I have had the pleasure of meeting a few neighbors . They seem to be quite kind people . For Christmas , I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors that I knew . I sat down and counted . There were nine neighbors , and I also knew which houses they lived 1 .
However , I decided to add one more person to my list , the lady I met every morning walking to work when I drove down the street . She always gave me a sweet smile and a friendly wave（挥手）, 2 I had no idea about her address .
My gift idea was to make small 3 baskets and leave them on each of my neighbor's front porches（门廊）the night of Christmas Eve . I kept the last one for the friendly lady because I was still not sure about where she lived . It was 4 the house down about where I met her each morning . Finally I decided to put it there . My neighbors really enjoyed the baskets and a couple even came by to thank me .
This morning I got a Thank you card.
The card said , “ Thank you for those lovely apples and strawberries you left on the porch of Thomas . He 5 on January 19 , but he never stopped 6 about how nice it was that he was remembered in his time of illness . He really enjoyed it . ”
I was very 7 . Why he sent a card to me ? I had no idea 8 Thomas was or that he had been seriously ill . I had left that nice lady's basket on Thomas' porch by accident . I believe Thomas never expected to have that basket . I feel sorry that the nice lady didn't get a basket from me , but I believe if she knew what had happened , she would 9 me .
I feel lucky to have helped Thomas be more cheerful in his last days . This just makes me further believe that sometimes 10 in life are beautiful .
What do you think Americans in the early twentieth century (1900~1927) did on weekends？ What do they do on weekends now?
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Then Once upon a time, people spent lots of time at home on weekends. Then, new inventions changed the weekends. ◆People used electric(电动的) streetcars to travel in cities. On weekends, they rode the streetcars to parks. Young people liked roller coasters(过山车). ◆The first movie lasted only one minute. Soon movies lasted longer. In the 1920s, movie theaters sold millions of tickets each week. In 1927, movies eventually(最终) had sound. Sometimes, people stayed at home instead, and listened to another new invention — radio. ◆People in cities worked indoors during the week, so they wanted to be outdoors on weekends. Bicycling became a popular activity. |
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Now With more time, money and inventions, people have much more choices. ◆They can visit large parks like Disney World and ride modern roller coasters that go higher and faster than ever before. ◆They can choose from lots of different movies at a multiplex (a building with many movie theaters) or watch a video at home. ◆Many people jog(慢跑), cycle, work out at the gym, or play sports. Others turn on their TV and watch sports. |
Life today moves faster than ever before. Thanks to technology(技术), the speed of life has increased(增加) over the past century. Time-saving inventions, like e-mail and ATMs, have made daily tasks more efficient (有效率的). People today need speed. A recent CNN survey shows that sixty percent of Americans said they won't wait longer than 15 minutes for food or services. A restaurant in Japan even asks customers to pay by time spent at table, not by what they eat!
Unfortunately, studies show that life's hurried pace produces stress and leads to health problems. An online survey at sina.com showed that 56 % of people in China usually feel short of time. They are always busy and feel nervous all the time. Maybe people need to take time to slow down and smell the roses.
However, whether you enjoy speed or prefer a slower pace, it's easy to be amazed(大为惊奇) at how fast life moves. And with tomorrow's technology, it will likely get even faster.
Dear Wang Tao,
I'm so glad to read about the changes taking place in your city. I am happy that you can travel by subway in Chongqing, though there are only six lines there. Here is London we have twelve lines.
The London Underground is very famous. It's famous for several reasons. Firstly, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world. It opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric（电动的）trains in 1890. Thirdly, the London Underground is the second largest metro（地下铁道）system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometers of tracks (轨道). What's more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation（交通）system famous! I've got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.
In your e-mail, you also said workers were building more lines. I'm sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I'm happy for you to live in an ancient city with such a new look!
So much for now. I'll write soon again. Best wishes!
Yours,John
One morning Wang Fang found that her classroom had changed. The 14-year-old saw that the desks were no longer rows, but pushed together to （make） six bigger desks.
The new arrangement（排列）was part of a reform at Wang's school, Changsha Daotian Middle School in Hunan. About five weeks ago, more than 2000 junior students at the school began （study） in this way, with six to eight students sitting in groups.
“This reform is to provide students easier ways to study and （many）chances for discussion,” said LiuXu, a school head teacher.“Our school hopes it can improve（student）abilities（能力）for self-study as well as teamwork.”
The new arrangement （take）some time for students to get used to. “I was too curious（好奇）about it for the first two days,”said Fan. But soon she and her classmates got used to it.“Now our class is quieter because we can stop loud students with some simple gestures（手势）,”said Fan.“What's （much） , we can express our own ideas and learn others' through discussion. It's a better way to study!”
