Save the world's trees

    "When it comes tothe Earth, there is no time to waste." says the Earth Day Network. And that isright. Protecting our environment is very important, and World Earth Day wascreated in 1970 to ask more people to protect our environment. On April 22, peoplearound the world celebrate Earth Day.

Every year thereis a special topic, and this year it is "Trees for the Earth", so Earth Daythis year will be all about planting trees. They are planning to plant 7.8billion trees within the next five years.

That's a biggoal, and you might wonder why trees are so important. Because they can take incarbon dioxide (CO₂) and protect the air quality(质量). CO₂ isa chemical in our atmosphere, but humans make too much of it. Each person makesabout 2.3 tons a year, which is bad for the environment.

Well guess what!Planting new trees is important because people cut down a huge number of trees.Last year, there were 3 trillion trees in the world, about 139 billion inChina. But according to China Daily, the world's total number has been almostcut in half since human civilization(文明) began. That's because 15billion trees are cut down every year.

So we need toplant more to make up for（弥补）the ones we lost. One treecan take in 21. 8 kilograms of CO₂ per year. And it's still one ofthe cheapest and best ways to get rid of CO₂.

    But don't forget that we can also help the environment by cutting down on how much energy(能源) or water we useevery day. Every little thing helps.

根据短文内容，回答问题（1-4），英译汉（5）。

    Mr Green is our foreign(外国的)teacher. He is a good teacher. He likes to teach us a lot, and he is nice to every student. His lessons are very interesting. we usually have fun in his classes. We all like him.

     He is a tall and strong man. He says he is 40 years old. But he looks very young. He comes from the USA. Now he lives in Nanjing with his family. He has a daughter. She is a pretty girl. And she studies at our school too.

    Mr Green is very"in". He can sing many English songs. We all like to listen to him singing. He also likes sports. He is in the school basketball team. Mr Green likes reading. He has lots of books. We often borrow books from him.

    I think we are lucky(幸运的)to have a teacher like Mr Green.

根据短文内容，完成下面的表格。（每空一词）

    At one time, making a film was an expensive activity only for a small group of people and film companies. Not only were the machines expensive but the cost of film was also far greater than most people could afford. However, modem technology has changed all that.

    New technology has really opened up the world of film-making for film fans. Now a camera does not cost much and most young people are certainly able to pay for it. So all you need is to get one for yourself. With that, you may then start your own film-making.

    However, film-making is tiring work. You probably need many other people to help you. For example, the population of actors and actresses is very important in your film. Of course, these actors and actresses may be your schoolmates, friends or family members. You don't even need to pay them a cent while they are glad to be part of your job.

    Besides, you need to make up a story. Can you write your own one? If you have good imagination, you can create an attractive story character. Many world-famous film makers and producers are also good story-writers. If not, perhaps you need someone else to write it for you. An excellent story is the key to making a successful film.

Small talk

    Americans often have short conversations, called small talk, about unimportant things with strangers or people they know but not very well. They may have small talk at parties, while waiting in line at the store, at family events or work. It's a way to say hi and express friendliness.

    Small talk is very useful. It can avoid uncomfortable silences and build stronger relationships. For example, when you first meet someone or talk to someone you don't know well, you can break the ice by making small talk. Small talk with a colleague(同事) about his child may help you to understand more of his life outside the office.

    In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex asked some people to make small talk in a study. They found small talk can make people happier. People who talked briefly(短暂地) with a waiter in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left.

    However some people are not good at small talk. Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability.

    Firstly, find common ground. When you have something similar with your speaking partner, that means you have something to talk about.

    Secondly, ask open-ended questions. They are suitable(合适的) for small talk. For example, if you ask visitors whether they like your city, they may simply say "Yes." But if you ask "What do you think of our city," they will have more freedom in how they answer.

    Thirdly, become a student. Nobody knows everything. So, as someone is answering one of your open-ended questions, they bring up something about which you know nothing. So, tell them! This lets the other person become the teacher. They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation.

    Finally, practice makes perfect. Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice.

    If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier. If you are making small talk using English, you will most surely improve your speaking and listening skills.