is important. The government has made laws which require everyone to recycle. In 1998, the Swiss government passed a law which says that people cannot throw away any electronic machines. Instead, people are told to bring old ones, such as televisions, computers and fridges, to special centers when they don't need them. Many parts of the old machines are reused, and only the parts that can't be used are thrown away.

The government also charges (收费) a rubbish bag tax (税). If people want their rubbish to be collected, they must buy yellow stickers and put them on their rubbish bags. In 2003, 47G of all rubbish in the cities was recycled. This included 70% of paper, 95% of glass, 71% of plastic bottles and 85--90% of cans. Until recently, people can get a small amount of money when they recycle their bottles. Recycling has become a daily habit for the Swiss.

     Everyone should learn from the Swiss, and our country will be clean like Switzerland.

Lots of students know what a marathon (马拉松赛跑) is, but perhaps they don't know what a triathlon is. The triathlon is a sport that has three parts-swimming, bicycling and running. It is not an easy sport, but a man named Joe Salter is very good at it. A few months ago, he finished a special triathlon—he juggled (抛起接住) three balls all the time during the triathlon. That is to say, he kept on throwing and catching three balls while he was swimming, riding a bicycle and running.

    31-year-old Joe is from Florida, the USA. He loves juggling and he started at the age of 8. Joe did well in juggling.  Later, he got the idea to do a triathlon and juggle at the same time to make it more fun. Many juggling fans laughed at his idea and thought it was just a joke. But Joe didn't give up and he kept practising it. Because of his hard work, he made it at last.

    Talking about his triathlon, Joe said swimming was the hardest part. "It was difficult and complex(复杂的)," he said. "I basically only used my legs, so it took quite a lot of work. Also, swimming in open water made it a little harder. It was not like in a pool."

    American people like to say “Thank you” when others help them or say something kind of them. People of many countries do so, too. It is a very good habit.

    You should say “Thank you” when someone passes you the salt on the table, when someone walking ahead of you keeps the door open for you, when someone says you have done your work well, or you have bought a nice thing, or your city is very beautiful. “Thank you” is used not only between friends, but also between parents and children, brothers and sisters.

    “Excuse me” is anther short sentence they use. When you hear someone stay behind you, you know that someone wants to walk to past you without touching you. It's not polite to break others when they are talking. If you want to speak to one of them, say “Excuse me” first, and then begin to talking. You should also do so when you begin to cough or make any noise before others.

Once a man walked to India where he had never been before. When he got there, he saw many kinds of fruits. But most were expensive. The man saw a big basket of red, long fruit. He thought it must be sour and sweet. 

He went up and asked, " How much per kilo?"And the shopkeeper said, "Two rupees(卢比). "

Two rupees in India is nothing. And it was the cheapest in the shop. So he bought a kilogram and started eating it. But after he ate some, his eyes watered, his mouth watered and burned, and his face became red. He even coughed while eating. 

But he still ate the fruit! Some locals who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. It's chilly! You can't eat so much! People use it as spice(调味品), but only a little bit to put into food for taste. They're not fruit!" But the man said, . "No, I can't stop! I can't waste my money. "

Do you think that man was stupid? In fact, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We put money, time or effort into a relationship, business or job. Even though over a long time it won't work, and we know things will never change in the future, we still go on just because of the things we've put in. like the man. 

So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better than keeping losing. 

①Eleuthera is a great place for people to enjoy pineapples. There is a big festival—— Eleuthera Pineapple Festival. It has a history of over 30 years. It is in early June on the Island of Eleuthera. The festival of 2024 is from 7 June to 8 June. Every year people from all over the Bahamas and other places come here to enjoy this festival. Delicious foods and drinks are everywhere at the festival. Everyone can find something to enjoy. 

②Not only the foods and drinks, there are also many interesting activities(活动) for visitors to enjoy. One fun activity is the pineapple- eating race. People must eat a pineapple without using their hands. The one who eats up the pineapple first wins. 

③Visitors can also make different kinds of foods like cakes, salads, juices and ice cream by using pineapples. Some people try the dishes and find the best one as the winner. Another cool activity is the music show. Some musicians sing and play music there. You can watch them sing and dance to the music together. 

④For the people who live in the Island of Eleuthera, the festival is also a big thing. They show and se ll beautiful things that are made with their hands. Some people sell food and drinks. Some even ask the visitors to have meals with them. 

⑤The Eleuthera Pineapple Festival is a big party for everyone. Do you know other fruit festivals around the world?