We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it does harm to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. Here are some ideas for you to live a green life.
   Remember these three words: reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce means “use less”. Don't waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going into the environment. Before we buy something new, think if it is really necessary or maybe the old one will be just as good! When we do buy things, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from abroad.
   Reuse means “use again”. Use things for as long as possible. When we buy things, make sure that they last a long time. We should take care of them so that they will last, and we should repair them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don't use a paper cup or a paper bag. It's better to use a china cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.
   Recycle means “change things into something else”. Although it takes energy to change something into something else, it's better than throwing things away or burning them. Find out what can be recycled in your neighbourhood and take part in recycling programmes. We should also buy products made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save trees.
Title:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}to Live a Green Life

    Today some people call Amsterdam the "City of Bicycles" because it is a city which is flat and convenient（方便）for bicycles.

    In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans1an idea . They believed that it would be better for everybody if only bicycles were allowed in the city centre. They were2that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles3and placed them in public places around Amsterdam for people to use.4was allowed to take them and use them for short journeys, whether he was a local or a foreigner, Wherever someone finished a journey, they would5the bike there for someone else to use. The problem was that it didn't work-thieves took all the bicycles6 weeks!

    7,more than thirty years later, the "white bike" is back in town-this time with a computer chip(芯片)to8 its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to put a special card inside. The new "White bike" is not white any more but is an unusual9with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another place that has enough room.

    There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam, 10 both locals and tourists have been using the white bikes. Thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre streets without cars for many years.

Is there intelligent life on other planets? For years, scientists said "no" or "we don't know." But today this is changing. Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are astronomers (天文学家). They believe intelligent life exists somewhere in the universe. They also think we will soon contact these beings．

Why do Shostak and Barnett think intelligent life exists on other planets? The first reason is time．Scientists believe the universe is about 12 billion years old．"This is long enough for other planets to have intelligent life， “say Shostak and Barnett．The second reason is size—the universe is huge．“Tools like the Hubble Telescope(哈勃望远镜)have shown that there age at least 100 billion galaxies，”says Shostak．“And our galaxy，the Milky Way，has at least 100 billion stars．Some planets going around these stars might be similar to Earth．”

In the past，it was hard to took for signs of intelligent life in the universe，But now. powerful telescopes(高倍望远镜)allow scientists to discover smaller planets—the size of Mars or Earth—in other solar systems．These planets might have intelligent life．

    Have beings from space already visited Earth?“Probably not．”says Shostak．“It's a long way away．However，intelligent beings may contact us in other way，such as radio signals．In fact，they may be trying to communicate with us now，but we don't have the right tools to receive their messages．However，this is changin9．By 2025，we could make contact with other life forms in our universe and we might help each other．”

    What do you see when you look at abstract (抽象的)art? Can you understand it? Does it look like anything?

    Abstract art became popular in the early 20th century. Artists did not want to paint, draw, or sculpt things exactly like they looked. They didn't want their art to be realistic(现实的). They were more interested in basic shapes and colours.

    Picasso is probably the most famous of these artists. He painted and drew in many, many styles. Sometimes he used a lot of blue colours (his "blue period"). Later, he used more red and pink colours (his "rose period"). Many of his other paintings are called "cubist (立体派的)" because they are made of painted squares.

    After a long time, Picasso's paintings became more and more abstract. He painted people and things using strange shapes. His work was so strange that many of his workmates didn't understand it.

    Kandinsky, another famous artist, used lines, shapes, and patterns to paint his subjects. His paintings also used strong colours to express feelings. Other artists like the surrealists (超现实主义画家)，were interested in subconsciousness (潜意识). Painters like Breton and Magritte used many symbols in their work. The meaning or subject of their work wasn't always clear. Dali, another surrealist artist, painted pictures that looked like dreams.

    There are still many abstract artists around the world. That's the way many artists prefer. They want each person to look at art and find their own meaning in it.