Travel Light

    Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea—until you have to pack. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack.

    Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you've done this once, it'll be easier next time.

    2). Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local drugstore. You can reuse the plastic containers next time you go away too.

    3). Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe — hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you've picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Don't try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag.

    4). Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it's cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Putting them on will keep you warm. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag! As for shoes, you may want to call ahead to see if dress shoes are necessary. If so, one pair will be enough, along with one pair of comfortable shoes. Remember that it is you who have been invited somewhere, not your things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So, do it right—pack light.

If you have a dream

    What do you dream about? There have been so many times when I've come back to Thomas Edison's wise words: “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven't.”

    If there is a dream in your heart, you should dig it and shine a little light on the vision（视野）. This time, instead of looking at it as impossible, start thinking freely:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}?

    If you have a dream…

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Seeing it on paper will help you see the possibility. It will be a daily reminder to work on your dream.

    Tell someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Later on, you'll need someone to poke holes（指出漏洞）in your dream and help you make it into something that makes sense in the real world. But right now, you just need someone who will give you a big hug and tell you not to stop believing.

    Do one thing that will bring you closer to your dream. Read a book about the subject of your dream. Email someone who is living your dream and ask him or her what's the one thing someone just starting out can do to move forward. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Your dream might sound crazy or impossible, and that's OK. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. 5 or 10 years may sound like forever, but if you were directing some of your resources（资源）towards your dream each day, wouldn't those years be more enjoyable?

A. Ask for help

B. Write it down

C. Start now by doing one thing

D. Can you work hard to make your dream come true

E. The right someone is a loving, kind person you trust

F. It may take some time to make your dream come true

G. What changes could you make in your life to give your dream a chance

    You can't choose friends for your child, but you can help him learn to choose friends wisely. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are a few ways to help your child make friends.

    Build your child's self-confidence.

    When he succeeds or has made a great choice, tell him you are proud of him.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Your middle school student is going through many changes and may feel like he isn't “good enough”. Building his self-confidence will help him feel more confident and will make it easier for him to form healthy friendships.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Give him your full attention when he talks, and really listen to what he has to say.

    Discuss the qualities in a friend with your child.

    Discuss with your child the qualities that matter most, such as being reliable and kind, and making good choices when it comes to avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.

    Get to know your child's friends.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's more important to talk with them and find out what they like to do. Allow your child to invite his friends over and get to know them better.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    After-school clubs and sports programs are good places for meeting new people. Be open to exploring different activities with your child to find something that he enjoys.

A. When he does not succeed, help him feel better and keep trying.

B. You can teach him ways to find friends who will have a positive influence on him.

C. There are many types of friends and we should be careful when making our choices.

D. Introduce your child to new groups of people.

E. Friends are very important for us.

F. Talk with your child every day and listen to his concerns.

G. Try not to judge your child's friends according to how they dress.

    We automatically assume that as adults, we're wiser than when we were children. However, actually we can learn a lot from our childhood self. For example, we can learn to develop optimism about the future. Do you remember how excited you used to be just before Christmas? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Reintroduce that childlike wonder into our daily experiences.

    We can learn to dream big and imagine the impossible. How often have you heard a child say something like “One day, I'm going to be an astronaut”? Our adult minds immediately laugh at this idea and think about all the logical reasons as to why this might never happen. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}We minimize our chances of attaining what we dream about. It is okay to dream big just as our childhood self did.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Our childhood self looked at possibilities and believed we could achieve them successfully. If we wanted to build a tree house, we'd go about thinking about how to make it happen instead of focusing on all the reasons it might not happen. In this way we can fill our life with possibilities rather than regrets.

    We can learn to be playful and silly sometimes, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Children spend a large amount of time escaping from reality to mess about and have fun. Make time for your childhood self to come out and play. Run around the garden, wear a silly hat or spend time laughing. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Don't imagine things could go wrong.

B. We can learn to hold a “can do” attitude.

C. That feeling of great joy is hard to beat.

D. Most children tend to think in a positive way.

E. All of these activities can make us feel happy and alive.

F. We employ self-limiting beliefs without even realizing it.

G. All work and no play makes a person very dull and upset.

     A lot of parents help their kids do homework and study for school.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    A photographer in India's Bihar state took a photo of dozens of parents risking their lives to help their 10th-graders cheat on tests. The parents climbed the walls of a four-story school to throw cheat sheets through the window for their children.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} About 600 students were expelled(开除) from the school. And police have detained(拘留) more than 1,000 people connected with the scandal(丑闻).

    The tests the Bihar students were taking are called board exams. These exams help determine who will be considered the top students in each class. India's best university will take only students with a 95 percent score or better.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Students who make it into India's top universities have a much better chance of getting well-paid jobs. They can help their families by becoming doctors or engineers. Many of the students who don't pursue(追求) these kinds of careers have a much more difficult time making money.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}About 30 percent of its citizens are considered poor. In many parts of the country, a family of five might struggle to survive on as little as $80 a month. For students who do well, the exams can be a life-changing event for their families.

    Few believe the Bihar incident will stop people from cheating on exams. Many students think that because others are cheating, they also have to cheat to keep up.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Officials believe that new laws and policies will help only so much. To stop cheating, they say, people need to change their attitudes toward it.

A. India has a high poverty rate.

B. This cycle has proved very difficult to break.

C. The exam season can be called cheating season.

D. The government cannot stop cheating in exams.

E. The serious cheating outbreak did not go unpunished.

F. But the parents of some students in India have taken helping their kids to a new level.

G. As a result, students throughout the country are under great pressure to do well on the tests.

Overcome Culture Shock in the Classroom

    Culture shock occurs in a classroom when students are exposed to a new situation.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. However, it can also happen to students moving from a small town to a large city, to home－schooled students starting formal school education or to students progressing from one level of education to another. There are several strategies that teachers can use to help students overcome culture shock.

    Make group rules

    Brainstorm(集体讨论) group rules with the class as a whole to create a safe space and good learning environment.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Rules could include respecting differences, listening when someone is speaking and not teasing, for example.

    Provide a partner

    Find a partner for the new student in the adjustment period.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. A good partner is someone who is friendly, outgoing and patient. The partner should show the new student around the school, spend time with him or her after class and eat lunch with him or her.

    Know the source of a problem

    Identify problems early and work with the student and his or her family to deal with them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It can also be caused by overseas or home school environment. Students and parents need to be aware of all the rules and customs that apply.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Create lessons that include information about different countries and traditions. These could include story reading, geography, cultural studies and history. Encourage the student to share some information about himself or herself.

A. Create special lessons

B. Respect other cultures

C. They have lost their own language and culture

D. Explain the rules and require everyone to follow them

E. A partner can help him or her quickly adapt to the new environment

F. Classroom culture shock is often caused by the very different environment of a classroom

G. Typically, this happens when a new immigrant(移民) arrives in a classroom for the first time