Why should students play sports? Some people think that students play sports in order to get exercise. Others think it can help students have fun. But that is not enough. If students play sports, they can get more than healthy bodies. Why? Here are three more reasons.

    Students who play sports do better in school. Some people think that doing exercise will take up（占据） students' study time. But a recent study has shown that students who play sports get better scores in school than those who don't. Exercise gets students to learn, remember things and concentrate（集中） better.

    Students who play sports develop their teamwork spirits（精神） and learn problem-solving skills. When they are working together with others to win games and reach goals, they're learning how to be successful in practice. And these skills will be useful to them for study or their future work.

    Playing sports can also improve confidence（自信）. Students who play sports feel better about themselves. When they know they can improve and reach their goals by practicing, it builds their confidence. And sports can also help them communicate with others actively and make new friends.

    Now, how about going out to play sports with your friends every day?

    Everyone needs friends. But how do you find real friendship and keep it?

    The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to find friends. Sally says founding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed (种子) and take care of it to make it grow.

    First, you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks. A good friend should be kind and patient. For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend could listen to your complaints (抱怨) and do his or her best to help you. To make a friend, you can't be too shy. You should make each other happy and share your lives.

    But things can not always be happy. Even the best friends have fights. What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her. When there is no one around, have a good talk. If he or she doesn't want to talk, you can write a letter.

    There are three steps to be friends again:

    Tell him or her how you are feeling, say what your friend did wrong and talk about why you did this or that. Remember that friendship is one of the most important things in your life.

    A poor (贫穷的) man goes to a rich (富有的) man's house. On the way, he sees a box under a tree. He opens it and sees some apples in it.

    The man thinks, "I will have dinner in the rich man's house. He will give me nice food to eat. It will be very delicious." So he doesn't eat the apples. He throws them away (扔掉).

    The man walks on and comes to a river. He can't go across it. He waits for some time, but there is no boat coming. "What a bad day! I can't go to the rich man's house today," he thinks.

    The man has to go back home. He doesn't have any food at home. He is very hungry. He thinks of the apples. He goes back to the tree. He is very happy to see them near the tree, and he eats them quickly.

    The story tells us: Do not throw away good things; you may need them some other time.

根据材料内容完成下列任务。

⑴⑵判断正误，⑶选择最佳答案，⑷简要回答问题，⑸将划线句子翻译成汉语。

    One of the biggest mistakes a person can make is to try not to make mistakes. As you make decisions in your life, you will very likely make some mistakes. But making mistakes is a big part of how you gain(获得) experience.

    A simple example. You do poorly on a test because you didn't study hard enough. One bad test is not the end of the world, but it can quickly teach you that if you don't study, you won't do well.

    Mistakes sometimes lead to arguments(争论) between people.  But if you learn to understand things from another person's point of view, you will be able to learn very quickly from the mistakes you make and the mistakes you think other people have made. You can turn mistakes into opportunities(机会) .

    For example, if you learn to understand others' feelings and problems, you will understand the people you work with much better instead of getting angry. And you will learn to talk about problems and be more patient with people you don't agree with—a friend, or a mate in your workroom or company.

    So next time you think you've made a mistake, stop and ask yourself what you've learned from it, and what you will do differently in the future.

    Show me the person in the room who has made a lot of mistakes, and I'll show you the person who has probably learned a lot.

    Let's have a look at American students' school life. On school days, American students usually get up at 7:00 a.m. Most students walk or take a yellow school bus to school. Some students ride bikes. After they arrive at school at about 8:30 a.m., they meet their friends and talk about their activities. They put their backpack in a small cupboard(衣柜）and take out only one book, some writing paper and a pencil for each class. In the middle school, they take only five or six subjects each term. They usually go to the same class every day, and they have homework for every class.

    At noon, the students eat lunch at school. They often have meat, vegetables, fruit and some drinks. But some students like pizza, hot dogs or hamburgers better. At 13:00 in the afternoon, they begin to have classes. Their classes are always over at 15:00. Then they join the school clubs or play sports. They go back home at about 5:30 p.m.

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