In many western schools, sports day is a big event. Children take part in competitive (竞争性的)sports and try to break school records and take the first place.

    Sports days, or sports meetings, are usually held in the warmer seasons, either at the beginning or the end of the school year. They are also called field days. Primary school sports days are fun. They usually have activities such as the egg and the spoon race and the sack race. Other events include the skipping race (跳绳) and the three-legged race. In middle and high schools, sports days include many of the common track and field events (田径项目).  They are more serious and competitive than primary school ones.

    Students' parents and other relatives also come to the  school on sports days. They watch children play. Many schools in the West have "mothers and fathers" races for parents to take part in!

    Although sports days are exciting, they also have some problems. According to some reports in the USA, sports days have become too competitive to be good for students. Some parents put too much pressure on the children. Some schools don't have "mothers and fathers" races any more as there is much fighting and cheating.

    Amy and Liu Yun are going to have a busy day next Sunday. In the morning they are going to buy a dictionary and a new CD at the bookshop. Then, they are going to have hamburgers and French fries for lunch. After lunch they are going to borrow some magazines and books in the library. Finally, they are going to buy some fruit and go home by subway.
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Information Card

Improving Listening Sills in the Classroom

    Listening is a skill that needs to be learned and used well to be able to succeed in any environment. In the classroom, great listening skills mean the difference between a successful student and one who struggles (挣扎) in school.

    Come to class rested.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When your body is well taken care of, your mental (精神的) focus will be much better. If you come to class sleepy or tired, it may be impossible for you to keep your eyes open and concentrate (集中) on what the teacher is saying.

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    Have everything you need at the start of the class. If you have homework, make sure you are ready to hand it in. Bring out your notebook and pen so you can start taking down notes Also, try to read your textbooks before coming into class. It will help you understand more easily what your teacher is talking about.

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    When you're in the front of the class, you'll have an easier time hearing what the teacher has to say you won't have a daydream when the teacher is near you.

    Take down notes.

    Write down what you hear in class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It will also make you concentrate more on what is being said So you can properly take notes. Try to concentrate when you are in class so that you are able to get the key points during a lecture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you learn techniques to help you with this skill, you should see an improvement in your listening.

    Wang Jie is a young talented writer. Her new book The Fifth Day of the Sixth Month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar (《六月初五》) has just come out.

    "I'm happy to write something every day. I have been writing all the years and will never stop," says Wang.

    Wang has lived a meaningful and rich life. Besides being a writer, Wang also has a heart of gold. She has a great love for charity work.

    "We should do our best to end poverty," says Wang.

    She has helped more than 100 children living in the poor mountain villages. She donates much money and books to them. She hopes to help them with their studies and their lives.

    "Doing good deeds, like passing on love and justice(正义) and doing charity work, can make me keep a peaceful mind. I have always been trying my best to have complete peace of mind," says Wang. With a peaceful mind, Wang can write all the way, and her peaceful mind comes from her good deeds. She is a beautiful writer with a beautiful heart.

    We will soon read another book of hers Flowers fall in Chang'an(《花落长安》). It is a thick book with about 600,000 words.