In common with other countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952, more than 4,000 people died in London because of the smog. The government introduced new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the situation improved a lot.

      Today, London is much cleaner but there is a new problem: smog from cars. In December 1991, there was very little wind in London and pollution increased a lot. As a result, about 160 people died from pollution in just four days.

      One of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centres. In the past, people often walked to shops near their homes or went by bus. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centres. Because the small shops have disappeared in the downtown, more people have to travel to do their shopping.

      Critics say that Britain needs better and cheaper public transport. Transport in Britain is very expensive. An early morning train trip from Glasgow to London (about 600km) can cost about £100, for example. A short 15-minute bus trip can cost over £1.00.

      Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and the cost.

    Recently, a very simple question became widely spread online: What should China be proud of ?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Lanlan, whose real name is Negar Kordi, is from Canada. She came to China five years ago and is a student at Ningbo University, Now she has 120, 000 fans on the Internet and the number is still growing.

    Lanlan loves China and Chinese.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}And that's why she is so well received among Chinese net friends. The following is China in her eyes.

    “It is the easiest country in which to find a job. If you are not too lazy, it is really very simple to find a job in China. I believe there're more job chances here than that in any other country in the world.”

    “{#blank#}3{#/blank#}About 400 million Chinese are studying English. If they can speak good English in the future, China will have the greatest number of English speakers of any non-English speaking country.”

    “The speed of Chinese trains is fast. From Ningbo to Beijing, the train runs 1,365 kilometers for seven hours and the ticket fare is only 596 yuan.”

    “Its public security is great.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}I have traveled in many countries, and I think China really is very safe.”

    “There are much more things China should be proud of. Many Chinese people often criticize (批评) China. At first, I believed that they didn't like China or that loved Western countries. But later, I realized that they just set a very high standard for China.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}” China must be much better than

other countries.”

A. The foreign language level is surprising.

B. This country of 1.4 billion people makes me feel safe.

C. A foreign girl living in China gave a very touching answer.

D. They believe that it's not enough to be number one in the world.

E. She believes China will be the strongest country in the world in future.

    Conan Doyle, a famous writer, the creator of the famous character Holmes, was telling a story about himself in which he was the laughing-stock（笑柄）.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When a taxi pulled up, he placed his suitcase in the car and took a seat next to it. 'Where can I take you, Mr. Doyle?" asked the taxi driver politely. Doyle was very surprised. He asked, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}"The driver answered, 'No, sir, I have never seen you before."

    Doyle couldn't believe and asked him how he knew he was Conan Doyle. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People who return from Marseilles always come to the taxi-stop. Your skin tells me you have been on vacation.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Your clothing is very English, and not French. And so, I deduce（推论） that you are Sir Conan Doyle," said the driver.

    Doyle was astonished by the driver's words and said, "This is truly amazing. Your are talented and a real-life counterpart（对应的人） to my creation, Holmes." "Thanks to another thing," the driver said. "What is that?" {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"

A. Have we met each other before?

B. One day he was waiting at a taxi-stop outside the railway station in Paris.

C. This morning's paper had a report about you being on vacation in Marseilles.

D. Your name is written on your suitcase.

E. Your right finger suggests to me that you're a writer.

    My name is Bob. I am 16 years old now. I've felt lonely since I was 9. I didn't like my classmates, my parents or anyone else. My classmates didn't want to talk with me and my parents were always saying that other kids were better than me. One day I had a big fight with one of my classmates. I was so angry that I hit him on the face. Just at that moment, a boy stood up and stopped the fight. He was the monitor of our class.

    After that, he often helped me and we became good friends. Whenever I got angry or sad, he would help me to cool down. We spent a lot of interesting days together and became best friends. As time goes by, I have become happier with people and things. And it seems that people around me have changed, too.

Information Card

    People who buy property (房产) or move into a new apartment or house usually hold a housewarming party (乔迁派对). The party is an opportunity for friends and family to congratulate (祝贺) this person on their new home. It is a tradition (传统) to bring a gift to a housewarming party. Decorations (装饰品) for the new house, such as pieces of art or potted plants (盆栽植物), are good housewarming gifts. You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests. The host or hostess of the party will give all the guests a tour of their new home. Sometimes, because housewarming parties usually happen shortly after a person moves into their new home, guests may be asked to help unpack boxes. This isn't common, though.

    A long time ago, people would bring firewood (木柴；柴火) to their friends' new homes as a gift. This is where the name "housewarming" comes from. This allowed their friends to keep their homes warm for the winter. These days, most homes have central heating, so firewood isn't needed.