In common with other countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952, more than 4,000 people died in London because of the smog. The government introduced new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the situation improved a lot.

      Today, London is much cleaner but there is a new problem: smog from cars. In December 1991, there was very little wind in London and pollution increased a lot. As a result, about 160 people died from pollution in just four days.

      One of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centres. In the past, people often walked to shops near their homes or went by bus. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centres. Because the small shops have disappeared in the downtown, more people have to travel to do their shopping.

      Critics say that Britain needs better and cheaper public transport. Transport in Britain is very expensive. An early morning train trip from Glasgow to London (about 600km) can cost about £100, for example. A short 15-minute bus trip can cost over £1.00.

      Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and the cost.

    Now, many young people like shopping on line. But for most people, they still like shopping in the market. Let's see some famous markets around the world.

    There is an unusual market at a place called Damnoen Saduak in Thailand. In this market, people sell fresh fruits on their boats. It's open from 6: 00 in the morning to the noon every day.

    Many Belgians(比利时人) say that the Grand Place is the most beautiful square in the world. It is home of a colorful flower market. It's open every day except Mondays. On Mondays, instead of flowers, there's a wonderful bird market!

    One of the world's most famous markets is the Sonora Market in Mexico. You can buy toys, birds, herbs and medicine. There are all kinds of things. It's open every day from early in the morning till late at night.

    In England, every weekend, thousands of young people t ravel to the Camden Market to go for street fashion CDs and tapes. Many people also go there for fun.

Want to enjoy some extreme sports(极限运动)? Here are a small number of the extreme sport clubs across universities in the UK.

A.     B.

C.     D.

E.     F.

    Ella loves her grandpa. He lives in Texas and takes a train to see Ella every month. Ella wants him to come every week because he is good at telling stories and cooking.

    One day, Ella asks her mom to make some chicken. Grandpa often makes it. Ella's mom says, "I'll try, but no one makes it as well as(像……一样好) Grandpa does. "

    Ella watches her mom make the sauce(酱) for the chicken. It looks delicious. When the chicken is ready, Ella's family sit down to eat. Her mom is right—no one makes it as well as Grandpa does.

    The next day, Ella's grandpa comes to see her. Ella tells him the story about her mom trying to make the chicken. Her grandpa says, "That's a great story." Then he teaches Ella and her mom how to make the chicken.

A. Arguments are useless.

B. Parents help us grow better.

C. Everyone's opinion counts.

D. Learn to control our emotions.

E. Deal with the bad situation better.

    There always comes a moment when I wonder where I will end up and this moment always gives me a life lesson. These are the lessons that I wish I'd learned earlier:
{#blank#}1{#/blank#}
    There was a time when everyone's opinion was mine as well. Remember that your opinion matters just as much as the next guy's, whether they make more money than you or are less popular than you. Everyone's opinion holds the same weight.
{#blank#}2{#/blank#}
    When I was a teenager, I'd be angry and go crazy if I had heard someone said bad things behind my back. Looking back on those memories now, I'm not too surprised. After all, when you have little self-control, anything is possible.
{#blank#}3{#/blank#}
    Will one small quarrel among friends decide the development of the friendship? In my world it felt like it. I just wanted so much to be right and for them so much to be wrong. It only resulted in me wasting my time and in the other person storming off in frustration.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}
    I'm not saying every parent knows what's the best for kids, but in general, parents do what they do to help us know how to look after ourselves. My parents used to make me do the dishes, cook dinner, sweep the floors, take out the garbage…Now I can take better care of myself.
{#blank#}5{#/blank#}
    Whenever I'd lose a friend, get an awful grade, or disappoint my parents, I feel terrible. Fortunately, I know now that we don't have to be stuck in bad situations. We can go out and create better ones. It all depends on how you see the situation.