For those of us who are studying at school, the time of exams is very stressful (紧张的) and difficult. Some people find exam times so bad that they become ill, because they are afraid of failing; they are afraid of letting their parents and family down. If exams are really making you ill or worried, don't hide your feelings. Talk to someone about it. Maybe you can speak to a friend, or someone in your family, or teachers at your place of study. If one person doesn't help you, ask someone else.

      How to get through exams? Here is some advice:

      Ask a teacher or tutor about how to review your lessons, and exam skills—how to work when you are in an exam. Take short rests during your time of work. If your mind is tired, it will not remember well. Plan your work: study at times when you know you will work at your best. Get enough sleep, and eat healthy food. You need exercise to work well. Walk, run, play sports — whatever you enjoy. Stop thinking about the future and failing.

If you feel ill, talk to someone about your worries. But don't be too relaxed! Some stress over exams makes you work hard for them.

If it upsets(使某人不安) you to talk to your friends about an exam when it is finished, don't do it! In fact, don't even think about the exam you have finished. What is done is done. You cannot change what you have written!

      To this advice, we could add: If you are studying in the evening, don't go straight to bed. Your mind will still be “going round and round”—thinking too much. Do something else, maybe walk or get exercise. Choose something that will relax you, and make you think of other things.

    Now many people like to keep dogs as their pets. But how did dogs become humans' close friends?

    In some places of Europe (欧洲), about 10,000 years ago, some wild (野生的) dogs often came to human's houses to find food. The wild dogs looked different from the ones today. They looked like wolves (狼). At first, they felt ① frightened. They always stood and looked for a short time. Then they got the food and ran away. Sometimes the young dogs couldn't run fast and people caught them. People trained them and the young dogs grew up with the help of people. Slowly, the wild dogs became home dogs. They could make home safe when people were away. They helped people hunt (狩猎). They helped people keep warm on cold nights. ② Sometimes, they could smell and hear danger before people could. In some cold places, they helped people pull (拉) things people need.

    Now there are more than 400 different kinds of dogs in the world. And they look different from each other. The number and kind are growing all the time. Today, some people mainly (主要地) regard dogs as pets. In fact, dogs are really our close friends. We should protect them from being killed.

    On September 19, Alibaba went public (上市) on the New York Stock Exchange(纽约证券交易所). It shows that Ma Yun has done his business successfully. A short Chinese man seems to be the tallest man in the world right now. Ma used to be an English teacher. So far, he has become the richest man on the Chinese mainland.

    Ma was born in Hangzhou and grew up as a happy kid. At the age of twelve, he found that English was very interesting. Every morning he got up at 5 a.m., and then ran to a hotel near the West Lake where he could communicate with foreign tourists in English. He did it for nine years. The experience made him become a fantastic English speaker and also opened his eyes to the wide world. In a 1995 trip to the US, Ma was shown to the Internet for the first time. Seeing the chance, Ma returned to China and set up a website without knowing much about computers. Four years later, Ma set up Alibaba in Hangzhou. People called him “Crazy Jack Ma”. But fifteen years later, Alibaba has developed into the world's largest e-commerce (电子商务) company.

C

    Here is a famous story about the Great Wall of China. The story happened in the Qin Dynasty.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Do you want to know more about the love story?

    One day, the emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered his soldiers(士兵) to capture(俘虏) some young men. He sent the young men to build the Great Wall of China.

    A young man named Fan Xiliang didn't want to get captured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He had nowhere to go and didn't know where to hide. When he heard the soldiers coming towards him, he was terrified.

    At that time, a woman named Lady Meng Jiang was passing by Fan Xiliang. She saw the poor man and saved him. Fan Xiliang said thanks to Lady Meng Jiang.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Later on they got married.

    Unfortunately, Fan Xiliang was found and captured. He was sent to the Great Wall and worked there.

    Lady Meng Jiang waited for her husband day and night. Winter came, but Fan Xiliang failed to return. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She took the warm clothes to the Great Wall, but she didn't find Fan Xiliang.

    Someone told her that Fan Xiliang had died and that he was buried in the Great Wall.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    She cried so sadly that a part of the Great Wall collapsed(倒塌) and she finally found Fan Xiliang's body.

    It may be difficult to start high school. Thinking about making new friends might make you feel nervous. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You are going to school with a group of students of your age. Here are several suggestions for you to follow.

    Forget your fear and just talk to someone.

    It's easier said than done. But try to take a deep breath and find your voice. Don't be afraid to approach (接近) people. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Sit in the middle of the classroom with as many new friends around you as possible.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Take part in after-class activities that interest you. Try to make friends in the clubs. If you don't join anything, you will be just going to class and then going home. Being in a club makes you more social.

    Stay clean.

    No one likes a bad smell that could knock someone over. Shower everyday, brush your teeth and wash your hair. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be respectful (尊重的) of people's differences.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And everyone believes in different things. It is a good thing to have different friends with different opinions because you can each share your own.