Four rules for a healthy life

    1     Thanks to better health care, most people are living healthier and longer lives. It’s even thought that in the future more and more people will celebrate their hundredth birthdays. Here are four rules for a healthy life.

1. Get off the sofa!

Sure, it’s comfortable to sit on the sofa and watch TV. But doctors say you should get off the sofa.     2     要保持健康，你每天至少应走10000步。In the past, people’s jobs required more physical effort. They often had to walk for miles every day. When farmers were working, they were keeping fit at the same time. Think about it: Do you get the same amount of exercise today as they did in the past?

2. Eat healthy food!

    3     吃新鲜自然的食物很重要，for example, fruit and vegetables. Fast food is not healthy. You should only have it once in a while. Eating too much of the wrong food will harm your health.

3. Rest while you can!

    4     When we were babies, we slept for much of the night. Teenagers do not need as much sleep as babies, but it’s important for you to get about eight hours’ sleep a night. At weekends, you’ve got more time, so use it not just for your friends, but for rest too.

4. Don’t worry. Be happy!

    5     许多人认为幸福对我们的健康很重要。Sometimes it is not easy to be a teenager because of the difficulties of school, exams or friendships. If you’re worried about something, talk to your parents or your teacher.

Nowadays many people want to have a more interesting experience when arriving in a new city or country. Here are some better ways to travel, both for you and for the environment.

Get out of the car and walk.     1     It’s slower but it’s the greenest way to travel. It’s also the most rewarding way to see a city, but remember to wear comfortable shoes. You can slow down your pace, enjoy fresh air and beautiful scenery along the way.

    2     骑自行车也是一个好的选择。 Many hotels now offer free bikes to guests. It is convenient for people to travel around the city. Some also provide electric bikes that make it easier to go up hills and on longer journeys. Some cities also have Mobikes and you can pick up one easily.     3     它不免费但很便宜。

If you have to take transport in a city, try to take public transport. Most cities now offer lots of information and very cleat maps about the public transport at the city’s websites.     4     So search for them at the websites when you arrive in a city.

    5     If possible, take trains or ships to travel from city to city. They are usually greener than cars and planes.

An Accidental Invention

Did you know that tea, the most popular drink in the world (after water), was invented by accident? Many people believe that tea was first drunk nearly 5,000 years ago.     1    It is said that a Chinese ruler called Shen Nong first discovered tea as a drink.   One day Shen Nong was boiling drinking water over an open fire.     2    Some leaves from a tea plant fell into the water and remained there for some time.   It produced a nice smell so he tasted the brown water anyway. It was quite delicious. In this way,     3    世界上最受欢迎的饮品之一被发明了。

It is believed that tea was brought to Korea and Japan during the 6th and 7th centuries.     4    In England, tea didn't appear until around 1660, but less than100 years later. it had become the national drink. The tea trade from China to Western countries took place in the 19th century. This helped to spread the popularity of tea and the tea plant to more places around the world.     5    尽管现在很多人都了解茶文化, the Chinese are without doubt the ones who best understand the nature of tea.

“Thank you” is widely used in modern society. It is a very good manner     1     你应该说“谢谢” whenever others help you or say something kind to you. For example, when someone opens the door for you, you should say so. Also, it is polite to say “Thank you” when someone praises you.

“Excuse me” is another polite expression.     2     We use it the same as “Thank you”. When you hear someone say so behind you, it means that somebody wants to walk past you without touching you. It is not polite to interrupt (打断) others while they are talking.     3     If you want to have a word with one of them, please say “Excuse me” first. You should also do so when you want to cough or make any unpleasant noise before others.

In fact,     4     我们经常使用这两种礼貌表达 not only between friends, but also between parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.     5     Let's learn to say “Thank you” and “Excuse me” in our daily life.

There are many new ways of shopping, and online shopping is one of them. You can buy almost everything on the Internet, which is very easy. First, you choose something—clothes, tickets, a mobile phone, even a new computer—and pay for it.     1     Then you receive it a few days later by post.

Online shopping has several advantages. First, you can shop at any time as the shops are always open. However, physical stores have special opening hours.     2     其次, 实体店购物通常花费很多时间。You may get tired and be trapped in the crowded people and cars. But to shop on the Internet you only need a computer and a mouse!     3     You can also compare the prices of the same product and spend a lot or save money. But many people like going out and shopping with friends.     4     They don’t like shopping on the Internet because they can’t see the product or try the clothes on. Also paying over the Internet isn’t always safe.     5     网上购物正在改变我们的生活方式。One day no one will go to the shops anymore, because you’ll be able to buy anything on the Internet, and you will be able to receive it anywhere in the world at any time!

    1     众所周知，英语如今非常重要。It has been used everywhere in the world. It has become the most common language on the Internet and for international trade.    2     If we can speak English well, we will have more chances to succeed. Because more and more people have taken notice of it, the number of the people who go to learn English has increased at a high speed.

But for myself,    3     I learn English not only because of its importance and its usefulness, but also because of my love for it. When I learn English, I can feel a different way of thinking which gives me more room to touch the world. When I read English novels, I can feel the pleasure from the book which is different from reading the translation.    4     当我说英语时，我能从言语中感受到自信。When I write English, I can see the beauty which is not the same as our Chinese...

I love English, because it gives me a colorful dream. I hope I can travel around the world one day. With my good English, I can make friends with many people from different countries and see many places of great interests. Rome was not built in a day.    5     I believe that after continuous hard study, one day I can speak English very well.

Anger is a kind of feeling.    1     很多事情能使你愤怒。When your teacher gives you too much homework, when your team loses an important game, and when a friend borrows your favorite thing and then breaks it, you may get really angry.

    2     Usually, your body will tell you when you are angry. For example, you breathe faster, your face turns red, and you may want to break something or hit someone, but sometimes, you hide your anger.

For example, you may hide it in your heart. he problem is that if you do this, you may get a headache or your stomach may hurt.

In fact, it’s not good to hide your anger, and it’s normal for you to get angry sometimes.     3     But anger must be let out in the right way, ithout hurting others or yourself.

When you get angry, you can talk about it with other people. It’s helpful to talk about your anger with an adult such as parents, a teacher, etc.     4     When you talk about anger, those bad feelings can start to go away. Here are some other things you can do when you start to feel angry: talk to a good friend; count from 1 to 100; give someone a hug; go for a bike ride; think about good things, etc.

Remember that how you act when you are angry can make everything better or worse.    5     不要让你的愤怒控制你。

Autumn in Beijing is becoming the best time of year in the city, with cooler weather and golden falling leaves. In 2015, they started a project in the capital to provide more colorful plants in autumn and winter.     1    北京在过去的5年中改变了很多。Many areas of the city are more colorful and greener.

Xie Zijia, a 35-year-old artist who has lived in Beijing since 2004, said, “    2    Autumn in the city used to be short, cold and gray. In the past, there were not many good places to draw outdoors when it turned cold. It’s different now. Last week, I went to draw at Ditan Park and Baiwang Mountain.     3    I can now also enjoy different kinds of pretty trees, bushes and flowers when I draw in a small park near my home.”

Jin Xian, 60, who lives in Beijing and has visited many countries, said the city is her favorite, especially in autumn. “In the past, I used to feel the difference between European cities and those in China, as when I traveled in Europe, the streets were beautiful and there were plants outside the houses.     4    However, in recent years, Beijing has become much prettier. There are more small gardens in the downtown area and more and more plants in the city, including those in my neighborhood.     5    它们给我们的生活带来了色彩和活力。”

In the West, if you are going to visit someone’s home, it is polite to take a present with you. Flowers, wine and sweets are all good choices. However, if you want to impress the host or hostess,     1     why not bring with you something handmade?

It is always wise to bring books about China to your foreign friends     2     目的是为了让他们更多地了解中国. If you think books are too ordinary, you can bring some traditional handicrafts such as fans.     3     In the past, fans were used not just to cool oneself. Sometimes fans were decorated with paintings or poems. When you give your friends the present, you can tell them a little about Chinese history. For the hostess, you can give her silk or a present with beautiful Chinese decorations, such as a handmade purse or a Chinese comb. I’m sure she will like it.

You can also give your foreign friends something to eat or drink.     4     你可以做一些中国菜and take them to your friends’ house. You can also bring Chinese tea. Tea is a national drink in China. It is an important part of Chinese culture.

    5     If you need to bring a present to children, toy pandas are a good choice. The giant panda is China’s national treasure. It is popular around the world.

The first few tai chi classes in the club were fun and easy for me. The moves really caught my imagination.     1     My coach told me about the history of tai chi. Zhang Sanfeng, a 13^th — century Taoist, was said to have invented tai chi after drawing inspiration from a fight between a snake and a bird.     2     然而，人们现在不这么想了. They tend to believe that Chen Wangting, a 17^th — century master of Chinese martial arts, developed tai chi based on martial arts skills.     3       No wonder some tai chi moves are named after animals — Chinese martial arts have a long-standing practice of imitating animals.

After learning the basics of tai chi, I found myself bored and aching from doing the same moves over and over again.     4     幸运的是，我的教练教会了我怎样放松自己 and focus on peace of mind while performing the routine. With these requirements of tai chi in mind, I found to my satisfaction that my balance and flexibility slowly improved.     5     My love for tai chi returned stronger than ever.