"The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. "That's an old saying in English. It means other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating Western holidays.

 Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with Mid-Autumn Festival. And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

 It's good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they cannot replace your own culture. It's good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

 Judge the following sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.

    Some people seem to have extraordinary (非凡的）memories. Zheng Aiqiang, a “memory athlete” on TV show Super Brain, can remember 2,660 numbers in just one hour!

    You would think people like this have special brains. But according to a recent study by researchers from the US and the Netherlands, the brain structures（结构）of ordinary people and 23 of the world's leading memory athletes show no difference.

    That's because good memories can be trained. New research in the journal Neuron (神经元期刊) suggests that you can become a super memorizer with just six weeks of hard training.

    Researchers found that technique (技巧）called loci, invented by ancient Greeks, can greatly help improve memory. By using loci, you are using your imagination to improve the brain's memory networks. You can link（关联）something you need to remember with a place that you know very well. For example, to remember a list of numbers, imagine yourself walking through your house. Each thing is linked to a number. For example, zero could be handle（把手）on the door and five could be the painting on the wall.

    In one study, some ordinary people were given 20 minutes to remember 72 words. First they could only remember 26 of them. But when they were taught loci, they could remember 62 words.

    “Not everyone can become a memory champion. But everyone using the technique can improve a lot from the level they're at,” said Boris Konrad, one of the researchers in the study.

    I was waiting on the station platform for the Tianjin train when a man asked me if I knew the time of the next train to Tianjin. I often had to go there myself, so I knew and told him. A few minutes later an old lady wanted to know whether the train to Shanghai had already left. I knew that it had not, So of course, I told her. Then a girl came to me and asked why the train from Nanjing was late. I just told her that when trains were late, it was usually because something had happened. I was wondering why all these people were asking me those questions when I noticed that I was standing next to a sign that said "Inquiry Office."

    I'm Sally. I'm a student in No.14 Middle School. This is my family tree. You can see it is a big family. My father is Jonathan, and my mother is Claire. They have three children. My brother's name is William and my sister's name is Olivia. My grandparents Jerry and Elizabeth have two sons. My uncle Mike and my aunt Sarah have a son. His name is Joseph. He is my cousin. He is four years old. We all love him very much.

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    Everyone wants to relax (放松) after working or studying for a long time. I have many ways to relax. Let me tell you some of my favorites.

    I am a big sports fan (迷). So I often watch or play many kinds of sports. But my favorite is football. I find it really cool.

    I usually listen to music in my free time. My favorite is some beautiful piano music. Some people can't do things well when listening to music, but for me, it is not the case, I think I can study better with my favorite light music.

    I also like visiting places of interest in China and in other countries, and enjoying nice food there. It helps me to know more about various people and places.

    Food is life; it gives us the nourishment(营养) we need to stay alive and be healthy. Usually, we eat because we are hungry or need energy. Brian Wansink, a professor at the University of Illinois, says we also eat certain foods because they make us feel good, and remind us of happy memories. Wansink calls this kind of food comfort food. For some people, ice cream is a comfort food. For others, a bowl of noodles makes them feel good.

    How does a food became comfort food? Professor Wansink believes that we connect food with important times, feelings, and people in our lives. "When I was a child, my mother made a kind of delicious soup; I loved it. Now, I often eat this kind of soup when I am tired or worried, and it helps me feel better," says one of Wansink's friends.

    Do men and women choose different comfort foods? Wansink's research at the University of Illinois says "yes". In his study, the favourite comfort food for both men and women was ice cream. After this, men usually preferred hot, delicious foods like soup or noodles. Women liked sweet things such as chocolate and candies. Men and women like to eat comfort foods when they are happy, but women eat these foods more when they are sad or worried.