I was waiting on the station platform for the Tianjin train when a man asked me if I knew the time of the next train to Tianjin. I often had to go there myself, so I knew and told him. A few minutes later an old lady wanted to know whether the train to Shanghai had already left. I knew that it had not, So of course, I told her. Then a girl came to me and asked why the train from Nanjing was late. I just told her that when trains were late, it was usually because something had happened. I was wondering why all these people were asking me those questions when I noticed that I was standing next to a sign that said "Inquiry Office."

    'Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao?' says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.

    Taobao, China's largest online shopping site(网站), has become an important part of Wang Lin's life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.

    A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joy of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop online than men. Clothing and home use products (产品) are the most popular online.

    It was reported that more than 250 billion yuan was spent on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao.

    Taobao means ‘looking for treasure' in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to DVD players.

    You may question the security (安全) online shopping. Wang Lin said, ‘It is very safe and convenient (便利). Unless you receive the products from the sellers and are satisfied with them, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the product.'

    Taobao: China's .{#blank#}1{#/blank#} online shopping center

    Hans Christian Andersen, a great Danish (丹麦的) writer, is very famous for his fairy tales (童话). He wrote a lot of best-known stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes and The UglyDuckling. His fairy tales have brought happiness to children across the world. The tales have versions (版本) of over a hundred languages.

    Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. When he was still a young boy, he was already very clever and imaginative (富于想象力的). He created a small toy theatre and made clothes for his puppets (木偶). He also loved reading.

    In 1816, his father died and he learned to be a tailor (裁缝). Later he worked in a factory. At the age of fourteen, Andersen moved to the capital of Denmark to become an actor and gave performances (演出) in the Royal Danish Theatre. However, his voice changed when he grew older, so the job had to stop. Then he began to write poems and fairy tales.

    In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and didn't get well again. He lived until 1875 and died peacefully at the home of his close friends.

    New York is a very large city with more than eight million people. How do so many people move on their way to work or school? In New York you can travel by subway, bus, taxi and private car.

    The subway runs on the railroad lines under the city. Travelling by subway is the fastest way to get around the city. The second way to travel around the city is by public bus. It is a slower way to travel. This is because the traffic is very heavy.

    You can also travel around the city by taxi. This is very expensive, but the taxi will take you to every place you want to go. If the traffic is heavy, the taxi will be slow too.

    During the mornings and afternoons, there is the "rush hour". This is the time when the traffic is very heavy with people going to and from work. The last way to get around New York is using your private car. It is inconvenient（不方便的）because you will perhaps be driving during the "rush hour". The best time to travel around the city is from 9 am to 4 pm, because it isn't the "rush hour".

    Country music is very popular in America. It is a traditional kind of music from the southern states of America. At first, people played country music only at family parties. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for jobs, they took their music with them. With country music continuing to change, it became popular throughout America. John Denver was one of the most famous country singers in America 50 years ago. His song Take Me Home, Country Roads is well-known and people still play in today.

    Pop music is another kind of musical style. Pop music can make people feel happy and comfortable. Pop music has been popular since the 1950s. In China, Jay Chou is liked by a large number of fans of all ages. He sang many songs about the world we live in. One of them is Dao Xiang, which encourages people not to give up even when life is difficult.