I’m Emily Barr, a British journalist. One day, an idea of travelling around the world came into my mind. I was so scared at first that I thought about canceling the whole plan at least twice a day. But I finally made up my mind and left.

Travelling around the world is the most exciting thing I have ever done. During the first few months I saw the beautiful view of Miami’s South Beach. I crossed the United States by train and walked on a Fijian beach, and I was happy to visit New Zealand. Then I spent about a month in Australia.

When I arrived in China, I carefully copied the Chinese characters for the hotel I wanted to stay in onto a piece of paper, and handed it to a taxi driver. He frowned(皱眉), and then laughed at my ugly writing. In Chengdu, I rode out of town to see pandas at their reserve(保护区)．One evening when I spent my time in a bar, I met James, another tourist, who is my husband now by the way. We flew to Tibet together the next day.

James and I walked around in Lhasa, travelled on Indian trains, wandered around the Taj Mahal and slept on the floor at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Then a year after I began my trip, I went back home.

Now James and I live in France with our two young sons and often make plans to travel with the boys. Once you have done it, anything seems possible.

  a. Travelling to China.    b. Crossing the United States.

   c. Visiting New Zealand.        d. Going to India.         e. Going on a trip to Australia.

Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.

    While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children’s lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.

    According to the report’s key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever’ read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”

       The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2—8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.

    When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel(建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.

     The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.

    As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.

A

It was Monday. Mrs. Smith's dog was hungry , but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it "Give my dog half a pound of meat."Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently," Take this to the butcher( person whose job is selling meat)and he's going to give you your lunch today." Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
     At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more. The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers. But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled . He said to himself, "This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?"
        Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!

For years, I played around with writing. I wrote when I felt like it. Then one day, a friend asked me what my dream was. When I said it was to be a writer, he said these words that changed my life, “You don’t have to want to be a writer. You are a writer; you just need to write.” So I started calling myself a writer. Everywhere I went, I introduced myself as “Jeff Goins, Writer,” and even put it in email signatures（签名）and on my Facebook page. And you know what? I started acting like it. Eventually, I even began to believe it. It turns out that sometimes you do have to fake（假装）it before you make it.

The lesson here is simple: If you wait for someone to give you permission to start pursuing（追求）your dream, you’ll be waiting for a long time. You have to begin before you think you’re ready.

After I decided to pursue my dream, I still had to find the time to do it. Working a full-time job and having a wife and other things to do, I didn’t have enough free time. I had to find time to write. For me, that meant getting up early. Like, 5:00 a.m. early. Every morning, I would wake up, get my coffee, and write for two hours. At first, this was difficult; I had to force myself out of bed and downstairs before the sun rose. But eventually, it became a habit. I did it without even thinking about it. And soon, what started as a discipline became a daily joy.

By doing this, I learned the excuse I had given myself —“ I don’t have enough time”— wasn’t true. I did have enough time; it was just hiding in “inconvenient” places.

These days, most people I meet are talking about their dreams. For example, they want to bravely pursue a successful career. However, they’re doing it all wrong. They think they need to take a huge leap out into the unknown when, in fact, the opposite is true. So if you have a dream, just take action. And don’t say you don’t have time for it.

When my students ask me why I live in a tiny house, they actually ask about all the “sacrifices (牺牲)” I am making. They know that I have moved from a large apartment in the city to a small home on wheels in the backyard woods. They know I forego running water, Internet connection, and reliable phone reception.

However, it was possible for me to be truly happy while living with very few material things. My body responded well, in health, fitness and mood. Watching the daily sunset, hosting friends for days at a time, reading, writing letters to my families and friends and exploring natural wonders in my spare time all were free and invaluable experience.

What was necessary to my survival proved to be a rather short list—healthy food, clean and drinkable water, heat source, weather-protecting shelter, weather-suitable clothing, equally important friends and mental and physical stimulations (刺激).

When I returned to life in the US, I couldn’t help but sense a deep and uneasy belief that life suddenly changed. I felt disconnected with many things—the earth, others, my food source, my waste disposal, the natural cycle of my body and the productive interests. These are the things I once loved but now find myself too busy to enjoy. How was it that I was earning 40 times my Peace Corps salary and was less healthy and satisfied in my daily schedule? I found myself asking—what is it to be rich anyway? Therefore, last August I let go of most of my belongings and moved into a tiny house on wheels because I wanted to see if I could live a more enjoyable lifestyle.        

So far so good. I believe that I have made the right decision.

Billboard Music Awards of the Year 2015 goes to Taylor Swift，a singer-songwriter，who has shaped and inspired the American music industry with her success．

 When Taylor Swift first came to public notice，she was a 17-year-old newcomer who loved singing to her own guitar．She was far more enthusiastic than skilled，but apparently threw spark of superb talent．

  Four years’ later，Swift has become a multi-awards winner，with the biggest selling albums．

 Swift is used to breaking chart records and winning honors since her career started．She followed that up in 2008 with Fearless，which established her as a skilled songwriter with

  My wife Julie and I were out on the road that runs around where we live, when we saw an old worn-out dog stumbling (蹒跚) painfully up the road. We stopped, bent down, talked gently to the dog and patted it. I checked and there was a collar with a phone number. I called but no one answered.

   The dog was painfully thin. So Julie ran home to get some of our dog's food while I tried to encourage the dog. After Julie came back, we sat down on the sidewalk while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home.

   After trying for many times we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father's dog. She was very old and got lost that morning. So, Tara was safely returned home.

   Here is the truth of the story:

   Actually Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to persuade me to come back, but I wasn't hearing anything that made that sound likely.

   I was about to turn and go when an old black dog walked between us and almost fell down. Suddenly we had something more important than our problem to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.

   We did help it. And here I am writing the story in my own home, in my own family.

   In the song "Love Is Not a Fight" Warren Barfield talks about marriage. At one point he sings, "And if we try to leave, may God send angels (天使) to guard the door." Sometimes angels come disguised (伪装) as dogs.

After the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater’s 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment because this theater will come to an end.

      The film classic The Last Picture Show was the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-bye to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed suitable. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.

Bradfordsaid that large modern theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater’s location(位置) was also a reason. “This used to be the center of town,” he said. “Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses.”

Last week some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were abandoned because of financial problems.Bradfordsold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

The theater audience said good-bye asBradfordlocked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater has shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.

 Jamie Oliver is a lively young British chef. He loves to teach us his secrets of cooking and eating. In his first television show, The Naked Chef, Oliver taught everyone to make simple but delicious food. In Jamie's Kitchen, he taught young people how to cook. His next show, Jamie's School Dinners, is about changing the foods that students eat.

   Oliver saw that some schools in Britain were serving junk food--food that is easy to eat but unhealthy. Although it can be delicious, junk food is not very good for you, and it is sometimes harmful for your health. Junk food can also harm children, because it doesn't give them the power they need at school. They sometimes can't think well or feel down, and they sometimes gain weight.

   Some of the junk food that Oliver wants to change is canned spaghetti, chicken nuggets, French fries, soda, and muffins. He encourages schools to serve fresh and healthy meats, vegetables, and fruits. He helps the school cooks to make healthy dinners without junk food.

   People liked Oliver's idea of bringing quality food to schools. Thousands enjoyed his television show. But, Oliver wanted them to do more than just watch. At his Feed Me Better website, he collected over 270,000 signatures (签名) from people. They wanted to stop junk food and put healthy food in schools again.

   Oliver sent the signatures to Prime Minister (首相) Tony Blair. Prime Minister Blair promised to help change the school kitchens, teach school chefs to cook healthy foods, and spend more on school dinners. Thanks to Jamie Oliver, students everywhere in Britain can enjoy more healthy dinners.

   On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said. "You're nervous and that's okay. Everyone is afraid of high school. " I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.

   On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly Inst. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn't figure out, Was this how the whole year ~vas going to be? . I didn't think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it! The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.

   Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.

   Since then, I've been elected vice monitor of my class, which wasn't much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.

   It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you participate in some out - of - class activities because you'll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn't straight A.

   Most important of all, be who you are, whether you're a "fool", an athlete, or a lower grader. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.