Before you hit ‘Enter’ on MSN, read this
It is often said that the language we use online is less formal than that we use in a letter, or in direct speech sometimes. This is true, but it can also make us in trouble sometimes.
The thing about online communication is that you have no idea what the person who is reading your messages is feeling. For this reason, it is always a good idea to be polite and cautious when writing e-mails or messages to your friends.
Chinese can be a direct language, but in English, people often talk about a subject in another way. So instead of saying “Please meet me here” or “Do this for me now”, English speakers usually go for indirect phrases like “Would it be possible”, “if you have time” or “It would mean a lot to me if…”
If you have a close friend, you may still run into trouble because of your jokes. If you have asked someone to do something and they need a bit more time, you might joke with him: “What? You still haven’t done it yet? What’s wrong with you?” While this seems funny to you, your friend may feel unhappy.
If you have foreign friends in different countries, the time difference can also be a factor. While you are waking up for class on Friday morning, they may be having a party on Friday night. You will be serious and they will, probably, be excited. So don’t be angry if they seem not to care about you. Just try to message them at the proper time.
【小題1】 According to the passage, we learn that our letters are more ______ than the e-mails.

Dear Peter,

How about you study? It’s Sunday today I’m writing a letter to you. I’m going to tell you .I’m going to tell you about things in Beijing.

Beijing is different from London. In our country, we drive on the left side of the road, but here people drive on the right side. Most people go to work by bus or by bike. The rush hours(高峰時間) are from seven to nine in the morning and five to seven in the afternoon. People in China work around eight hours a day, five days a week. They usually begin to work at eight in the morning, and rest on Saturday and Sunday.

I have Chinese classes every morning from Monday to Friday. The students in our class are from many countries. We’re all working hard and friendly. The Chinese students are ready to help us with our Chinese .We also help them a lot with their English. We’re getting along very well（相處的融洽）

That’s all for today. Please write tome soon.

Yours,

Susan

1.Susan is probably from_____

2.People drive on _____in London.

3.The rush hours a day in Beijing usually last______

I am a school boy. My name is Li Ming. I am fourteen . I’m in Class Two, Grade One. I have a brother. My brother’s name is Li Tao. He’s seventeen . He’s in Class One, Grade Three.
My brother and I are at school. We like our school. My parents are teachers. They work hard. My brother and I study at No. 8 Middle School . There are sixteen girls and twenty--two boys in my class.
We go to school from Monday to Friday. We have no classes on weekends. I usually get up at six
o’clock . I have breakfast at 6:00. I come to school at seven o’clock. Classes start at eight. We have lessons in the morning and two in the afternoon . I have lunch at 11:40 . At three thirty ,we have sports.
We study Chinese, English, math , history, biology, music and art. We like Chinese and English because they are very interesting.
I go home at five o’clock . I eat dinner at six. I do my homework at seven every evening. I do it for two hours . I go to bed at nine thirty.
【小題1】My brother is        and I am        .