Letter A

    Young people are always told that they should make the most of their time, that they will never be as free again. So, my question is — why fill up all this free time with housework？Parents expect their children to get good grades, be good at sports, and be popular with other kids.

    However，there is not enough time in the day to do these things and then do housework as well. It's not fair to expect teenagers to give up their precious time to do boring housework. Parents and children both have jobs. Parents' jobs are in the work-place. Their children's jobs are at school.

    The only difference is that parents get paid and children don't. Parents say that they make their kids do housework to teach them responsibility. But this is just a trick. Parents trick their kids into doing housework because they are lazy.

Yours,

Overloaded

Letter B

    Both parents and children have jobs. The parents' job is to go to work to earn money. The children's job is to go to school. But we all get hungry. Someone has to cook the meals and clean up afterward. We all wear clothes that get dirty. Someone has to wash them, iron them, and put them away. Children work from 9 until 4. Parents work from 8 until 6. Sure, after 4 o'clock, children have homework. But after 6, parents have homework too. They have to do the shopping, go to the bank, pay the bills, and help their kids with their own homework!

    I think it's only fair that teenagers help out a bit at home. They might not like it, but it's good for them．It teaches them how to look after themselves．This is really useful when they leave home to go to college or to live on their own.

    Do you often use a cellphone? Do you take the subway to school every day? These items make our modern life easier. But do you know how we should behave properly while using them? The following suggestions might be helpful. For cellphone users

    Keep your voice down when you make a phone call in public. Shouting on the phone may make others feel uncomfortable. And you'd better not use it during an appointment（约会）.

    Stop sending messages or playing games with your cellphone at a dinner or a party. It's a good time to communicate（交流）with your family and friends.

    Don't make or answer a call while driving. It is not only very dangerous for both you and your passengers but also against the law. For subway passengers

    You are supposed to wait in line while buying tickets and getting on the subway.

    You're not allowed to eat, drink or smoke on the subway train. The smell and noise may trouble others. It's our duty to keep the train clean and tidy. Besides, smoking is bad for health.

    You can't take pets on the train. As we all know, animals may spread diseases（传播疾病）and get the train dirty.

    You'd better not lie across the subway seats even if the train isn't crowded. Offering your seat to someone who needs it is regarded as good manners.

Titles：Some etiquette in modern life

    If you want to be successful, you should learn how to start your day. Although you cannot achieve all your goals in one day, starting your day in a correct way is still important. Here are some ideas on how to start your day right.

    Get up an hour early.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This means that people who get up early can have a good start and are more likely(可能的)to succeed.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Health experts say drinking a cup of water in the morning can speed up our body's metabolism(新陈代谢).Then we can study or work more actively.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Your breakfast is ready. But you decide to check WeChat quickly. Well, you'd better not.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Exercise in the morning.

    Some people may disagree with this one. Some people like to exercise after work.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} because by the end of the day, you may not have the time or energy to exercise. Exercising in the morning prevents that from happening.

⑴{#blank#}1{#/blank#} During the summer holiday, I visited Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou with my cousins. What a relaxing trip!

⑵{#blank#}2{#/blank#} There are many kinds of shows on TV. As for me. I like talk shows and talent shows better because they are fun and I can learn a lot from them.

⑶{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most of my friends play computer games in their free time. I usually exercise. I do some running at least four times a week.

⑷{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I made a new pen friend. She is in New York. She is tall and has long curly hair. She wears glasses. She is outgoing and creative.

⑸{#blank#}5{#/blank#} There are three big supermarkets in our town. The Johnson's has the best goods. The Lucky Fellow has the friendliest service. And the King Star plays the most wonderful music.

    Many people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves." In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.

    The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend too much time thinking about the future—for example, getting into college or getting a good job—that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives. Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. When playing a sport, such as swimming, many people forget about their problems, and only think about the activity. Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. If you want to feel happier, do something useful for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, or go shopping to buy food for the old.

Information Card

    Last week Lu visited England. He stayed with my grandmother. He said it was a strange visit. "I don't understand, but I frightened(害怕) your grandmother a lot. When I arrived, I gave her a purse from Zhengzhou, she looked in it and asked me to take it back.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Do English people like spiders?"

    "Later we went shopping. Someone was painting a shop front, so there was a ladder(梯子).Grandmother stopped me from walking under it and said I must walk around it. I liked the shops and bought some lovely rose soap(肥皂) for my mother, a smart umbrella for my father and some new shoes for myself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your grandmother came in and screamed(尖叫) !"

    "Then I broke a small mirror in the bathroom.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}I felt very sorry. When I left I gave your grandmother some flowers. She counted and there were 13. She didn't like it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"I explained to Lu, "My grandmother follows the old customs(习俗). You must not give someone an empty purse or they will have no money. You must not kill a money spider or the same will happen. Also it is very unlucky to walk under a ladder and to put new shoes on the table. An open umbrella in a house means someone will die. Breaking a mirror brings seven years' bad luck, and 13 is also a very unlucky number.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}."