It used to be that parents and teachers had set days and times for parent-teacher meetings, but {#blank#}1{#/blank#} With the help of QQ, Wechat, school website and so on, parents and teachers can communicate with each other more easily and often. But some parents still don't want to connect with their child's teachers. That's not right! Because{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be sure to call your child's teacher if {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When a child who used to love going to school, but now cries and fights getting on the bus, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Your child's teacher can pay more attention to something bigger happening.

    For example, you may find the teacher's notes on the test paper. They are often helpful for parents to understand what your child's problem is. If they are unclear to you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    A good working relationship between parents and teachers is good for everyone. Keep communicating, ask questions and solve problems before they become too big. They are all ways to build a strong relationship.

    The first people who drank tea were the Chinese. The bush grew wild all over the south of China. Chinese people liked the taste, and found that the drink could refresh (使恢复精力)them. The new drink reached England in 1657. It was sold at one of the coffee houses. Only the very rich people could afford (买得起) to drink.

    Now, people drink tea all around the world. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea. In China people always have tea together with their friends. They may drink tea at any time of the day. They only put tea leaves in their cups. They prefer the tea with nothing else in it. In the USA people drink tea at breakfast or after meals. They usually use tea bags to make their tea. Making tea with bags is faster and easier than making it with tea leaves in teapots.

    Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English, afternoon tea and beautiful china tea cups. It's believed that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. She invited some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o'clock. This meal included cakes, sandwiches and tea. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates, and silver teapots, knives, forks and spoons were used. Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions (社交活动). Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain.

    Can you imagine a sea of sand three times bigger than India? This is the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. It covers 11 countries in North Africa and is over 9 million square kilometers.

    In the Sahara, temperatures are very different during the day and at night. It is much hotter during the day than at night. During the day, the hottest time is between 2 p. m. and 4 p. m.-when temperatures rise to 33℃. But it is very cold at night, the coldest time is at 4 am, when temperatures fall to -1℃.

    Because of the extreme temperatures in the desert, it is a very difficult place to survive (幸存). Marco Rivera, our survival expert, has some tips.

    Take warm clothes and a blanket. You will need a hat, long trousers and a thick sweater to keep you warm at night. During the day, cover your body, head and face. Clothes protect you from the sun and keep water in your body. You will also need a warm blanket at night. It can get cold rapidly. When the temperature drops, it can be a shock and make you feel even colder.

    Try to drink some water at least once every hour. You need your water to last as long as possible. Drink only what you need. If you eat, you will get thirsty and your water will run out soon. You can eat a little, but only to stop you from feeling very hungry. Eat a small amount of food slowly.

    It's important to stay out of the sun during the day. Make a hole under your car and lie there. This will keep you cool and help you sleep. Find a warm place to sleep at night. A small place near a tree or a rock will be the warmest. But be careful before you decide where to sleep. Dangerous animals like snakes also like to sleep in these places. Look carefully for animals before you lie down.

    On the morning of August 2^nd, I was careless and lost my school bag in the reading-room of our school. There were three English books and a pencil-case inside. Will the finder please send it either to the assistant or to myself? Many thanks to the finder. My bedroom is in Room 403, on the fourth floor of our school.

Wei Hua

Information Card

    Good morning! My name is Mary and my last name is White. I live with my parents and my brother in China now. I am a student. I study in Xinghua Middle School. My telephone number is 5574782. My school ID number is 888098. Tom is my best friend. His last name is Miller. He is in my school, too. His telephone number is 5570895. His school ID number is 8702223. We often go to school together in the morning and help each other with homework after school. At weekends, we like to play together with in the park near my home.

Information Card