All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.

    In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in tea houses. They prefer their tea plain, with nothing else in it.

    Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony(仪式).

    It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.

    Another tea-drink country is England. In England, the late afternoon is ＂teatime＂. Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in a teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.

    In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea-＂iced tea＂. Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.

    In America, the school life is not easy for us students. There are so many rules we have to follow. When we start school, we get a rule book. There are always teachers looking out for people who are breaking the rules and prefects (长官) are everywhere too.

    The most rules are in the classroom and in the hallways. For example, you can't run or dance around in the hallways. We can't put our bags everywhere in the hallways.

    You can't eat or drink in the classroom or the hallways. Prefects watch you, They can give out duty slips (cleaning the dining hall for about 2 hours).

    If you make mistakes, you will get a detention. You may have to do some work for school. A detention is the most painful. You have to do a lot of tiring and boring things. There are rules for students out of school as well. Boys should not buy take away food in the street if they wear the school uniforms. The school also expects good behavior on public transport and in public places.

Few parents can hear the words "What can I do to help?" from their kids. Teenagers spend more time on video games, computers and mobile phones, so they help less with housework.

Students at a primary school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province were required to clean the school toilets to help them develop good habits. But some parents are strongly against the idea. They can't see the advantages of students doing such chores. They think that the school should provide students with a proper education, not the chance to be school cleaners.

In fact, parents, schools and society play an equally (同等地) important role in developing the character of students. It is good for schools to give students such tasks, because few of the students will do them at home. Their parents want them to do homework only.

In recent years, some parents will make mountains out of molehills when students are asked to do some chores in schools. Some will complain the teachers if their kids get hurt in schools; some will even challenge the schools' teaching methods and management. As a result, many primary schools, especially those in big cities, do not let students join in outdoor activities during breaks, fearing that they might get hurt. This is bad for the development of students' best qualities.

What the primary school in Fuzhou doing is worth praising. Doing chores can put a sense of responsibility (责任感) into students' minds and teach them the spirit of rules as well as teamwork. Also, it can make students' in-school experiences more meaningful.

第2单元的主阅读Fishing with birds介绍了一种中国的传统技艺—鸬鹚捕鱼。文章结尾写道：In 50 years, perhaps there will be no more cormorant fishermen in the world. 你觉得鸬鹚捕鱼这项传统技艺会消失吗?给出你的观点，提供至少两个理由，并进行适当的论证。

I think the most basic way to connect with others is to listen. Perhaps, the most important thing we give each other is our attention. When people are talking,there is no need to do anything but receive them and take them in. Listen to what they are saying. In most cases, listening is more important than understanding. It takes me a long time to believe in the power of simple saying"I'm sorry."One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story, people often broke her off. Finally, she stopped talking to most people. When we stop what some one is saying to let him or her know that we understand, we move attention to ourselves. Ihave learned to do with someone's crying by just listening to him or her. I used to pass them the paper. I realized that it might be just another way to calm them down. When they cried, they find me there with them. I used to think that people were very great if they were willing to listen only even if they did not know the answer. But now I know ____.

Deadly flooding has swept China s northern provinces this summer，causing many losses such as a number of people died and houses were destroyed（破坏） by floods. Like many other natural disasters，floods can happen with little or no warming. Finish floods move quickly and have strong currents（水流）. They are known to bring down trees and take down buildings. Besides，floods can cause power cuts （停电），traffic jam and other problems. But the food itself isn't the only problem to deal with. After the flood，it may have deadly results，as it may not be easy to send food and water to the area. 

So In the face of a flash food，how should we save ourselves？

*Don't use bridges that rapidly﹣moving water is crossing，as floodwater can cause bridges to break. 

*Listen to emergency broadcasts （应急广播） for more information. If told to move to another place，do so. 

*Stay inside the car if the car Is caught in the fast﹣moving water. Only get out if the water begins to food the car itself，and then move to the roof（项部） of the car. 

*Stay away from power lines （电线），as they are knocked down during the strong storms. Besides，here is something to keep in mind after a flood. 

*Do not use floodwater to wash food or drink it. 

*Return to your home only after the government has said it is safe to do so. 

*Use only bottled or clean water for drinking cooking are nothing.