New rules and behavior standards (标准) for middle school students came out. Who are the most excellent students? Middle schools use a new way to decide that. The best students won't only have good grades. The following are some of the new rules.

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     Have you ever copied others' work during an exam? Don't do it again. That's not what an honest student should do. If you played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you were doing your homework.

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     April is Bird-Loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and learn how to protect them.

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     When your classmates are in trouble, remember to give them a hand. You know a friend in need is a friend indeed. Try to do more for others.

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     Try to stay away from Web pages that are bad for you. Find good websites and use them for homework.

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     Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you can discover a new planet someday. Don't look down on new ideas. You should welcome them because new ideas can make life better.

Teenage life—better now, or in the past?

    Does this situation sound familiar（熟悉）?

    You are complaining（抱怨）to your parents about something. Maybe your computer isn't powerful enough to play the latest games.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.Then you hear…

    “When I was your age, there weren't any computers or video games. And I didn't get a bike until I was sixteen. And it was second-hand.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}”

    So, is it really true that life is better for teenagers now? It is certainly true that many teenagers have got more things nowadays.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}So parents have got more money to spend on each child. And many things are cheaper than they were when our parents were children.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Forty years ago, no one could imagine a world with tiny computers and amazing smartphones. And now these things are necessary—we can't imagine living without them!

    However, technology often means we spend more time at home. And often it's just us, with our computer or television. Teenagers don't do enough exercise.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And, although young people still get on well with their friends, some people think teenagers today don't have so many social activities as they did in the past.

    What do you think? How is teenage life better these days?

A. And it was too big for me.

B. A typical family is smaller now.

C. Or your friends' bikes are better than yours.

D. So they aren't as healthy as they were in the past.

E. Technology is probably the greatest change in our life.

How to be a friend of yourself

    We often pay attention to developing relationships with others, however, we forget the basic step: being friends of ourselves. How can we have good relationships with others if we don't even have good relationship with ourselves?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First, forgive yourself. It's true that you are not perfect, but neither is everybody else. It's normal to make mistakes{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Second, accept things you can't change. There are some things you cannot change, such as your background and your past{#blank#}3{#/blank#} if you face the things you can't change, just smile, and move on.

    Third, focus on your achievements. You can try making a list of your achievements, which do not have to be big things there are a lot of small but important achievements in our life{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Last but not least, stop comparing yourself with others. You are unique.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} your success is not determined(决定) by other people. Instead, it is determined by your own life purpose.

    Those days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting there. Travel is expensive, but don't stay home only because you are short of money! Here is some advice:

    Travel during off season if possible. Flights and hotels are much cheaper when tourism is low.

    Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. If you're staying several days, check out prices on vacation homes-- they can end up being cheaper than a hotel.

    Take public traffic, such as buses or subway, instead of taking a taxi.

    Plan your meals, and cat like locals. Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or fast- food chains. Depending on where you stay, it may be cheaper to make food on your own.

    Check online for special discount (折扣)—if you're a student, the old or the parents traveling with children, you could get discounts! A little research could save you a lot of money.

    Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to cost a lot of money. The key is to plan ahead and write down what you spend. Then put the money you save toward your next trip!

    Have you ever seen Korean writing before? In many people's eyes it looks lovely but difficult. Do you know the history of this special alphabet?

    Long ago, Korean people didn't have its own alphabet. At that time, Koreans used Chinese characters. Because Chinese is hard to learn, only rich people had the money and time to find teachers to teach them.

    One of their kings was called Sejong. He decided to invent a Korean alphabet.

    He thought hard. One day, on October 9,1446, he looked at a window frame and shouted: "I know what our alphabet should be!" He got the idea from the frame and invented characters of all the same size, like they were put in a frame.

    Hunmin Chongum, the earliest Korean alphabet was born.

    King Sejong said," Chinese characters can't express Korean meanings. These letters are very easy to learn. It is my hope that they can help all people learn to read."