When Justin Tong was a child, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him doing lots of housework such as carrying out the rubbish and sending newspapers. But when he grew up, he was better off than his childhood friends and lived a happier and healthier life.

This is the finding of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 children in London. It showed that the children who had worked hard in childhood had a richer and a happier future. "Children who worked in the home or community gained competence(能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society," said Daniel Brown, the psychologist(心理学家) who made the discovery. "And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them."

Brown's study followed these children in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Under Brown, the researchers compared the children's mental-health scores with their childhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.

    Working at any age is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence — the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. The most competent adults are those who know how to do this.

    Yet work isn't everything. As Tolstoy once said, "One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one's work."

    According to a new American study, having dinner with children may help to reduce (减少) the number of problems that develop in parent—child communication. The1was done among about 5, 000 middle school students in Chicago public schools.

    The students were studied at the beginning and the end of the sixth grade and again at the end of the seventh and the eighth grade. They were asked2they ate dinner with their parents. They were 3 asked how often their parents had a conversation(谈话)with them that lasted more than 104, praised(表扬) them when they did well, asked them where they were going and asked how they were doing in school. The study5the more parent—child communication, the6problems between them.

    Family meals are a good opportunity to7in touch with children, said Jayne Fulkerson, a member of the study team. "You can get to know8going on in their life better."

    However, Fulkerson also suggested that parents9suitable(合适的) topics(话题). Topics10grades and homework are not good choice.

    Nowadays we can see more and more electric bikes in the street. Electric bikes 61. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) easy to ride. They run fast and make no {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (pollute). They become very popular, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}the electric bikes also cause more traffic accidents. So China plans {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (make) a new rule for the electric bike riders. If an electric bike is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (heavy) than 40 kilos and can go faster than 20 kilometers an hour, its rider must get a license. It means some riders have to pass driving tests before they ride {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (them) electric bikes on the road.

    People have different ideas after {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (hear) the plan. Some welcome the plan. A bus driver said happily, " {#blank#}8{#/blank#}a good plan! I think it will make the street much safer." Some are not happy with the new rules at all. One rider said {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (sad), "I don't want to get a license. It's not convenient {#blank#}10{#/blank#}me to get one." Some don't care about it. A young rider said calmly, "I prefer to use shared bikes which are popular in many big cities of China now. I hope they can come to Loudi earlier!"

Why Live Near the River?

Imagine pioneers traveling west in the 1800s. In those days, it was hard to find running water and shops where to buy things. As time went by, most pioneers had to make their homes near a river so that they could get water easily.

How did rivers help people live in the past?

Back in the pioneer days, people grew their own food, caught their own fish, and collected their own water.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}People also used rivers as roads, traveling on boats. Traders shipped goods (货物) to people from other areas.

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

When building many factories right next to rivers for the water's power to make machines work, some people choose to live near a river for working. They use the river to ship large goods, and some of them work at these factories where power factories provide electricity for homes and businesses.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Who wouldn't want to live near a river?

Some people are nervous about living near rivers because rivers can cause floods (洪水). Every once in a while, floodwaters rise higher than a house, ruining (毁坏) many things in the house.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Such waste causes water to smell bad and pollutes the crops (作物) we eat. Water and crops in polluted areas can make people very sick.

How do people decide where to live?

 {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Rivers can provide jobs and fun activities in a beautiful place. However, those living by rivers should be willing to accept possible problems as well.

Hi, my name is Alice. Nice {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (meet) you! Here {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (be) two nice photos of my family. My grandparents are in the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (one) photo. And you can {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (see) my parents in it. My father is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} English teacher in a middle school, and my mother is a teacher, too. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} are in the next photo? They are my {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (sister), Cindy and Amy. This {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (be) my brother. His nameˈs Eric. 

Do you know{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (this) two boys? Oh, they are {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (I) cousins, Bob and David. I love my family very much