With the Chinese language becoming more and more popular, the UK government planned to help more kids learn Chinese, Do you think it is necessary for British pupils to learn Chinese? Three people from different countries have given their opinions.

    Robert (Canada)

    I studied French for 2 years in high school and German for 4 years in college. I studied Chinese for about 4 months before moving to China. Since I speak Chinese every day, my writing, reading and listening are quite good. I think learning other languages is a great thing. It offers a new and different way of living and looking at our life and the world around us.

    Ted (the UK)

    Learning any language can be valuable, but it is not suitable for everyone. Chinese is a difficult language to learn, and the UK is not good at teaching foreign languages. However, China is a very large and developing market for business people. For them, Chinese is worth learning.

    Larry (the USA)

    I don't think Chinese will be as widely spoken throughout the world as English. It is too time-consuming ( 费时的) to learn as a second language. To learn Chinese, you have to devote yourself to learning how to write and read it. It's too difficult to learn Chinese. But some day Chinese will become more popular, and that is a good thing.

    Different people have different opinions. As for me, being able to speak more than just your native language is a great thing.

    Many parents fear to travel with kids. If you have the same fear, it's time to remove it. Here are some reasons why it's important to travel with kids.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When I say that, I'm talking not only about the history lessons. I'm also talking about the math lying behind the questions to be answered, such as "How long will it take us to get there? What is the currency (货币) exchange rate to the US dollar? Children can also learn some geography facts."

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    For kids, being able to talk about their travel experiences with others is pretty impressive! These types of travel experiences stick with children for a lifetime, and they will always have information to share about their travels.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The moment my son became old enough to travel alone, I was so nervous. But it didn't take him long to become a very independent little traveler. When children realize what it takes to travel independently, it creates a certain level of confidence which is very important for them.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Once your kids realize that there's so much of this exciting world that they haven't seen, they will be hungry to explore more and more!

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Who doesn't need a break from school? I know my kids do because we are strict during the school week: No TV, no computers, only homework and after-school activities. So, naturally, they want a break from the busy life. And, more than likely, there is plenty of fun waiting for you. Don't forget that you don't have to travel far for kids to have a good time!

    In 30 years from now, what will we eat? Will the food still be the same as it is now?

The United Nations says that there will be over 9 billion people in the world by 2050. Our food needs will grow by 70%. What we eat now may not be enough for humans in the future. That is to say, we'll have to turn to something else. But what else can we eat? Here are a few possible choices.

    Veggie (Vegetable) meat

    A new kind of hamburger is now popular in the US. It looks the same as any other hamburger, and so is the taste. But it's actually a "beef" burger made out of plants. The company behind the burger, Impossible Foods, uses peas and potatoes to make the "beef". They take coloring, protein (蛋白质) and fats from these plants and mix them together.

    Making meat out of plants uses less water and land than raising animals for meat. It also creates fewer green house gases. Some food companies are making chicken, pork and other meat out of plants, too-follow the same steps as making the "beef".

    Insects

    Insects take up little space and don't make much waste. They also have more protein than beef, chicken and pork. This makes insects another possible food of the future.

    It's common for people in some places to eat whole insects. But most people probably won't want to see the insects they eat. So in the future, people will first turn insects used for food into powder (粉末). Then they can use the powder to make other foods like chips, protein bars, biscuits and so on.

    Algae

    The BBC says algae farming could become the world's biggest farming industry in the future. They point out that algae is cheap and grows very quickly. Also, it's very nutritious (有营养的). It has much more protein and oil than many other plants.

    Besides eating algae as a dish on its own, people may also use algae oil and algae butter in the future. Some algae has a strong taste. The UK scientists are trying to use algae to take the place of salt.

①{#blank#}1{#/blank#} ②{#blank#}2{#/blank#} ③{#blank#}3{#/blank#} ④{#blank#}4{#/blank#} {#blank#}5{#/blank#} ⑤{#blank#}6{#/blank#} 

    When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼厂), and the chemicals coming out of the smelter made a beautiful forest become a wasteland. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul got so angry when he heard these words. From then on, something happened inside him.

    Years later Paul was back to the hometown and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was "No".

    Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels(松)to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected. nobody accepted his idea.

    Paul later got married and had some kids. But he didn't give up. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.

    And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was pressure(压力)to clean up the environment, the company actually invited Paul to do what he was already doing. Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him a long time until his hair turned grey, but he managed to keep that impossible promise he made to himself as a child.