阅读理解

　　How often do you use your car? Can you use your car less often? Do you know the following facts in the UK?

　　·About 50％ of all car journeys are just for fun．

　　·Over 80％ people go to work by car．

　　·25％ car journeys are under two miles．

　　·70％ car journeys are under five miles．

　　Instead of using the car for short journeys, why not walk or ride a bicycle? Walking is a most popular form of exercise－it’s healthy and it can save you money．If you work nearby, try walking or cycling instead of driving．Walking your children to school gives them valuable road experience．

　　Bus companies are using new buses：some run on new fuels which produce less pollution; some have easier way for disabled and old people．There are special traffic lanes(行车道)to make bus journeys easier and more reliable．So do something to help solve the pollution problem－let the bus take you to work and your children to school．

　　All car journeys, long or short, can be hard work．For some trips it is wiser to take the train．Leave your car at home and walk, cycle or take a bus to and from the station．Train travel is fast, safe and comfortable．Train tickets are not always expensive; some are can be made quite cheaper．

阅读理解：

　　You may have heard of the famous saying, "East or West, home is the best．"

　　What does the word "home" mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Chinese? In your language? Although people usually know what the word means, it sometimes has no exact translation．It's not surprising, because the idea of home is "different from country to country, and from person to person．A home is more than a roof and four walls．It's the cooking, eating, talking, playing and sleeping that go on inside．And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed．

　　Homes look different in different countries．They also have different things inside．For example, in cold northern Europe, there's a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it．In the south, where the sun shines a lot and it's more important to keep the heat out, there are small windows and cool stone floors．

　　We asked some people about their homes．

　　"In my country many people don't stay in one place for a very long time．They often move every ten years or so．"

－Chery, Boston, USA．

　　"In Britain, even in town, there's always a garden．We have separate bedrooms and living rooms．But we don't often have balconies(阳台)．The weather isn't warm enough!"

－Pat, Exeter, England