I am walking through the winter park where the trees stand cold and bare (光秃秃的). The yellow leaves have fallen to the ground. Now, a group of women gather at the sides of a path. In the cold winter, they're moving their arms and legs to a rhythm (节奏). They are, of course, the dancing aunties.

    It seems that if you go to any public space around China, you're likely to see these dancing aunties. When I first came to China, it was one of the first things that annoyed me. That's because in Britain dancing in public is not a cultural habit. You won't see any age group swinging their arms and tapping their feet in a park. Usually, they just take a walk for exercise.

    Now and again the dancing aunties have hit the headlines (头条新闻). Some people find them annoying. But others respect their right to dance in public. Most of them are middle-aged. They finally have some free time to do whatever they like. There is no more work, and their kids have left.

    All in all, I like seeing these women enjoying themselves. They remind us of the importance of exercise as we get older. Besides, most of them have raised the whole families. Now it is their time to have fun and enjoy some peace.

    Alice and John are in the music club at their school. Alice plays the violin and John plays the drums. There are two groups in the school music club: the training (训练) group and the concert(音乐会) group. Everyone starts in the training group!

     "When I first started to play the violin it sounded terrible!" Alice said. "My family asked me to practice outside."

    After a year's practice, Alice and John play much better now. They are both in the concert group and they are learning more difficult music. "We're learning the music from the film Pirates of the Caribbean. It sounds fantastic!" John said. "Playing in the club with other kids is a lot of fun."

    Playing an instrument (乐器) is not only fun. It also helps children learn to concentrate (集中注意力). "I have to concentrate when I'm practicing," Alice said. "And now it's easier for me to concentrate on my schoolwork."

    Playing an instrument can also help children become more confident (自信的). As John said, "I was scared when I played in front of a lot of people for the first time. But now I really enjoy it."

    Aron Ralston is an American man. He is interested in mountain climbing. He is used to taking risks, and there were many times when Aron almost lost his life because of accidents. On April 26, 2003, when he climbed in Utah, he found himself a very dangerous situation. He struggled (抗争) and fought for five days. At last, he saved his own life but lost his right arm. Even after this experience, he kept on climbing mountains. He also wrote a famous book with a single arm.

    Aron's story tells us never to give up. Every person has a dream. It makes us do what we are doing, because it's what we believe in. And everyone has moments when life seems too hard, but never stop going like Aron. Our biggest enemies are hiding in us-laziness (懒惰) and doubt. We should be warriors (勇士) of our dreams and goals and we should keep on fighting for them.

    Americans with small families have a small car or a large one. If both parents are working, they usually have two cars. When the family is large, one of the cars is sold and they will buy a van(面包车).

    A small car can hold four people and a large car can hold six people but it is very crowded(拥挤的). A van can hold seven people easily, so a family with three children could ask their grandparents to go for a holiday. They could all travel together.

    Mr Hagen and his wife had a third child last year. This made them sell a second car and buy a van. The sixth and seventh seats are used to put other things, for a family of five must carry many suitcases when they travel.

    Americans call vans motor homes. A motor home is always used for holidays. When a family is travelling to the mountains or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or weeks. All the members of a big family can enjoy a happier life when they are travelling together. That is why motor homes have become very popular. In America there are many parks for motor homes.

    English is the first language of several countries. However, it has many differences. British, American, and South African English are all spoken differently. In many English language courses, the British and American differences are taught. There are important differences between the two.

    Probably the biggest difference between American and British English is the vocabulary. Different words and expressions are used to talk about the same thing. For example, in the United States, people throw their garbage into the trash can. In England, people throw their rubbish into the dustbin. In Britain, people take a lift to the fifth floor. In America, people take an elevator.

    American and British grammar can be also different. For example, speakers of British English will ask "What did you do at the weekend?", but Americans usually say "on the weekend." In the United States people usually say "I've gotten a new car.", but in the UK they will say "I've just got a new car."

    The pronunciation in American and British English is also different, even when the spelling is the same. The word "tomato"—pronounced "to-mah-to" in British English—is a classic example of this.Vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are three ways English is different in different parts of the world.

    Learning all these is not easy, so English learners should just know that they are always there.