There are too many rules in my home and my school. I must get up at 6:00 a. m. Then I have to make breakfast for my family. After that, I must do the dishes. At 7:00 a. m. , I go to school by bike. It usually takes 20 minutes to get to school. We must arrive at school on time. My classes begin at 8:00 a. m. I have four classes in the morning. I must have lunch in the school dining hall. I can't eat in the classroom. Classes are over at 3:30 in the afternoon. I can't play balls or run in the classroom and hallways. After school, I must do my homework first. I can play basketball only on weekends. After dinner, I can't relax, either. I can't watch TV on school days. I am unhappy about the rules.
How do students spend their spare time after finishing their homework? Watch TV, play computer games, or go outside to relax? Here's a good example.
Tim and Kerry Meek are both teachers. They live in the UK with their two daughters: eleven-year-old Amy and nine-year-old Ella. Recently, the Meek family has become the focus (焦点) of the whole country because they have finished 100 different outdoor activities in one year.
The Meek couple don't want their children to spend all their free time in front of the TV and become "couch_potatoes". They don't allow (允许) their kids to watch TV or play computer games. Instead, they ask the two girls to do activities outside. Although Mr. and Mrs. Meek are not outdoor activity fans, they took part in all the activities with their daughters. The two sisters really have a good time joining in activities.
Every holiday and weekend, whether (无论) it's sunny, rainy or snowy, the Meeks try the activities, including hiking, sailing, climbing, skiing and so on. The two little girls have a wonderful time, and they learn a lot of skills from the activities, too. "Our friends spend a lot of their free time doing things which are bad for their health. However, we're experiencing (体验) something different."
Jim is an English boy. He comes to China with his father and mother. They come here to work. Jim comes here to study.
He is in No. 15 Middle School. He gets up early every day. He is never late for school. He studies hard.
He can read and write English well. He often helps us with our English，and we often help him with his Chinese. After class，he likes playing football，swimming，running，jumping and riding. He makes many friends here. We are glad to stay with him.
On Sundays，he often helps his mother clean the house，mend （修理）something or do the shopping. He likes Chinese food very much.
He likes living here. He likes Chinese students very much. We all like him，too.
I know my father is very busy every day. He works five days a week from Monday to Friday. Sometimes he works on Saturday or Sunday. He gets up early in the morning. He cooks breakfast for our family. After breakfast, he goes to work at 7:10. He has lunch at his workplace. He comes back home at about 18:30. My mother cooks dinner. After dinner, my father does the dishes. Then he goes out for a walk. Before he goes to bed, he often reads some newspapers or watches TV. He goes to sleep very late.
I am a middle school student. My name is John. I have three good friends. They are Tom, Jim and Jack. I like healthy food. I like to eat vegetables, fruit and chicken. I like to drink milk, too. Tom likes hamburgers and ice—cream. He has hamburgers for dinner every day. He doesn't like vegetables. Jim likes to eat fruit very much. He often eats apples, bananas, pears and strawberries. But he doesn't like carrots or tomatoes. Jack likes tomatoes, salad and bread. But he doesn't like milk. His mother wants him to drink milk. She thinks it is good for him.
I'm Kevin, a student of Grade 8. Most of my friends walk to school, but I like to ride my bike each day. I wake up at 7: 00. After I wash my face and eat breakfast, I put the schoolbag on my back. Do I have my books and homework? Yes, I do. I take my bike, hop onto（跳上） it and ride to school at 7: 30. "See you later, Mom, " I say. I pass my friends when I ride by. "Hi, Kevin!" they call when I pass. Mary does not want to ride with me. She does not like to wear a schoolbag. She likes to carry her books in her arms when she walks. She likes to kick (赐) the autumn leaves. But she likes to look at the flowers best. Not me! I like to ride my bike to feel the fresh air in my face. When I get to school, I lock my bike in the bicycle park. I walk across the field to say "hi" to Mr. Brown, and wait for my friends in our classroom.
