Tom is my brother .He isn't tidy .He always asks me ,“Where is my English book ? Where are my rulers ? Where's my notebook...?”Here's a picture of his room .You can see the clock ,English book , tape player ,bag ,ID card ,notebook and hat .The clock is on the desk and the English book is on the desk ,too . The yellow tape player is on the bed .The ID card is in the notebook .And the hat is on the chair .

    Mr Smith works in a big city. Mrs Smith lives in a small town（镇）。Bill 是他们的儿子。 He is with his mother.

    It's a Monday morning.Mrs Smith writes a litter（信） to Mr Smith.She says to Bill,"Go to the post office(邮局)with the letter and your father can get it on Friday. "Then Bill comes back  late(回来晚).

    "Why do you come back late?"

    "There is a new post office in South Street（南街）.Do you know that?"

    "Of course. It's far from our home. Why?"

    "The letter is in the post office. "

    "But there is a post office near our home. "

    "I know,but the post office in South Street is near Dad.  He can get the letter earlier(更早地). "

    There are many libraries in Britain. Let's learn something about them.

Public libraries

    Most towns in Britain have a public library. A library usually has a large selection of books and other resources, which library members can use and borrow for free.

    Britain's First Public Library

    The first Britain's public library opened in Manchester in 1852. Its first librarian was a man called Edward Edwards. Edwards attended the library's opening ceremony and two famous writers called Charles Dickens and William Thackeray were there, too.

    Services of library

    Modern public libraries have something for everyone. Most of them have audio books, CDs, newspapers and DVDs as well as books to borrow.

    How to Join a Library

    To join a library, go to your local library and fill in a form. You'll receive a library card which is needed when using library services.

    Mobile Libraries

    Not everyone can get to a library. Some people live far away from towns and cities. Other people find it difficult to go out because they have an illness or a disability. Thanks to mobile libraries, these people can still borrow books.

    The libraries are special. Unlike most libraries, which store books in buildings, mobile libraries usually keep their books in a mini-bus. The back of the mini-bus has shelves for the books, and it is big enough for borrowers to step inside and look around. A driver take the mini-bus to a certain place at a certain time, so people know when to expect it. They can return their books and borrow some more.

    All Aboard the Library!

    A school in London didn't have space for a library inside the building. However, everybody agreed that it was still important to have a school library. So, the head of the school, Graham Blake, decided to park an old bus on the school car park and change it into a library. Pupils helped to paint the bus, and after eight months, the new library was ready.

    I recently gave up driving. I passed my test last year, but I stopped voluntarily when I turned 90, I thought that it was finally the right time. Needless to say, my family was relieved--they didn't have to have "that talk" with me. My doctor was relieved too. Compared to a serious illness, taking away a senior driving license is one of the hardest things to do. Since my wife passed away years ago, I made this decision alone, although I'm sure my wife would have supported me. I knew I couldn't move as well as I used to, and my eyesight was getting worse. It hurt to turn my head when backing up the car, and, after long shopping trips, I was always tired.

    As I handed over the keys of the car to my son, I thought of all the cars my wife and I had owned over the years. A car is freedom, independence, and an extension of your personality. Without one, you feel like less of a person.

    I have a son who lives close by and we shop together at least once a week. My neighbors also offer me rides, but the idea of being dependent on other people after a lifetime of independent is hard to get used to.

    I have learned to adapt and change. With my own car, I could go anywhere at a moment's notice. But now, my life is different and I must plan ahead for everything. No more going out for mill or bread or last minute afternoon drives. However, I found a solution to some of those problems. Last month, I decided to buy a nice new four-wheel electric motorbike. At the top speed of 12km/h, it takes 20 minutes to get from my house to the store. But now, my ride is free from traffic and noise, with trees and greenery replacing cars and street signs.

    Giving up driving is hard, and some of us never accept the loss. For me, however, it was just the end result of a long and lucky life. Life in the slow lane turned out to be so much fun-and so much cheaper.

    American and British people both speak English of course. But sometimes it does not seem like the same language. In fact, there are some important differences between British English and American English.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Often, Americans don't say each word separately. They say several words together. Americans may say "I dunno" instead of" I don't know". Or they may say "Whaddya say?" instead of "What did you say?" However, the British are more careful in their speech. They usually say all the words and keep them separate.

    Sound is not only the difference between British English and American English. Words sometimes have different meanings too. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Americans drive trucks, but in England people drive lorries.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}In England, if you are going to telephone your friends, you "phone them up". In America, you "give them a call".

    There are also some differences in grammar. For example, Americans usually use the helping verb "do" when they ask a question. They say "Do you have a storybook?" But the British often leave out the helping verb.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Most languages are like this. Languages change over time. When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways. This is what has happened to English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France.

    Most people like dumplings, What about you? If you also like them, come to our restaurant for lunch or dinner. We have many kinds of dumplings in our restaurant.

    Look at the menu(菜单)first. We have three great specials today. Special One is beef and carrot dumplings. They are 10 yuan for a small bowl and 15 yuan for a large bowl. Special Two is mutton and onion dumplings. They are only 12 yuan for each. Special 3 is cabbage and tofu dumplings. If you don't like meat, you can have this kind of dumplings. They're only 8 yuan for each. Orange juice is only 2 yuan. The dumpling soup is free all day. Welcome to our restaurant.