In Britain you're allowed to drive a car when you're seventeen. You have to get a special two-year driving license before you can start. When you're learning, someone with a full license always has to be in the car with you because you aren't allowed to drive the car on the road alone. You don't have to go to a driving school — a friend can teach you. The person with you isn't allowed to take money for the lesson unless he's got a teacher's license.
Before you're allowed to have a full license, you have to take a driving test. You can take a test in your own car, but it has to be fit for the road. In the test you have to drive round for about half an hour and then answer a few questions. If you don't pass the test, you're allowed to take it again a few weeks later if you want to. In 1970 a woman passed her fortieth test after 212 driving lessons! When you've passed your test, you don't have to take it again, and you're allowed to go on driving as long as you like. Britain's oldest driver was a man who drove in 1974 at the age of 100.
Before 1904 everyone was allowed to drive, even children. Then from 1904 car drivers had to have a license. But they didn't have to take a test until 1935. On the early days of car driving, before 1878, cars weren't allowed to go faster than four miles an hour, and someone had to lead the car with a red flag.

    British roads are the safest in the world in 2010, only 3.8 people out of 100, 000 died in road accidents. This number is less than in any other country. If you go there, you should try to driving the same way British people do. This is some advice for visitors who plan to go driving in the UK.

    Drive on the left side of the road. In most countries, people drive on the right side. Many visitors have problems because they forget about this difference.

    If there is a line of cars, don't try to go past other people to get to the called jumping the line. If you do this, other people will get angry with you.

    Stop at traffic lights(交通灯). In the UK, drivers always red, even if there aren't any cars or people around.

    Don't use your horn(喇叭) too much. If you do, people will think you are not polite, If another driver flashes(闪光)their lights at you, then they are probably trying to tell you that they will wait for you to go first.

    If you have an accident. then don't try to bribe(贿赂) the police! If you do, you might finish your visit in prison(监狱).

    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.

Tom was an eight-year-old boy. He came to a new town with his parents. His family was very rich(富有的). They lived in a big, beautiful house with a big garden. There was a driver, a cook, a gardener and a lot of servants(佣人).

Tom was going to a new school. On the first day, his mother said to him, "Tom, be modest(谦虚的) at school. Don't say we are rich. "Tom said, "All right, Mum. "Then he went to his new school.

He met his new teachers and classmates. The teacher said, "Good morning, boys and girls! This is Tom, your new classmate. Now let him introduce himself to you. "

Tom stood up and said, "My name is Tom. My family is poor. My father is poor. The gardener is very poor. The cook is poor. And all the other servants are very poor too. So I am a poor boy……"

Chopsticks are an important tool to have meals in China.

When were chopsticks invented?

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They were invented before Shang Dynasty. The earliest   chopsticks were made of bronze (青铜). They were 26 centimetres long and 1.1 to 1.3 centimetres wide. People used them to pick up food at that time.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Most people believe that Chinese invented chopsticks. There are many stories about the inventor of chopsticks. Someone says that Jiang Ziya, a wise man, created chopsticks. Actually, no one knows for sure. We can only say that the inventor was a clever ancient Chinese.

What shape are chopsticks?

Chopsticks have the shape of being square above and circle below. Chinese believe that the Earth is square and the sky is circle. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

How are chopsticks used?

Many people think it's difficult to use chopsticks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Hold them between the thumb and other fingers. The key is to hold one piece tight and move the other to control movement and force. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Chopsticks are also one important part of Chinese culture. In China, it is polite to pick up food for the old. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And never make your chopsticks stand straight in a rice bowl. Don't use chopsticks to hit the side of your bowl, either.