Dear Mum,
I am writing to tell you everything is fine. I arrived safely1 8:10 am this morning.
The camp leader, Mr. Green, welcomed us and introduced2 as an experienced teacher. Later, I met other kids from different schools. The camp started with some ice-breaking games. Before these games, everyone was quiet and shy to talk,3 we soon became close friends.
I can't wait for more activities with new friends.
Love,
Chris
I think people are much more comfortable online these days. I1 how to shop online for three years. I have bought lots of things like books and clothes from online shops. Even my grandma is not afraid to use the Internet. She often 2 her photos and stories on social media every weekend. In the past, students finished and 3 homework at school but now they can hand in homework online and get quick feedback.
TEEN TALK
Teens and their parents often talk about their problems in "Teen Talk".
David: I think my mum is kind. She allows me to use the computer whenever I want. But she often says my room is messy and many (toy) are too dirty. This causes problems between us.
Nancy:David is sweet and smart. He manages his time on the computer very well. But he doesn't like (clean) his room and often lies things around. He always says he can find things (quick) in that way.
What should we do?
择最佳选项。
My unforgettable road trip
One day last July, my dad got back from work with some exciting news! "Get your bags ready for tomorrow. We're going on a road trip". I was so1 that I couldn't fall asleep that night.
The next day, we left at 6:00 am and arrived Camdenton around 8:30 am. The first thing we did there was a one-hour2 in Bridal Caves. When I first entered, I was surprised to see what I saw; I've never seen anything like that in my life. It's so interesting to learn about how the stalactite (钟乳石)3 inside the caves.
Later on, we took a three-hour drive to Arkansas. On the way, we listened to music and did karaoke. We enjoyed this great musical 4 time together! There we visited Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. One of the things I liked the most in the museum was that one of the walls was painted green and orange with black and white shapes. I 5 this memory in my brain because my sister and I took pictures in front of this wall. Another thing I liked was that there was a show with candies all over the floor. I 6 a handful of colorful candies and put them into my mouth. They were so sweet.
After that we went to Lake Atalanta Park. This park had a huge lake, a large playground and a tree house. It was the first time for me to see a tree house at a park. It was very7 to go up all the stairs of the tree house. My sister and I climbed up and down, laughing all the way round. Afterward, my sister and I found a small pond (池塘) and started to splash (泼溅) water on each other.
This road trip, by far, has been the best experience of my life. When I look back at the memories, it brings a big smile on my face. It made me understand that it was very important to 8 the time you can with the people you love.
Everyone wants to be successful. Here are some best books to read for teenagers' success.
| A The book will help you to become a good leader. It shows you how to face each level and go up to the next level. Besides, it isn't just about leadership. It's a guide to help you reach your highest possibility and be a better person. | B This book is your guide for a happy life. It will show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for the outside world to change. It shows the art and science of getting happier life. |
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| C This book includes 100+ practices to add the skills in building relationships for teens. You can find some common questions and best solutions. It will help you build healthier and better relationships. | D This book shows teens how to make smart decisions about the 6 most important choices they will face. The writer uses real stories from teens around the world. It shows how to succeed in school, and much more. |
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Alice | I want to get some advice about how to live a happy life. | |||||
Daming | I am afraid of making decisions and I want to learn some skills about it. | |||||
Li Hua | I have some difficulties in building relationships and I need some useful ways to help me. | |||||
The "Chair"
There was once a boy called Mario who loved to show off how many friends he had at school. One day his grandfather said to him, "Mario, I bet you a big bag of popcorn you don't have as many friends as you think. I'm sure many are nothing more than acquaintance ( 略有交情， 熟人) or partners."
Mario agreed to the bet without a second thought. However, he wasn't sure how to test who were real friends, so he asked his grandpa. "Take this. It's an invisible (透明的) ‘chair'. If you take it to school and manage to sit on it, you can tell who your real friends are." his grandpa said.
Mario took the special "chair" to school. At break time he asked everyone to form a circle, and stood in the middle, with his "chair". Mario tried hard to sit on the "chair". Having difficulty seeing it, he missed and fell down many times. Everyone had a pretty good laugh.
"Wait, wait, just a small problem," he said. But again he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks. Mario tried many times until, suddenly, he sat in mid-air...
Then he finally experienced the magic that his grandfather had been talking about. Looking around, Mario saw George, Lucas, and Diana—three of his best friends—holding him up with their strong arms, so he wouldn't fall. Meanwhile, many others he had thought of as friends had done nothing but making fun of him, enjoying his every fall.
And there the show came to an end. Leaving with his three friends, he explained to them the magic "chair" test. And he learned true friends are those who care for us, and not just any acquaintance who happens to be passing by. A real friend would be less likely to make fun of us.
The classroom environment has kept up with new technologies. First, we had blackboards and chalk. Then whiteboards and markers. Now we have interactive (交互的) whiteboards. From big, heavy televisions that were wheeled between classrooms, to flat do-it-all screens. So, what could the school of the future look like?
Improved courses
Different from the old-school traditions in English, math, social studies and science, we'll have more meaningful and colorful courses. Instead of limiting students' choices, teachers can let students choose whatever they like according to their interests and needs for their future career. Schools can create more opportunities for students to get useful skills through real-world practice, like cooking, money management, fixing the computer and gardening. Students will develop their deep thinking, problem-solving and communication skills through these courses.
The classroom environment
For the school of the future, there will be no need to fight with heavy curtains or dust-covered blinds. And we'll have smart glass. Windows can change their color to make up for light outside, protecting both our eyes and screens.
As summers get hotter and winters become warmer and wetter, air-conditioned classrooms will become common. And they will be cleaner and more environment-friendly, with built-in air cleaners to remove bad stuff and dust from the air.
Augmented（增强的）reality and AI
Adaptive (适应的) learning systems driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become part of schools by 2050. These systems will give each student a special learning plan based on how they can learn better and will offer leveled tests depending on how the student is doing.
AI may be also used to analyse (分析) students' work, helping teachers understand which students need more help on weak lessons before they fall behind. Students will be able to get teachers' advice quickly, with what needed to be improved and more personal guidance, fit for a student's advantages and weaknesses.
Undoubtedly, the biggest development we've seen in recent years has been in great progress in technology, so we can be quite certain that it has the ability to change schools over the next 20 or 30 years.
In 2019, American kids aged 8 to 12 spent an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes on screens every day. By 2021, that average had increased to 5 hours and 33 minutes per day. Do kids need help putting their devices down, or can they decide on their own?
There are a lot of research studies show that too much screen time can have a negative effect（效果）on people. Therefore, some countries try to make people stay away from devices. People living in a village in India have agreed to turn off their televisions and phones for one and a half hours every evening. A community uses the siren (汽笛) sounds to remind people to turn off the televisions and phones at 19:00. At 20:30, a second siren sound rings to show that screen-free time is over. In this way, people can have screen-free time, which is called a "digital detox". It is when a person stops using digital devices for a fixed time.
Some people say that taking a break from electronic devices is good. Screen-free time allows kids to connect to the outside world and with family and friends. Seeing people face to face helps to cure (治愈) loneliness. Kids can be more active if they are not on their phones or watching TV all the time, which is beneficial (有益的) to health.
However, there are people who hold different ideas. Digital devices allow friends and family far away from each other to stay in touch. Besides, screen time can be valuable—kids can read great books, discover interesting facts or learn about important things happening in the world.
Is there a way to find a balance between digital devices and our life? I think so. The good way is to cut down kid's usage of digital devices by setting time limits. What's more, if parents offer kids activities they find valuable, such as sports and art activities they enjoy, they will be less likely to spend time on social media. Once they become used to these activities, they will feel surprised how little they think about their phone.
The book review of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Are you looking for ways to be happier, successful and certain of yourself? Sean Covey's book
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens may help.
It covers the key ideas and qualities that explains this book's success as well as how you can try
with its seven habits into your everyday life.
What are the Seven Habits of Successful Teens?
Habit 1: Take control.
Habit 2: When starting, think about your end goal first.
Habit 3: Put first what's most important.
Habit 4: Think about how all can win.
Habit 5: Try to understand before seeking to be understood.
Habit 6: Work together.
Habit 7: Keep the saw (锯) sharp.
What can the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens help teens do?
Sean Covey suggests this book will help you in many ways, such as:
Gain more control over your life and depend less on others.
Your life will become clearer and less mess as a result.
You will become more productive (富有成效的), with less waste in your life.
Your life will become filled with more good relationships and teamwork, and less unpleasant sounds or loneliness.
You will experience less confusion (困惑) and anger in your life and more understanding and kindness. Therefore, you can come up with more new ideas.
Your life will bring more happiness and satisfaction and less stress and boredom.
How can the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens help me?
Here are a few tips for you to remember when you read this book:
Read this book with an open and critical (批判性的) mind, not with unmindful belief because this book is written from the western view.
Do not try to get all habits at once; rather, choose the ones that seem most sensible for you and work on them step-by-step, and celebrate your progress along the way.
Do not judge yourself too strictly; rather be kind and honest with yourself while learning from past mistakes.
Do not try to finish everything on your own; get help and suggestions from people who share your goals or values such as friends, family, teachers or anyone else you feel can turn to.
题目①
假设你是李华，你的英国笔友Peter 近期在学习上遇到困难，发电子邮件向你倾诉苦闷，请你写一封回信，分享一次自己克服学习困难的经历，谈谈你遇到了什么困难以及你是如何应对的，并分享你在克服困难后的感受与收获，帮助他重拾信心，走出困境。
提示词语： shy to speak, practice more, ask for help, believe yourself, never give up
提示问题：
∙What study problem(s) did you have?
∙How did you deal with your problem(s)?
∙What have you learned from the experience?
Dear Peter,
Everyone may meet some problems every now and then.
……
Yours,
Li Hua
题目②
你的理想与热情，是你航行的灵魂的舵和帆。每个人都有自己的梦想，你梦想中的未来工作是什么样的？请以"My Dream Job"为题，介绍你未来将要从事的工作及其原因，并谈谈为了实现你的梦想工作，你将要做哪些准备。
提示词语：journalist, travel, meet different people, read books, practice writing
提示问题：
∙What is your dream job?
∙Why do you want to do this job?
∙What will you do to prepare for your dream job?
My Dream Job
Rich or poor, young or old, we all dream about our future jobs once.
