We use the Internet for many things: business, shopping, writing letters, talking to people, finding information and so on. In recent years, a new kind of English has grown on the Internet. There's no real word for it yet, so we'll call it e-talk.

    People don't like typing too much. To save time, they turn phrases into a few letters (called acronyms). Acronyms are often used in chat rooms(聊天室). Some of them are:

    BTW (by the way)                 BRB (be right back)

    LOL (laughing out loud)            IMO (in my opinion)

    People also use many abbreviations. They are shortened forms of words. Some common abbreviations are:

    info (information)                  puter (computer)

    pic (picture)                       sec (second)

    We usually don't see people when we communicate(交流) on the Net, so people have new ways to show feelings. Most people use their keyboards to draw "feelings", such as:

:-) (happy)    ;-)  (joking)   :-(  (sad)       :-O  (surprised)

    These days, many forums (论坛) have picture feelings. For example:

    There are even whole new words, like "newbies"(someone who is new on a chat board or forum). When you write something bad about someone else, it's called "flaming" the person.

    It takes time for people to get used to(适应) e-talk. Also, different groups on the Net have their own special ways of communicating. Newbies sometimes have to ask other people what they mean. As the Internet grows, e-talk will continue to grow and change.

Choose the best answer:

    How green are you? Do you know how to be green?

    We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it does harm to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. Here are some ideas for you.

    Reduce

    Reduce means "use less". Don't waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going into the environment. Before we buy something new, think whether it is really necessary or maybe the old one will be just as good! When we do buy things, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from abroad.

    Reuse

    Reuse means "use again". Use things for as long as possible. When we buy things, make sure that they last a long time. We should look after them so that they will last, and we should repair them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don't use a paper cup of a paper bag. It's better to use a china cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.

    Recycle

    Recycle means "change things into something else". Though it takes energy to change something into something else, it's better than throwing things away or burning them. Find out what can be recycled in your neighbourhood and take part in recycling programmes. We should also buy products made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save trees.

    So please remember these three words: reduce, reuse and recycle.

    It's 21:00 in Beijing now. Let's look at what the four students are doing.