(John, one of the exchange students, wants to buy something in Beijing. But he doesn't know where to go. Now he is asking Millie for help) John=J, Millie=M

J: Where can I buy some postcards, Millie?

M: Go to the bookshop in the shopping mall in Old Street. You'll find many postcards there.

J: Can you tell me how to get to the shopping mall?

M: Walk across the footbridge. Then walk along New Road until you see the traffic lights. Cross New Road, you'll see a restaurant. And the shopping mall is next to it.

J: Oh, I see! I also want to buy some souvenirs for my friends. Can I find some in the shopping mall?

M: You'd better go to the Souvenir Shop. It's very easy to find. Just come out of the shopping mall, you'll see the shop is at the other side of the street.

J: That's great! By the way, can I enjoy Beijing Duck in the restaurant?

M: Of course! The Beijing Duck in that restaurant is very nice.

J: Thanks a lot!

    Members of an international organization are called the Global Greeters. They offer travelers the chance to get to know a city as well as local people do.

    Unlike the professional guides(专业导游), the volunteer greeters act more like neighbours. They take visitors to visit the city–either on foot or public traffic—to discover favourite neighbourhoods, cafes and parks.

    All the programs work a little differently, but the basics(基本项目) are the same. The tours are free and last anywhere for two or four hours. Volunteers can be all ages, and their ages and interests try to match the travelers.

    New York City(USA)

    Big Apple Greeter is the pioneer “welcome visitor” program founded in 1992 by New Yorker Lynn Brooks. More than 300 volunteers now can welcome guests from all over the world in 22 languages. Greeters explain the New York City subway and bus systems and show guests around one or more of their favourite neighbourhoods. Like many greeter organizations, Big Apple accepts online donations to help with its daily costs.

    Houston(USA)

    Houston Greeters will organize activities such as golf, biking or an outing to an Astros game(太空人队的比赛). Another activity is to arrange a tour in need of a particular interest.

    Chicago(USA)

    Chicago Greeters help visitors visit one of the city's many famous neighbourhoods. The group organizes walks through Ukrainian Village on the Near North Side and Andersonville, home to Scandinavian restaurants and shops and Middle Eastern bakeries. Guides will also organize tours around themes such as fashion, film or public art.

    France

    In France, English speaking volunteers for Parisien d'un Jour lead visitors through hidden corners of Paris, often ending with a lively discussion on a café balcony. Guides in Lyon organize walks around themes such as shopping, markets and sports.

    The first cartoons appeared in newspapers. They told stories using pictures. The first cartoon film appeared in 1906. It was about humorous faces. In the film, an artist drew pictures of two faces on a blackboard. The faces came to life. They smiled and a small dog jumped through a ring. There were a lot of animals in early cartoons. One famous early cartoon character was Felix the Cat.

    Walt Disney started to make films in the 1920s. Some of his earliest films were about a famous story, Alice in Wonderland, but in Disney's films it was called Alice in Cartoon Land. Walt Disney's most famous cartoon character was Mickey Mouse, first in a black-and-white film without sound, then very soon after that in a talking film and later in colour. A Mickey Mouse film was the first cartoon film with sound to become really popular.

    Today, the popularity of cartoons has risen around the world. People of all ages still show great interest in cartoons.

    When Mike was little, his father died. Life became difficult for Mike and his mother. Sometimes they couldn't have enough food to eat. Though it was difficult, his mother worked hard to raise Mike up with the best possible care and education.

    When Mike grew up, he got a chance to move to America for his further study. He studied hard and became an engineer, living a good life. He often sent home letters with much money for his mother. However, with many reasons, he didn't go back to visit his mother year after year.

    When his mother died, Mike returned and held a big funeral (葬礼). His mother left behind a box that she always carried around. Mike opened it and started to cry loudly.

    The box was filled with $100 dollar bills and a piece of paper. It read, "Son. I don't need to spend much money. I miss you a lot. Every time I hear a car passing by, I run out of the door but it isn't you. I save the money for you so that you can use it whenever you need it."

Amy: What's your hobby, John?

John: I like playing football with my classmates and playing the piano at home. What about you, Amy?

Amy: I like watching films and playing table tennis.

John: Are you good at playing table tennis?

Amy: No, I'm not good at it. Can you play table tennis?

John: No, I can't. And I don't like it. What about music, Amy?

Amy: I like listening to music.