We think that life in Chinese high school is an adventure in which we have to survive mountains of homework and all kinds of exams. Yet would it be {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(surprise) if I tell you that high school life in the US is almost as stressful and demanding

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}it is in China?

       In US high school, everything must {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(record) into your studying document, including your grades on quizzes, tests and final examinations. Failing

 {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(turn) in your homework on time will directly affect your grade for a certain course. Perhaps completely different from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}we used to think of theUS high school students, they pay great attention to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) academic performance in order that they can get into a distinguished university.

       Like university students, US high school students have the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(free) to choose the courses that most interest them. Even a ninth-grader can sit {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the same classroom as 12th-graders. But this also {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(mean) he orshe has to work very hard, because the teacher will not treat him or her {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (different).

    Charlie Chaplin was born in a poor family of music hall performers in 1889. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} astonished us was that Charlie {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(teach) to sing as soon as he could speak and dance as soon as he could walk. Such training was common in acting families at that time, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (especial) when the family income was often uncertain. Unfortunately his father died, leaving the family even worse off. By his teens, Charlie had become one of the most popular child actors in England. No one was ever bored {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(watch) him—his subtle acting made everything {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(entertain). As time went by, he began making films. His film character, the little tramp, was a social {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(fail) but was loved for his optimism and determination {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(overcome) all difficulties.

    Charlie wrote, directed and produced the films he {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(star) in. In 1972 he was given {#blank#}9{#/blank#}special Oscar for his outstanding work. He lived in England and the USA but spent his last years in Switzerland, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} he was buried in 1977. He is loved and remembered as a great actor who could inspire people with great confidence.

    Learning{#blank#}1{#/blank#} new language is not easy, but a Chinese in Washington D.C. says he knows how to make it less {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(difficulty). Li Lei teaching Chinese to children says, “The magic key to {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(teach) a language is culture.”

    Li came to Washington through the State Department's Teachers of Critical Language Program, which brings teachers from China and Egypt to America. One of the goals of the program is {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(help) American students learn Chinese and Arabic.

    The program helps the teachers and students learn about the {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(culture) of other countries. Li says learning languages helps students learn {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(much) about the world.

    Spanish is the native language of many of Li's students at Cooke Elementary School, so many of {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(they) are learning English and Chinese at the same time.

    Li {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(explore) the local Chinese community and many other cultures in Washington so far. He says the children at the school, some of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} are as young as five years old, might not remember all of the Chinese characters he teaches them, and that they might even forget his name. And he hopes that they will always remember him {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a teacher they liked and respected.

    I was living a life in my screen and hardly noticed what {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) around me. I was always checking the time and thinking of future {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (plan). My thought was: "Who's going to text me now? What will I do next?" My bedtime routine was usually centered {#blank#}3{#/blank#} one thing: my phone. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I went to sleep, I browsed through news websites and checked my emails. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I did the same thing. The problem with this was that I felt anxious every night.

    So when my friends invited me {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (go) for a long weekend camping without the cell service, I thought this was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (exact) what I needed. Here's how {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (keep) away from my phone for 48 hours changed me and my way of life.

    Without my phone, I {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (fall) asleep listening to the songs of frogs and crickets. In the morning, I woke up {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (feel) energetic. Sitting by the river, riding a bike, or singing old songs, I truly enjoyed what I was doing.

    I felt free without my phone at weekend camp, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} changed me completely. I listened to what my body wanted instead of what my phone was telling me to do.

    A phenomenon known as "in-need-of-praise" has taken Chinese social media by storm. Users can now join a chat group on WeChat or QQ, where they will{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(praise) and gain encouragement from others — for a price. The "in-need-of-praise" chat groups are a reflection of Chinese culture{#blank#}2{#/blank#}values modesty and humility (谦逊), leading many people to often cover their true emotions. In Chinese culture,{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(open) seeking and giving praise is uncommon. The trend seemed to have started with a chat group on the platform Douban four years ago. Since March many other chat groups{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(become) popular, especially among young people. For them, gaining recognition from peers is more important than getting approval from older generations. They can feel{#blank#}5{#/blank#}sense of belonging and gain praise in these chat groups, which is{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(benefit) to their mental health. It's also an outlet for users to show{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(kind) and support each other. Life pressure can be big enough, so we need to be surrounded by warm {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (word), or even some blind confidence. But anyone{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(receive) or giving praise in such groups should be cautious. The biggest risk is the constant focus on the "false self," which makes {#blank#}10{#/blank#}harder to see the "true self".