Some students who are from all around the world are talking about the way they go to school on School Bus Bar at http://tieba.baidu.com/.

Dear Abby,
I'm a helpless mother. My son Tom is 15 years old. I find that the older he grows, the less we talk. I feel very sad and I really need help.
My first problem is about his hobbies. He spends almost all his spare time on computer games. When he gets home, he always turns on the computer and closes the door. I'm getting worried about him, especially when his English teacher tells me he always gets low marks in the English exams.
Second, he likes new technology, but I don't have enough money and I can't afford all the things he wants.
Recently, I've found that he is always alone. I've never seen him talking to his friends on the phone or going out with anyone on weekends. That is the last problem I have.
What should I do to help him? Please give me some advice.
A helpless mother
【小題1】The helpless mother has         problems.

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in 2002. He was different from other dogs because he was born with only two legs. The poor dog of course could not walk and even his mother Sarah did not want him. His first owner Michael Johnson also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of killing him. But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She decided to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself. She called him “Faith”.
In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard (滑板) to let him feel the movement… Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure (誘惑) and reward for him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. Amazingly, after only six months, Faith learned to balance on his legs and jump to move forward. After further training in this snow, he could now walk like a person.
Faith loves to walk around now. Wherever he goes, he attracts people’s attention. He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. A book named With a Little Faith is now being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.
Jude Stringfellow, his present owner, has stopped working and plans to take him around the world to tell people “that even without a perfect body, one can have a strong will (意志)”.
Faith is a good example of the strong will and wonder of life. In life there are always unpleasant things. So, in order to feel better, you just need to look at life from another direction. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day.
【小題1】Faith is different from other dogs because _______.

Paul and Jason were brothers who lived and worked on neighbouring farms．For 35 years they farmed side by side，sharing machinery and goods as needed，without a single problem．
However，one autumn，things changed．It began with a tiny disagreement about a horse，which grew into a major difference．The difference led to angry words，followed by weeks of silence between the two brothers．
One morning there was a knock on Paul’s door．He opened it and saw a builder holding his toolbox．“I’m looking for a few days’work，”the builder said．“Are there any jobs here I could help with?”
“Yes，”answered Paul，extremely pleased to see the builder．“I do have a job for you．Look at that farm across the creek(小溪)．That’s my brother’s farm.That creek used to be a grass field，but last week my brother dug a path from the fiver and made the creek．But I’ll go him one better．See that pile of wood?1 want you to build me a fence，two metres tall，so 1 won’t need to see him anymore．”
The builder said thoughtfully．“I think I understand the situation and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you．”
Paul had business in town that day and left the builder to his work．When he returned，the builder had just finished his job．Paul was shocked．Instead of a fence there was a bridge，stretching from one side of the creek to the other．
As Paul stood on the bridge，staring in amazement，his younger brother Jason，came across，and took Paul’s hand．“You are a good man to have built this bridge after a11 I've done，”said Jason．
Then，Paul，with tears in his eyes，said to the builder who was packing his bag to go，“Thank you so much。Please stay．I have much more for you to do．”
“I’d love to．”the builder said quietly，“but，I have many more bridges to build.”
【小題1】What was the cause of the disagreement between the two brothers?

Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce (彈跳) back.
But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will never be the same. You must understand that and try to have balance in your life. How?
Don’t look down on your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special.
Don’t let other people set goals for you. Only you know what is best for yourself.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid of difficulties. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don’t use time or words carelessly. You can’t get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why we call it “the present” Life is not a competition, but a trip, step by step.
【小題1】The passage tells us not to _________ because everyone is special.

It is said that the eyes are the windows of our soul. Beautiful and bright eyes not only show a good health but also make you look very attractive. However, to have healthy eyes you have to look after them properly. Yours eyes need everyday attention.
Pay more attention to your diet. First, eat food that is good for your eyes. They are fresh fruits and vegetables such as fish, eggs, and milk. Besides, a regular amount of vitamins A and B2 should also be taken.
A regular and sound sleep is necessary. It relaxes the eye muscles and gives them the rest required. Sleep not only helps the body to repair its tired tissues(組織). Usually, you must sleep for at least seven to eight hours every day. Loss of sleep can give you dark circles under the eye.
You must exercise your eyes every day. Blink(眨眼) yours eyes at regular periods, which makes the eyeballs watery, and gives them a good wash.
We use our eyes in many unnoticeable and wrong ways. Fox example, if a small thing goes into our eye we start rubbing(揉) it, which is wrong. Rubbing can cause damage to your eyes. Don’ t read or write in poor or bright sunlight. Always use sunglasses as sunlight can cause eye tiredness. Light should not shine directly in your eyes. Too much reading, writing, watching television or working on the computer can also cause eye tiredness.
Remember to always take care of God’s most beautiful gift to you. Your life will be very colorless without your eyes.

How do we know the weather? We learn it on the radio and TV every day. Different countries have different weather. For example, the weather in Australia is different from that in China. Because the seasons* in Australia are the opposite*. Its summer is from December to February. But in our country, it’s winter this time. And its winter is in June, July and August. So when it’s spring in China, it’s autumn in Australia. Isn't it interesting?
【小題1】People can learn the weather ____ every day.

Every day，it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us．Look at your own bags and clothes，and at the bags and clothes of your classmates．How many different advertisements can you see which use English words?
Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them. This is a popular form．A special picture or symbol called a logo(標(biāo)識語)is sometimes used．Logos appear on many different products(產(chǎn)品)．They are popular because when you see a logo，it is hard to forget that product or company．
It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio．Most advertisements are very short．Sometimes the advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember． Nike，for example，has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world：“Just do it．”Advertisements often use funny situations as well．It is simple to remember it．
All advertisements are designed(設(shè)計)to make people buy a product．An advertisement for a soft drink，for example，might show a group of young people who are having fun．The young people are al1 drinking the soft drink．Advertisers are saying to you，“Why don’t you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern.”
You might think that advertisements are not after you，but the next time you buy a soft drink，ask yourself this question：Why am I buying this particular(特別的)product?
【小題1】From the passage，we know that           ．

Tom lived in a town near New York. His father had a shop there and his mother was a doctor. He was seven years old this year and began to go to school this September. It was a little far(遠(yuǎn)的) from their shop and his father drove a car to take him to school five days a week. So he was never(從不) late for class and his teachers likes him very much.
It was Monday that day. Miss Green was teaching them to count(數(shù)數(shù)) from one to ten in the morning. Tom was studying hard. Soon he could count them. Green was happy and asked, “How many people are there in your family, Tom?”
Tom stood up and said, “Two, Miss.”
“Who are they?”
“My father and my mother.”
“Oh,” Miss Green was surprised. She then said, “There’re three people in your family.”
“But now I’m not at home. I’m at school, you know!”
【小題1】Where did Tom’s father work?  ______________

As a girl, I've spent a great deal of my time on earth concerned about my weight. So I do know something about exercise. Let me tell you about the calorie-burning activities I've tried or will try.
Salsa (薩爾薩舞)
I try to maintain my weight through dancing. Dancing improves my coordination and sense of rhythm in addition to burning calories. I'm personally interested in salsa, which I find sexy and expressive(有表現(xiàn)力的). But I have not yet to start classes, because classes are very expensive, and I cannot find a dance partner.
Ping-Pong
Ping-pong is the national sport of China, so how could I know nothing about it?
My father is a ping-pong fan, and a really good player. He's won several informal (非正式的) matches. My relationship with ping-pong has always been on-and-off. I'll get into it for a while, and then lose interest. The reason is because I can’t find a good partner. Some stronger can depress you, while someone weaker (or just as weak) can make the game boring.
Tae Kwon Do （跆拳道）
I've recently decided to try tae kwon do as my regular exercise activity. There’s a story behind this choice: A few weeks ago, I was sitting on a bus, concentrating on a book. Suddenly, the bus became very quiet except for the sound of a woman’s crying. I looked up to see what had happened and overheard whispers that she had just quarreled with a man, and the man slapped(拍打) her face. No one on the bus dared say anything because the man looked really strong. Even now I feel ashamed I was among the silent.
That’s why I've made up my mind to learn something that will help me protect others and myself.
【小題1】We can guess that the girl is _____ according to the passage.