Dear Mum，

    How are you? I had fun with my cousins last week．On Monday we went to a restaurant．We ate some delicious food．On Tuesday we went to a zoo．We saw many animals．On Wednesday we played ping-pong．On Thursday we stayed at home and watched TV．On Friday we went shopping．I bought a pair of shoes．Tomorrow I'll be back home．

    Yours Ann

    Life（生活）was different in my grandpa's hometown many years ago.

    In the past, people cooked on a fire. They didn't have TVs or radios. There were no buses. They had to live in small houses. They didn't have enough food.

    Now, there are lots of buses and cars in Grandpa's hometown. They live in big houses or buildings. They cook with natural gas（天然气）and have lots of food. They can use mobile phones（手机）. They even have computers and use the Internet.

A: Mike, come here, please.

B: Yes, Mum.

A: Look at this brown box. What's in it?

B: A toy car?

A: No.

B: A toy monkey, I think.

A: No, it isn't. Look! This is for you.

B: A toy horse! How lovely. I like it. Thank you, Mum!

    Many people like to travel by plane, but I don't like it because an airport is usually far from the city. You have to get there early and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late. Planes are fast, but they still take hours to get out of the airport and into the city.

    I like travelling by train. I think trains are safe (安全). Train stations are usually in the cities. When you are late for a train you can catch another one. You can walk around in the train and open the windows. You can see many interesting things on your way. I know it takes a little more time.

    I also like cars. You can start at any time (随时), and you don't need to get to a train station or a bus stop. Also you can carry many things with you in a car. But sometimes there are too many cars on the road.