Maria is a beautiful young girl. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. But she is still very insecure(缺乏信心的). She often thinks most of her friends are more beautiful than her. One day a new girl joined her class. Her name is Sarah. She has dark brown hair and green eyes. Maria thought the new girl was beautiful and wished she looked like her. One day she decided to take action.

    She went out and bought some hair dye（染发）. When she returned home, she told her mother what she planned to do.

    "It's your decision," said her mother sadly. "But I think you look beautiful as you are."

    Maria didn't hear what her mother said. She spent a few hours dyeing her hair dark brown. She felt much better and went to school happily the next day. As she reached her class she saw a new blonde girl sitting near the front. Later she knew it was Sarah. Sarah dyed her hair blonde. It was almost the same color as Maria's was before. Sarah turned around and Maria spoke to her.

    "Why do you dye your hair?" asked Maria.

    "Well, I always love your hair' said Sarah.

    Maria sat down and sighed(叹气).

    Keep in Touch

    You can keep in touch with your friends in many ways. You can call them. You can send letters or e-mails to them. You can even use a website like Facebook to keep in touch with them.

    Touch Luck

    "Touch Luck" is used when you feel sympathy(同情) about something bad that has happened to someone. But it is also used when you don't have any sympathy for someone's problems.

    Touch Screen

    You can find touch screens everywhere now, many mobile phones and music players have touch screens. Many ATMs have them, too. They are fun and easy to use! You can use them to buy tickets or shop online.

    Touchdown

    When you watch an American football game, you will hear the word "touchdown". A touchdown happens when a player carries the ball across the other team's goal (球门) line. When a player makes a touchdown, he scores (得分) six points for his team!

    The Midas Touch

    Midas was a king(国王) in an old Greek story. He loved money very much! He wished that everything he touched would turn to gold (金子). His wish came true. Everything he touched –his furniture(家具), his food, and even his daughter-turned to gold.

    Do you want to travel to the countries in Asia? You don't have to travel very far. Follow us, you can find these adventures that make people excited.

    Cycling in Guilin, China

    Get around the city by bike through Guilin, in Guangxi Province of China. Mountains rise straight up, creating the only beauty. Bike paths take you past the villages and farms. Enjoy the beautiful views from your bike, or stop and talk with one of the villagers working in his field.

    Adventure advice: When your feet are tired, take a boat trip along the beautiful and famous Li River.

    White-water rafting in Nepal

    In Nepal, you can experience (体验) thrilling rapids (湍流) and beautiful views in Himalayas at the same time. Take a white water rafting trip down the Sun Koki River, world-renowned for its powerful rapids. At night you'll camp beside the river on white water, and enjoy the quiet, lonely Nepalese countryside.

    Adventure advice: Don't go rafting in summer. High water levels make it dangerous.

    Scuba diving in Malaysia

    Go diving in the clear waters around Spaded, an island in Malaysia, and discover an underwater world. You'll see large sea animals swimming along. The colorful coral along the roofs hides tiny fish. The wide kind of tropical life found around Spaded makes it famous worldwide for diving.

    Adventure advice: You can dive at Spaded, but you can't sleep there. The island is a protected park, but you can stay on one of the nearby islands.

Three{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Adventures

    Some bad habits are making you grow old fast. Cut down the following habits today for a more beautiful, healthier tomorrow.

    Waiting for you sadness to go away

    Sadness isn't just uncomfortable; it also makes you become older fast. Take your mental(精神的)health as seriously as your physical health. If you've been fighting with your sadness for more than two weeks, be sure to find professional help. Paying no attention to your sadness or just waiting without doing anything can do harm to your mental health and make you older.

    Having a cigarette or two on weekends

    If you smoke only when you are with your friends on weekends, can you keep away from the harmful effects of smoking? The answer is". Smoking can break down your skin's elasticity(弹性). Your smoking habit may even make your hair become gray. Changing your smoking habit is changing your life.

    Having a long to do list day after day

    It's natural to have a to-do list in our "go, go, go" daily life. But if you're always running from one thing to the next, and caught in too much business, you are turning older fast, because your too long to-do list makes you tired and under lots of stress. Stress can cause heart disease high blood pressure and other physical diseases. It can also cause mental health problems or make the problems worse and worse.

    Good study habits are important for all students. When you have good study habits, you will learn faster and find you have a good memory.

    Do you usually study in the living room？This is not a good place for study because it's really too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, such as your bedroom. A quiet place will help you learn better.

    Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. It helps you study well, too. Light is important, too. You will feel tired easily if there is not enough light.

    Of all the good study habits you can develop, asking questions is the key. Just ask. No one knows everything, but we can always learn from each other by asking questions.

    When do you work best？Are you an early bird, a night owl (猫头鹰), or something in between ?Find your most productive work time, and then plan to study at this time.