It is natural for young people to worship (崇拜) cool and young “idols (偶像)” with good appearances. We spend a lot of time caring about them—even     1     than we spend on our studies or work. We often wonder: What makes them win the fame? What could I do to be cool like them?

Well, guess what? Many of your idols are only made to “look” cool. If you could see into their     2     lives, you would find these stars aren’t so bright. Their beauty is only skin-deep. Some of them might not be as honest, kind or hard-working as you are! They aren’t worth the     3     that they enjoy from the fans at all!

When I was a teenager, I, along with most of my classmates, had worshipped pop idols, too. Then, one day, I discovered Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. They were people who played the guitar while sitting on a chair     4     flashy clothes, and they had no screaming (尖叫) fans. They didn’t need to be flashy because their songs were great and meaningful. Behind the     5     looked people lies the truth: Life is hard and the road you take might sometimes be lonely. Most of all, they taught me that it was okay if I wasn’t popular and cool all of the time. It’s their talents rather than looks that     6    . I still listen to them today.

Modern “idol culture” often sends the     7     message that life is always easy and fun. But the best actors, the top-ranking sports stars and the world’s     8     scientists all experience the stress of dealing with life’s many difficulties.

Idols     9     as important role models in our lives and growth so far, so it’s very important to choose the right ones. We should celebrate people who teach us important values and try their best to do what they can     10     us on the road ahead. The next time you see some pretty popular stars, ask yourself: Do I really need these people in my life?

   We two are students of Sunshine Middle School. Recently we     1     a chemical factory. The chemical factory is     2       to a river which gives us     3     water. But we found that the factory was     4     waste water directly into the river. Now the water in it becomes very dirty. Lots of fish have     5    . Some farmers     6    that some of their     7     and cows have become ill. What’s worse, some have already died     8    they drank the water from the river. Many people feel terrible and it’s hard for them to breathe. The water in the river does much harm     9    our health.So we are     10     to you to ask for help.We except that you can do something about this. We think the chemical factory must be stopped right now. Thank you!

Yours,

Li Mei

Not many years ago, families used to have one     1     and one TV in the living room, and there was no such thing as a home computer. Nowadays, all those items can be found in most teenagers’ bedrooms. Behind closed doors, teens can have     2     conversations, and they can turn the TV on to any     3     they like. If they are curious（好奇的）about the people abroad, they will use the Internet to explore（搜索）the places, get information and talk to the     4     people far away. Having the computers in their own rooms means an increase in privacy（隐私）for the kids.

As a result, many parents complain（抱怨）that teenagers refuse to communicate with the family. On the other hand, teenagers think that parents should     5     their privacy. Scientists say that if the teens lock their bedroom doors, parents should just keep on knocking. Parents have the right to know     6     who their sons and daughters are with and what they are doing. But parents must be ready to make a change, too. Some parents are very strict and try to keep control of their kids. But in the end, that doesn’t     7    , because it makes teens unhappy. The more unhappy teenagers are, the more they want to be left     8    . Some may even turn to the Internet and give up all social communications with family members and live in cyberspace.