“Who needs a shopping mall（购物中心）if you have Taobao?" says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.

    Taobao, China's largest online shopping site（网上购物网站）, 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 joys of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop online than men; Clothing and home-use products are the most popular on line.

    It was reported that more than 250 billion (十亿) 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 of online shopping, Wang Lin said, "It's very safe and convenient. 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 products.”

    Do you go to school by bus? It is very important for you to know how to be safe when taking a bus, no matter whether you like it or not.

    First, don't run to the bus stop, but walk. While you are at the bus stop, you should wait in a safe place. Do not run or play while waiting. And never get into a car with a stranger.

    Second, don't talk in a loud voice when you are on the bus, so the driver will not be disturbed(打扰). If you need to talk with the bus driver, you'd better wait until the bus stop. Never throw things on the bus or out of the windows. Never play near the emergency exit(紧急出口). When there is a fire, the most important thing is to break the window with a hammer(锤子) or any sharp（锋利的） things and then jump out.

    Third, when you are getting off the bus, make sure you walk (not run) three more steps away from the door. This is the best place to be around a bus. Stay away from the bus wheels and watch out for moving cars!

    Last, if you leave something on the bus, never return to the bus to get it. The driver may not see you come back and he may begin moving the bus. Also, if you drop something near the bus, tell the driver before you try to pick it up, so he will know where you are.

    What is life's greatest gift? It is choice. Choice is the ability to choose some actions from a set of things to achieve a goal{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The reason is that it turns us from dumb animals into artists. Choice becomes the tool we use to sculpt（雕刻）our life. The tool doesn't come free, however, for the price of choice is responsibility.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It is enjoyment.

    Choice is power. Choice is at the heart of life. It's the creative power of life. Life is always changing and we have to make lots of choices{#blank#}3{#/blank#} We often need to check where we are on our journey. We need to ask questions: Am I moving closer to my goals? If not, what action will I take now to make myself realize my goals?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}And our life becomes more convenient or comfortable because of them. For example, you decide which stores to shop at and which bus station to go to. But the decisions that we make to sculpt our lives are much more important than deciding where to shop. The more we understand the difference between small and big decisions, the more pleasure we will get.

    Life is like a chess game.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}All chess lovers realize that it isn't necessary to win to enjoy the game. Make the best moves you can under the conditions. Then you can enjoy your life.

A. Why is choice so great?

B. The pleasure is in the playing.

C. In fact, we have to make choices every day.

D. But when we accept and carry it out, we get a great return.

E. Every choice we make leads us closer to or farther from our goals.

    Each year millions of new cars are produced in America. Americans will not live without cars! However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution caused by cars. It is necessary to find ways to work out the problem of air pollution.

    One way to clean the air is to build a new kind of clean car. That's what several of the large car factories are trying to do. But to build a clean car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.

    Another way is to take the place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on it. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that can make people pleased.

    To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, Americans have to make some changes in the way of their life. They have to cut down on the number of their cars and they are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. But this change does not close down – many workers may find themselves without jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of their pollution would become less important than that of losing jobs.

    Americans may live a happy but sad life for a long time because of the car problem.

    I've always wanted to try rock climbing, but never had the time or money for it. But I've discovered a way to experience the thrill(兴奋，紧张)of climbing rock, without climbing real rock. Indoor climbing is an easy and exciting way to get a taste of rock climbing. And it is also much cheaper and safer！Indoor climbers don't climb on real rock, but on a plastic wall. You can probably find a climbing wall near you. Many gyms, schools and camps have one.

    You can climb indoors at any time of the year, no matter how the weather is. It is usually not expensive. Most gyms provide the equipment you need. The convenience of indoor climbing is one reason why it has become so popular. But the main reason people climb is for the rush(刺激感)they get. When I stand at the foot of the wall and look up. I'm always scared, But once I start climbing, fear changes to determination. With my heart pounding(怦怦地跳), I reach the top and look down. I can't stop grinning(咧嘴笑). I did it!

    Indoor climbing is a great workout. Climbing uses muscles that are hard to exercise, especially those in the shoulders, arms, chest and back. Many people say climbing makes exercise fun. Most gyms have several climbing walls with various degrees of difficulty. The easier ones are like climbing a ladder. The difficult ones bulge out(凸出)in places so that climbers must sometimes climb parallel(平行的)with the floor.

    Although gym climbing is easier and safer than real rock climbing, you should still be careful. Always climb with a partner. As you climb, your partner pulls your climbing rope through something called a belay device(绳索控制器). The belay catches you if you slip. But make sure your partner know how to use this equipment. And if you are a first-time climber, get some instruction before you begin.

    No one knows exactly when jazz was invented, or by whom. But it is said that it began in the early 1900s. Jazz was a new kind of music, for America and the world, and New Orleans was its birthplace.

    Who were the jazz pioneers? Most were blacks. This music was not written down, and at first only blacks played it. It was hard for white musicians to learn the new style. But soon they, too, were playing jazz.

    The popularity of this music spread. From New Orleans, it traveled up the Mississippi to Chicago, then to Kansas City and New York. By the 1920s, there were many jazz musicians, both black and white. Many of them were famous. One man was better than the rest. His name was Louis Armstrong.

    Louis Armstrong was a born musician. He was not only talented but also hard-working. He also had a good sense of humor and a big, good-natured smile. These personal qualities were valuable in his rise to fame. After he became famous, he traveled around the world. It seemed that everyone wanted to hear Louis play. But life was not always easy, especially at the beginning.

    Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 in New Orleans. His father never went to school and his mother could hardly read. When Louis was still a kid, his parents separated, and Louis lived with his mother. Their hard life can hardly be imagined. And yet Louis smiled through everything. He later wrote, "My whole life has been filled with happiness. Life was there for me and I accepted it. Whatever happened has been beautiful to me. I love everybody."