Four ways to have a good school life

    Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you get the most from them, and be sure you do not waste (浪费) this great chance to learn?

Be active(积极的) at school

    Don't say things are difficult or boring. Take interest in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Put up your hands quickly in class. Go around the school with a big smile. If you are not working, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable（令人愉快的）.

Keep fit

    If you don't eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and don't have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play enough sports every day in order to keep your body strong.

Face the problem

    Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish the race if you rest all the time. Everyone fails some exams, loses some matches and has bad days. Don't make small problems very big and important. Don't forget to ask for help. You are young, and no one thinks you must do everything quite well!

Spend the weekends

    Don't waste time lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday morning. Go and play sports, get together with friends in the park to relax, learn to play the piano, or help someone with problem. If you don't want to go out, there are also a lot of things to do. You may read a book, practice English or help Mum with housework.

    Follow our advice, and have a happy school life!

    A week in the sun relaxing in the beautiful March weather of Varadero, Cuba is a fantastic place for anyone. Luckily, my wife, two friends and I had the chance last year.

    To see Cuba, you have to talk to the Cubans .Our friends met us at the airport even at 1：00 a. m. which started our trip on a positive note .After a few days at the hotel, we got to know a local guide, Victor. The trip started off on a sunny morning. Our return trip would be along the coastline from Havana, but our trip to Havana would be through the countryside and the small towns. This trip was designed for us to visit the Cuban countryside. At first Victor brought us to Revolutionary Square, where Fidel Castro made his yearly speech praising the ideas of the revolution.

    Our second stop was the Bocoy Rum Factory. We walked through and learned how 5, 000 bottles of rum(朗姆酒)are produced every day. The smell of rum, and the huge barrels were interesting.

    The final stop was the market in Old Havana. Here my wife and I went away from our friends and we toured through this large shopping center. From store to store we saw so many items that all had a clear Cuban feel to them. We bought a picture and some special local things, and then we took off to meet up with Victor. As a tourist I was able to have a quick look at Cuban life with the help of Cubans .I felt lucky to have the chance. It was an interesting experience in my life.

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    Most of us probably dreamed about becoming an astronaut when we were little. But how many of us have actually become one, or are at least working toward it? It's true that the advice" Always follow your dreams" is something that is typically easier said than done.

    But still, this is the one piece of advice that Alyssa Carson wants to share with her peers. This 17-year-old girl from the US has become one of the candidates (候选人) for NASA's 2033 project to go to Mars. If everything goes well, Carson will be one of the first human beings to ever set foot on the red planet.

    Carson began to dream of going to Mars when she was only three years old. After watching an astronaut-themed cartoon and hearing from her father that humans had only been to the moon but not Mars, Carson decided that she wanted to be the first one to do so.

    To realize her dream, she has worked hard toward it. At the age of 12, Carson became the first person to attend all three NASA space camps, and she sat with real astronauts to discuss the future of Mars missions. Now 17, Carson is continuing with her space training while still taking on her high school work like a "normal " teenager, except that she studies all her subjects in four languages - English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

    "I don't think there's anything specific that makes it easier for me or makes it something that others can't do," Carson said in an interview," I've just really focused myself on what I want to accomplish."

    Besides, Carson is willing to make sacrifices (牺性) for her dream, She's fully aware of the danger of the mission and the possibility that she might never be able to come back. She also accepts the fact that she can't get married and start a family because any loved ones left on Earth may be a distraction for her and for the mission, But Carson believes that it's all worth it, summarizing her view with this ancient Greek proverb she once quoted," A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they'll never sit in."

    While some people's dreams may sound out of this world, Carson is on her way.

    As a mother of three young girls, Alison Cowan worried about her daughters growing up too fast. From asking for the latest toy to wanting to wear make-up, it seemed to Alison and her husband. Alan, that their children were never satisfied with what they had.

    The girls would ask for a toy, but would lose interest in it as soon as their friends had something new. Birthday parties were no longer just a few party games and blowing up balloons. All the parents seemed to invite professional performers and compete over who could give the most expensive party bag. At just seven years old, Amy and her friends were paying more and more attention to their appearance. It was a feeling that many parents would have.

    However, few would dream of leaving a comfortable family life and a comfortable house to move their family 3. 000 miles away to Africa in search of a simpler life. But last June, Alison and her husband, Alan, moved with their daughters to Kampala in Uganda, to show them a different lifestyle.

    For almost a year, the girls play in the red, dusty streets with local children and visit markets to buy fresh fish and vegetables for dinner. They have been able to play and use their imagination away from the distractions(分心) of the consumer-driven society. Now, instead of competing over who has won a computer game, the girls think about things like the frequent water shortages and electricity cuts in certain areas. "At times, we've been without water for five days. The girls always accept it, though. Their world before had been so small, but now they understand 93."

    Sometimes you feel unhappy. You may forget how great you are. What should you do? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ◆Do something helpful for someone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ◆Look in the mirror and say to yourself. "I am a special person and there is no one like me in the world. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}" It may not sound so good, but it really works!

    ◆Start to write diaries. Turn off the TV the let your imagination（想象力）fly! Write down your thoughts，dreams or anything you want! Writing always helps to express（表达）your feelings.

    ◆Smile! Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the god things in your friends and family. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} We all need our family time. Talk with your mom or dad or maybe even your cousin.

    ◆Learn something new! Have you always wanted to design（设计）your own room or to learn how to swim?   

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} New challenges（挑战）are fun. They can also give you a feeling of satisfaction when you have finished.