There is a new novel called The 33rd Student. It's very unusual because 32 students wrote it together.

    Students from Class 1, Grade 2 of Hangzhou Qingchun Middle School began to write the novel last October. This March, they finished their 330, 000-word story.

    It was Zhou Hui, the class's Chinese teacher that had the great idea. Some students thought writing was boring. Zhou wanted to change their minds. The class had fierce（热烈的） discussions about the storyline and main character.

    The novel is a story about Nan Yao, a student new to Class 1.Nan is a tall boy with tanned（晒黑的） skin. He is from Hebei.

    Each student was assigned（分配） one part to write. Together, there are 32 stories about Nan's life since he came to Class 1.Students tried their best while writing the story. Huang Yiying, 14, said she got up at midnight to write down the idea for her story. Chen Tianbai, 14, wrote about a birthday party. He found it hard to imagine. So he held a party for his 14th birthday, wrote down what happened and turned it into his story.

    Zhou said most students revised（修改） their stories three times." Now, none of them are afraid of writing. They have written so much themselves!"

    The novel will be printed（印刷） and each student will get a copy. "It will be a very precious（宝贵的） memory for them." said Zhou.

    "In my country, men usually go to restaurants on their own. They always take their shoes off before they go in. Then they usually sit on the floor around a small, low table. In the evening they often sing songs."

    "You usually take chocolates or flowers. But you always take an odd number of flowers, and you remove the paper before you give them to the hostess. You can also send flowers before you arrive. You don't usually take wine except when you visit very close friends."

    "We always offer our guests something to drink when they arrive, tea, coffee or perhaps water or soft drinks. We think it is polite to accept a drink even if you're not thirsty. If you visit someone you always stay for a few drinks. When you have had enough to drink, you tap your cup or put your hand over it. If you say no, your host will insist that you have more to drink."

    "People's private lives are very important so they never ask you personal questions about your family or where you live or your job. They never talk about religion or matters of finance, education or politics, but usually stay with safe subjects like the weather, films, plays, books and restaurants."

    "It's difficult to know when to leave, but an evening meal usually lasts about three or four hours. When the host serves coffee, this is sometimes a sign that the evening is nearly over, but you can have as much coffee as you want."

"If the invitation says eight o'clock then we arrive exactly at eight. With friends we know well, we sometimes arrive about fifteen minutes before."

    "Obviously it depends on the occasion, but most dinner parties are informal. The men don't usually wear a suit, but they may wear a jacket and tie. Women are usually smart but casual."

Dave is my friend. His family is rich. His parents always give himlots of pocket money(零用钱). But Dave thinks his parents work very hard and it's not easy forthem to make money, so he always tries to save money. He has some good ways todo it.

Dave likes books. He tells me he often buys books online, because they'recheaper. And when he is free, he often goes to bookshops to do some reading. Davehas a bike. He usually goes to school by bike instead of(代替) taking a bus. Sometimes whenit rains or snows, he walks. These two ways help Dave keep healthy and savemoney.

Dave brings a bottle of water to school every day. When others drinkjuice, he enjoys water. He says water is the cheapest and the best drink.

Some students think Dave is mean(吝啬的). But I don't think so. I think he is right.

The fear of the novel coronavirus（新冠病毒） has turned into discrimination (歧视) against certain groups of people, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(include) people from Wuhan, Chinese people or Asians in general. However, the outbreak of the disease can't be an excuse to isolate these groups. What we should do is {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(get) rid of (消除) discrimination and show sympathy (同情) instead.

Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), many people {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(live) in fear. This is normal, as the disease is infectious (传染性的) and dangerous. However, some people turn pale at the mention of "people from Wuhan or Hubei province", the center of the outbreak.

    Ding Baixing, a doctor at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, has seen this himself. He treated a suspected (疑似的) patient {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(name)Chen Hui who traveled from Wuhan to Shanghai. Chen appeared desperate (绝望的) and avoided {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(keep)in touch with other patients, as he worried that they would be afraid of him.

    Chen is not alone. Chen Xue, an editor {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(work) in Beijing, went to Chongli in Hebei for a ski trip on Jan 23. Though her temperature was fine and she hasn't been to her hometown – Hubei province – since October last year, the hotel she was in told her that it {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(will not) receive Hubei guests from the next day.

    However, the real enemy is the virus – not the patients or people from Wuhan or Hubei province. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong echoed this idea in a speech at the Chinese New Year dinner. "Even though the virus started in Wuhan, it doesn't respect nationality or race (种族). It does not check your passport (护照) before it goes into your body. Anybody can be infected," he said.

    It is not the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(patient) fault that they have been infected. There is no reason to blame them. If patients didn't go to the hospital for fear of discrimination, the virus {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(spread) to more people. "Protecting them is just as important as protecting ourselves," Ding said. 

Poem that inspires

At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会), six hosts read a poem to inspire people across the country. It called for greater respect for medical workers, as well as called on everyone to work together to fight the virus. One of the lines – "we isolate (隔离) the virus, but we don't isolate love" – has been {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(wide) posted online.