Members of an international organization are called the Global Greeters. They offer travelers the chance to get to know a city as well as local people do.

    Unlike the professional guides(专业导游), the volunteer greeters act more like neighbours. They take visitors to visit the city–either on foot or public traffic—to discover favourite neighbourhoods, cafes and parks.

    All the programs work a little differently, but the basics(基本项目) are the same. The tours are free and last anywhere for two or four hours. Volunteers can be all ages, and their ages and interests try to match the travelers.

    New York City(USA)

    Big Apple Greeter is the pioneer “welcome visitor” program founded in 1992 by New Yorker Lynn Brooks. More than 300 volunteers now can welcome guests from all over the world in 22 languages. Greeters explain the New York City subway and bus systems and show guests around one or more of their favourite neighbourhoods. Like many greeter organizations, Big Apple accepts online donations to help with its daily costs.

    Houston(USA)

    Houston Greeters will organize activities such as golf, biking or an outing to an Astros game(太空人队的比赛). Another activity is to arrange a tour in need of a particular interest.

    Chicago(USA)

    Chicago Greeters help visitors visit one of the city's many famous neighbourhoods. The group organizes walks through Ukrainian Village on the Near North Side and Andersonville, home to Scandinavian restaurants and shops and Middle Eastern bakeries. Guides will also organize tours around themes such as fashion, film or public art.

    France

    In France, English speaking volunteers for Parisien d'un Jour lead visitors through hidden corners of Paris, often ending with a lively discussion on a café balcony. Guides in Lyon organize walks around themes such as shopping, markets and sports.

E

    Sara wants to buy a motorcycle. She sees an ad in the newspaper for a used one. She calls the telephone number in the ad. The person who is selling the motorcycle lives on Flag Street in Clifton, about 15 miles from Fairview where Sara lives. She'll take a bus to get there on Sunday.

    At the bus station. Sara looks through the bus schedules(时刻表). She sees one that says “Fairview, Clifton" on the front. That's what Sara needs.

    Please look at the bus schedule carefully. Then help Sara make her decision, and answer the following questions.

Hello, I'm Lisa. I'm a middle school student. What's this on the table? It's a photo of my family. Look! The woman with gray hair is my grandmother. And the man next to her is my father Steve Black. He is a football player. The woman next to my grandmother is my mother Annie Black. She is a teacher. The little girl in front of (在—的前面)my mother is my sister Laura. And the girl in red is me! Oh, I also have a lovely cat. It's black and white. Where is he? It's on my bed, haha!

    It's important for each of us to be healthy and happy. Do you want to improve (改善) your health and feel better? Here are some ways.

    Eat whole foods. Eat some healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and a little meat. If you have a healthy eating habit, you'll be happier.

    Exercise. Take up a sport you really like. If you want to keep healthy, try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, twice or three times a week.

    Get enough sleep. It is best to get eight hours' sleep a day. A cup of milk before sleeping may help you get a good sleep.

    Keep yourself busy. This is very good because it stops you from having bad habits. To keep yourself busy, you can walk around the house, spend time with your pets, do sports, or do a hobby you enjoy.

    Spend time with your friends. Spend time and have fun with them. Talk with them. But you shouldn't talk about anything bad. You should stay with the people who are healthy and happy.

    Nowadays, a new method is used to decide who are the top students in school. The best students are those who not only get high marks, but also follow the rules and the behavior standards for middle school students. Here are some of the new rules and standards.

    Tell the truth. Have you ever copied someone else's work on an exam? If you have, then don't do it again! That's not something an honest student should do. If you have played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you were doing homework.

    Learn to work together with others. It would be more fun when more people work together. Did you fight with your teammates when your basketball team lost? Only working together can make your team stronger. Be friendly to the people you are with. Try to think of others, instead of only yourself.

    Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Perhaps you'll discover Earth II someday. Don't look down on new ideas. Everyone's ideas are important. You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone.

    Use the Internet carefully. Some websites on the Internet aren't for kids, so make sure to visit the web pages that are good for you. You can visit the websites for fun or homework. Can't you find any good websites for children?