Earth Hour started at 7:30 p.m. on March 31,2007 in Sydney, Australia. More than 2.2 million homes and businesses turned off their lights for an hour.

    A year later, March 29,Earth Hour 2008 became a global(全球的)activity.50 million people in 35 countries took part in it.

    On March 28, 2009, more than2100 cities in 88 countries joined in it. And the idea “Earth hour” came to China. What were people doing during the Earth Hour? Here are some people's answers:

    Ann: I'm a university student. I invited some of my friends to go out. During the Earth Hour, we were having a candle light concert on the playground. We also talked about the happy times we spent in the university.

    Julie: I turned off the lights in my house and went for a walk during the Earth Hour. It was a little strange to walk in the dark. But I think it is exciting and meaningful.

    For me, living in Canada for 25 years, China is a new world that I have longed to explore. This spring, I chose Yangzhou to be my first stop on a 16-month trip around China. It was like love at first sight. At 15, I bought a book of collection of poems about Tang Dynasty. Through it, I heard of Yangzhou for the first time. I was deeply attracted(吸引) by a poem written by Li Bai-“Sailing to Yangzhou in March”(烟花三月下扬州).

    Yangzhou,sitting 2,500 years at the crossing of the Yangtze River and the 2,400-year-old Grand Canal(大运河), is one of the first 24 historic and cultural cities in China. In the old town,there are many streets and houses. It's best to visit the city in spring. Spring paints the city in brigtht colors.

    Yangzhou has always been famous for its gardens. Among them ,the Slender West Lake, one of the biggest attractions in the city,was my first stop. The park with its fantastic landscape and lots of history has enough to keep a tourist busy for the whole day. What a shame I simply could afford half a day!

    My next stop was He Garden,one of the best prottected gardens in Yangzhou. It was once owned by the family of He Zhidao in Qing Dynasty. He Zhidao successfully brought Chinese and Western architectural(建筑的) features together.

    Yangzhou is also the starting point of the Grand Canal tour. Taking a boat along the part of the canal in Yangzhou, I was amazed at the liveliness of this ancient waterway and the city's history and culture.

    Luckily, my two-day trip to Yangzhou was filled with pleasure and wonder. It made me hungry for more China.

                                          Information Card

Amy lives far from her office. Five days a week, she gets up at about 5:30in the morning. After a quick breakfast, she walks to Finsbury Park Station.From there she goes to King's Cross Station in London by train. Then she goes to Holton in a bus. After that, she takes a taxi to her office. She gets there at about 8:00. It usually takes about two hours from her home to her office.

"Boys and girls，are you ready for the test？" Our teacher Ms. Kelly asks. 

"Yeah!" We answer happily. A test is 1 to us. 

I answer quickly until I read the last one， "Do you know the 2 in our school？What is her first name？" 

Of course，I 3 the cleaner. She is thin and wears an orange jacket every day. We always see her clean the restroom （厕所），4 how can I know her name？I 5 talk to her. 

After class，I give my paper to Ms. Kelly，leaving the 6 question empty （空白的）. I feel sad because I never （从不） say hi to her. 

On my way to the restroom，I see her 7 jacket. I run to her. 

"Hello!Hmm. . . Thank you for giving 8 a clean school. " 

In our life，we meet many people. All are 9 and all you do is to smile and say hello. I can never forget this 10 . I will never forget her name-Dora. 

Chen Beier, a TV host, was going to make a programme about Atule'er, the small village in Sichuan that sits on a cliff(悬崖). People could only get to the top by climbing a 2, 556-step metal ladder(金属爬梯). 

China has reached an important goal(目标). It eradicated extreme poverty(消除绝对贫困). And life has greatly changed in Atule'er too. Years ago, there was no schools for kids to get an education. Many people died because of poor medical condition. There are no more sad facts like these in Atule'er now. Government built schools and hospitals. People can go to school and see a doctor as easily as those in town. 

Now Chen was on her way to Atule'er but it wasn't easy to complete the trip. When Chen was halfway up the ladder, she felt so tired that she could hardly go any further. But the woman set her teeth and continued her climb. Thanks to Chen, people can easily see how life in China's countryside has improved. 

China has changed a lot. Many people outside China, however, couldn't believe it. Now, Chen has shown us what can be done about that: Don't just tell them, show them.