Most cars run on gas. Gas cars work verywell. But there is a problem. Cars that run on gas make the air dirty. Thedirty air is not good for people, animals or trees. Gas cars make the air dirtyfor all living things. What can we do? We can drive electric cars!

    Electric cars do not use gas. These cars donot make the air dirty. These cars have batteries that power their motors (马达). The batteries can be charged (充电) manytimes. They can be used again and again. This makes electric cars great.

    But electric cars have problems too. Theyare slower than gas cars. They are also very quiet. This means that some peoplecan't hear them when they go by. They may not think a car is coming. So theyhave to be careful.

    People are finding ways to make electriccars better all the time. Maybe one day all cars will be electric. That wouldbe much better for the world.

    A new rubbish sorting system (垃圾分类系统) has been put into use in Fangchengyuan Community in Beijing. Local people not only sort their rubbish, but also put QR codes (二维码) on it.

    "When the rubbish is collected and the codes are seen, I will get reward points to exchange for small gifts and even some money," one of the local people told reporters. "It's really creative and encouraging."

    This smart system has been carried out in 350 communities in Beijing. The capital of China has joined a list of cities in the country that take action to support rubbish sorting. For example, Shenzhen and Shanghai have made laws to punish people and organizations for not sorting rubbish correctly.

    China produces quite a lot of rubbish every year. Much of the rubbish is buried (填埋) in soil or burned without being sorted. Landfills (填埋场) take up a lot of land and have a risk of polluting the soil and water nearby. And burning rubbish can produce harmful gases. Through rubbish sorting, we can reduce the use of landfills and air pollution.

    What's more, rubbish sorting saves resources, which could bring economic benefits (经济利益). For example, a ton of waste paper can be reused to make about 850 kg of paper, saving 17 trees and 50 percent of water. Because of the benefits, some countries have developed successful sorting systems.

    Japan has a strict and detailed system. When people throw away a water bottle, the cap, the wrapper (包装纸) and the bottle itself have to go into three different bins. Every year, families receive special rubbish sorting timetables and directions from their local governments. They are advised to follow the timetables and directions when they throw away rubbish.

    In Australia, every family is provided with three rubbish bins—the red lid (盖子) bin for "general waste" like food and plastic bags, the yellow lid bin for "recycling" like steel and glass, and the green lid bin for "green waste" such as grass and leaves. On the streets, the bins are printed with pictures of the things that are allowed inside. It makes recycling quite easy.

Tofu Banana Pudding

While we were growing up, our parents often said things like, "Look at that boy, he swims so well! He is such a talent(人才)．" Such words made us believe that if we were not born a talent, we would never do things well. So we were afraid to try new things, and were afraid of making mistakes or failing. But in fact, failures(失败) and mistakes are as important as success.

Sarah is lucky. She has a great father. As a child, her father asked her the same question every weekend. "What did you fail at this week, Sarah？" He did not care too much about her grades. He cared more about what she had tried but failed at. When she told him about her failures and mistakes, he would give her a high five(举手击掌)．

Do you realize what her father was doing? He was trying to make her believe that failures and mistakes are just fine. And they were a huge part of our growth and success. Most importantly, her father was telling her that she would still be loved and trusted even if she failed. Encouraged by the weekend communications, Sarah has grown into a successful businesswoman.In her journey, she has tried many new jobs and had many difficulties，but she never lost heart. Because she knew her failures and mistakes would be embraced(接受) on the weekend.

So go ahead and ask yourself and your children, "What did we fail at this week？"

The four great inventions of ancient China are China's outstanding contributions to the whole world, and have had a great impact on world's scientific and cultural exchanges.

 As a new student in a school, you will give a talk and introduce yourself in a class. Do you know how to introduce yourself?

 Here are some ways to make sure you can let others know about you quickly:

●Start with a smile and be friendly. This will make your classmates more interested in what you say. 

●Tell others about your name, age, class, hometown, hobbies, and interests. Talking about your family is also a good idea. 

●Speak slowly and clearly, and makeeve contact with your classmates. 

●Let others know what you are good at. This may help you make new friends quickly. 

●Practice beforehand(预先). If you do so, you will feel better when you introduce yourself. 

 Hope you can have a great life in a new school.