【推荐2】Chinese has a long history. It has shaped other languages in Asia the way Latin has shaped languages in the West. With this history, will Chinese have a surprising future?

Over one billion people speak Chinese in the world—far more than any other language. It is the language of the country which is soon to have the world’s largest economy (经济). Chinese people are found studying and doing business all over the world.

In fact, Chinese is definitely going to be a world language. Why is this certain? We must look at the economic and political power (政治影响力) of China, which is increasing every day. In the past, world languages have always been the languages of countries with powerful economics. Latin, French and English were important because of the power of the countries that spoke those languages.

Foreign interest in Chinese has developed very quickly together with the development of the Chinese economy. Chinese has become one of the most important and popular languages to learn.

As China develops, more and more people will want to learn about Chinese language and culture, to work and study in China, and to do business with Chinese companies. Chinese will one day become an international language.

【推荐3】One day, I happened to meet an Englishman in a store and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be very surprised, gently shaking his head and saying, “You don’t say! You don’t say!” I was puzzled（困惑的）, and I thought, “Perhaps this is not a right thing to talk about.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? Have you ever been there?”

“Certainly. When I’m back home, everyone will laugh at me if I leave here without seeing it. The Great Wall is wonderful!” he answered.

“Yes, it is one of the wonders in the world. And people from all over the world have come to visit it,” I added. As I was telling him more about it, he said again, “You don’t say!”

I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?”

“Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised.

“Didn’t you say ‘You don’t say!’?” I asked again.

Hearing this, the foreigner laughed loudly. He began to explain. “‘You don’t say!’ means ‘Really?’. Perhaps you know little about English idioms（习惯用语）.”

Wow! How foolish I was! Since then I have been careful with English idioms.

【推荐3】Some people say dolphins （海豚）are smart like humans （人类）. They can think, understand and learn things quickly. In fact, dolphins have big brain （大脑）-to-body size ratio （比例）, which is second only to humans. Dolphins use brains differently from the way humans do. But scientists say dolphins are like humans in some ways. How?

Like humans, every dolphin has its own “name”. The name is a special sound. Each dolphin chooses a special sound for itself at birth. Dolphins are like people in other ways, too. They “talk” with others in their own groups about a lot of things—such as their age, and how to find food. They also use sounds and body languages to talk. Understanding dolphin words is not easy for humans. No one speaks dolphin words, but some scientists are trying to learn.

Dolphins are also social （社会） animals. They live in groups, and often join others from different groups to play games and have fun—just like people. Scientists believe playing together is something only smart animals do.

Both humans and dolphins make plans for getting things they want. For example, when there are fish near a boat, dolphins jump high to ask the fishermen to put their nets （网）, and then the men can catch a lot of fish. Why do dolphins help the men? Because they can get some fish that run away from the net.

【推荐1】D

Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Different accidents can leave people with terrible wounds both in body and mind. Often they recall these experiences in their awful dreams.

Now American researchers think they are close to developing a kind of medicine, which will help people forget bad memories. The medicine is designed to be taken soon   after a scary experience. They hope it might cut down, or possibly clean up, the effect ( 影 响 ) of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals（释放化学物质）that make memories remain in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the effects of memories in mind may be cut down, not that the memories are cleaned up.

The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.

Supporters say it could lead to a kind of medicine that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.

“Some memories can destroy people’s lives. They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or awful dreams at night. They usually come with very painful feelings,” said Roger Pitman, a professor at Harvard Medical School. “This could cut down lots of that suffering.”

But those who are against the research say changing memories is very dangerous because memories make us different from others. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.

“All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are. I’m not sure if I want to forget those feelings.” said Rebecca Dresser, a medical scientist.

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【推荐2】Everyone dreams of changing the world. But can teenagers really make a difference? And how can they go about it?

Michael Norton's book 365 ways to Change the World is a good starting point: The book gives an idea or task for every single day of the year. The tasks include offering to work at a local homeless shelter(护所)and planting tree.

The book says that one simple act, no matter(无论)how small, can help someone in need. It may even influence(影响)other teens to do something Nathan Anthony, a student at Maple High School in Modesto, California, US, agrees. "It is impossible to get anything in life without giving something to someone or working hard at school or workplace, Anthony said.

Another Maple student, Ariane Mota, has the same idea. "Giving is our way of repaying those who help us, she said.Whether(无论) it is a helping hand or a donation(捐赠) we should others to make their day or life better."

But how often do teens see peers(同龄人)helping a stranger or doing something nice for someone?

According to Anthony, not lot. He and Mota both believe this needs to be changed "I help my friends by telling them that their lives are better than those poorer people，" Anthony said. "Humor is also a great tool."

So whether you're helping to find a cure(疗法 )for bad illness or simply smiling at a stranger, do something every day to help change the world for the better.

Snow forests make up about 30% of the world’s total forest areas. Although these wonderful woodlands (林地) are not as famous as the Amazon or other rainforests, they are very important for the Earth’s health.

Snow forests are found in the far north of the world, in areas that are quite cold and usually have a lot of snowfall. They run for thousands of miles and cover about 17% of the Earth’s total land area. Winters in these woodlands can last up to six months but even so, snow forests are home to many kinds of animals.

Snow forests have an important job-helping to absorb (吸收) carbon-based (碳基) gases. However, snow forests are facing several dangers. Trees are being cut down faster and faster for their wood. Some forests are being cleared for new roads and houses. This leads to less and less living space for wildlife. What’s more, as the world gets warmer, the risk of fires in snow forests rises. In recent years, Canada and Russia have seen very dangerous fires.

It’s very time to take some measures to protect snow forests now.