For this month's Young World magazine, I interviewed 19-year-old Asian pop star Candy Wang．Candy told me that she used to be really shy and took up singing to deal with her shyness．As she got better, she dared to sing in front of her class, and then for the whole school．Now she' s not shy anymore and loves singing in front of crowds． I asked Candy how life was different after she became famous．She explained that there are many good things, like being able to travel and meet new people all the time．“I didn't use to be popular in school, but now I get tons of attention everywhere I go．” However, too much attention can also be a bad thing．“I always have to worry about how I appear to others and I have to be very careful about what I say or do．And I don't have much private time anymore．对我来说和朋友闲逛是不可能的now because there are always guards around me．” What does Candy have to say to all those young people who want to become famous? “Well, ” she begins slowly, “you have to be prepared to give up your normal life．You can never imagine how difficult the road to success is．Many times I thought about giving up, but I fought on．You really require a lot of talent and hard work to succeed． Only a very small number of people make it to the top．

    Wendy is manager of customer service at ABC Products. She received the following letters from customers. Read the letters and answer the questions.

    In common with many countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952, more than 4,000 people died in London because of the smog. The government introduced new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the situation improved a lot.

    Today, London is much cleaner but there is a new problem: smog from cars. Part of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centers. In the past, people often walked to shops near their home. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centers. So, the small shops have disappeared and more people have to travel to do their shopping.

    Critics (批评家) think that Britain needs cheaper public transport. An early morning train trip from Glasgow to London (about 600km) can cost about £100, for example. A 15-minute bus trip can cost over £1. 00.

    Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and the cost.

Have you ever been toThailand?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}I've beenin Thailand for a few days with my parents. We are here for a holiday.

    Now we arestaying in Bangkok (曼谷) It is the capital of Thailand and it is a very interesting placeto visit. Yesterday we visited some places of interest in the city. They aregreat! This morning we went shopping.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} My motherbought a nice necklace (项链). My father and I bought some fashionable T-shirts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And it'strue! When we eat in the restaurants in Bangkok, the waiters are really niceand they are always smiling. Thai food is delicious, but it is sometimes alittle spicy (辛辣的) for me. You can also get Chinesefood here because a lot of Chinese people came to live in Bangkok many yearsago. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} American food can also be found in Bangkok, however, I don't eat it. I'dlike to try new things when I travel.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Yesterday itrained and got a little cooler. But today it's hot again.

A. Chinese food is very good, and it isn't as spicy asThai food.

B. The weather has been very hot.

C. Thailand is called" Land of Smiles" becausepeople here are very friendly.

D. It is a country in Asia.

E. Bangkok is a wonderful place to shop for jewelry (珠宝) and clothes.

    Four ways to have a good school life

    Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you get the most from them and be sure you do not waste(浪费) this great chance to learn?

    Be active (积极的) at school

    Don't say things are difficult or boring. Take interest in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Put up your hands quickly in class. Go around the school with a big smile. If you are not working, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable (令人愉快的).

    Keep fit

    If you do not eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play enough sports every day in order to keep your body strong.

    Face the problem

    Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish the race if you rest all the time. Everyone fails some exams, loses some matches and has bad days. Don't make small problems seem very big and important. Don't forget to ask for help. You are young and no one thinks you must do everything quite well!

    Spend the weekends

    Don't waste time lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday morning. Go and play a sport, get together with friends in the park to relax, or learn to play the piano. If you don't want to go out, there are also a lot of things to do. You may read a book, practice English or help parents with housework. Follow our advice, and have a happy school life!