Bikes and cars are two important things. Many Chinese people have cars now, but most Chinese people still like to ride bikes. Do you know why?

    We all know that the bike can't go quickly, but it's easy for people to buy and ride it. As for the car, it needs too much money.

    Most Americans live far from the center of cities or their working places. So they need cars to go shopping or go to work every day. Most Chinese people live near their working places, so they don't need cars to go to work. And it's good for the environment(环境) if people stop driving. So there is a day called “No-Car Day” on September 22^nd every year.

    For me, I like to go to school by bike. It is easy and healthy.

C

    Waste can be seen everywhere in the school. Some students ask for more food than they can eat and others often forget to turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. They say they can afford these things. But I don't agree with them.

    Waste can bring a lot of problems. Although China is rich in some resources, we are short of others, for example, fresh water. It is reported that we will have no coal or oil to use in 100 years. So if we go on wasting our resources, what can we use in the future and where can we move? Think about it. I think we should say no to the students who waste things every day. Everybody should stop wasting as soon as possible.

    In our everyday life, we can do many things to prevent waste from happening, for example, turn off the water taps when we finish washing, turn off the lights when we leave the classroom, try not to order more food than we need, and so on. Little by little, everything will be changed. Waste can be stopped one day, if we do our best.

    Liu Tuchi, an 87­year­old man, has given away thousands of books to kids in five villages in Southwest China and built some reading rooms in the past 13 years by collecting and selling rubbish.

    "After selling the rubbish, I go to bookstores to search for good books," Liu said. When he has enough books, he sends them to the kids in the villages.

    Liu was an officer in Sichuan Province before retiring (退休) in 1993. "I passed by a primary school in Qilong Village in 2005 and was shocked by the poor conditions," he said. With old classrooms and broken desks, the students hardly had any books. So Liu took out more than 5, 000 yuan and raised more than 8, 000 yuan from his family and friends to give away books to the school. Since then, he has kept on giving away books to rural (农村的) kids.

    Liu's work has opened his new lifestyle (生活方式). He collects and sells waste, such as bottles and old newspapers. In 2008, Liu started building reading rooms. So far he has built more than 15 reading rooms. Liu always says, "Children in rural areas should not be left behind, especially in education."

    "I am so busy with my study. I don't even have enough time to have breakfast." said Zhangli, a middle school student. Do you have the same problem   A   Zhangli? However, missing breakfast could raise your risk of heart problem by 87 percent, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Iowa analyzed 18 years of data on 6,550 people over 40 years old who had no history of heart problems. They were given regular surveys   B   included the question, "how often do you eat breakfast? Most （59 percent）ate breakfast every day, but 5.1 percent never did, 10.9 percent rarely did, and 25 percent would miss for a few days. The team found that①早餐习惯与心脏病风险之间存在明显关联.Those who didn't eat in the morning were up to 87 percent more likely to develop heart problems.

    "It's believed that ②an, important, day, breakfast, the, is, meal, of, but there has been an increasing prevalence (普遍)of missing breakfast over the past 50 years in the United States, with as many as 23.8 percent of young people missing breakfast every day," the researchers said. "However, studies on the health effects of missing breakfast are rare."

    The team pointed out a few factors which could underlie this connection. ③Firstly, those who don't eat breakfast may be more likely to snack unhealthily. Secondly, breakfast may help to balance blood sugar levels and control blood pressure. The findings were published on the American College of Cardiology. Some days later a similar study showed people who missed breakfast and ate a late dinner were less likely to survive a heart attack. And Borja Ibanez, a doctor of medicine, also pointed out those who didn't eat breakfast were more likely to smoke, be lack of exercise, and drink alcohol.

    As for us teenagers, what are your opinions on breakfast? Do you think breakfast is important for us?

Improving Listening Sills in the Classroom

    Listening is a skill that needs to be learned and used well to be able to succeed in any environment. In the classroom, great listening skills mean the difference between a successful student and one who struggles (挣扎) in school.

    Come to class rested.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When your body is well taken care of, your mental (精神的) focus will be much better. If you come to class sleepy or tired, it may be impossible for you to keep your eyes open and concentrate (集中) on what the teacher is saying.

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    Have everything you need at the start of the class. If you have homework, make sure you are ready to hand it in. Bring out your notebook and pen so you can start taking down notes Also, try to read your textbooks before coming into class. It will help you understand more easily what your teacher is talking about.

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    When you're in the front of the class, you'll have an easier time hearing what the teacher has to say you won't have a daydream when the teacher is near you.

    Take down notes.

    Write down what you hear in class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It will also make you concentrate more on what is being said So you can properly take notes. Try to concentrate when you are in class so that you are able to get the key points during a lecture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you learn techniques to help you with this skill, you should see an improvement in your listening.