At 18, many American young people go off on their own. They go away to college or find full-time jobs, and they often rent their own apartments. Some get married and start families. This independence（独立性）is learned from childhood.
From an early age, American children learn responsibility（责任感）. Children as young as 2 begin to put away their toys and dress themselves. At 3, many children do simple chores like setting the table.
Using money wisely is also taught early. As soon as a child understands the value of money, he or she receives a weekly allowance. This is used for things the child wants, like toys or treats. The child can spend or save it, usually with little guidance（指导） from parents. If the child wants money besides his or her allowance, it must be made by doing extra chores.
Children are taught early in life to think for themselves. They are allowed to make some decisions and make mistakes. Failure often teaches children more than success.
1. Many American young people begin to live on themselves ________.| A．at eighteen years old | B．from childhood |
| C．after they get married | D．from an early age |
| A．find a full-time job | B．rent an apartment |
| C．put on his or her own clothes | D．do lots of chores |
| A．奖品 | B．零花钱 | C．财产 | D．礼物 |
| A．understanding the value of money | B．helping the rich |
| C．reading many books | D．doing extra chores |
| A．the independence of American children |
| B．the value of money |
| C．the guidance from parents |
| D．failure and success of American children |
Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable（一次性的）toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers. Many guests like the idea because they don't have to bring their own. But if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring these things of your own. That's because some hotels in Beijing have no longer provided guests with these disposables. Many disposable things are made of plastic. People throw them away after only using them once. It's a waste of natural resources（资源）and is very bad for the environment.
In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and l,320 tons of lunch bowls every year! Plastic can take 100 to 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw away, the better environment we will have.
So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again. Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:
Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.
After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then use it over and over again.
Do not use paper cups.
At your school canteen（餐厅）, use your own bowls and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.
1. Many guests like to use disposable things because they are very convenient.2. Some Beijing hotels have no longer provided guests with free disposable things.
3. Plastic breaks down easily
4. After using a plastic bowl or a bag, we'd better throw it away, because it's too dirty to use again.
5. We should use less plastic things and protect our environment.
