People visit other countries for many reasons. Some travel on business; others travel to visit interesting places that are only found in other countries.

    Wherever you go, and for whatever reason, it is important to be safe. A tourist can attract a lot of attention from local people. While most people you meet when traveling are sure to be nice, there are dangers—theft（偷窃） being the most common. So prepare for your trip in advance（预先）.

    As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the fight paperwork. You don't want to get to your destination(目的地) only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport is about to expire(到期). Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if your are sick or injured during your travels, you can be treated. If you want to drive while you are abroad, make sure you have an international driver's license.

    If you need to take medicine with you—such as travel-sickness pills—keep it in its original container(容器). If you don't, you may find yourself doing a lot of explaining to customs officials at your destination.

    Buy a guidebook and read about the local customs of the country you are going to. Also, try to learn a few basic words and phrases—don't assume(假设) that the local people will speak your language.

    When you get to your destination, you'd better use official transport. Always go to the bus and taxi stands; don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift. If there is no meter（记程器） in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while traveling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. If you are traveling with valuables such as jewelry, or a lot of money, you should ask about a safe（保险箱） for storing them in. Finally, remember to smile. It's the friendliest and most sincere（真诚的） form of communication, and it is sure to be understood in any part of the world!

    Do you know "World Reading Day"? It is on April 23rd. It is the eighteenth "World Reading Day". As we know books are very important for us.

    In Germany, more than 70% of the people like reading: They often read. They read in their homes. They read in libraries. They read in parks. They even read in hospitals. Parents often read books for kids.

    It is easy to buy books in Germany. There are many bookshops in Germany. They are in big cities and small town. A bookshop can sell many books every day. Germans also like to buy books on the Internet. More and more people buy books on the Internet.

    In Germany, people often have reading parties. They are happy at the parties.

    Do you love reading? Hope you enjoy it!

    Learning to play an instrument can be one of the most exciting ways to spend your free time. There are many different kinds of instruments to choose from: guitar, piano, violin … There is always one that's right for you. The following may help you make it.

    Make a choice (选择).

    First, you need to choose an instrument that you would like to learn to play.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This may be the kind of music that you also enjoy listening to.

    Get your instrument.

    When you finish choosing your instrument, you need to buy it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some schools will lend students instruments. Or you can buy a second-hand instrument and it's usually much cheaper.

    Get ready to learn.

    After you get your instrument, you should then make a learning plan. You can have personal(个人的) lessons with a music teacher or go to a music school. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Play for others.

    After you learned to play a song for some time, you should start playing for others. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Then you can try to play for larger groups of people.

    Keep going.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Keep learning as much as you can and practice often. As you learn more, you will get better and better.

A. You can also choose to learn on your own.

B. If it is very expensive, you can borrow one.

C. It is a good idea to start with your family or friends.

D. To become a good musician, you have to keep playing.

E. You could also think about the kind of music you'd like to play.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴My name is Sara. I'm from Russia. I'm interested in meeting new people and seeing different cultures. I'm learning French，so I'm looking for a friend who can speak French.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵I'm Jerry. I am 29 and I am from Germany. I am a friendly and easygoing person. I'm interested in poems now，so I want to find a pen pal who likes writing poetry.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶My name is Linda. I'm from India. My friends always say that I'm really kindhearted. I like to know more about different people from different countries. I would like to make friends with Americans most.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷I am Sam and I am 21 years old. I'm Italian. I love animals and doing sports. My friends say that I am a shy and friendly boy. I am looking for true friends who are fun to be with and like to talk a lot.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸I am Knoll, I am from Japan. I love travelling, and I have been to the USA, Korea and Hong Kong. I love music and watching TV. I want to make friends with those who are from the USA, because I'm planning to study there after college.

    My friend Tom is a good student. He is 14 years old. He is 1.53 metres tall. I am a bit short. I'm only 1.45 metres tall. Tom is a good football player. We likes playing football after school. Tom has two long legs and two big feet. His arms are long. His favorite colour is blue. Gina is Tom's sister. She is only 1 year old. She is 0.72 metres tall. She looks beautiful. She has two big eyes and a small mouth. Her favorite colour is pink. Look! She is wearing a pink dress.

Do you often see ants? If the weather is warm, you may see them under the stones. If it is cold, many ants will be in their house under the ground.

Most of the ants are workers. They have lots of work to do. They look for food and take care of the young ants. Each family of ants has a queen ant. The queen doesn't work at all. She is important because she lays eggs. These eggs will become new ants.

There are many kinds of ants in America. One kind of these is very strong. They can kill and eat elephants. They move in groups. They eat all the animals they meet while moving on their way. When these ants come near, people leave their homes.