Andy's Home 不详 2007-8-23 22:43:32

"He's one of best players in the world. At age 21, he can only get better," said Sir Alex.

Ronaldo was the most expensive teenage transfer (转会) in Britain's football history when he joined United as an 18 year old.

He quickly showed he was worth (值得) the money. Some are calling him the new David Beckham!

But in the World Cup, he was criticized (批评) for trying to get his United team-mate Wayne Rooney kicked out of a game. Lots of British fans were angry with him. But the club's owner, Sir Alex Ferguson, wanted him to stay at Manchester United .

Unlike other players, every time Ronaldo gets knocked down, he not only gets back up, but goes for the ball again. Many people thinks he fights too hard.

But Sir Alex says Ronaldo has grown up as a player since the World Cup.

"He's matured (成熟的) and he's responsible (负责任的)," he said. "His performances (表现) have been world class and he's the one player I'd pay money to see play."

Ronaldo says he knows himself well.

"I'm very calm. I just try to play football the best I can. I see things very clearly," he says.

五

Hong Kong smoking ban

DO you plan to go to Hong Kong Disneyland with your family this winter? If your dad smokes, you may want to ask him to be careful. From January 1, Hong Kong banned smoking in most public places.

The places include restaurants, workplaces, schools or karaoke lounges (卡拉OK厅). Even smoking at some outdoor places is against the law. For example, beaches, sports grounds, museums and most areas of public parks.

Hong Kong hopes the ban can prevent passive (被动的) smoking. What is passive smoking? When people smoke in a restaurant or on a bus, others are forced to breathe the smoke too. They don't want to smoke but they have no choice. This is passive smoking. It does great harm to people's health.

And it'll be better if more people in Hong Kong give up smoking because of the ban.

Hong Kong has 7 million people. Among them, about 840,000 people aged 15 or above are smokers.

Amy Choi, 27, a student, agrees to the smoking ban. "I don't like people smoking next to me. It's so smoky and smelly (臭的)," she said.

If someone breaks the ban, he will have to pay up to HK$5,000.

The ban does not include nightclubs, bars (酒吧) or bathhouses (浴室) yet. But these places will have to ban smoking by July 1, 2009.

Hong Kong is not the first Asian city to have a smoking ban. On January 1, 2006, Singapore banned smoking in most public places.

六

Teens' tough lives

ARE our ears only ready for sweet words and exciting topics?

Chinese writer Rao Xueman doesn't just write about these things. In her recent works, she talks about the bitterness of growing up.

"Everyone has growing pains in life, and it's part of life," she said. "We can't make them go away by pretending they are not there. The better way may be to face it head on."

Rao, 34, talks about the lives of problem kids. She's not afraid to touch upon sensitive topics such as puppy love. The role of teenager girl Li Er in her popular book "Left Ear" is one of this type.

Her latest work"Sandglass" (《沙漏》) will come out in January. The lead role, Mo Xingxing, has eating disorders (饮食习惯异常). She is considered to be strange by her schoolmates. Another girl called Shasha helps her find courage in her life.

There has been a big change in her writing styles. In her earlier books, all the kids lead a happy life at schools.

Rao says she got the idea to change the subjects from close contact with her readers. Chatting with the kids on QQ was her job every day. The teenagers opened their hearts to her and told her their true stories.

She found that their lives were far from perfect. She wanted to caution (告诫) other kids. In her books, kids get into trouble and they often have to pay a dear price for it. It can be the life of their loved ones or even their own life!

"It is shocking. For sometimes a mistake can not be mended," she said, "So I let them know they can never afford to make it happen in the first place."

七

Lessons from life

BAD things often turn out to have good results for Taiwanese writer Liu Yong.

"At the age of 13, my home burnt down in a fire. I learnt to be strong, and enjoy nature by living outside," Liu said.

"Later, when I was a Senior 2 student, I stayed at home for a long time because of disease, but I drew and wrote a lot," Liu said, "Every disaster can have good results and it depends on how you react to it."

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