【推荐1】Some children cannot wait to grow up. Because once you become an adult, you are free to make your own decisions. More importantly you can do all those things that you cannot do now because you are too young. So the question is ‘At what age do you really become an adult?’ Well, people become adults at different ages in different places.

In Australia, the 18th birthday is a very important event for young Australians because it means they can do almost anything they want. They can vote (选举), learn to drive a car, get married, join the army and even buy their own houses. Even if they can do all these things, most Australians have to wait until their 21st birthday to really celebrate becoming an adult. This is the traditional adult age in Australia and the USA and the UK.

Even though 21 is the traditional adult age in many English-speaking countries the law nowadays is different in each country. In the UK you can join the army at 16 and even get married at 16 if your parents allow. Young people in the UK can learn to drive a car at 17, although they have to wait until they are 18 to vote.

In China, you can vote and learn to drive a car when you are 18, but if you want to get married, women have to wait until they are 18 and men until they are 22. Chinese people celebrate important birthdays every 10 years — so when young people turn 20, they can expect a big party!

No matter what age you are, becoming an adult is really about learning how to be independent and responsible（负责任的）. Once you are finally able to take care of yourselves and make your own decisions, then you can say that you are truly all grown-ups.

【推荐3】The United States has many different kinds of climates. On the northwest coast, the temperature changes very little between summer and winter, but the north central states have a very different kind of climate. In those states, people wear light clothes in summer, and they need heavy woolen clothes in winter.

In the southwest coast, the climate is rainy and warm during the winter, but the summer is dry and hot.

In the northeast of the United States, summer temperatures are very different from winter temperatures. Summer is usually hot, and winter is usually cold. Spring temperatures are warm, and fall temperatures are cool.

Years ago, people in the cold parts of the United States didn’t often get fresh vegetables and fresh fruits during the summer. Today, however, trucks and trains carry fruits and vegetables very quickly to all parts of the United States. In this way, Americans “send their climates” to people in other states.

What should I eat for breakfast? Who should I go out with on weekends? What should I do if I miss the bus to school? What colleges should I apply for? Again and again Chinese kids ask these questions to their teachers and parents.     1    

Kids in America would be very surprised to hear how much Chinese children depend on adults.     2     By twelve they know what classes to take for middle school. Thirteen years old is the beginning of being what Americans call a “teenager”. Now the child makes almost all his/ her decisions—what to do after school, who are his/her friends, sometimes even when to come home at night. Finally at sixteen the kid usually gets a car from his/her parents. Now he or she can come and go when he/she likes. The only rule is when they come home at night.

Why should kids be independent? Think about it.     3     Will our parents be able to tell us what to eat for breakfast in college? Can our teachers decide what we should do at work?

    4     But we can start with making small choices, and then slowly make bigger and more important choices. Before we know it we will become independent, confident and able to make our own decisions!     5