Do you often help the people who are in need?

One day, two boys were walking along the road to school when they saw an old woman carrying a large basket of pears. The old woman looked very tired. They went up and said, “Are you going to town? If you are, we'll help you carry your basket.”

“Thank you,” said the woman. “That's very kind of you.” Then she told them that she was going to the market to sell the pears. So the boys decided to lift the basket together. They walked slowly with the heavy basket, but they were happy.

 The other day, I saw a little girl pick up a piece of banana peel(水果皮). She threw it into the dustbin(垃圾箱). “I  hope nobody would throw that on the street,”she said. “Someone may slip (滑倒) and fall.”

Perhaps some people may say that these are not great things. That's right. But almost all great things are made up of such small things. We shouldn't wait for the time to do great things. We should begin with these things that are full of love.

    I once believed that a friend is a friend all the way. Now I have changed my ideas about friendships.

    1). Friends of convenience(便利). They can be the people who live next door or the mothers of our children's closest friends. Friends of convenience are good indeed. They'll help us when we need it. They'll look after our cats when we go on holidays. But we don't ever get too close or tell too much. Between us, we'll talk about being overweight but not about being sad or disappointed(失望). However, people still find it necessary to make friends like this.

    2). Special-interest friends. These friendships aren't deeply personal or emotional(感情上的). They lie in some shared interests, so we may have an office friend, a tennis friend, or even a shopping friend.

    3). Historical friends. We all have a friend who knew us when…maybe we were back in the second grade of primary school, when our family lived in that two-room flat downtown. He or she was the first, the only friend we told our secrets to.

    The years have gone by, and we have gone different ways. But we're still a personal part of each other's past. We know how we looked before our teeth were straightened(矫正), and our getting together makes us think of an earlier part of ourselves, which is important and never lost.

    4). Cross-generational friends. These are friendships that from across generations(代). I have in my own life a precious(珍贵的) friend, a woman of 65, who is clever, who listens well, and who means not only an ideal mother to me but also the person I'd like to be when I grow up.

    Best friends, I believe, totally love and help each other.

    Recently, the relationship between the two countries got worse because of the Diaoyu Islands.

    The Japanese government signed a contract(合同) on Sep 11 with the Kurihara family. It was to pay the so-called “private(私人的) owner” 2.05 billion yen (166 million yuan) to “buy” part of China's Diaoyu Islands.

    Anti-Japan(反日) feeling grew strongly among Chinese people. Many people walked into the streets and shouted out “Diaoyu Islands are China's.” Some have decided not to buy Japanese products any more. “I am boycotting(抵制) Japanese goods as a show of support. I'll work hard to make the country much stronger,” Liu Xiushan, 33, a lawyer in Beijing said to China Daily.

    However, some didn't show their anger in the right way. They broke cars and stores of Japanese brands. Some used rude words. These actions are bad for our position and image. Some actions were against law.

    Li Jingjun, a 17-year-old high school student in Guangzhou, was shocked by what he learned from TV and the Internet. He joined protects(抗议) in his city on September 15. But he acted differently. He called for rational (理智的) actions.

    “We have every right to say the Diaoyu Islands belong to us, but we should watch our behaviour. Bad manners can harm our dignity(尊严) and sense of justice(正义感)” ,said Li Jingjun.

Information Card

    At East China University of Science and Technology, students who finish their food in the campus canteen get a coupon (优惠券) when they return their trays(托盘). Students can collect coupons and exchange them for small gifts, such as books, magazines and mobile phone covers.

    “It has been such a surprise,” said Liang Zhaoyun, 19, a student in this university. “It has given us one more motivation (动机)to finish our food.”

    “The aim of the activity is not only to encourage students to finish their food. We hope it can also motivate students to choose a more environment-friendly and healthier lifestyle,” said Tao Siliang, a teacher of this university.

    But some canteen food is poorly prepared, meaning that students are not willing to finish it all.

    “Generally speaking, the dishes in our canteen are all right,  ①  .Most students are the only child in their family and aren't used to some of the dishes,” said Wang Guangji, a leader of this university. 

    What if you really can't finish all your food? The canteen provides a take-away service. “If you can't finish all your food,  ②  .Even if you feed the cat, it's not wasted,” said Zhou Zeyong, another student of this university.

    “I'm glad that we've reduced waste since starting the campus ‘eat-up' activity. But if we  ③  students not to waste food, we should also improve the meals in campus canteens,” said Wang.

根据短文内容完成下列任务。

Creating a study plan

    Studying is important to students. But it is always difficult to find enough time to study every subject you need. So a good plan helps you to make sure of your success in study.

    Then, how to make a study plan? Well, you can begin with listing all the subjects you need to study and make sure what you need to do for each subject. Next, you should decide how much time you should spend on different subjects. Now, it is a good idea to study at the same time every day. In this way, you actually have a plan you can remember easily. While arranging (安排) time for each subject, you also need to make sure that you still have time for family, friends and rest. This is because you won't be able to succeed in your studies unless you balance your personal life and your study.

    Once the plan is made, the next thing you need to do is to follow it. One of the biggest challenges in following your study plan is that you will be tempted (诱惑) to avoid it and do something relaxing, or fun instead. Luckily, you can fight this temptation by taking breaks. But be sure not to take extra breaks or too long breaks as it can affect your plan. So at the start of your break，set an alarm clock to remind you when your break is over. Also, you need to use your break wisely. For example, go for a short walk, eat a small snack, or listen to some music.

    To avoid forgetting to follow your plan, try to get into the habit of looking at your calendar every day. Sometimes our plans are herd to follow because some important people in our lives distract (使分心) us from our goals. In order to avoid this, tell people in your life about your plan. Put up a copy of your study guide at home so you and your family can see it, and email a copy to your friends so they know when you have spare time.