It seems that many stars are putting their fashion (时尚) skills to good use and some of them have succeeded in designing.

    Avril Lavigne

    “With a lot of designs, I try to tie in with some of my lyrics and more musical elements,” Lavigne said. Her product, named after a childhood nickname (绰号) from her father, was created three years ago, but Lavigne came up with the first idea for a clothing product when she was only 19 years old.

Victoria Beckham

    Victoria created her own style of jeans for the clothing brand (品牌) Rock & Republic in 2004. Later, she created her own brand with the name DVB style and now she is more popular as a designer than as a singer.

    Madonna

    Pop queen Madonna created her fashion products in collaboration (合作) with the Swedish clothing company Hennes & Mauritz AB ( H&M) in 2007. She then collaborated with her daughter Lourders in creating 2010 juniors' product for Macy's called “Material Girl”.

    Jessica Simpson

    Jessica Simpson created her own collection of jeans. She worked with the Camuto Group and Jones Apparel Group Inc.

    Justin Timberlake

    No one could imagine that Justin would become a fashion designer until he paired with his friend Trace Ayala to create the William Rast label. Their clothing is presented every season and attracts attention of Timberlake's fans and models.

    When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.

    I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.

    In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.

    However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn't want to hear.

    After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don't respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don't show my feelings through words.

By Jack

    British roads are the safest in the world in 2010, only 3.8 people out of 100, 000 died in road accidents. This number is less than in any other country. If you go there, you should try to driving the same way British people do. This is some advice for visitors who plan to go driving in the UK.

    Drive on the left side of the road. In most countries, people drive on the right side. Many visitors have problems because they forget about this difference.

    If there is a line of cars, don't try to go past other people to get to the called jumping the line. If you do this, other people will get angry with you.

    Stop at traffic lights(交通灯). In the UK, drivers always red, even if there aren't any cars or people around.

    Don't use your horn(喇叭) too much. If you do, people will think you are not polite, If another driver flashes(闪光)their lights at you, then they are probably trying to tell you that they will wait for you to go first.

    If you have an accident. then don't try to bribe(贿赂) the police! If you do, you might finish your visit in prison(监狱).

    Green is an important color in nature. It is also the color of most growing plants. Sometimes the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes it describes something that is not yet ripe(成熟的) or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

    Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early 1900s. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

    The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

    Green is also the color used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay raise and she does not.