For those of us who are studying at school, the time of exams is very stressful (紧张的) and difficult. Some people find exam times so bad that they become ill, because they are afraid of failing; they are afraid of letting their parents and family down. If exams are really making you ill or worried, don't hide your feelings. Talk to someone about it. Maybe you can speak to a friend, or someone in your family, or teachers at your place of study. If one person doesn't help you, ask someone else.

      How to get through exams? Here is some advice:

      Ask a teacher or tutor about how to review your lessons, and exam skills—how to work when you are in an exam. Take short rests during your time of work. If your mind is tired, it will not remember well. Plan your work: study at times when you know you will work at your best. Get enough sleep, and eat healthy food. You need exercise to work well. Walk, run, play sports — whatever you enjoy. Stop thinking about the future and failing.

If you feel ill, talk to someone about your worries. But don't be too relaxed! Some stress over exams makes you work hard for them.

If it upsets(使某人不安) you to talk to your friends about an exam when it is finished, don't do it! In fact, don't even think about the exam you have finished. What is done is done. You cannot change what you have written!

      To this advice, we could add: If you are studying in the evening, don't go straight to bed. Your mind will still be “going round and round”—thinking too much. Do something else, maybe walk or get exercise. Choose something that will relax you, and make you think of other things.

    Earth is our home. It has air that we can breathe(呼吸). It has water for us to drink. It has plants and animals that we can eat. Earth is not too hot or too cold for us. It has everything we need to live.

    We are on earth, but we call see things that are not on earth. Early in the morning, we can see the sun comes up. All day, the sun seems to move across the sky. Later in the day, we can see the sun goes down. But the sun is not really moving around us. We are the ones who are moving. Every morning, we turn towards the sun. Every night, we turn away from it. Every year, we go around it. Earth is our spaceship. All of us in the spaceship are riding around the sun.

    At night, we can often see the moon and stars. From earth stars look like little points of light because they are so far away. But stars are really big. A star is a great mass of burning gas. It gives off light and heat. Our sun is a star.

    There are eight planets moving around our sun. Earth is the third planet around the sun. Some of the planets have moons. A moon goes around a planet just as a planet goes around a star. Earth has only one moon. Some planets have more.

    “I've always had a pretty clear idea of what I want to do.” says Mary, a middle school student who wants to become a director some day. You may not be as sure of your career (职业) as Mary. But you can start thinking about and planning for your future career.

    The following article helps middle school students plan for careers.

    Explore (探索) your interests

    Many middle school students don't yet know what they want to do. But in fact, students may change their minds several times, perhaps even after they enter society. And some of tomorrow's careers might not exist (存在) today. Focusing on just one job in middle school isn't necessary. But looking into the kinds of careers you might like can help you succeed.

    ①          

    Understanding what you enjoy and what you're good at is the most important step in exploring careers. If you don't know what you want to do, you should ask yourself what you like to learn about. If you really like science, what do you enjoy about it — the lab work or the research? It's important to think about what you like to do, because work will finally be a big part of your life.

Discover possible careers

    Once you've thought about the subjects and activities you like best, the next step is to look for careers that put those interests to use. If you love sports, for example, you might consider a career as a P.E. teacher or a soccer coach. If you like English, a career as an English teacher, a translator or a travelling guide might be a good choice.

    ②          

    After discovering possible jobs, you'll want to learn more about them. Talking directly to workers on the phone, by email, or through online discussion can help you get information about what they do. Even meeting with them in person is helpful. First-hand information is necessary for you to find out if you'll really like a career.

    It may take a long time for some people to learn to speak English. However, by following these tips（实用的提示） you should be speaking English in no time.

    Tip I: Forget about having a large vocabulary. Only learn the words you will need most. For example, if you are traveling in an English-speaking country, make a list of all the possible sentences and questions that you would need to know, such as "Do you know where the nearest bathroom is? "and" I am lost. Can you help me?" Think about what sentences you would want a traveler to know if they came to your country and couldn't speak your language.

    Tip 2: Once you have a list of vocabulary that you think will be most useful to you, make sure you understand the meaning of each word and know how to use each word in a sentence. Try making lists with new words and sample sentences(例句). Ten new words is enough on each list. Then stick(粘贴)the lists up all over your house where you can easily see them. Practice every day. Whenever you see a list, make sure you stop and read through it.

    Tip 3: Now pronounce these words and sentences properly. Try to learn pronunciation by listening to how English speakers pronounce words. Watch English TV shows, listen to English radio programs and try to talk with as many English speakers as you can, online or in person.

    I wish you the best of luck and I hope my tips are helpful!

    Australia is the greatest island in the world.  Australia is a little smaller than China.

    Australia is big, but there are fewer people there. The population of Australia is smaller than that of Shanghai, a city of China.

    Australia is in the south of the earth. So when it is hot summer in our country, Australia will be cold winter. The seasons in Australia and in China are just opposite. Summer in Australia is from December to February, and winter is from July to August. When it's spring in China, it will be autumn in Australia.

    Australia is famous for sheep and kangaroos(袋鼠）. They are both popular in Australia. 

    You can see kangaroos not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns. There are ten sheep for everyone in the country. So people call Australia "The country on the backs of sheep ". After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, sheep, sheep are everywhere.

    Have you seen a kangaroo? It has a "bag" on its body. The mother kangaroo keeps its baby kangaroos in the "bag". It's very strange, isn't it?