In the UK, bus journeys are very common. Buses are often convenient(便利的) for the people who live or work in the city centre. Passengers can avoid heavy traffic and do not have to pay for the parking. However, taking the bus is just a necessary but boring part of life: They get on the bus, pay for it and sit down or find a place to stand when it is crowded. Everyone seems sad and bored.

    In Latin America, however, bus trips can be wonderful. For a start, films are showed on the buses between cities for passengers to have fun along the journeys. Local buses do not show films, but drivers usually turn on the radio and it can be great for passengers to listen to songs and get relaxed.

    Even better than films and music are the sights and sounds on the buses. Local buses always go to parts of the town that passengers would not visit by themselves. There passengers can see shops that they have never heard about. And they can also see other cultures of the town from the windows of the buses.

    Besides, passengers' luggage(行李) is also interesting. It is common to see a happy dog's head getting out of somebody's bag or a lovely chicken "speaking cheerfully" under somebody's arm. Once on a bus in Peru, a farmer even tied a sheep to the top of the bus. It was quite surprising.

    In all, taking the bus in Latin America is really fun and unforgettable.

    I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier（收银台）in her general store.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you.”

    At first I was paid in candy.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. My father helped me set up a bank account.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    By the time I was 12, my grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics（化妆品）. I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “ What color do you think I should wear?” I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup（化妆）ideas.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Except they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

C. I ended up selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E. My grandma's trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

    Have you ever been to Singapore? For many Chinese tourists, this small island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful place to take a holiday. On the one hand, more than seventy-five percent of population are of Chinese descent, so you can simply speak Mandarin most of the time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country.

    When the ancient Chinese paid their first visit here in the early 14^th century, it was still a small seaside city. Later in the 1820s, the British Empire claimed it as a colony (殖民地). Singapore hasn't been an independent country until 1965. From then on, it has become an important port of trade and business between different countries.

One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature is almost the same all year round. It seldom drops below 20℃. It's warm and wet the whole year. This is because it is so close to the equator (赤道). So you can choose to go whenever you like—spring, summer, autumn or winter! And, of course, it's not too far from China. For those who enjoy the sun and the beach, Singapore is an ideal place.

    On the northeast coast of Singapore, Changi Village is far from the noise of central Singapore. The buildings are modern, but there's still a village terminal (晚期的) atmosphere. There's a small, attractive seaside camp site across the Changi Creek from the bus terminal, where you can watch the planes gliding into Changi airport while relaxing on the sand.

    Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a night zoo called the "Night Safari". It might seem strange to go to a zoo when it's dark. But if you've ever been to a zoo during the daytime, you might understand why Night Safari is so special. A lot of animals only wake up when it goes dark at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in more natural environment than a normal zoo.

    Can you imagine a sea of sand three times bigger than India? This is the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. It covers 11 countries in North Africa and is over 9 million square kilometers.

    In the Sahara, temperatures are very different during the day and at night. It is much hotter during the day than at night. During the day, the hottest time is between 2 p. m. and 4 p. m.-when temperatures rise to 33℃. But it is very cold at night, the coldest time is at 4 am, when temperatures fall to -1℃.

    Because of the extreme temperatures in the desert, it is a very difficult place to survive (幸存). Marco Rivera, our survival expert, has some tips.

    Take warm clothes and a blanket. You will need a hat, long trousers and a thick sweater to keep you warm at night. During the day, cover your body, head and face. Clothes protect you from the sun and keep water in your body. You will also need a warm blanket at night. It can get cold rapidly. When the temperature drops, it can be a shock and make you feel even colder.

    Try to drink some water at least once every hour. You need your water to last as long as possible. Drink only what you need. If you eat, you will get thirsty and your water will run out soon. You can eat a little, but only to stop you from feeling very hungry. Eat a small amount of food slowly.

    It's important to stay out of the sun during the day. Make a hole under your car and lie there. This will keep you cool and help you sleep. Find a warm place to sleep at night. A small place near a tree or a rock will be the warmest. But be careful before you decide where to sleep. Dangerous animals like snakes also like to sleep in these places. Look carefully for animals before you lie down.

    Everybody knows that healthy eating habits are important. Here are five good eating habits for you.

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    Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You may need even more water when you are exercising.

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    Breakfast is the most important meal of a day. You can have more energy(能量) after eating breakfast.

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    If you don't have enough time to have a big meal, take some bread with you for a quick lunch. Don't eat lunch which has too much oil: If you don't have lunch, that will be bad for your health.

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    We should eat fruit and vegetables every day." Add a banana to your breakfast, have salad for lunch, and eat some vegetables at dinner. If someone doesn't like to eat vegetables, he or she can eat some fruit instead.

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    Try to have dinner at least 3 hours before going to bed. Your body needs time to digest(消化) most of the food before you rest for 8 hours.