With the change of different seasons, people will need different kinds of clothes. When school begins in autumn, it is cool. So at this time of year, people often wear something such as shirts, coats and pants. Winter usually comes in December. It is very cold in the last two months. And people should wear warm and heavy clothes. Jackets, sweaters, hats, and gloves can also keep people away from the cold weather. Spring is usually from March to May. In spring, the weather changes again and gets nice and warm. People begin to wear cool clothes. With the summer months coming, people often wear shorts, T-shirts or something else to keep cool. It gets very hot in July and August. Don't forget sunglasses and sunshades(遮阳伞), for they are both what you need in the hot sunny season. 

    In classes, your teachers will talk about the topic that you are studying. The information they provide will be important for you to know when you take tests. So you must be able to take good written notes from what your teachers say.

    Here are three stages(阶段) of taking notes and what you should do during each stage.

    1） Before Class   Review your notes you have taken before you come to class. This will be good for remembering what was covered. Get you ready to understand new information your teacher will provide.

    2） During Class   Pay your attention to what your teacher is saying and "the signal words" that tell you what your teacher is going to say. It is important to write them down in your notes. Examples of signal words are "The important point……" and "Remember that……", and so on. Be sure to write in your notes the information that your teacher repeats or writes on the blackboard. Write quickly so that you can include all the important information in your notes. Do this by writing abbreviations(缩写） such as "med" for medicine, using symbols such as "%" for percent, and writing short sentences.

    3） After Class   Rewrite your notes to make them more complete and accurate (准确的) by changing abbreviations into whole words, symbols into words, and shortened sentences into longer sentences. Use them to answer your questions. If necessary, ask your teacher for help.

Information Card

    What do you think of your Chinese? It's good or bad? If you think you are good at Chinese, you can take part in a ⑴_________. The competition is Chinese Characters Dictation Competition. ⑵ The competition has been popular among teenagers since(自从……以来) last summer.

    Today teenagers are using computers and smart phones. Many of them lose themselves in digital products such as electronic dictionaries and computers to help with their study. Overuse of these tools will make students too lazy to think and write. Some students even forget the hand writing of Chinese characters. Teachers and parents have been very worried about it. What can they do?

    Such worries ⑶_________ (bring) about the popular TV show, Chinese Characters Dictation Competition, where middle school students stand on the stage to write down Chinese characters. Over two hundred students from forty-six schools competed. 

    Chen Keyu, a Grade 8 boy beat the other competitors. Can you be the next winner?

    Do you know what is useful to stop a cold? It is your body working against the virus（病毒）that makes you uncomfortable when getting a cold, but not the virus Itself? So if you are strong and the virus is strong enough, too, you will feel terrible.

    Vitamin C won't stop a cold

    It is said that Vitamin C helps you beat the cold. However, many tests have shown that it does not stop colds. It only helps you feel a little bit better.

    Staying indoors won't protect you

    Cold viruses like to stay on your computer mouse or desk. A study found that 47%of the viruses Indoors are on the desks, 46%are on the computer mice, and 45%on telephones.

    Wearing more clothes won't keep you away from colds

    Colds are more common in autumn and winter. That's because the cool, wet and cold weather drives people indoors where viruses may more easily jump from one person to another. And the peak（高峰期）in colds is in September and early January, because students come back to schools after the summer and winter vacation.

    Old grandma's chicken soup is right

    Grandma's chicken soup is a traditional way to help you get well. Scientists say it is true. The chicken soup does help to beat a cold. Many canned（罐装）soups are just efficient（有效的）as homemade ones.

                                                           Information Card

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    Hi! My name is Jack. I am a middle school student. There are four people in my family. I live with my dad, my mom, and my sister, Irene. Irene is only two years old, so I usually play with my cousin, Kevin.

    Kevin is the only son of Uncle Frank and Aunt Dolly. He is in a middle school, too. He gets up at 6: 30 every day. Kevin's home is not far from his school. He usually takes the bus to school. It only takes him 15 minutes. Sometimes he walks to school. It's a 30-minute walk. But he thinks it's good exercise. In his free time, he likes dancing, singing, playing the piano and playing soccer. He dances very well. He gets some awards (奖) in dancing. Every day he dances and does sports.

    However, Kevin doesn't forget his lessons. He does his homework first after school. He is very busy, but he is one of the best students in his class. His classmates and teachers love him very much. He usually teaches me to dance. Kevin often says, "I want to be a great dancer one day." Can his dream come true?