Is it good to be in a middle school? Most American children think so. In America, middle schools often have sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. It is different in different places.

    For children, going to a middle school is a big change. Most middle schools in America have a special day for new middle school students. On that day, they are showed around the school by their new teachers. And they could know a lot about the history of the school. They also would make friends with the old schoolmates (校友).

    They will grow up and learn some different and difficult things in a middle school. A new middle school student will learn foreign languages, computer, music and art, health, and other skills, such as cooking.

    A middle school will have sports teams, clubs and have activities for children. They can choose what they like and join them. If they are good at singing, playing basketball or something else, or if they want to learn, they can join them. Most American children think it's good to be in a middle school.

    Imagine one day, the water taps in your house stop running. You have to buy water from shops. And still there {#blank#}1{#/blank#}water for everyone. Your mother has to save the family's shower water to do other things. Would you be able to stand that kind of life?

    Probably not. But that's what kids in Yemen are experiencing. Experts said Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}a report, the capital, Sana'a, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025.

    Because of the shortage, the government often cuts the water supply. Hannan, an 18-year-old girl from Lahej, told the Times: "In a good week we'll have the water supply all week. But then the following week there will be water only for {#blank#}3{#/blank#}."

    Hannan said only rich people have enough water to use. They can buy water from the shops or from the water trucks. Private companies own the trucks. They {#blank#}4{#/blank#}every day to sell water—at very high prices. "A lot of people can't afford it," she said.

    The government is {#blank#}5{#/blank#}making use of seawater. But it will cost a lot and it may not happen soon enough to help the people of Yemen.

In the western world, Chinese takeout with rice and fortune cookies(幸运饼干) is a popular kind of food. But this kind of Chinese food isn't very authentic(正宗的), it is very {#blank#}1{#/blank#}[̍dIfrənt] from real Chinese food. Now over the years, real Chinese{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(dish) have become more popular in foreign countries as well.

Chinese people who live {#blank#}3{#/blank#}[ə̍ brɔːd] introduced many of them. Some have been popular in foreign countries for many years, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}others are new, like tanghulu. It is a traditional Chinese snack that's made{#blank#}5{#/blank#}fruit, usually Chinese hawthorns(山楂). The fruit is stuck on a stick of bamboo. Then it is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(cover) with sugar syrup(糖浆), which becomes hard after it cools down.

Wang Jialiang, a tanghulu vendor(摊贩) from China, sold 8, 000 sticks in Russia {#blank#}7{#/blank#}one day. Tanghulu made him{#blank#}8{#/blank#} [̍ feIməs] in Russia, with his picture{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(appear) in the local newspaper. In the Russian city of Vladivostok, the deputy mayor(副市长) is a big fan of the snack, always coming to buy it {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(he)from Wang Jialiang.

Eating out is more popular in Britain today than it has ever been. It is reported that British people spend more eating out than cooking for themselves and eating at home. It seems that many British people are becoming more and more interested in how good their food tastes, and also how healthy it is.

However, eating out can also be expensive, so British people do not eat out every night. When having a date with friends, or having a birthday, many people like to go to a restaurant, and people often also eat in a restaurant before going to the cinema or the theater.

As in all cultures, there are many rules of manners about eating. The knife and fork should be used in the correct way. It is also impolite to speak with your mouth full then you are eating.
    Most British cities have a large collection of food as well as British food, from the very cheap to the very expensive—French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and many, many more.

When people are too tired to cook after work, they often get a "takeaway". This means that they order from a take－out restaurant by telephone, and then go to get it. Many take-out restaurants also send it to your house. All you have to do is to open the door, pay and eat!

Drinking Kungfu Tea is one of the most famous customs in Chaoshan area. In Chaoshan, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}family has tea sets. Tea must be {#blank#}2{#/blank#}several times a day. Chaoshan people can not be without tea for a day, so the {#blank#}3{#/blank#}hing Chaoshan people usually treat guests is to make tea.

Kungfu Tea is not a kind of tea. It's a {#blank#}4{#/blank#}to make tea. The reason why it is called Kungfu Tea is because it is made in a very particular way. The word "Kungfu" in Chaoshan dialect means to pay {#blank#}5{#/blank#}to the way of doing things. Here it refers {#blank#}6{#/blank#}he way of cooking and tasting tea. Chaoshan Kungfu Tea has become {#blank#}7{#/blank#}mportant part of the study of Chaoshan culture. Drinking Kungfu Tea {#blank#}8{#/blank#}kind of social activity in people's daily life, which leads to many customs.

It seems that there are so many cultures and emotions in a {#blank#}9{#/blank#}cup of Kungfu Tea. Chaoshan people enjoy a slow pace of life. It's really wonderful for them to make a cup of tea after a day's work and taste it {#blank#}10{#/blank#}.