— Oh, they _______ me 2, 000 dollars.

Dear Kate,

    I saw your name and address in the Pen friend magazine, and I would like to be your pen friend. First, I will tell you some things about myself. My name is Sidney. I'm fourteen years old. I'm about five feet tall. I have short black hair and brown eyes. My hobbies are playing computer games and playing chess.

    I live with my parents. They came to England about 30 years ago. They came from Hong Kong, but I have never been there. Now my parents own a Chinese restaurant in Newcastle. We live in a small house near our restaurant. I was born in Newcastle in 2003. I can speak Chinese, but I cannot write it very well. I have a brother called Edwin. He is 23 and works as an architect in London.

    I'm in Walker School. It is near my house, so I can walk to school. I like my school because the teachers are friendly. My school has many sports fields like sports very much. I enjoy playing rugby and badminton in winter, and tennis in summer. My favourite subject is Physics. I want to be an engineer.

    I'll send you a photo of myself with my school friends. I hope you will write to me soon, and tell me all about you.

Yours,

Sidney

    Did you know that each day one person in the USA throws away 4.4 pounds of rubbish? Almost every month, we throw away our own rubbish in packaging alone. Packaging (including boxes, bags, etc.) comes to our homes with the things we have bought. Several weeks ago, the TV news said that in a city in Italy tons of rubbish were piled up in the streets, and the smell was rather terrible. What can we do to help? We should get to know the following Rs.

    Reduce To reduce means to make less rubbish. That is one of the first things we all should do for the environment. Reduce your rubbish by doing things like packing your lunch in reusable containers(可再利用的容器), taking smaller portions(份) at dinner so you don't waste food when you have had enough, writing on both sides of paper, and using less water when taking a shower.

    Reuse to reuse is to use things again. Think about the bags you get from the shop. They can be reused to carry your lunch, to hold your rubbish, or to collect used cans. You can even take them back to the school next time to carry your things instead of getting a new bag!

    Recycle(回收利用) Recycling is an important part of keeping our planet clean and green. It can also save energy. Be sure that you don't throw things in the rubbish bins that can be recycled to make something else Paper, plastic, cans and bottles can all be recycled. But food, electrical waste and mobile phones cant. When you are not sure whether something can be recycled, go to your parents and teachers for advice.

Follow the three Rs, and every one of us can do something to save the Earth. It is also the best way to save ourselves.