The Problems of Liveing in the City

I used to live in a small county1 in the southern part of Shanxi province. Two years ago my family moved to this city. At first we were excited to come to this big city. There were so many people and so many cars.

After a short period of stay， I came to realize something unpleasant about this city. The people here are not as friendly as the people in the small place. They live in the building isolated2 from each other. After a month of stay， I find to my surprise that I hardly know my neighbors. In the county where I used to live， people are living in an intimate3 relationship. They know each other well. In summer after supper， they call on each other and have a chat.

Other unpleasant thing about living in the city is that there is pollution everywhere. Cars are sending off polluted gas. Seldom do we have a high sky and clean and fresh air. In the small county on the contrary， there are not many cars. The air and water are not polluted. People have more outside activities. We even have a stream passing along. In it are fish and green leaves. It is a very pleasant place to live in.

Of course， city has its advantages too. The school I am studying at is very good. In city life is more convenient in many aspects. I hope in the future that city will get over its problems and become a nice place to stay.

注釋：

1、 county n. 縣城

2、 isolatevt. 隔離

3、 intimate adj. 親密的

Environment Pollution

People are more concerned about the pollution nowadays. Pollution is caused by the useless wastes.

The industry is producing a number of waste products. They make the environment worse and worse. From the lesson we learn， we know that they upset1 the ecological balance2. What is worse， there are some of the new and dangerous wastes. The waste products from the nuclear power stations3 are posing4 more threats to people than ever before.

Now the pollution is bringing more harm than before. The river in this city is dangerously polluted. I doubt that the water is suitable to drink at all. The noises of the cars and airplanes overhead are making people mentally ill. We are no longer living in a clean and quiet world.I am worried that one day we even have difficulties to take a breath. The air in the atmosphere is getting worse and worse. Sometimes I see the air in the city very bad with dark color in it. It has a special unpleasant smell. What it is to live in such a city!

Of course，efforts are made for improvement.Everywhere around people are calling for5 the anti-pollution movement. I read in newspaper that even some foreign countries are coming for help. The earth is the common home for human being after all.

注釋：

1、upsetv.破壞

2、ecological balance n.phr.生態(tài)平衡

3、nuclear power station n. phr.核電站

4、pose vt.造成

5、call for v. phr.呼吁，提倡

The Earth Is Groaning1

In the vast universe2，there is a blue planet. She is a great planet， because she is the only planet which has life on it.

She is our mother——the earth. She could have been beautiful， but she is now getting older and older.

Her beautiful long hair——the forest is now yellow. Her blue skirt， which is called sea， is now turning into black color.Her milk is no longer sweet， because the rivers are polluted. The air is no longer fresh.The flowers arewithering3.They are no longer fragrant4 Let us call upon people to wake up! Don't hurt our mother——earth any more!

注釋：

1、groanv．呻吟

2、universe n. 宇宙

3、withervi. 枯萎，凋謝

4、fragrantadj.芬芳