Living and dealing with kids can be a difficult job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even more complex.

    If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important. With any relationship, you need to let other people know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate, you drift apart (疏远). When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn't solve anything.

    Communication begins with the concerns of others. It means that you can't just come home from school, go up to your room and ignore everyone. To keep a good relationship, you must keep communication, even if it's just by writing a note.

    When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you'll listen to what they have to say, but ask them politely to listen to you. Yelling or walking away only makes the situation worse.

    This is an example: one night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn't. She was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, not giving Sophie a chance to explain why she was late. Later, they kept calm and listened to her. Communication is the key factor here. If Sophie's parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.

    Camping -Yellowstone National Park

    Camping rules

    Camping or parking in picnic areas, picnic grounds，or any place other than a designated (指定的) campground is not permitted. However, camping is often allowed in neighboring communities and forests outside the park.

    Camping is limited to 14 days between June 15 and September 15 and to 30 days the rest of the year. Check - out time for all campgrounds is 10:00 am.

    Quiet hours

    Camping in Yellowstone is a special experience. Each visitor deserves the opportunity to hear the birds, wildlife, and streams in this beautiful environment. Respect the rights of other campers and obey the law by keeping quiet from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am. No noises will be allowed during this time.

    Golden Age/ Golden Access discounts

    Holders of Golden Age and Golden Access permits will be given about 50% discounts on camping fees.

    Croup camping

    Group camping are permitted at Madison, Grant and Bridge Bay campgrounds from late May till the closing date for large organized groups with a designated leader such as youth groups or educational groups. The fees change per night, depending on the size of the group. Advance reservations (预定) are required and can be made by calling (866) 439 -7375.

Surviving Hurricane Sandy(飓风桑迪)

    Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special, ” she says.

    On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridge closed.

    When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily(临时地，暂时地) attend a school in Brooklyn.

    In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.

    “My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me,” Natalie says. “but I can always choose how I deal with it. ”

    Natalie's choice was to help.

    She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.

    In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.

    Today, the scars(创痕)of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway, ” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before. ”

    Sports can help us a lot. Taking exercises can make us strong. In collective（集体的）sports like basketball, volleyball or football, we will learn the importance of cooperation(合作). And sports can also help us relax after work or study.

    However, as the saying goes, “there are two sides of everything.” Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participating(参加) in sports activities. What's more, too much or hard practice can be bad for our health.

    Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically(心理地). It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. So long as we are careful enough, sports can do us nothing but good.

    Winter holiday is coming, time to read something just for fun. You might soon find yourself holding your breath as you turn the pages of a frightening story, or browsing (浏览) the latest novel on your new e-reader. For those of you who want to try some reading in English, but have no idea of what to choose from thousands of choices, we'd like to offer the following books to help you out.

    The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet By Reif Larsen

    T.S. Spivet is a smart 12-year-old boy who maps everything, including faces, the dinner table and the geography of his home state of Montana (US). After seeing his work, a famous scientific organization invites Spivet to be a speaker at an important event, without knowing the boy's age.

    The Housekeeper and the Professor By Yoko Ogawa

    Because of an accident, the math professor's short-term memory lasts only 80 minutes, so his house keeper must reintroduce herself each morning when she arrives. With the help of numbers, finally the two are able to develop a relationship across the 80-minute time.

    Escape to America By Tetsuo Fukuyama

    Fukuyama decided to leave his homeland and experiment with a completely different lifestyle: living in New York City. This story of how the writer's courage and determination helped him survive in difficult conditions will encourage readers to find their own happiness.

    Talk to the Hand By Lynne Tru

    When did the world get to be so rude? When did society become so inconsiderate (不为他人着想的)? Being rude has become a point of pride for some. Talk to the Hand is a call for politeness.

    To have a successful job interview, you need to make good preparations beforehand. Here are some suggestions on what you should do before the interview.

    ⑴Find out as much as you can about the company. What goods or services do they provide? How long has it been founded? Read articles about it. Talk with people who work there. Perhaps you can look at the company website, or find some information on the Internet.

    ⑵Be sure of the time of the interview, the place and the person you'll see.

    ⑶Think about the kind of questions that the employer might ask. Write out questions and possible answers.

    ⑷Rehearse the interview with family members or friends. They can ask you questions from the list you've prepared and you can try to answer.

    ⑸Dress properly. Don't be too formal or too informal. Choose your clothes, shoes.

    ⑹Wash. Make sure that you are clean, and that your teeth have been freshly brushed.