There are 24 solar terms (节气) in China, and the Grain Rain(谷雨) is one of them. It falls on April 19 this year.

    This solar term is called the Grain Rain because it is known for “rain” that helps the grain grow. From its name, we can guess it means a time of more rain. So if you go out in the next two weeks, you may need to bring an umbrella with you.

    But this is a great time for planting crops. If you miss the time for planting during the Grain Rain, you will feel sorry later. So maybe you can try to plant some flowers or vegetables in your garden. When the spring rain falls, farmers begin to grow crops (庄稼). Farmers often say, “Spring rain is as precious (珍贵的) as oil.” It brings farmers hope for a good year ahead.

    There are also many interesting customs during the Grain Rain. In the northern part of China, people like to eat Chinese toon (椿芽) mixed with eggs. The food made during the Grain Rain tastes wonderful and is good for your stomach. In the southern part of China, the tea leaves are picked during the time. They are called Grain Rain tea, which is famous for its freshness and sweet smell.

      Lu Xun is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century. Besides his famous stories, he also wrote many influential articles about the living conditions of Chinese people.

Born in 1881 to a wealthy family, Lu Xun had a happy childhood. In 1893, however, his grandfather, a senior government official, was put into prison for taking money. At the same time, his father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing.

By the time Lu Xun arrived in Nanjing to study at university in 1899, he already believed that Chinese society had to change and become modern. In 1902 he went to study in Japan. There, he began writing articles for several Chinese student magazines. He showed a gift for writing and translating and he even wrote several books, although none was popular. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money.

    Instead of studying abroad during college, more and more Chinese teenagers have chosen to do so as early as in high school, Students from China make up about 42 per-cent of the international students at high schools in the US, according to the latest study by the Institute of International Education. So, what is the main attraction for Chinese high school students to study abroad? What is overseas life like？We interviewed several students. Have a look!

    Pan. 15. Moreau Catholic High School in San Francisco, California, US

    In the future, I want to go to college in the US. Studying in high school here will help me get used to college life in the future. Also, I want to improve my English

    Studying here is not easy. Instead of exams like in China, we have more projects in class. For example, we have to make a PPT about a historical figure and then design a creative item for that person, such as a painting.

    Zhao. 15. Unionville High School in Toronto, Canada

    For me, experience matters. It's good to have the experience of living in another country. Unlike other international students, my parents accompanied me, which makes my life here much easier.

    In Canada. I have more time to develop my interests. I can choose classes I like.

    However, taking the entrance examinations to high school and college at home would be great. It's a shame that I have no chance to do that.

    Zheng. 14. Walsh Jesuit High School in Cleveland, Ohio. US

    I want to try different cultures and education styles. Two years ago, I visited some famous universities in Boston, such as Harvard and MIT. The academic atmosphere(学术氛围) deeply impressed me. Every student seems to spare no effort on academics. I saw students doing morning exercise everywhere and I watched a football game. I found that school life in the US was colorful. So I decided to study in the US.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} ⑴The first thing to remember is that when a friend invites you over, you need to arrive on time. If your friend tells you to come "around 3:00", that means you can turn up a little bit after 3:00. But usually it is a good idea to arrive at the right time.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} ⑵Often it is also nice to bring something to your friend's house. This could be a box of chocolate for you two to share, or maybe a movie that you can watch together. You can also bring some flowers. A little gift is a nice way to show your friend that you are excited to be at his house.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} ⑶When you visit your friend's house, you may also meet his parents. You should tell them who you are and they may tell you their names, and then they may tell you to call them by their first names. Another way to show respect is to call them Madam or Sir.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} ⑷As we all know, students should learn how to get on well with others. But in what ways? First of all, we should respect others. Everyone has their own way to do things, so we should understand each other. Besides, it is important for us to communicate with each other. What's more, we should be kind to others and offer necessary help to those who are in trouble.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} ⑸Everybody has his parents. But not everybody gets on well with his parents. Well, first, we should respect our parents because they bring us up and care for us all the time. Second, we are supposed to do some housework at home. We should help clean the room, cook meals and so on. Third, we should care for them, have a talk with them about their work.

① In October, someone in South Carolina won $1.5 billion. The nearly impossible odds(概率) of winning were 1 in 302.5 million! Many people probably wish they'd been the lucky ones happily accepting the prize.

②It's not hard to imagine the things one could do with this money, but experiences of several lottery(抽奖) winners show that this money probably wouldn't make everyone happy. The sudden big money can change a person's life in unexpected and sometimes unpleasant ways. Take William Post, for example, who had only $2.46 in the bank when he won $16.2 million in a New York lottery in 1998. Within 3 months. he was poor again because of careless spending. He wasn't as happy as he felt before winning the prize.

③Then there was Callie Rogers, a British teenager from a common family, won $3 million in 2003. She went shopping every day, bought expensive clothes and bought her family and friends the same lavish gifts. After six years, Callie lost all her money and realized that money didn't make her happy. In fact, she became worried that people were friendly with her only to get her money.

④Lottery winners are not the only ones who can end up unhappy. People who get big money for some other reasons, e. g. receiving money from others, are also at risk. They may not know how to do with money and do not ask others for advice. They waste money on things they don't need and give away too much money to friends and relatives.

⑤ Researchers found that people are happy when they are able to pay for their basic needs, such as food, clothes, a safe place to live, and health care. People are also happy when they give reasonable(合理的) amounts of money to charities. Giving makes them feel as if they' re making a difference. Lavish things, such as expensive clothes and cars, only make people happy for a moment.

⑥People can hope and wish to suddenly come into lots of money to improve their lives, but perhaps there are better ways to find happiness.