English can change by borrowing words from other languages. The word "tomato" was borrowed from Mexico, and “tea” came from China and so on. Now new words are formed by joining two words together. "weekend" and "cookbook" are made up of two parts. A latest one "brunch" comes from breakfast and lunch. Do you have brunch every day? Sometimes new words are shorter forms of older words. For example, the word "photo" was made from "photograph" by cutting off the end of the longer word. "Plane" and "phone" were made by cutting off the front part of "aeroplane" and "telephone". The names of people and products can also become new words. Our "sandwich" was named after a man called Sandwich who invented it and "cello" was a name given by the company that first made the product.

Can you find more examples for each of these ways to make new words?

    As you know, homework is a big part of going to school. Luckily, here are several suggestions for you to make homework easy.

    Make a homework plan

    Most middle school students have two or three hours of homework a night. If it is a heavy homework day, you may need to spend even more time. It is a good idea to come up with some kind of homework schedule(进度表), especially if you are going to do sports or other activities after school.

    Watch where you work

    A bedroom, study or any room where you can get away from noise is good for you to do your homework. But don't study on your comfortable bed, or you might fall asleep there.

    Take a break

    Most people's attention (注意力) don't last very long, so take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without relaxing will make you less productive(多产的) than if you stop to take a break regularly. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good way for most people.

    Get help when you need it

    Sometimes even though you are listening carefully in class, some subjects seem too hard. The first person to ask for help is your teacher. He or she may be able to work with you before or after school and explain things more clearly. Your classmates may also be able to give you a hand. However, this might not give you the results you want. Lots of people understand something well but are not able to explain it.

    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.

    Finding an online hobby is popular now. So how do parents make the decision of choosing one suitable online hobby for the children? Here are some tips that may help.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Using the computer for too long may be harmful to your child's eyesight or may develop into one bad habit. It is important to set rules about how long your child is allowed to stay online and which websites your child is allowed to visit.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Why do you want your child to find an online hobby? Do you want your child to learn something educational or maybe you just want him/her to have some fun!

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Do you know what things your child is interested in? Find one website about his interest. If he likes writing, make a blog for him to write stories.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Will this hobby be harmful to my child in any way? How could this hobby help my child? These questions must be considered first.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After considering all these above, now you can choose which hobby to introduce to your child. List some good websites that you think will be suitable and enjoyable for your child.