Dear Li Lei,

    How are things going? 

    Last week I went to Kunming with my family. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The weather was nice and warm. We stayed in a nice hotel（宾馆）with a large yard. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We went swimming a lot. That was interesting. We had meals in the hotel, too. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} We also ate a lot of fruits like bananas, pears and pineapples (菠萝).

    On Friday, we went to Shilin by bus. The mountains were very beautiful and I took lots of photos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The clothes in the shops were very nice! I liked them very much. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Mother told me not to buy any. And I was not happy. But I enjoyed the trip to Kunming.

    What about your trip?

    I hope all is well with you.

Yours,
Han Meimei

A. There was a swimming pool in the hotel.

B. I wanted to buy some.

C. The next day we went shopping.

D. I had a wonderful time there.

E. The food was delicious.

    People visit other countries for many reasons. Some travel on business; others travel to visit interesting places that are only found in other countries.

    Wherever you go, and for whatever reason, it is important to be safe. A tourist can attract a lot of attention from local people. While most people you meet when traveling are sure to be nice, there are dangers—theft（偷窃） being the most common. So prepare for your trip in advance（预先）.

    As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the fight paperwork. You don't want to get to your destination(目的地) only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport is about to expire(到期). Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if your are sick or injured during your travels, you can be treated. If you want to drive while you are abroad, make sure you have an international driver's license.

    If you need to take medicine with you—such as travel-sickness pills—keep it in its original container(容器). If you don't, you may find yourself doing a lot of explaining to customs officials at your destination.

    Buy a guidebook and read about the local customs of the country you are going to. Also, try to learn a few basic words and phrases—don't assume(假设) that the local people will speak your language.

    When you get to your destination, you'd better use official transport. Always go to the bus and taxi stands; don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift. If there is no meter（记程器） in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while traveling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. If you are traveling with valuables such as jewelry, or a lot of money, you should ask about a safe（保险箱） for storing them in. Finally, remember to smile. It's the friendliest and most sincere（真诚的） form of communication, and it is sure to be understood in any part of the world!

Some birthday customs are quite similar in many parts of the world—- birthday candles(蜡烛), birthday games, and birthday cakes. But some customs are more specific to certain countries. Here are some children talking about their customs.

Linda: I am fourteen. I come from Aruba阿鲁巴岛（拉丁美洲）（荷属安的列斯群岛中的大岛）. In our country, Children take something special to school for their classmates and all teachers. Each teacher gives the birthday child a small gift like a pencil, an eraser or a postcard. The birthday child is also allowed to wear special clothes instead of the school uniform.

Lucy: I am one year older than Linda. Denmark（丹麦） is my country. A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so they will see them at once when they wake up.

Tom: I am as old as Linda. I am from Brazil. The birthday child receives a pull on the earlobe(耳垂) for each year in my country. The birthday person also gives the first slice of cake to his/her most special friend or relative, usually mom or dad.

    What do you do when you come across a problem while doing your homework? Andy would take out his smart phone, open a special app and searched the problem. Answers soon appeared on the screen.

    Nowadays, many students do homework with the help of the Internet like Andy. They search for information online, use apps or discuss through social networks like QQ and WeChat.

    “It's convenient.” Andy said. “You also learn by seeing how others work them out.”

    “It also improves students' abilities.” said John, another student. He said it's true for new types of homework.

    John's Chinese teacher often asks students to give speeches on great authors. When it comes to John's turn, he usually searches online, picks out certain stories and makes PowerPoint presentations.

    “I've become skilled at finding information online and using Microsoft Office,” Wang said.

    However, many students think this trend (趋势) also brings up problems. Some students just copy the answers online without thinking. They become lazy.

    A head teacher in Andy and John's school said that knowing how to use the Internet is important. The key is to have good self-control.

    “No matter how difficult the problem is, think about it independently (独立地) first,” the teacher said. “Be sure to understand the reasons behind the answers, or you won't make progress. If you don't have confidence about your self-control, ask your parents for help.”

    Getting Help on Screen

Music teachers Wanted

    Do you like to dance and sing? Do you like to be with children of 7-12? Can you play the guitar, piano and violin? If your answer is “Yes”, then we have a job for you.

    We are Mr. White's school for children. Our students are from Canada and Australia, so you must speak English. We need three music teachers for children. If you get this job, you can get $300 every month.

    Please call Mary at 556-2345 before August 20. You can come to our school this Sunday. Our school address is No. 99, Green Street.

根据短文内容，完成下列表格。