Do you ever feel like you are just rushing from one subject to another? When things happen so fast, maybe you can't understand clearly what you are doing or learning, so it is imporant to stop yourself to think about what you have been doing or learning.

    Self-reflection(反省) means slowing down and calming (使平静) yourself, including calming your mind. By calming down and going slowly, you give your brain a chance to think about what it has already received. Some people prefer to do self-reflection only in their mind. Others keep a diary. What's more, taking notes is also OK. Each method works, depending on your own personal learning. You can follow the steps to do self-reflection.

    First, choose the proper time to do it. School textbooks are divided into units of study. This makes it easier to begin self-reflection. Look for time when you complete a unti of study. Sometimes you know the unit is over because there is some kind of test. Use these natural breaks to stop and do self-reflection.

    Then, find a quiet place and take out your reflection diary. Write down some notes on the new things that you learned in the unit. Let your mind think about the notes you have written and make some connections.

    Finally, think about things that you are not sure of. Maybe you learned a new way to work out a mathhhh problem, but you're not sure when to use it. Writing down your questions will help you remember to look for answer the next time you are working with the same topic.

Successful students always know self-reflection is important. If you have never taken the time to do self-reflectio, try it now.

Teenagers growing pains

    Today, our students are facing many different problems and they want to ask some experts for help. Nancy says she feel stressed these days because of too much homework. She hasn't enough time to sleep for a long time and often falls asleep during the classes. John says he doesn't like to study because of the bad effect of computer games. Cindy says she gets fat because she likes to eat junk food and hardly ever takes exercise. Frank has the worst problem. He always fights with others as he doesn't know how to get on well with others and few of his classmates would like to talk with him.

    Do you want to travel as cheaply as possible while enjoying the great scenery(风景)as much as possible? Backpacking(背包旅行)is the most popular way among young people now. With a tent, a sleeping bag and some clothes, you can start your trip Backpacking can give you many challenges(挑战). To travel with little money, backpackers stay in cheap hotels or schools, and they sometimes sleep in railway stations or under bridges.

    The young people in Europe often travel around their own country by train. Now they can travel father to Australia or China by plane because the plane tickets are much cheaper now.

    But no matter where backpackers travel, planning is very important if they want to enjoy the trip They should carry waterproof(防水的)clothes in summer, some medicine, and of course a credit card which is a safe way to carry money. Students may bring their student ID card to get tickets at lower prices. When you want to travel to a foreign country, the passport(护照) is necessary.

Information Card

    Mr White works in a factory. There are not many people in the factory. They make shoes there. The workers go to work very early in the morning. On Saturday and Sunday they don't go to work. They stay at home. Mrs White cooks for the workers in the factory. She likes cooking and she cooks well. In the middle of the day the workers have lunch in the factory. They are very friendly. They like the food Mrs White cooks.

    When all the housewives went to the new supermarket, they had one great hope in mind: to be the lucky customer. Then they did not have to pay for their shopping, for this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said, "Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This may be YOUR lucky day!"

    For several weeks, Mrs Read hoped to become a lucky customer, like many of her friends did, and she never gave up hope. Her dear husband tried to advise her not to do so, but he failed. She always dreamed of the day when the manager of the super-market would come up to her and say, "Madam, this is your lucky day. Everything in your basket is free. ”

    One Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy some tea. She dashed（猛冲）back to the supermarket, got the tea, and went towards the cash desk(付款处). As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket come up to her, "Madam." he said and held out his hand, "I want to congratulate you! You are the lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"