More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!

    Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit(受益）from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.

    Folding(折叠）bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can take a common bike with you when you fly, too. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.

    Health benefit of Bicycling:

    ⒈It helps to prevent heart diseases.

    ⒉Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    ⒊A15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.

    ⒋Bicycling can improve(改善）your mood. Exercises like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.

    ⒌Bicycling is healthier than driving.

    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.

    There was a little boy with a bad temper(脾气). His father gave him some nails(钉子)to drive into the fence(栅栏)when he lost his temper.

    The first day the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Then it began to become less. He found it was easier to control his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

    Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to control his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

    The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but you look at the fence. It will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar(伤痕)just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound(伤口)is still there. A verbal(言语)wound is as bad as a physical one. It is important to practise self-control.

    Last summer holiday I went to Taiwan with my parents. Taiwan is really beautiful! The weather is good. It is always warm and humid(潮湿的) because the sea is around Taiwan. In the north, there is winter, but in the south, there's no winter and you can enjoy sunshine(阳光). The typhoon(台风) season is from June to September.

    There are many mountains in Taiwan. Ali Mountain is one of the biggest mountains there. We went to climb Ali Mountain one afternoon. There are many trees in the forest there. They are very tall and many of them are really old.

    Sun Moon Lake is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. In the lake there are many kinds of fishes.

    We also went to the beach and enjoyed the sunshine. There are many kinds of foods in the small towns near the sea. A kind of dumplings with shrimps(虾) in them is my favourite.

    Taiwan is a beautiful island. I love it! I took many photos there. Would you love to see them?

    Australia is almost as large as China (China is about 9, 600, 000 km 'while Australia is 7, 682, 300 km）, but Australia has a much smaller population(just over 19.5 million), Most people live in cities along the coast of Australia, and huge areas of the rest of Australia are uninhabited(无人居住的), In some areas, families live a long way away from one another and from towns and cities. Australians call this part of the country" the Outback(内陆)"or" the Bush". Most people who live in the outback work on huge sheep or cattle stations(农场), Some of these properties are as large as 3, 000~5, 000 km² and their nearest neighbours may be 100 km or more away.

    Many children in the outback are too far from town to travel to school. Instead, they attend one of the sixteen Schools of the Air. The schools are located in towns and teachers use high frequency radio to talk to their classes. They also post work to the students who post it back for their teacher to mark. Students also use the Internet, fax and phone to communicate with their teacher and with other students. Sometimes students are sent a video or audiotape to help them with their lessons.

    Tim Benton's brother George is the manager of a large cattle station in the Northern Territory. When they were in primary school, George's children. Rebecca and Oliver, attended the Alice Spring School of the Air. Their mother and father took it in turns to help them with their lessons. After they finished primary school. Rebecca and Oliver went to a high school in Alice Springs. They lived with their Aunt Mary during the school term and returned home during the school holidays. At first, high school was difficult because they weren't used to being in a class with other students. In some subjects, they did not know as much as the children from the town. However, they soon caught up because they had very good study skills, thanks to the School of the Air.