When you want to buy something, do you buy it new or second-hand? These days, buying second-hand items is becoming more popular.

Second-hand items are much cheaper than new ones, so people can save money. It’s also good for the environment. In 2020, the mass(质量) of all man-made materials became greater than that of every living thing on Earth. So it’s a better choice to reuse old things.

People can even find some “extinct” (绝版的) items, or items that are no longer made. For example, some people like to buy vintage items, including clothes and accessories (饰品). These items often go back 30 years or even more. But as long as they’re in good condition, people can still use them.

Second-hand items connect people. In this way, they sometimes pass on history and stories. Here are two examples.

Zhao Kaiqi, 22, college student, Harbin, Heilongjiang

I love buying books on Deja Vu, an online second-hand trading site. It’s a good choice for students like me. I can save a lot of money. It also brings me interesting experiences that I don’t have when I buy new books. One time, I found a note in a second-hand book. Its previous (之前的) owner left the note, hoping that I would enjoy the book. It was heartwarming to read. I want to do something like that in the future.

Kate, 25, writer, London, UK

I am a big fan of vintage items. They are special. I like items from the 1950s and 1960s. Vintage items carry stories from the past. Once I bought a bracelet (手链) with the words “Rose” and “Love, Jason”inscribed on it. It made me wonder about ___▲___ . I think looking for vintage items is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It doesn’t matter how rich you are, but whether you can find an item that fits you. It’s an interesting connection.

Nowadays, we are able to try some special sports. Skin diving (潜泳) is one of them. But it’s an old sports. People began to do it about two thousand years ago.

This sport is usually full of fun. It’s very cool to go under the water in hot weather. It can take you into a wonderful new world. It is like a visit to the moon! When you are under water, it is easy for you to climb big rocks, because you are not heavy any more. During the day, when there is much light, everything is blue and green under the sea. If fish swim around you, you can catch them with your hands.

To catch the fish is one of the most interesting parts of this sport. And you can clean the ships, but you don’t have to take them out of the water. You can get many things from the deep sea. Now you can see that skin-diving is both useful and interesting.

If you think you have tanks of air on your back, you can swim freely under the sea— you are wrong. You must learn many driving skills. If you don’t feel well or the water is too cold, stop driving. It’s dangerous. It’s really dark under the sea, so you must watch carefully before moving. Also, there are sometimes dangerous sea animals. So be careful.