It is interesting to visit another country, but there are some problems when we don't know the1very well. It may be difficult to talk with the people there. We may not know how to use the telephone in the country we are visiting. We may not know how to buy the things we need. In a2country we might not know where to eat or what to order in a3. It is not easy to decide how4to tip waiters or taxi drivers. When we need help, we might not know how to ask for help. It is not pleasant to have an experience5that. After a short time, however, we learn what to do and what to6, We learn to enjoy life in another country, and then we may be sorry to leave.

    Jack is 10 years old, and I am his pencil. I'm Jack's helper（助手）.

    Jack's pencil box is my home. I have some friends here. They are seven crayons, a ruler, a pencil sharpener and an eraser. Because Jack loves me, I'm the king（国王）in the pencil box. My friends and I are happy every day.

    Today, I am not happy because a pen comes in. It's new and beautiful. It's a music pen. It can not only write（写） but also sing（唱歌）. But I'm old and I can only help Jack to write. Jack likes it so much! The new pen is his helper now. It's the new king. What can I do now? Shall I go to a new home?

   Why do we play sports? You might say "to get exercise" andyou'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, thereare at least five more reasons. According to the report, people who play sportsget1 more than just healthy.

   People who play sports do better in school. You might think that playingsports will2 all your study time. But a research shows thatstudents who play sports do better in school than3 whodon't. Exercise improves learning and memory, which can help students becomemore active in class.

   It's4 that people who play sports learn teamwork andgoal setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work withcoaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you'relearning5 tobe successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

   Sports are good for people's health. Besides being healthy and keeping ahealthy weight, people who play sports are also less possible to smoke. And6 inlife, people who exercise have fewer chances to have cancer (癌症)or some otherillnesses.

   Playing sports improves confidence. People who play sports feel betterabout themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice,improve, and7 your goals. Sports are also a feel-goodactivity8 they help people get in shape, keep a healthyweight, and make new friends.

   Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can make you have less9 andhelp you feel a little happier. A person's mood (心情)improves during exercise. Friends canalso help improve your mood. And being on a team creates close relationship10 friends. It's good to know your teammates willsupport you - both on and off the field!

ClothesDonation (捐赠) Box

    Have youever put your old clothes into the donation box in your neighborhood? If not,you can do it right now because the clothes donation is becoming a trend (趋势) in Urumqi.

    "Fromtime to time, my mother clears out the clothes which I no longer wear. Youknow, we teenagers are growing fast. I think it's a good way to helpothers." Lin Tao, a junior student says.

    "Ioften pick out some of my clothes which are out of style after going shopping.Then I put them into the donation box." Miss Li, a pretty young lady says.

    "Thatseems like a good idea. Some clothes in the box are quite new. People caneither wear them or usethem to make things such as handbags and pencilcases," Mrs Wang, an old woman says, "sometimes I also look throughthe box for some nice clothes."

    However,there are some problems along with the popularity of clothes donation.Recently, a UTV reporter from Focus on the City has made a survey. Here are theresults:

    Some boxesare full of clothes in a short time. There is no more room for people to giveaway clothes.

    Somepeople sell the clothes in the donation box for making money instead of wearingthem.

    Somecommunities set the boxes in unsuitable places. So there are few clothes in it.

    Manyclothes are too old and shabby (破烂的).

   "What's worse," one of the staff in a community added,"we quite often see people throw rubbish into the box when they pass by.We've tried to stop them several times but failed. It has been the most seriousproblem since we set the box."

    In orderto make the donation box work in an efficient (有效的) way, our government is taking action. Clothesdonation will be better-organized and it'll be more convenient for people inneed to take the clothes away.

Carol has three sisters. All of them are very beautiful. Sometimes she feels very bad because she doesn't look like them at all. She is short and heavy and she doesn't have big eyes or beautiful hair.

As young girls, her sisters often go to parties on weekends but Carol always stays at home—reading books and doing the homework. She says it's her dream to go to university(大学).

Ten years later, Carol grows up. All her sisters get married(结婚) at a young age and don't live a happy life. But Carol is now a teacher in a university and she spends most of her free time taking trips. Every day her life is colorful.

Well, you see it won't matter if you are not beautiful but you must study hard all the time. That may be the only way if you want to make your dream come true.