There are many kinds of music in the world, pop music, classical music, folk music and so on. Do you know country music? It's a traditional kind of music from the southern states of America. I like it very much! It will take me away for a while after I am tired. The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields.

    Country music usually talks of everyday life and feeling. It's like the spirit of America, easy to understand, slow and simple.

    Country music developed in the Southern United States. It was the folk music of American countryside. Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers. They talk about love, crops or death. The life of the countryside can be hard, so the words in country music are often sad. At first, people played the music only at family parties.

    But it became more popular later. In the 1920s, people played country songs on the radio, and they made them into records.

    When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work, they took their music with them. Country music continued to change and became popular across America.

    John Denver was one of America's most famous country singers in the 1970s. His song Take Me Home, Country Roads is well-known and people still play it today.

    Books are our best friends. They are very quiet, but we can always find both fun and knowledge once we open them. Here are two good books you can read during the holiday.

    The Little Prince(王子)

    French Writer: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    Both adults and children love this classic book. It is about the adventure of a young prince. It shows the importance of innocence(纯真), imagination and love.

    The little prince comes from planet B-612. In his eyes, adults are all very strange. Unlike them, he sees the essence(本质) of things. He cares more about a flower and a sheep than the "important" things of the adult world.

    The prince lives on his planet with a rose. He loves the rose very much. But he soon feels tired and leaves his planet. He meets many more strange adults on other planets.

    On Earth, he discovers interesting things such as a snake, other roses and a fox. The fox tells him a secret: Only the heart can discover the most important things. This helps the prince realize his love for the rose and he goes back to his planet.

    To Succeed on One's Own

    American Writer: Liu Yong

    Writer Liu Yong from Taiwan wrote this book for his daughter. It can help young people succeed.

    The book teaches you about student, how to use your free time and even what kind of clothes to wear. It answers many teenagers' most common questions. Liu uses his daughter's stories as examples to help readers understand the principles(原则).

    His book is far from boring. There are lively stories and dialogues, with objective analysis (客观分析), hope and confidence(信心) from a good father.

    A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.

    Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn't built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.

    Even so, travel isn't difficult. The waterways have always been the best ways to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go. People in Venice move from place to place by boat. They like to enjoy the scenery and cool summer nights while taking boat trips. They can talk to other people as they go along.

    Venice grew out of small islands in saltwater lakes when some Italians escaped from a war more than 1,500 years ago, and built homes there.

    Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem.

    Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean (北冰洋) melt (融化).

    Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.

    Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower.

Do you like to travel? Which transportation (交通方式) do you like {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (good), by car, by train, by ship or by plane?

The fastest way of travelling is by plane. With{#blank#}2{#/blank#} plane, we can travel in one day to places which took us a month or longer {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(get) to a hundred years ago. 

Travelling by train is {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(slow) than by plane, but we can enjoy beautiful scenery (风景) during the travel. Modern trains have comfortable seats and dining cars. Many people think they are one of {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(enjoy) parts of the long journey. 

Some people like travelling {#blank#}6{#/blank#} ship. There are large luxury liners(豪华邮轮) or river boats. They are not as {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(fast) as trains or planes. But travelling by ship is a very fantastic way {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(spend) a holiday. 

Many people like to travel by car {#blank#}9{#/blank#} they can make their own timetable (自己的时间表). They can travel {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(hundred) of miles a day, just as they want. So how will you travel?

 It's nice to have friends. How can you make friends with others and get on well with them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

 First, spend much time with people. If you want to make friends, you need to meet people first. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} People who have the same hobbies can be friends easily. 

 Second, try to be a good listener and learn to smile. It's important to show that you are interested in others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I'm sure you will have many friends by doing so. 

 Third, care about your friends. After you decide to make friends with someone, you must care about him or her. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You should help him or her when he or she has problems. 

 At last, try to encourage(鼓励) your friends. Good friends should share both happiness and sadness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Never laugh at your friends in front of other people.