More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are about 1.4 billion bicycles and only about 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!

    Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit (受益) from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.

    Folding (可折叠的) bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by accessing on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travellers.

    Health Benefits of Bicycling:

    It helps to prevent heart diseases.

    Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year. Bicycling can improve your mood (心情).

    Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident. Bicycling is healthier than driving.

    Our dog Abbey died last month. My 4-year-old daughter Lucy missed her a lot and asked if we could write a (A) __________to God to make sure he could (B) look after Abbey well. I told Lucy that I thought we could, and she dictated (口述) these words:

Dear God,

    Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got (C) sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love,

Lucy

    We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Lucy and addressed it to God/Heaven. Yesterday, we received a package addressed "To Lucy" with this note:

Dear Lucy,

    Abbey has arrived in heaven.

    (D) 她不再生病。Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. You don't need to worry about (E) her. She's being looked after very well here. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. You have a wonderful mother. I send my blessings every day and remember that I (F) __________you very much. (G) By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Eric was standing in front of a large grey house in the countryside. He had just been dropped off by his mum, who left after telling him that he was going to spend the next twelve days there with no TV, no mobile phone and — worse of all — no computer.

Suddenly, a man appeared at the entrance of the house. When he saw Eric, he went up to him immediately. 'You must be Eric. Welcome to the camp,' said the man confidently. 'I'm Tony, the camp leader, but you will call me "Sir". Now tell me why you're here.'

Eric quickly replied, 'My mum made me come!' When Tony looked at him angrily and did not say anything, Eric realized his mistake and added, 'Sir!'

'And do you know why your mother sent you here?' asked Tony.

'She thinks I spend too much time online. Sir,' answered Eric. 'It's not just her opinion — it's the truth! Look at you — pale, unfit, and definitely not getting enough sleep. You're here because you think the virtual world is much better than the real world. But you're wrong! The real world has much more to offer. At the camp, you're going to go hiking, rowing, rock-climbing and stay outdoors most of the time,' promised Tony.

Eric's heart sank.

'But it's not going to be all fun and games,' Tony continued. 'We have rules here. If you break them, you'll get punished. But you won't simply get detention (课后留校), and you can forget about suspension (停学) — you'll never be sent home early! Instead, you'll clean the toilets, wash the dishes or do an extra hour of exercise!'

'Oh Mum,' sighed Eric. 'What have you got me into?'

 The 16- year- old girl Xu Zhuoyuan from Changsha, Hunan Province, reached the top of Mount Qomolangma on May 15th, 2023. She became the youngest Chinese woman climber to do so.

 The girl's interest in climbing is influenced by her father Xu Jianglei. He was the first man from Hunan Province to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma.

 As a first- year high school student, Xu Zhuoyuan has already had a lot of experience in climbing. She has climbed five mountains, all above 5,000 meters, across China at a young age. She started her dream of reaching the top of Mount Qomolangma at the age of 12 and finally succeeded after years of hard work. To realize her dream, she had continuous training. Last year, she successfully reached the top of Muztagata, a 7,546- meter peak in Xinjiang.

 Being a high school student, she tries her best to do well in both study and mountain climbing. Usually she climbs during her summer and winter vacation. She hopes to continue climbing after she finishes her university studies. She wants to climb to the highest peak in each of the seven continents(大陆). She also wants to be able to reach the North Pole and South Pole one day.

①Where have those traditional hour-and-a-half-long films from the old days gone? In recent years, we've seen more and more big Hollywood films run for three hours or more. 

②There were films like Avatar: The Way of Water（《阿凡达:水之道》） that lasted three hours and 10minutes, and Oppenheimer（《奥本海默》） that went on for three hours and nine seconds. On Oct 20, Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon（《花月杀手》） went for about three and a half hours. When it came out at the Cannes Film Festival in May, some people got sleepy, and there was a long line for the restroom. People started asking: Why have films become so long?

③Franchises（特许经营权）are one driver of longer films as studios（工作室） want to make the most out of their expensive intellectual property（知识产权）, said The Economist. The hope is that a great, longer film will draw audiences away from streaming platforms（流媒体平台） and into cinemas. This. plan has often paid off: Avengers: Endgame（《复仇者联盟:终局之战》）, Marvel's three-hour superhero film, was the highest-grossing（票房最高的） film in 2019. 

④Also, longer films have to do with the growing influence of directors. Studios have given famous directors, like Nolan and Scorsese, greater creative freedom. Otherwise, streaming platforms may lure （诱惑） the famous directors away. They do not have to worry as much about the length because viewers can pause at will, noted Vanity Fair《名利场》. 

⑤However, longer running times also bring some problems. Cinemas can play fewer films because a three-hour film takes up more screen time. The audience may choose streaming platforms instead of going to the movies. 

The following students are new in Fairlands Middle school. This week, they send letters to the school newspaper.