The pupils and teachers at Fairfield School think it's necessary to protect the environment! This is what they've been doing.

Growing vegetables

Fairfield School pupils started their own vegetable garden. Both children and teachers grow vegetables, then they pick them. In this way, school dinners are more delicious than ever before.

Recycling

The Fairfield pupils don't just bring their books to school — they bring their rubbish too! There are recycling bins(回收箱) in the playground for cans, plastic bottles and paper. The teachers give a prize every month to the pupil who's tried the hardest to recycle.

Finding cleaner ways to get around

Everyone walks or rides a bike to Fairfield School! “It's faster to ride bikes than to drive anyway, even the teachers don't use their cars.” says one pupil.

    New rules and behavior standards（标准） for middle school students came out. Who are the most excellent students? Middle schools use a new way to decide that. The best students won't only have good grades. The following are some of the new rules.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Have you ever copied others' work during an exam? Don't do it again. That's not what an honest student should do. If you played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you were doing your homework.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} April is Bird-Loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and learn how to protect them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When your classmates are in trouble, remember to give them a hand. You know a friend in need is a friend indeed. Try to do more for others.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Try to stay away from Web pages that are bad for you. Find good websites and use them for homework.

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you can discover a new planet someday. Don't look down on new ideas. You should welcome them because new ideas can make life better.

    Why do people cry? Scientists say the body produces tears because they need them. One kind of tears is for the eye, the other is for the heart. They both work as cleaners If something else like dust(灰尘) gets into your eye, tears also come into the eye to clean it out. If you are hurt by something, your strong feelings produce some poisonous chemicals(毒素) in your body, and at the same time, tears come out with them. If these poisonous chemicals are not cleaned out of your body as soon as possible, they will do harm to the heart sooner or later.

    In the United States men have heart problems more often than women do. Doctors say heart problems have something to do with the pressures(压力) of living and working now. Perhaps men suffer more from these illnesses because they do not cry enough. They need to cry more.

    In fact, you can find many ways of reducing the pressures to keep fit. Crying is natural and physical one.

    Nowadays, more and more teenagers can't get along well with their parents, some even fight with their parents from time to time. That's too bad. Even if you think that your parents cannot understand you at times, loving your parents is a normal and satisfying part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you and raised you. Here are some ways to love your parents.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to be angry, but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, keep a diary about your feelings, or talk to a friend. After this, show your feelings to your parents.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It depends on what you do. For example, if you get home late without calling first, next time your parents may not believe you. To get their trust, you must pay attention to the ways you do things instead of fighting with them. It will make your life much easier.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can watch TV, or go somewhere with them. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. You can go hiking together, your parents will get to know that you have the ability to deal with different problems, and they will understand you more. Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in one way or another.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm the coldest heart every morning. Remember that they brought you into the world. Without your parents, you might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It will help you to get more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean the room when you aren't willing to do that at that moment. However, you had better remember they keep you comfortable when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and they make mistakes, too.

Improving Listening Sills in the Classroom

    Listening is a skill that needs to be learned and used well to be able to succeed in any environment. In the classroom, great listening skills mean the difference between a successful student and one who struggles (挣扎) in school.

    Come to class rested.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When your body is well taken care of, your mental (精神的) focus will be much better. If you come to class sleepy or tired, it may be impossible for you to keep your eyes open and concentrate (集中) on what the teacher is saying.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Have everything you need at the start of the class. If you have homework, make sure you are ready to hand it in. Bring out your notebook and pen so you can start taking down notes Also, try to read your textbooks before coming into class. It will help you understand more easily what your teacher is talking about.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    When you're in the front of the class, you'll have an easier time hearing what the teacher has to say you won't have a daydream when the teacher is near you.

    Take down notes.

    Write down what you hear in class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It will also make you concentrate more on what is being said So you can properly take notes. Try to concentrate when you are in class so that you are able to get the key points during a lecture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you learn techniques to help you with this skill, you should see an improvement in your listening.