(John, one of the exchange students, wants to buy something in Beijing. But he doesn't know where to go. Now he is asking Millie for help) John=J, Millie=M

J: Where can I buy some postcards, Millie?

M: Go to the bookshop in the shopping mall in Old Street. You'll find many postcards there.

J: Can you tell me how to get to the shopping mall?

M: Walk across the footbridge. Then walk along New Road until you see the traffic lights. Cross New Road, you'll see a restaurant. And the shopping mall is next to it.

J: Oh, I see! I also want to buy some souvenirs for my friends. Can I find some in the shopping mall?

M: You'd better go to the Souvenir Shop. It's very easy to find. Just come out of the shopping mall, you'll see the shop is at the other side of the street.

J: That's great! By the way, can I enjoy Beijing Duck in the restaurant?

M: Of course! The Beijing Duck in that restaurant is very nice.

J: Thanks a lot!

    A 50-year-old American officer came back to his school. The teacher asked him to give a talk to the small boys and girls there. The talk was about the love of their great country. All the little ones were sitting in a large meeting room. The old officer went up and began speaking. He said, “Boys and girls, I studied in this school forty years ago. When I was your age, we were not as happy as you are today. Think about it and answer me. Why are you so happy now?”

    No sound came from the children. The old man waited for a long time. Then a short boy in front put up his small dirty hand. “Good boy! Please answer me, dear.” said the officer.

    With a big smile on his face, the boy stood up and said, “If you speak long enough, we won't have Maths and Biology lessons this morning.”

阅读理解

Dear Kids Advice Magazine

June 10, 2017

Hi, my name is Evan and being the eldest child in the family surely has its disadvantages. First of all, I have to share all my toys and games with my younger Siblings, William and Julia. Of course, they don't need to return the favour because I'm totally uninterested in their things. Besides that, Julia and William are always hanging around me. It's especially annoying when I have a friend over. We look for a secluded place in the house where they can't disturb (打扰) us, but within minutes, they've found us and are asking to join in.I just can't seem to get a moment's peace. At meal times,I have to eat whatever is on my plate regardless of the portion size or taste. William and Julia only need to try one bite when it's not their favorite food. Not only this, but I'm expected to be cooperative (合作的,配台的) at all times because I'm the oldest and need to be a role model for them.

    It doesn't seem fair either that I have more chores to do around the house than Julia and William put together. Plus, when it comes to practising our musical instruments,I have to practise more than double the time. Oh, and the worst part of it all is the huge quantities of homework I get compared to them.

    I'm feeling rather annoyed wilh my sibling situation. Can you please write back with some advice?

Yours truly

Evan Smith

    British people pride themselves on their polite manners towards one another in public. They often use the word 'sorry'—even when they don't really mean it! Usually, if they want to ask a stranger for the time, they would start by saying 'Sorry to bother you. Do you know what time it is?' If they're five minutes late for an appointment (约会), they would generally greet the person by saying 'Sorry I'm late!'

    They use the word 'sorry' in so many different situations that the meaning of the word has changed a little over time. The two main dictionary definitions (释义) of 'sorry' are: 1) feeling sad for someone else because of their problems or bad luck; 2) feeling regret because you've done something wrong. Now, think about this. Normally, when they want to ask a stranger a question, they start with 'Sorry to bother you'. In this situation, they aren't saying sorry because they feel sad for that person or because they feel regret.

    So what does 'sorry' really mean? And why do British people use it so much? Well, in the British culture, saying 'sorry' is a way to be polite, especially to people who they don't know very well. It's also a very clever way to get what they want. In a recent experiment, an actor went up to a different strangers on a rainy day to ask if he could use their mobile phones in order to make a call. When he went up to one group of strangers and asked them without saying 'sorry' first, he was only 9 per cent successful in borrowing their phones. However, when he said 'sorry' to another group of strangers about the bad weather before asking if he could use their mobile phones, he was 47 per cent successful. So maybe saying 'sorry' is not just being polite, but it is also a good method to get what they want too!

Obey the rules of British roads

    British roads, some of the safest in the world. A study in 2018 compared more than 30 countries and found that 3.8 people per 100,000 died in traffic accidents in the UK. This number was lower than any other country. So, what did British drivers do to achieve this? What are they doing differently? Here are five top tips for drivers who are planning a trip to the UK.

    People in Britain drive on the left side of the road. In fact, a long time ago people drove on the left in most countries, but now only a few countries have this. Don't forget that this also means you must drive the other way around roundabouts (环岛) .

    British people feel that waiting should be fair for everybody. If you are in a queue of traffic, then don't try to push past the cars in front of yours. This is called "jumping the queue". You must wait for your turn; otherwise people may get angry with you.

    You must stop at the traffic lights when they are red. In many countries, it is OK to go past the red lights if you are turning a corner or if there isn't any other traffic around. In the UK you could have a lot of trouble if you do this.

    If another driver flashes (闪烁) his cars lights at you, he is probably trying to tell you that he will wait for you to go first. British people don't like to use their car horn (喇叭) much and they think people who do so are rude.

    If you get in an accident, don't try to pay the police. The police in the UK never take money, and if you try to offer them some, you could end your holiday visiting British prison.

    Come to meet the family. This is a picture of my family. The man is my father. He is a policeman. The woman is my mother. She is an English teacher. They have a son and a daughter. The boy is me. My name is Lin Tao. I'm eleven. I'm a student. The girl in a hat is my sister. Her name is Lin Ying. She's eleven, too. We're twins. We look the same. We're in the same class. We are good students. We like our family.