When Justin Tong was a child, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him doing lots of housework such as carrying out the rubbish and sending newspapers. But when he grew up, he was better off than his childhood friends and lived a happier and healthier life.

This is the finding of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 children in London. It showed that the children who had worked hard in childhood had a richer and a happier future. "Children who worked in the home or community gained competence(能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society," said Daniel Brown, the psychologist(心理学家) who made the discovery. "And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them."

Brown's study followed these children in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Under Brown, the researchers compared the children's mental-health scores with their childhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.

    Working at any age is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence — the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. The most competent adults are those who know how to do this.

    Yet work isn't everything. As Tolstoy once said, "One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one's work."

If you are 13—18 years old and want to improve your English by studying abroad, Nacel, a great organisation, will help you enter high schools in the US.

In order to succeed in finishing the following exchange programmes, you must have a high English language level, a strong ability to live far away from home and a great interest in experiencing a new culture. You will be able to choose from a short-time experience (a few weeks) to a school term or a school year.

International School Programme

Besides offering common subjects of other high school, this programme offers STEM subjects, giving students the chance to develop skills and knowledge in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and maths. For international students, they can attend(参加) English lessons after school.

Private High School Programme

We offer all private high schools across the country. You can choose any city you want to go. For the programme, students will need to have a good score in our English exam and to attend an interview(面试).

Homestay Programme

Live in an American family in the US! The homestay programme offers teenagers chances to experience the everyday life of a host family in the US. Our wonderful hosts will help you to know the local community as soon as possible.

To find more information, please click Here or:

Phone: 001-651-315-7880 Email: naceltravel@google.com

Dear Emily，

Yours，

Li Hua

I'm Michael from America. Now I am in China and celebrating the Spring Festival with Li Lei's family. It's New Year's Eve (除夕). What are we doing?

At 10:00 am

Li Lei's grandfather is making red lanterns. People always hang them at the gate. In China, red means good luck. His parents are getting ready for lunch.

At 5:00 pm

Li Lei's mother and aunt are making jiaozi—a kind of dumplings. His two cousins are playing games, Li Lei is making some New Year cards. I am writing an email to my parents on the Internet. I tell them about the festival.

At 8:00 pm

We are sitting at a big table and having a family dinner. It's really delicious. We are also watching the Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会).