Online schools are becoming very popular with many people today. And now, even regular students are going in for online education. As it leaves them with enough time to do other things, such as a part-time job or a hobby, along with studying. However, as with everything, there are two sides about online schooling.

    Let's start with the good side. Online schools cost very little. You don't have to spend money on books, or bus fees. Also, since you can work along with studying at an online schools, you would not need to take an education loan. Another benefit of going to school online is the freedom it provides. You can study wherever you want—in your house, at a cafe or even in a park. Some people who want to study further, now no longer have to take a break in their jobs, thanks to online schools.

    However, those students who often need a push from their teachers to do well have a very high chance of not doing well at online schools. When studying in a class, different topics in a given subject are discussed and different students give their points of view. This is something that online schooling cannot provide.

    Also, there are many employers who prefer students with a regular and traditional degree to those who have an online degree. The employers feel that students who go to full-time colleges have more knowledge compared to those who have online degrees.

    In general, it can be said online schools are good for some, while others should give them up! A person should see the situation he is in and then decide whether or nor to choose an online school.

    Weather has a strong effect(影响) on people. It influences health, influences health(智力), and feelings.

    In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States. Southerners have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month. In the northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at times and very cold at other time. People in these states tend to(趋向) have heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.

    The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1983 study by scientists, the IQ scores of a group of college students were very high during a hurricane(飓风), but after the storm their scores dropped 10%. Storm can increase intelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can lower(降低) it. Students in many schools of the United States often do badly on exams in the hot months of the year.

    Weather also has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel sad during cold weather. In hot summer weather, on the other hand, fat people may feel unhappy. At about 18℃, people become stronger.

    Are you feeling sick, sad, tired, forgetful（健忘）, or very intelligent today? The weather may be the reason.

Should mobile phones be allowed at school?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some mobile phones are more than just phones-they are being used as radios, cameras and MP4 players, and they are also used to send e-mails or surf the Internet. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People have different ideas about whether students should use mobile phones at school or not, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If their parents have something important to tell then, they can call their teachers for help. If someone's mobile phone rings during a Chinese class, he and his classmates can't concentrate on what the teacher is saying. Some parents also point out that their children often use their mobile phones to download(下载） unhealthy information from the Internet. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Other people believe that we can find some ways to use mobile phones to help students learn better in the classroom, since many of today's mobile phones are like mini computers. And children usually know more than adults about how to use new technology. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    What are your answers to the question?

    My name is Wang Hai. I am a happy boy. Let me tell you something about my school life. I usually go to school on foot. And I am never late. My morning classes begin at 8:00. We have many subjects, such as math, English, Chinese, biology and so on. Of all the subjects, I like math best. I think it's very easy and interesting. But I don't like history at all. I think it's boring. After school we often do outdoor activities. I like playing ball games. I am good at playing basketball. And I can also do some other things, like drawing and swimming. My school life is very interesting. I like it very much.

    A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.

    Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It isn't built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.

    Even so, travel isn't difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can lead you where you want to go.

    People in Venice move from place to place by boat. They like to enjoy cool summer nights while taking boat trips. They can talk to other people as they go along.

    Venice grew out of small islands in saltwater lakes when some Italians escaped(逃跑)from a war more than 1,500 years ago, and built homes there.

    Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem.

    Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower, little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimetres.

    Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made arctic(北极的)ice melt.

    Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower.