4 . Exposure to different cultures is one of the main reasons I enjoy visiting other countries. There are other types of food, interesting people, new experiences.     1    

A country usually has its own money, such as RMB in China, rupee in India, and rufiyaa in Maldives.     2     This can make travel among such countries much easier and more convenient. In my opinion, however, I like having different kinds of money to use and get used to that while I travel.     3     When I visited Thailand and Vietnam last month, getting used to the fact that ₤1 is equal to over 42 Thai baht and 27,000 Vietnamese dong was also quite a good test for my maths skills!

If you’ve ever been to the U.K., you will know the Queen’s head is on every banknote and every coin. I was living in the Quebec province of Canada last year and money there surprised me greatly.     4     This is because she’s also Canada’s Head of State. Images on the Canadian money are various, including former prime ministers, as well as Canadian wildlife like the beaver, caribou and polar bear.

    5     Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill appears on ₤5 banknotes and writer Jane Austen ₤10 banknotes. The banknotes are also made of a material called polymer rather than paper. In Canada, they are already using polymer banknotes and some people even think that the money smells of maple syrup (枫糖浆)，probably the country’s most well-known food!

5 . I’m a pig, and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters, and my wife, believe it or not, is a dragon! Do I live in a zoo? No, of course not! I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs. Depending on the year of your birth, each person has an animal for a sign. That’s why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you, like me, were born in the year of the pig, then you are brave, thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.

Now let’s take a closer look at this interesting animal.

Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago, and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don’t just use pigs for their meat — almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists’ brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax, rubber and plastics.

Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film ‘Babe’ starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer, Rob Shepherd, has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don’t just want to eat pigs, it seems!

Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example, if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day, you can say “pigs might fly!” to him. Hungry? Well then, you can “pig out” and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you? Well, you can say that they “saved your bacon”.

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