Subway

    A subway is not just an important form of transport. It is also a window for other people to learn about local cultures.

    Beijing, China

    The Beijing Subway was opened in 1969 and is the oldest subway system in China. It has added some modern technologies. All stations now have touch-screen maps. In some stations, people can also see traditional Chinese cultures. For example, on the walls of a few stations of Line 8, there are some pictures of blue and white porcelain(青花瓷）.

    Stockholm, Sweden

    The system of the Stockholm Subway has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. The first subway line for Stockholm was opened in 1950. The Stockholm Subway is well-known for its decoration of the stations. It is called the longest art gallery in the world. Over 90 percent of its stations are decorated with paintings. A few stations are decorated with red bedrocks（岩床）. This makes you feel as if you are in a cave.

    London, UK

The London Underground or the Tube is the oldest subway in the world. It was opened in 1863. During World War II, it was used to protect people from German plane attacks（袭击）on London. Now, it is a symbol of the city. There is no air conditioning in the trains, so it is very hot in summer.

    New York, US

The New York City Subway has the most extensive public transportation system in the world, with 469 stations. It is also one of the world's oldest public transit systems. The New York City Subway runs 24 hours a day. It has an express train on almost every line. You can get to your destination(目的地）promptly. The trains themselves are full of fun; you will see people doing moonwalk dances like Michael Jackson, playing the guitar and singing.

     About twenty years ago，Gao Xiaosong wrote the lyrics(歌词)of the classic folk song My old Classmate that touched millions of hearts．Now，as the producer of the new youth film of the same title，he is trying to do it again．

Starring Zhou Dongyu，22，and Lin Gengxin，26，My Old Classmate follows the pair's life and love from middle school，when they are tablemates(同桌)，through high school， college and beyond their graduation．

    In the first half hour，audiences(观众)constantly see the symbolic items(标志性物品)of the early 1990s,including pencil boxes and comic books．

The film also mentions important events that took place during the period from 1993 to 2013，including China's entry into the World'Frade Organization，the terrorist attacks against the US on Sept.11，2001，and the 2002 SARS outbreak in China．This attention to detail brings back many memories, especially among those who were born in the 1980s．

Then there's the main focus：the first love between Zhou's and Lin's characters．The film doesn't have a fairy tale(童话)ending，but director Guo Fan's way of storytelling is quite impressive．If audiences can see a little bit of themselves in the film，it has fulfilled its goal．And those who are experiencing their sweet first love need not worry too much，because no matter how it ends，the precious memories of it will always stay．

    Everybody knows that soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world.

    Soccer is not a new sport. People all over the world played the game in different ways long ago. For example, in China nearly 2,000 years ago, soldiers kicked a ball as part of their exercise. Five hundred years ago in Europe, games in the street were common.

    Soccer became popular in England in the 1800s. Different schools, clubs and groups played with different rules. In 1863, these English groups had meetings. They organized (组织) the different games into one game with similar rules. Soon, they formed the Football Association.

    Not everyone agreed with the new rules. In England, some groups wanted to hold the ball with their hands so these groups formed rugby clubs. Groups in the United States also wanted to use their hands in the sport so they formed "football" clubs. Americans who didn't want to use their hands called the game "soccer". Soccer is a short form of the word association.

    From England, soccer began to grow. The first official international game of soccer was played between Scotland and England in 1872. By the 1880s, there were professional soccer teams in several parts of Europe. English players also introduced soccer to Africa, South America and New Zealand.

    Soccer soon became very popular all around the world. FIFA, the international football federation(联盟), met for the first time in 1904. Seven countries came to the meeting. The first World Cup was in Uruguay in 1930. Only 13 countries played in the Uruguayan World Cup.

    The World Cup is now the most popular sporting event in the world. Over 720 million people around the world watch the final game of the World Cup.

    Next time you're playing soccer with your friends, remember that you're part of a long history of a fun and exciting sport.