The train made a lot of noise as it came to a stop at the station. Martha waited for a while until her father held her hand. They walked onto the train together. Her mother and brother walked behind them.

    This was the first train ride for Martha and her brother Brian. They would take the train to visit their grandparents. They usually went there by car. But today, Mum and Dad wanted to try a different way.

    They walked to the middle of the train. They found some seats and sat down. A few minutes later, the train began to move.

    Martha and Brian felt a little nervous, but their parents said they would enjoy the ride. Dad said he liked the train ride because he didn't need to drive all the time. Mum added that she could talk to her two children face to face instead of turning around.

    When the children their parent's words, they felt relaxed.

    "The train isn't as noisy as I thought would be" said Martha,“ and I can stand up and walk around. I believe I can see everything through the windows.”“The train really goes fast," said Brian," I like that best of all. If we get on the train in the morning, we can see grandparents before lunch. I can't wait to enjoy their apple pie!"

根据短文内容回答下列各题。

    Canada is a big country with a large area, but it has a small population. It lies in North America with oceans around it in three directions except in the south, where the United States is. The Great Lakes are between Canada and the United States. There are many lakes and islands in the coastal areas. Canadians care about the environment very much. The government and the people in Canada try their best to protect the environment. So in Canada, the air is fresh, the water is clean, and the sky is blue. Many tourists like to travel in Canada and live there for some time to relax themselves.

    The climate in Canada is different from area to area. It is wet in the west and east, but cold in the north and south. Canada is rich in natural resources, such as forests, fresh water, coal, oil, and so on. Farmland mainly lies in the south where farmers grow lots of corn and wheat. There are many big farms there. The farmers work hard so that the people in Canada can get enough good food for their daily life. Industry in this country is well developed and the transportation is very convenient. Living surroundings in Canada are the best in the world. Canadians enjoy themselves and live a happy life.

Information Card

    Many people say that they are working too many hours.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. They can't take care of things at home. They don't have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2, 159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Some people work extra (额外的) hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don't pay overtime. Their workers don't get more pay for more work. Some people think it's their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don't work more hours.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.

    Two Chinese farmers sang "in the spring" in their small room after drinking in a late August evening in Beijing. A friend put their song on the Internet. And soon they became stars around China.

    Wang Xu, 44, is from Henan, and Liu Gang, 29, is from Heilongjiang. They are among the millions of farmers who have gone to the cities to work.

    "Although nobody pays attention to the music, I am singing happily, on streets, under bridges or in wild country, with no credit card, no girlfriend or a home with hot water, but only a guitar." They sing, "It is just like the life we live now." Wang said, "We are poor farmers, and you know people won't care about us."

    Their song is loved by millions of Chinese, including the people who are also from the countryside. Many people said they cried after listening to the song.

    Wang came to Beijing in 2000 and has tried many jobs. Each month after he paid 600 yuan for the house and bought food, there was little money left." I love music, and also want to make more money." Wang said." I never dreamed of standing on such a big stage."

    Liu came to Beijing in 2002. "I wanted to try my luck in the big city." He said. And now their dreams of music have come true. They are really the luckiest of all the farmers in China.