Bikes and cars are two important things. Many Chinese people have cars now, but most Chinese people still like to ride bikes. Do you know why?

    We all know that the bike can't go quickly, but it's easy for people to buy and ride it. As for the car, it needs too much money.

    Most Americans live far from the center of cities or their working places. So they need cars to go shopping or go to work every day. Most Chinese people live near their working places, so they don't need cars to go to work. And it's good for the environment(环境) if people stop driving. So there is a day called “No-Car Day” on September 22^nd every year.

    For me, I like to go to school by bike. It is easy and healthy.

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    There was once a King and he wanted to find out who could paint the best picture of peace. And he would offer a prize to the artist. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

    One picture was of a calm(平静的) lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with white soft clouds. Everyone thought that was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged(崎岖的） and bare（无遮蔽的）.Above was an angry sky. And it was raining and lightening. Down the side of the mountain, a waterfall fell quickly. This did not look peaceful at all.

    But when the King looked carefully, he saw behind the waterfall a bush(矮树丛)growing in a crack（裂缝） in the rock． In the bush a mother bird had built her nest（巢，窝）, There, she sat on her nest… in perfect peace.

    Which picture do you think won the prize?

    The King chose the second picture."Because, "said the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the middle of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.

    In Western countries, most children get pocket money by doing some chores at home. They usually start to do chores at the age of ten. School students have to do their homework and study for test, so they don't have a lot of free time on weekdays and they often do some chores on weekends.

    Young kids can only do easy chores, so they don't get much money. But many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap! They do the dishes after dinner and feed the pet cat or dog. Sometimes they water flowers and other plants in the garden.

    When kids get older, they want to buy more things. They want something more expensive than candy. Then they have to work harder. They often wash the car, cut the grass of feed the dog.

    Some chores can help kids learn new things. It is important for kids to learn how to do chores and help their parents with housework.

    In the Middle Eastern country of Lebanon, there are more than 1 million refugees (难民). Youssef was 10 years old when a local Syrian musician discovered his talent: a deep, powerful voice-well-suited to traditional songs. However, Syria's civil war took place soon. He and his family lost their home.

    When the Action for Hope Music School announced that it was looking for talented children to train, his family encouraged him to attend the school. A year and a half later, Youssef, with another 11 children, was chosen to take part in a concert.

    Youssef, a shy boy, was a lead singer in the concert. He gave a confident performance of traditional Syrian songs. "We only heard the sound of a mortar(迫击炮）. It fell near us. A whole building came down. That is all I remember," said Youssef. "Music makes me forget everything. Music is the most important thing."

    Basma, director of Action for Hope, said," The music school offers children who suffer from the war strength (力量). They can find a good way to express themselves and stop thinking of themselves as refugees."

    "Art gives strength. It comes from the ability to create," Basma said, "People who are in difficult conditions need this strength much more than the rich."

    Summer is here. One of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day is to jump into a swimming pool. Swimming is great exercise, and a trip to a pool or beach is a good way to have fun with friends. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, so it's important to stay safe as you do it. Here are a few things you can do to swim safely.

    ●Swim only in areas set for swimming.

    Don't swim unless there is a lifeguard (救生员) on duty. If you're on a beach near the ocean, this is especially important. In some places, fast currents (急流) can sweep swimmers away without warning. So if a sign says "no swimming", please take care.

    Be careful when diving (跳水) into the water headfirst.

    Most pools have deep ends where diving is safe. In natural water, don't dive unless you know that the water is deep enough. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, causing injury (伤害) or death.

    ●Make sure you have a partner with you.

    Nobody knows what will happen while you are swimming. If something goes wrong, you can get help from that person as soon as possible. In this situation, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    ●Pay close attention to children's safety.

    Kids who don't know how to swim should wear life jackets. But by themselves they are not enough, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If you have a pool at home, put a fence (围栏) around it in case children fall in. And if a child disappears, check the pool first.