Imagine this. Somebody hides free books in the subway for you to find and read. Sound exciting? Well, British actress Emma Watson, 26, is doing it! She is known for acting as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies.

    Watson hid 100 copies of a book called Mom & Me & Mom (2013) in London's subway. The book is an autobiography（自传）from US writer Maya Angelou. It tells about the writer's relationship with her mother. These books were put in different places in the subway. People saw Watson doing the same thing in the New York Subway this month.

    With each book, there is a handwritten note by Watson. She asked people to "take special care" of the books if they find them. She also wrote that "when you are finished, please leave it on the subway again for someone else to find".

    Watson's work is part of a movement called Books on the Underground. It calls on people to leave their books on the subway so other people can enjoy them too.

    Hollie Belton, a woman in London, started the movement in 2012. She loves reading on the subway. She noticed that a lot of people shared her habit, so she got the idea. Over the years, Belton has left over 2,000 books of her own. The movement has attracted more and more people.

    Watson is a book lover as well. That's why she tried it. Earlier this year, Watson set up her own online book club Our Shared Shelf. She reads a book every month with others. Mom & Me & Mom is the club's book for November.

    In China, the 12^th month of the lunar calendar（阴历）is called layue. The month is full of interesting festivals and customs.

    Laba Festival, which falls on the eighth day of layue, is the first festival in this month. From this day on, people begin to get ready for the Chinese New Year. On Laba Festival, people eat hot Laba porridge.

    There are usually eight things in the porridge: rice, red beans, peas, dried lotus seeds（莲子）, dates（红枣）, and three different kinds of fruits and nuts. The porridge is not just good for your health, but a blessing（祝福）for the coming of Chinese New Year.

    Laba porridge is not the only tasty food in layue. Laba garlic（腊八蒜）is popular in the north.

    People begin to soak garlic in vinegar from that day on, and eat it with dumplings during the Chinese New Year. While in the south, people like making sausages.

    Another major celebration before Spring Festival is xiaonian. It is usually on the 23^rd or 24^th day of the last lunar month. Traditionally it is an important occasion when people offer sacrifices（祭品）to the Kitchen God who looks after the family.

    Don't forget to clean your home. This is also an important thing to do to prepare for the Chinese New Year. It means sweeping away the dust of the old year and welcoming a fresh start.

    Now, the last thing for you to do is to wait for the coming Spring Festival.

    Chris Hughes is a 24-year-old man from the United Kingdom. He often wears the same clothes for many days in a row（连续）because he doesn't know how to use a washing machine.

    This is not a joke. Hughes is far from the only young person who doesn't have basic life skills.

    According to a recent study by YouGov, a UK market research firm, today's young people in the UK are less capable（有能力的）than older generations when it comes to basic life skills. For example, about 35 percent don't know how to sew（缝）on a button and 11 percent don't understand how to change a light bulb or iron (熨烫)clothes.

    This problem is shared by young people in the United States as well. According to Forbes, many youngsters in the US are losing the skill of cooking, as they are much more likely to order take-out food（外卖）.

    Technology may be the main reason for this. Born and raised in a digital age（数字化时代）, young people are more familiar with using phones and computers. For example, with GPS always at hand, young people have no need to learn how to read physical maps.

    However, this does not mean that younger generations are unable to carry out basic everyday tasks. The Mirror noted that as their lives have changed, the major life skills that they are good at have changed as well.

    The study results show that although only 45 percent know how to pay their water and electricity bills after leaving home, 72 percent could help set up a WiFi network in a new house.

    Some people are afraid of answering the telephone call. Here are some tips to help you when you are answering the call.

    Listening to someone speaking in a second language over the telephone can be very challenging because you cannot see the person you are trying to hear. You may not realize that your pronunciation isn't clear. So pay special attention to your pronunciation and speak as slowly as possible.

    Don't pretend to understand everything you hear over the telephone. Don't be afraid to remind the person to slow down more than once.

    Ask another student to practice talking on the phone with you. Try to talk for at least fifteen minutes. The most important thing about practicing telephone English is that you are not able to see others' mouths.

    There are many ways to get free telephone English practice. After business hours, you can call and listen to recorded messages. Write down what you hear the first time, and then call back and check if your notes are right.

    Many speakers make the mistake of being too direct on the telephone. Sometimes just one word such as could or may is necessary in order to sound polite. Take the time to learn how to answer the phone in a polite manner.

    When my family moved to Ohio over the summer, I feared going to another new school and knowing no one because I was able to1what was coming. I had bright red hair and huge glasses. Besides, I was2and not very popular.3on the school bus that first day, I felt like all eyes on me. I could hear the words "She's huge!" Clearly, the kids on the bus had known each other well. I spent that first bus4in silence.

    The following day was even worse. I did not notice that a few boys had tied a rope across the aisle（通道）and then fell face first on the bus, 5everything I was carrying. 6I was uneasily gathering my things, I could hear the laughter, and then the words “That felt like an earthquake!”

    Anyway, I7to find a seat. Looking out of the window, I held back the tears running out of my eyes.

    It was then8I went into myself. I began walking everywhere. I would walk through the woods behind our house. I would also walk to a church. I began9the afternoon school bus on purpose, walking home instead. Then,10, I started losing weight. And as I became satisfied with myself, I began making11.

    One of my newly found friends also fought with her weight. She lived near my neighborhood so we would meet and12together. This became a daily activity with talking and laughing

    13the way—different from the lonely walks I had taken. While I would no longer want to experience that time of loneliness and sadness again, I am14I made it through. Whenever I am fighting with any other problem in life, I always remember the saying "This too shall pass（一切都会过去的）".

    If you can find a path with no obstacles（障碍）, it probably doesn't15anywhere.

    Justin is a 16-year old boy. He is thinking about how        (spend) his money during winter vacation. He        (save) up about 300 dollars already. He plans to buy        computer with his money but he also wants to go skating with his friends. He can't do both        he doesn't have enough money. What should Justin do?

    We are often in these kinds of situations. You want to see a concert        Saturday, but it is also your mother's birthday and you do not want to let        (she) down. In this case, you don't have enough time to go to both        (place). You must make a decision. You must think about        should be done first. You must consider the following questions        (serious).

    Which is more important?

    Which decision needs my attention more?

    Which choice would satisfy me more?

    After you've answered these questions, it may be much        (easy) for you to decide what to do. So the next time you must make a decision, remember to prioritize（优先考虑）.

一封电子邮件，描述一下你们一家人此刻的活动。

写作要点：

⑴表达对 Alice 的思念之情。

⑵介绍你们一家人正在做的事。

①祖父母：看电视

②爸爸：打扫房间

③你和妈妈：包粽子

⑶至少说明两点你喜欢端午节的理由。（如：家人团聚，了解历史知识……）

写作要求：

⑴不得使用真实的姓名和学校名；

⑵适当加入细节，使内容充实，行文连贯；

⑶字迹工整，语言精练，表达准确，条理清楚；

⑷至少 80 词。

Dear Alice,

    How are you doing?

    Best wishes!

Yours,

Liu Chang