In the mid 1990s, people started doing business on the Internet. At that time, there were two kinds of companies. First, there were traditional companies which sold things in shops. Then, there were Internet companies which didn't have shops; they sold things only over the net.

    Traditional companies didn't want to lose any business. Quickly, they created their own website and began selling things over the net. These are the so-called "brick and click" companies. Many shops are made of brick, and you click on your mouse to buy things with your computer. That's where the name "brick and click" comes from.

    By the late 1990s, e-businesses like Amazon.com and Buy.com were in trouble. Their profits were not very high, and there was a lot of competition. Many of these businesses lost a lot of money, and in 2000, many e-businesses went out of business.

    Why are "brick and click" companies, like Barnes & Noble, Toys "R" Us, and Walmart so successful? First, many customers know and trust their names. Their websites, like walmart.com, are easy to remember. These companies also have a lot of experience. They know how to run a successful business.

    In the world of e-commerce, companies are fighting for every dollar and every customer. Will "brick and click" companies win the war? Only time will tell.

My name is Tony. I' m a Canadian boy. I' m thirteen. I' m a high school student. I' m in Class Two, Grade Seven. Edna and Max are my good friends. They are from the USA. We'  re in the same class. They are twelve. Edna has big eyes, a big nose and a wide mouth. She has blond hair. And Max has black hair and a big nose. 

Have you ever experienced not having enough money to eat good food or wear nice clothes? The 1868 novel Little Women written by Louisa May Alcott is {#blank#}1{#/blank#}how a family with four sisters fought against poor life. After their family lost their wealth, the four girls still tried to start lives and jobs of {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(they) own. Each of them must learn {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(make) sacrifices (牺牲). Meg, the {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(old), wanted wealth the most, but she must give up her pride. Jo, the second-born,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(want) nothing more than to be a writer. Beth was a sweet girl who loved music. And she was always understanding, helping others {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(happy). The youngest daughter, Amy, dreamed about being {#blank#}7{#/blank#}artist, but she must face the reality. The four girls were not that perfect and met many {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(difficulty), but they tried to overcome them.{#blank#}9{#/blank#}I read this novel, I realize that the family love is a treasure for us. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (have) a positive attitude and working hard are the secret to getting happiness.

A few days ago, the British polar explorer and environmentalist (极地探险家及环境学家) Robert Swan visited our school and we asked him to give a talk on his trips. He was the first person walking to both the North and South Poles and he did something really amazing by reaching the South Pole only on renewable energy (可再生能源) . 

Swan's stories of his trips really impressed me. It was more than 30 years ago when he first went to the South Pole. There was nothing they could use to talk to people outside there and the nearest person to him and his teammates was 2, 500 kilometers away. So they had to face all the problems by themselves. He also told us that when taking a shower during the trip, you had to take off all your clothes in the temperature of -30℃ and finished the shower as fast as you could. 

In 2017, Swan set foot on the South Pole again, this time with his son. The trip was highly great, not only because Swan was already 61 years old, but also because it was the world's first trip to Antarctica (南极洲) to be made only using renewable energy. 

Also, he talked about the importance of saving energy and taking good care of our planet (星球). After his talk, I was sure what I should do and the hope for the wonderful future washed over me. 

Good Moments of Your Life

Bruce Kelly, a reporter interviewed some people and asked, "What are some of the good moments of your life?" Here are some of the answers.

 Many people think that only grown-ups can make a difference. Is it true? Teen Vogue interviewed some teenagers across the world. Get ready to be inspired (启发).

16-year-old Michael started using social media to cheer up teenagers of his age to follow their dreams on his baseball blogs. Michael also wrote about sports people and how they faced their difficulties.

 Lesein first learned about climate change when he was in primary school. His home country of Kenya loses tens of thousands of hectares (公顷) of forest each year.

 With a deep love of soccer, Lesein started a project named Trees for Goals, planting a tree for every goal he scored in the matches. Later the school's soccer, rugby and basketball teams all followed him. In 2019, almost 1,000 trees in forests outside of Nairobi were planted. Now the government provides trees for them to plant.

 Alexis Lewis invented a wheeled travois (雪橇) with bamboo at 12 years old to help poor people who need to transport children many miles to hospitals. Another invention of hers is a special mask(面罩) which can be thrown through a window of a smoke-filled building to people inside.

Alexis said, "The reason why I try to invent something is that I want to help people in need and I love physics." Alexis also told the reporter that she wanted children to know that everybody who' s ever tried to solve a problem can be an inventor.

 These young people are certainly shining examples to show you' re never too young to make a difference.