Have you ever planned a trip to Europe? What should you consider before you travel? First of all, it is important to think about money. It can be difficult to (A)estimate how much you will spend. (B)A wallet that is lost or stolen can also cause problems.

    Experienced travelers would learn about the money they will use in a foreign country. Most  European countries now use the euro(欧元). So you should know the different value between the euro and the money you use in your own country. We call it exchange rate(汇率). This rate changes every day. You can find out the exchange rate through a bank or the Internet.

It is not wise to carry a large amount of cash(现金). Many travelers prefer to carry travelers' checks(支票) rather than bring cash. (C)They can be used in many places around the world and they can be exchanged for the local money. (D)It is possible to get them back if they are lost or stolen. Travelers can also use bankcards instead of cash. But they must be careful and make sure not to lose them and to keep their passwords secret.

    How do we know what's right or wrong in English? Languages such as French and Spanish each has an official(官方的) organization that tells you what's correct. But there is nothing like that in English. So what can we do?

    There is, of course, Standard English. This is the kind of English you read in newspapers or in formal letters. It is also the English you learn at school or in textbooks.

    However, Standard English is not official English. And unbelievably, linguists（语言学家） think Standard English is on the same level as all other types of English such as Cockney English, Yorkshire English, South African English, Australian English, Singaporean English… And according to linguists, there is no such thing as Standard Spoken English.

    English is changing all the time. Every year, new words appear and others disappear. Words change too. For example, for many years, the Latin word “agendum” was the accepted singular form and “agenda” was the plural form. However, these days, very few people use the Latin-sounding“agendum”, with “agenda” being the accepted singular form, and “agendas” the plural.

Newspapers each has their own style when they write certain things. For example，The Guardian puts dates like “21 July 2011”(with the day first, followed by the month and no commas). However, the news agency Reuters writes them like this “July 21, 2011”(with the month first, and a comma(逗号) between the day and the year). Other newspapers have different ways of doing it too. So, as you can see, there's no one “correct” way —there's a variety of ways and each one is acceptable.

    Next time someone tells you that something is wrong, tell them that it isn't wrong, It is just English.

(Each answer should be no more than four words)

    A different way of teaching is widely used in our English study.

    Before class. we make study plans first. Then we look up the new words. listen to the recording and read the text. When we meet problems. we can t solve by ourselves. We always write them down in our notebooks.

    In class, we sit in groups to discuss the problems freely. The teacher always offers help when we need. After discussion, It's time for us to give a report to the class. We also make conversations in pairs and practise a lot. It's really good for our listening and speaking.

    After class, we have less homework now so we can go to the library to read English books, magazines and newspapers. We can also surf the Internet for useful information.

    In a word, we enjoy the new way of studying. We can make more progress in our study.

    It's normal for you to feel shy and nervous when you are in the new environment. It's natural to feel nervous, or shy in front of others at times. If you think you are too shy and want to be a little more active, try the following advice.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is no need to hide it. When people get to know you are a shy person, they may understand you better. It will also help you feel easier in talks.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you smile, people will think you're friendly and want to talk with you. Remember that all people have feelings and most people will stay away from an angry-looking face.

You shouldn't keep quiet at a party all the time. If you find it hard to start a talk, you can say something nice about people around you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It must be very helpful for you to start a talk! And after you begin to talk to someone or smile at someone for the first time, remember to say "I did it!" to yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Think about more ways to enjoy the party and have fun. Don't waste time worrying about your look or whether all people like you or not.

    If you keep trying the advice, you may not be shy in the new environment one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

The face—down generation（一代）

    If you were born in the 2000s, you are called the oh—ohs. The 21st century. That would make you young, creative, connected, world—wide, and no doubt smart. Maybe good—looking, too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?

    Some adults worry that you're more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the "face—down generation" because you use your phone so much. They wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family.

    Other adults worry that today's youth are spoilt(溺爱)and don't want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by "helicopter parents". They were always there to guide and help their children with a busy program filled with homework and after—school activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With parents who do everything for them, today's youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.

    Does the face—down generation need a heads—up? Well, probably not. The fact .is that many of today's teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They seem to be willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls' rights to go to school.

    So if you're one of the oh—ohs, there's reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the face—down generation. Chances are that you do great and laugh out loud.