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.

    Peking Opera (Beijing Opera), is one of the oldest forms of dramas(戏剧) in the world. The roles(角色) in it were Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, Wuhang, and Longtao during its early age. But with the change of Peking Opera, there are four main roles in it today: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou.

    Sheng——Men Roles

    Sheng are the men roles in Peking Opera, which can be divided into Laosheng, Wusheng, Xiaosheng and Wawasheng.

    Laosheng are middle-aged or older men who are honest. Hongsheng,a type of Laosheng, have a red face. There are only two roles famous as Hongsheng. One is Guan Gong and the other is Zhao Kuangyin. Wusheng are young generals(将军) who are good at martial arts(武术). Xiaosheng are clean-shaven(没有胡须的) and handsome. Wawasheng are children's parts.

    Dan——women Roles

    Dan are women roles that can be divided into different types——Laodan, Qingyi, Huadan, Wudan and Caidan.

    Laodan play old and clever women. Qingyi are the main women roles. Huashan, a type of Qingyi, was created by Mei Lanfang, who played an important role in shaping Peking Opera. Huadan are lively and unmarried women roles. Wudan characters are women, good at martial arts. Caidan are clowns(小丑) in funny plays.

    Jing——Painted Face Men Roles

    A Jing role is an important man character with striking(吸引人的) looks and high social position. The main types of Jing are Tongchui, good at singing and usually a general; Jiazi, good at acting with less singing; and Wujing, a martial arts and acrobatics(杂技) role.

    Chou——Comedy Roles

    Chou are comedy(喜剧) roles in Peking Opera. There are Wenchou who speak, act and sing, and Wuchou who both speak and fight. What makes this type of role special is a small patch(块) of white chalk around the nose. One of the famous roles is the Monkey King, who has a special position in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese opera.

    Hi, my name is Murray Wenzel. But my friends call me Muz, Muzza, Wenz or even Moon. Yes, I have lots of nicknames. But in Australia, where I am from, that's quite common.

    In fact most men in Australia call their friends something other than their real name. It is part of our culture to shorten or make up names for those we know and love. For example, one of my friend's names is Alex, but we call him Al. Another is named Jayson, but everyone knows him as Jase. In Australia most men called William are known as Bill, while Jeremy is Jez, James is Jim and Joseph is Joey.

    Sometimes we use the person's surname in their nickname, like my friend Karl Schussig who we call Schuzza. Sometimes we combine them, like my friend Troy Cassels being called TC. And we sometimes make up a new name for our friends. My friend Nathan's nickname is “Prez”, because when we first met he joked that I should call him “El President”.

    Even more confusing is when we are given ironic(讽刺的) nicknames. For example, a man with red hair will be known as Bluey, a tall man will be called Shorty or a large man will be known as Slim.

    Most of my friends call me Muz, but those who I play hockey(曲棍球) with call me Moon. However, my parents still call me Murray.

    So, I have different names depending on who I am talking to. Nicknames are so popular that sometimes people forget what the person's real name is.

    I think it is our way of showing affection to those we are close to.

    If someone asks me "Do you like music?" I'm sure I will answer him or her, "Of course, I do." Because I think music is an important part of our lives.

    Different people have different ideas about music. For me, I like rock music because it's so exciting. And my favourite rock band "the Foxy Ladies" is one of the most famous rock bands in the world. I also like pop music. My classmate Li Lan loves dance music, because she enjoys dancing. My best friend Jane likes jazz music. She thinks jazz is really cool.

    "I like dance music and rock music very much, "says my brother, "because they are amazing."

    But my mother thinks rock music is boring. "I like some relaxing music, "she says. That's why she likes country music, I think.

    About more than a hundred years ago，an American produced a game. He called it indoor tennis. The Americans were not interested in it at first but he sent it to his friends in London and it became very popular in Britain. The game was then played across dining-room tables，or on the floor with the net strung between two chairs. The balls were made of cork（软木）or rubber. The bats（球拍）were made of wood.

    A few years later a hollow ball like the one we use today was invented. The game then quickly spread all over the world. An Englishman once made a bat covered with rubber. He first sold the game in England and called it "Ping pong". "Ping" was the sound of the bat when it hit the ball, and" IPong" was the sound of the ball when it hit the table.