A funny thing happened to my sister Tina last month. She lives in Japan and teaches English. In Japan, people don't usually wear their outdoor shoes in the house or in school, and a lot of buildings have places for shoes. So her school has a special place for shoes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}
Tina teaches English in the evening. One Friday, she went to school, and she put her shoes in the shoe box as usual. Then she had an interesting spoken English class with her students. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But to her surprise, her shoes weren't in the box. There was only one pair of those there, and they weren't her shoes! She had to get home in a hurry. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}
On Monday, at her next English class, her shoes were in a shopping bag on her desk! There was a note that said, “I'm so sorry. I took your shoes by mistake!” {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Somebody felt a lot of shame!

    We know music is very important in our daily life. Do you notice music playing at any of those places when you go somewhere? Today most stores, stations, restaurants and other places play music. You might even hear music in an office or on a farm.

Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave. They think that the sound of western classical music makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend even less. Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This makes people eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money in this way.

Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.

The next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might influence the way you do things.

Are Sports Important?

    Sports are all around us. We watch and read sports news. There are also sports clubs, and even sports-only channels(频道) on TV. In many countries, players make millions of dollars every year. But why are sports so important? They're only games, right?

    Our readers answer:

    Vlad (Ukraine乌克兰)

    Sports bring people together. In 2006, our team was able to play in the 2006 World Cup for the first time. Everyone was happy. Rich and poor, old and young, men and women—everyone was in the streets together!

Mike (U.S.A.)

    Sports bring people together, but they divide them too. Fans of different teams fight all the Time-they shout and hit each other. And here's another example: My brother plays high school baseball. Last week, his team played an important game. At the game, two parents fought about a call .

    Come on … baseball is only a game! Sports are so competitive (有竞争力的) these days. It's all about winning. Then the game isn't fun.

    Oba (South Africa)

    Right now, some of the world's best soccer players are from African countries, and the 2010

    World Cup games will be held in South Africa. Yes, some players make a lot of money—maybe too much, but sporting events (like the World Cup) bring tourists and money to countries and people. And that is good for Africa.

    For Miller, an 80-year-old man, it's a chance of a lifetime. Miller is a part of a group of around 60 Germans who are on a bus journey along the ancient Silk Road.

    About this journey, he says:“I have been deeply interested in the Silk Road since I was a child. But now I finally have a chance to experience it.”

    The two-month bus journey will take the group through Germany, Russia and other 4 European countries. They will then enter China from the country's western part. It will be an unforgettable memory for them.

    Nearly half of the 13,000-kilometer trip will be inside China. From Xinjiang in the west to Shanghai in the east, the German visitors will see more than 20 Chinese cities. "We have managed the trip of the Silk Road for around 10 years. An increasing number of people, not only from German-speaking countries, have been joining us." Says Liu Guoqiang from China Tours.

    Almost 26 million foreigners traveled to China in 2015, and about 5 million of them were from Europe. Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and the Yangtze River are traditional Chinese travel destinations for European tourists. Speaking of where he wants to go, Miller says: "Compared with modern cities, the culture in western China attracts me more."

As Shi Xiang, head of China Tours says "Being a new brand to attract foreign visitors, the Silk Road is good for people to know more about China, especially the northwestern part of the country.”

    "In my country, men usually go to restaurants on their own. They always take their shoes off before they go in. Then they usually sit on the floor around a small, low table. In the evening they often sing songs."

    "You usually take chocolates or flowers. But you always take an odd number of flowers, and you remove the paper before you give them to the hostess. You can also send flowers before you arrive. You don't usually take wine except when you visit very close friends."

    "We always offer our guests something to drink when they arrive, tea, coffee or perhaps water or soft drinks. We think it is polite to accept a drink even if you're not thirsty. If you visit someone you always stay for a few drinks. When you have had enough to drink, you tap your cup or put your hand over it. If you say no, your host will insist that you have more to drink."

    "People's private lives are very important so they never ask you personal questions about your family or where you live or your job. They never talk about religion or matters of finance, education or politics, but usually stay with safe subjects like the weather, films, plays, books and restaurants."

    "It's difficult to know when to leave, but an evening meal usually lasts about three or four hours. When the host serves coffee, this is sometimes a sign that the evening is nearly over, but you can have as much coffee as you want."

"If the invitation says eight o'clock then we arrive exactly at eight. With friends we know well, we sometimes arrive about fifteen minutes before."

    "Obviously it depends on the occasion, but most dinner parties are informal. The men don't usually wear a suit, but they may wear a jacket and tie. Women are usually smart but casual."