1 . Money makes the world go around, yet the best things in life are free. A penny saved is a penny earned, but you get what you pay for. You probably have your own ideas about spending money. Now is a great time to learn how to spend money wisely.

When you are considering buying something you want, run through this checklist first.

How much do you really want it?

Seeing a $25 gum ball (口香糖球) machine, Ben wanted it. But after thinking about it, he decided that it would be exciting only for a day or two. “Besides, it’s not possible for me to chew that much gum,” he said wisely.

Do you still want it a week later?

If the thing passes the “really wanting-it” test, try to wait for some time to see how strong the desire (欲望) is. This strategy works for grown-ups, too!

How will you pay for it?

After the first two steps, Ben found he really wanted a toy pirate ship (海盗船), but it cost $50. He had $22 in his pocket and gets $1.50 a week to spend. His mother helped him work out how many weeks he would need to save to get the ship: 19.

Are there ways to earn the money?

Ben agreed to wash the downstairs windows at a dollar each. So he got $10 for himself and sparkling (闪亮的) sunlight for the rest of the family.

Can you get it cheaper?

After deciding to buy it, it is necessary for you to look for less expensive ways to buy it: search for what you want on the internet or in shops and flea markets (跳蚤市场). Sometimes you can find the same thing at a much lower price. If these suggestions work well, they can save you a lot of money. You will be a really smart shopper.

Answer the following questions according to the passage above.   (根据上面的短文内容，回答下列问题。)

Cold air swept across the north part of China in the first week of November. At the same time, a global (全球的) meeting on climate (气候) change was held in Scotland. There, leaders around the world tried to control global warming.

Why are we experiencing such a cold winter on a warming planet? The cold winter and global warming, two opposite facts, are not contradictory (对立的).

Global warming has changed Earth’s air condition and the weather. For example, in October, Li Nina affected China. It was caused by strong winds from the Pacific Ocean.

Another reason for the cold weather is the warming Arctic. It’s warming almost three times as fast as any other places on Earth.

Will the earth be much colder? It’s reported that a cold winter is likely. Northern China will probably see more snow, and southern China will see less rain.

British people don’t like to say “no”, because they think it is rude. But this can be a problem for people from other countries. When you learn English, you learn to say things like “Yes, please.” and “No, thank you.” when somebody asks you if you want something. But real life is not always so easy.

When you give something to British people, they often say, “I’m all right, thanks.” When they say this, they mean that they already have everything they need, so it is a way to say no. Unluckily, saying “all right” is also a way to say yes. The same phrase (短语) can be used in different ways to mean both yes and no!

Manjit works in a tourist shop. “British people are difficult customers (顾客),” he said. “If you give something to them, they say, ‘Maybe later’ even when they plan never to buy it.”

Saying yes is not much better, said Manjit. “When they want to buy something, they sometimes don’t say yes. They say, ‘Sure!’ or ‘Why not?’ It’s so confusing (令人困惑的)!”

7 . Do you know how many bones are there in your body? When you were a baby you had about 330 bones, and now you have just over 200 bones. The number reduces because some bones join together as you grow. Your wonderful bones work together to protect you and support your body.

Many Uses

Many bones protect your body. For example, the bone that makes up your head is called the skull. The skull surrounds your brain and protects it, The ribs that cover your chest protect your heart and lungs.

Other bones are used to support the body. The many bones in your feet allow you to walk, and stand on your tiptoes. Your hands and feet have more than half of the bones in your body!

Biggest Bone

The longest and strongest bone in your body is in your leg. It is called the femur and it goes from your hip to your knee, It is a very important bone because it carries all of your weight and helps you move from place to place.

Smallest Bone

Would you believe the smallest bone in your body is in your ear? It is about the size of a grain of rice and is called the stirrup, When sound waves come into your ear, the stirrup shakes back and forth, allowing the sound waves to reach your brain. When the waves reach your brain. you hear the sound.

Funny Bones

Hah! The funny bone isn't really a bone at all. It is actually a nerve(神经). When you hit the nerve that is near your elbow. it really hurts or tingles. What's so funny about that? The funny bone probably got its name from the bone that is above your elbow. That bone is called the humerus, which sounds like the word "humorous", meaning "funny"

The bones that make up our bodies help us grow, and allow us to move. When you think about them, our bones are really wonderful.

8 . Large stores are doing a lot of different things to try to attract more shoppers. Many of them now have greeters who stand near the door. The greeters' job is to say hello to the shoppers and make them feel at home. They also help people find what they are looking for and answer any other question. College students often take jobs as greeters. Greeters don't get paid very well, but they don't need to spend much time on the job. They have the time to do other things like study.

Discount programs are also a way to attract shoppers. Some stores give discounts if a shopper spends a certain amount of money. For example, the shopper may get 20 percent off on the first $100 he or she spends. When the shopper spends over $ 100, the discount may reach 25 percent. This encourages shoppers to spend more money at this store.

_________This is a very easy way to shop. It becomes really important during holiday seasons when the stores are crowded with shoppers. For many people, it's much more enjoyable to sit at home with a cup of coffee and pick out what they want. To make online shopping even more attractive, most stores provide lower prices. Some people think that one day we’ll do all our shopping on the Internet.