Summer vacation means long days, sleeping in or enjoying the summer sun. It is quite true for students to enjoy a rest after a long and difficult year. But more and more parents fear their kids forgetting a lot of knowledge, so they send their children to summer schools. Because summer schools have many advantages, they can help children go over the knowledge that they have learnt during the school year.

    In summer schools, students probably study in a more relaxing situation and can come up with interesting topics for discussion with their teachers. Usually, the number of. students attending summer schools is smaller, so this gives them a good chance to connect with other students and teachers better. If a student has failed a course, summer schools may help him or her. Moreover, they are building their creativity(创造力) and imagination(想象力) as well as learning social skills.

    On the other hand, summer schools bring children problems at the same time. It takes children the whole summer vacation to learn without playing. That is too long. As a result, it may make them less interested in school during the coming year.

    For many students, taking summer classes can be a tiring experience. Teachers teach the subject too quickly, where only harms the whole education of students. Summer schools are usually expensive. They usually offer only a few subjects. So many students have to take classes that they don't like.

    A summer school can be a good chance for students who need it, but it can be difficult for students who need a rest. So you can decide whether a summer school is suitable for your children.

    I'm Simon from America. I am twelve and I'm at Wllize junior School(初中). This month We have two school events(事件). One is an English party and one is a school trip. Next month, there will be five events.

    Here is a list.   

    I'm in the school volleyball club. 1 also like singing. 1 want to play in the volleyball game and sing at the music party. 1'm very happy.

A School in Britain

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I get up and get dress for school. My school has a uniform-black trousers and shoes, a white shirt and a black and gold tie. The girls wear the same, or they can wear a black skirt.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I don't live far from the school, so l walk there with my friends. Lots of students take the school or their parents drive them to school.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Students all study English, maths and science, and we can choose others. My favorites are arts and IT.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    We have 20 minutes for break in the morning and an hour for lunch. Some students bring sandwiches to school for lunch, hut my friends and I often eat in the dinning room.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lessons end at 4 o'clock, but on Mondays and Wednesdays I stay at school until 5 o'clock. I go to the Chess Club and Basketball Club. There are lots of clubs and activities at our school.

    The summer solstice(夏至), around June 21, is the longest day of the year in the northern half of the world. On that day, the sun is the highest in the sky, so the earth gets the most hours of light. People in many countries celebrate that day in a holiday called Midsummer.

    Different countries celebrate Midsummer in different ways. In towns in Sweden, people put up a Midsummer Pole(仲夏柱) made of wood covered with flowers. They dance and sing around it. After wards, they eat fish, new potatoes and strawberries. That night, young people pick seven different flowers and put them under their pillows(枕头) when they sleep to dream about the person they will marry.

    In Finland, people go out to the country and build huge fires to celebrate Midsummer. In the past, people believed that the fires drove away bad luck. Now, they're a reason to get together with friends for a big party all night. Because Finland is so far north, the sky is light most of the night on Midsummer. Many Finnish people start their summer vacations on that day.

    In some parts of Spain, people have big parties and enjoy fireworks(烟花) on the beaches at night to celebrate Midsummer. Some people believe that plant medicines work the best if they are made on Midsummer, so women go out to collect the plants that night. Some people put the plants in water and then wash their faces with the water for good health. And of course there are special foods: fish, potatoes and corn bread.

    It's rare to see a team earn 11 straight wins (连胜) in a tournament (锦标赛). However, the Chinese Women's volleyball team has done it!

    On Sept 29, China took the Women's Volleyball World Cup Trophy(奖杯) in Japan. The team didn't lose any of its games during the tournament. It was also the team's 10^th world title (冠军).

    "The trophy is the best gift to celebrate the 70^th birthday of New China," People's Daily said in an article.

    The Chinese Women's volleyball team has long been the pride of Chinese athletics. In the 1980s, the team won five world titles in a row (连续), which raised people's confidence at the time. Since then its fighting spirit has encouraged generations (一代代) of people, both within the team and across the country.

    Working hard was the key to the team's success. The World Cup was played in several different cities and the team didn't have much time to train. The girls had to squeeze in (挤出) training time when they could. On Sept 25, for example, they arrived in Osaka at 2:30 pm and started training only an hour later.

    Never giving up, especially during difficult times, is also the key to getting success, according to head coach Lang Ping. Many of the team's members kept on playing even after being hurt.

    With their latest win, the girls are ready to prepare for next year's Tokyo Olympics.