If we agree that education is used to prepare us for life, then there is very little time to waste. So, while we can, we should teach children something really useful. Here is what our school should teach.

    Politeness is a mark of civilization(文明). The sooner children learn this, the better. In any case, a lot can be achieved by a smile and good manners.

    Like it or not, our adults work hard for money, but we don't make an effort to teach children how to manage it. So our schools have a duty to teach them this ability from the beginning.

    We're likely to accept something we are told, but that's not what educated people do. Educated people are reasonable(理性的) and they look at facts. If our schools teach nothing else, they should at least teach critical（批判性的）thinking.

    Children should learn to take care of their health. They should know that if they eat junk food（垃圾食品）, they will become fat and unhealthy. They should be very clear about what happens to their bodies when they drink or smoke.

    All of us are part of society. We have rights and duties. We should understand what they are. We have to know a little bit of history and geography, because we need to have an environment in which to communicate with the people around us.

    In a word, our schools should spend every moment they have telling this to our children: “This is life, this is what you are going to face, and this is how you deal with it.”

    Yu Minhong, president of New Oriental Education, shared his ideas with the young after the English speech competition of the 14th China Daily. Here is some of his advice to young people:

    “One suggestion I'd like to give you is that it's important to do what you like without fear of failure. And the process（过程）of working toward your dreams matters more than the results. Young people should take chances to show off talents. Take competitions like this one as an example: If you are afraid to fail, you'll never get the chance to stand on the stage and make a speech. Above all, it's most important to take part.

    Another suggestion I want to give you is to read books. It is not easy to keep reading every day. For me, it is much more difficult and challenging to keep reading and taking notes every day than it is to walk 10,000 steps.”

    In his speech, Yu also shared his view on life. He chose a different life rather than a more successful one. He uses the famous lines of American poet Robert Frost (1874–1963) to make his point:“Two roads diverged (分叉) in a wood, and I … took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”Yu pointed out, “Your happiness should not be what others think you should run after, but instead you should decide what it is. It is you who should make choices for your own life.”

    Yu Minhong's speech to young people

Complain(抱怨) Politely

    Not everything goes the way you want it to. You may go to a restaurant and order a nice meal. But your order is wrong or not cooked properly. You may buy a product that breaks the next day.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, if you speak angrily to people, they will become defensive(自卫的). Then they are less likely to help you. A more effective (有效的)way to get what you want is to stay calm.

Use polite language and a friendly tone of voice. Start with phrases such as, " I'm sorry to bother you, but. "or" Excuse me, but could you.?" For example, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I ordered potato soup, not vegetable, "Phrasing your complaint as a question also helps. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Could you help me? I just bought this phone case yesterday, but it's cracked."

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}There is no faster way to make someone defensive than by blaming them. Use the phrase." I know this isn't your fault, but…"or"There has been a misunderstanding." {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Blaming people isn't as important as getting a problem fixed!

    There are honest mistakes, but at times someone may try to take advantage of you. In that case, don't say "Hey! You're trying to cheat me! "Instead, use the phrase, "I understood that…" For example. "I understood that the service charge was included in the price. Then give the person a chance to answer.

    If you don't get what you want with polite conversation, ask to speak to a manager or supervisor. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    Five years is a short time in the long history of China. But as for the digital world, there are a lot of changes.

    Now we can talk easily with friends on Wechat. When shopping, we needn't carry much cash because most of the stores accept Wechat Pay and Alipay. And online shopping becomes a part of our life. For example, we can buy train and plane tickets on different apps in a minute. If we want to go somewhere, it is easy to find a Mobike as well as a sharing car on the street.

    We may not realize how these changes decide our life, but we never stopped and will not stop moving forward. China decided to set up the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province on April 1st, 2017. It will be a smart city in China in the future. What's more, robots will play an important role in looking after the old people in five years. In an old people's home of Hangzhou, the robots called Ah Tie work quite well.

    Thanks to the developing digital world, our life is becoming better and better.

    If you want to be successful, you should learn how to start your day. Although you cannot achieve all your goals in one day, starting your day in a correct way is still important. Here are some ideas on how to start your day right.

    Get up an hour early.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This means that people who get up early can have a good start and are more likely(可能的)to succeed.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Health experts say drinking a cup of water in the morning can speed up our body's metabolism(新陈代谢).Then we can study or work more actively.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Your breakfast is ready. But you decide to check WeChat quickly. Well, you'd better not.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Exercise in the morning.

    Some people may disagree with this one. Some people like to exercise after work.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} because by the end of the day, you may not have the time or energy to exercise. Exercising in the morning prevents that from happening.

    Rishi was a 10-year-old boy. Just like any other boy of his age, he hardly did the housework his parents told him to do, and usually he would completely ignore(忽视) them.

    It was a 5-day holiday. He spent a good time with his mother. She took him for outings. They went to the beach and parks and had delicious meals. She cooked his favourite foods and played with him. Three days was left and Rishi's mother wanted him to clean the house with her. To her surprise, he agreed and did everything well.

    After Rishi finished the work his mother asked him to do, he gave her a piece of paper written by him. She was greatly surprised to see what he wrote.

She didn't say a word and wrote on a piece of paper and gave it to her son. She wrote:

    The boy was in tears and rushed to his mum and gave her a big hug. He told his mother, "Mum, I love you. I'm sorry for everything." Rishi's mother kissed him on his forehead.