Special homework was given to the students in Grade Four at a primary school in Foshan, Guangdong this April, that is to say the children must11100 million grains(颗粒) of rice. A maths teacher Miss Chang asked her students to2the homework in two days. If some .students3to finish in time, they would go on counting the, rice at the weekend. Some parents thought: that if it took a4to count .three grains, if would fake more than a year to count 100 million grains of rice.

    5, others thought it was a good idea. A parent surnamed, (姓) Lin said it could,6 students to use their brains. “I will7my daughter to count 100 or 1,000 grains of rice first, and then8them and multiply (乘以) the figure to, reach 100 million grains of rice, So she will have a clear9of the number 100 million," she said. "The special homework could10help develop children's patience," Lin added.

    Some Internet users also praised the special: homework for encouraging children to11 new ways to do their homework.

    Miss Chang said earlier this week that she hoped the, students could learn knowledge12practical activities. She said she was13 that 10 of her more than 40 students had finished the special homework by using cups or other14to count the rice. The homework helps students develop their abilities to15problems. It's good for them.

    Is it good to be in a middle school? Most American children think so. In America, middle schools often have sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. It is different in different places.

    For children, going to a middle school is a big change. Most middle schools in America have a special day for new middle school students. On that day, they are showed around the school by their new teachers. And they could know a lot about the history of the school. They also would make friends with the old schoolmates (校友).

    They will grow up and learn some different and difficult things in a middle school. A new middle school student will learn foreign languages, computer, music and art, health, and other skills, such as cooking.

    A middle school will have sports teams, clubs and have activities for children. They can choose what they like and join them. If they are good at singing, playing basketball or something else, or if they want to learn, they can join them. Most American children think it's good to be in a middle school.

With only one yuan, could you live in a city for one day? It may sound impossible.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

On April 10th, more than 60 students from a middle school took part in the One Yuan Metropolis Survival(一元城市生存). A charity organization(慈善组织) for teenagers held this activity.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it is going to four others, including Beijing.

In the activity, students had to live and deal with difficult tasks. To make money, many students looked for part-time jobs and saw how hard life was. A 14-year-old girl asked more than 10 restaurants for a job and finally got one. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} But gradually, we got used to it," she said. After being a waiter for an hour, she got 25 yuan.

Living was hard, but finishing the tasks wasn't any easier. The students went to different places to finish tasks in a short time. The most amazing one was when they had to exchange things worth a thousand yuan with only a piece of paper in half an hour. "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} From a balloon to a cake to a bottle of yogurt...after almost 20 tries, we got an expensive ring," a student said. "We will give all of the money we have raised to poor schools in Tibet."

    If you are hungry, what do you do? Have your favorite meal and stay quiet after that. Just like your stomach, your mind is also hungry. But it never lets you know. It 1 serves your needs and never lets itself grow because you keep it busy thinking about your friends or favorite stars. When mind loses 2 freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop. This 3be the reason why we all sometimes think "What happens next?", "Why can't I think?"

     In fact, hunger of the mind 4 through wide reading. Why reading but not watching TV? It is because reading 5 the most educative tool used by us since our childhood.

    Once you read a book, you run your eyes 6 the lines and your mind tries to explain something to you. The interesting part of the book 7 is stored in your mind is regarded as a seed（种子）. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you to develop new ideas. If it is used many times, the same seed can give you great help to relate lots of things. You can never think of these things even in 8 dreams in your life.

    This is creativity. Also this helps you 9your vocabulary. In no time you can start talking with your friends in English or any other language 10you will never run out of the right words. So guys, do give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading.

It's early in the morning and the alarm clock has already rung several time. You have to pull yourself out of bed and rush to school because you're afraid of being late for school.

As a school student, this is probably a common experience for you. But thanks to new rules, students in Zhejiang and Heilongjiang provinces can now stay in bed longer than before.

On Feb 23, the Zhejiang Department of Education announced (宣布) a new rule that asks primary schools to start school later. According to the rule, start times could be different among different grades, with students in Grade 1 and 2 starting no earlier than 8:30 am.

A similar guideline (指导方针) was announced by the education department in Heilongjiang Province on Feb 24. Students from all primary and junior high schools in the province have been required (要求) to arrive at school no earlier than 8 am.

According to a 2016 study by the Zhejiang Department of Education, half students in Grade 4 slept nine hours or more a night, while the enough sleep time for primary students in 10 hours.

"I welcome the new rule so much. It is such a wonderful rule that gives my son enough time for breakfast, which is necessary for his health and growth", a mother named Xu Li said. She is from Hangzhou and his son is in Grade 1. These changes have received much praise as they make students get enough sleep and enough time for breakfast.

Pushing back school times isn't unique (唯一的) to China. In the United States, schools in at least 21 states began to start school later in 2017, as studies have shown that later school start times could be good for students' development.

Tony lives in a big house, and his family is rich (富有的). He has a bad 1 . He always wastes (浪费) food. For example, he 2 eats half of an apple and throws away (扔掉) the other half. His mother always 3 him not to do that, but he doesn't 4 his mother. He thinks his father has a lot of money, so it's not a big deal. "My mother is too strict 5 me," he says. He doesn't like exercising, 6 . His home is not far from school, but he never walks 7 rides a bike to school. He asks his mother to take him to school in the 8 . He says to his mother. "We have a car, so 9 do I need to ride a bike or walk to school? Walking 10 me tired."

One day, in a geography class, his teacher 11 some pictures of Africa to Tony and his classmates. Many 12 have no food to eat there. They are thin because of hunger (饥饿). Their teacher asks them to 13 money and do something to help them. Tony feels 14 for what he did before. He knows what his mother did is to help 15 develop (养成) good habits.