Two years ago, a small town in Changhua started to grow healthy rice. The healthy rice was not grown by farmers but by the students from a small primary school of only about fifty people.

    The idea of growing rice came from the school teachers. When making teaching plans, the teachers decided to teach students how to grow healthy rice on school land. They wanted the students to get closer to the land when doing the rice farming outside the classroom.

What's better, the school made money from selling the rice and giving farming classes to the public. With the money, the school could help the students who wished to go to foreign countries some day. Today the dream is becoming real — the students are flying to Japan to share their special farming experiences, and have fun over there, of course! “We all feel very proud that even students from a small town can make themselves seen in the world,” said one of the teachers.

    Police arrested a 19-year-old teenager yesterday who was involved in a ‘4-cats-killed' case in Hong Kong. The case drew the public's attention towards animal rights. Still, many people in Hong Kong would like to own a pet dog without giving serious thought to the consequences(后果).

    We are concerned（关注） that some owners will drive away the pets once they have become useless. Homeless dogs and cats run here and there in the parks and streets. Many owners send their pets away for three reasons. Firstly, they have got diseases. Secondly, they are noisy and annoying（烦人）. Thirdly, they have broken the vase bought by a boyfriend. Because of these silly reasons, many pets lose their homes . More pets will be saved if we think twice before buying them.

    We must pay attention to pets' health. To have them injected(注射) with different types of vaccines(疫苗) at the correct age is necessary. You should always keep an eye on your pet. If they behave strangely, take them to an animal hospital at once. It's dangerous for dogs to eat chocolate. Never leave your pets at home alone for a long time. Pets will show better behavior once they have developed good habits. Owners can take them to some training courses or teach them patiently at home.

    Animal experts say that Hong Kong is not an ideal place for keeping pets at home. Hong Kong people are too busy and the flat spaces are limited. Above all, animals are an important part of nature. They should not be locked in cages. So, if you do not have the time and ability to keep them well, do not take them home. Please think twice before you pay.

    It is necessary for children to help their parents with housework. But most parents may find it difficult to get their children to help with it, because children usually enjoy playing games instead of doing housework. However, I have some good ways to get my children to do housework. Here is an example.

    "Mum, what's next week's housework? Let Kitty and me choose the cards. I can't wait. It's interesting!"

    When my son, 7-year-old Tommy shouted, I began to put all the cards on the sofa. On the cards, I wrote some words like these, "wash the car, take out the rubbish, make the bed, do the dishes, clean the living room, sweep the floor, wash the clothes, take the dog for walks, water the flowers" and so on.

    Kitty and Tommy chose two cards for each day from Monday to Friday. Then they wrote them down on their notebooks. Tommy likes to take the dog for walks best while Kitty enjoys cleaning the living room. Soon the two kids had fun taking away all the cards. And I didn't need to worry about the housework again. Of course, on weekends, I usually do the housework myself and set the children free.

Do you feel guilty(内疚的) for something you did? Maybe you made a mistake that hurt someone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Either way, the simple words "I'm sorry" can help you and others feel better. It's not always easy to admit(承认) what you did is wrong. But you can't learn from your mistakes without admitting them.

Apologizing(道歉) is an important part of personal growth. When you apologize, the other person knows that you understand his feelings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But in fact, it shows that you are strong enough to put others before yourself. After apologizing, you may become closer to your friend than before.

But even after you decided to apologize, you may not be sure how to do it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

①Show that you feel guilty and understand how the other person feels. For example, you could say, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel terrible for talking to you like that."

②Don't keep doing what you apologized for.

③Don't put off(推迟) making an apology.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Apologies can be hard, but they are necessary for healthy relationships.

Information Card(信息卡)