13.                             Pollution

　　     A chemical factory lies near my home. The manager was criticized by the government because the pollution had harmed people’s health, but he paid no attention. Then the factory was forced to stop production and the manager said angrily, “ Is there any fact that we have harmed people’s health? In fact, we haven’t.” Just then, a doctor came, with the result of the medical exam of the manager, saying the manager was suffering a lung cancer. It is very clear that the population has harmed not only to people’s health but also the manager himself. He was realized the importance of keeping air clean.

　　14. Fire causes

　　Fire, one of the most terrible killers in out modern society, is mainly caused by smokers, as can be seen from the graph.

　　In 2002, thousands of fires happened in China. About 50% of them were caused by smokers who left cigarette-ends everywhere. 30% were caused by defective insulation and 20% by children playing with matches. No matter what type of the fire was, there was one thing in common: carelessness.

　　We should warn children of the dangers of playing with matches. Workers should know the importance of good insulation to people’s lives. Smoking should not be in public places.

　　15.

　　Hi, Jason,

　　You asked me about Yao Ming. Here is something I got when I searched the websites at home.

　　Yao Ming, who is now 2.26 metres tall and 134kg in weight, was born in Shanghai on the 12th of September,1980. It is said he likes meat most and his favourite colour is blue. The man he respects most is late Premier Zhou Enlai and the one he believes in most is himself.

　　He joined Shanghai basketball team in 1997 and became a member of China national team Shanghai won the champion of CBA and he was among the top players in the team. In the same year he went to the US and became Number One Overall in the NBA draft, which helped him join Houston Rockets. After many matches as well as struggles he now feels a little tired. Up to now he says he still hasn’t got any further definite plan.

　　16. Dear Mr. Headmaster,

　　     I am writing this letter to tell you something about our canteen.

　　     There are many kinds of food in our canteen, and generally they are cheap. Some food is delicious. The dining environment has been improved, with the walls painted and some pictures posted up. The students are satisfied with the new look.

　　    But students are not given a proper helping of every dish. Also, as the number of the students continues to increase, there is not enough space for us to have meals there. As a result, many of us go out to have meals.

　　   All in all, there is still much room for improvement in food quality and service.

　　Best regards,

　　Sincerely yours,

　　 Li Ming

　　17.              Students Like Optional Courses

　　This term our school had offered more than 10 optional courses, from which students can choose. The courses are given from 3:30 to 5:00 every Tuesday afternoon.

　　Students take great interest in the optional courses. Their favourites are computer, spoken English, arts and so on. They say they have got a great deal of practice and they have learned a lot that is not taught in textbooks. However, students hope more optional courses will be offered while their homework should be reduced. They suggest more trips and visits should be organized so that they can learn more about what is going on outside school.

　　18.

　　    About the discussion we’ve had about whether China should devote major efforts to developing car industry, opinions are divided on the question.

　　    60% of the students think China should fully develop car industry. They believe this will speed up the development of the national economy. More workers will be employed. With cars the people’s life quality will be raised. They will save time and be more convenient in their life and work.

　　    On the other hand, 40% of them think China should control its car industry development. Otherwise, the city traffic will be even heavier and more traffic accidents will take place. At the same time, more land will be used for the new roads. What is more, air and noise pollution will become more serious.

　　19.

　　Attention, please! I’m going to give you a summary of today’s discussion about whether we would go online in our spare time.

　　Most students think they (we) can go online as much as possible in our spare time because we are free then. Through the Internet, they can gain plenty of the newest knowledge and the latest news at home and abroad. What’s more, network offers them(us) a convenient way to communicate with each other. The Internet makes their lives outside class colourful and various.