Have you ever wondered what an American high school is really like? This article will describe a typical (典型的) high school and its students.

A typical American high school has several large buildings and enough space for about l, 500 students. Every student is given a locker. When students first arrive at school, they go straight to their lockers to put away or get their textbooks and to hang up their outdoor clothes. As American textbooks are expensive, students would rather loan (租借) than buy them. Students must pay back if they lose any of them.

American students have different types of school transport. They usually take a yellow school bus or walk to school if they live close enough. Sometimes their parents drive them to school. When they turn 16 years old, most take a free driving class at school for one term.  If students earn passing grades in the class and also pass their state driver's exam, they can begin driving themselves to school.

Each day, students take six or seven classes. They must take Science, Maths, English and Social Studies. They can choose Art, Homemaking, Fashion Design and other classes.  In some schools students are required to take one or more of the following special classes: Health Education, Physical Education or Foreign Language Studies. Students move to different classrooms for each subject. This is because each teacher has their own classroom.  There is a five-minute break between classes, to give the students the time to hurry to their next class.

The regular school day usually ends early in the afternoon. After school more than half of the students are involved in after-school activities. These activities include sports-especially football, basketball, baseball and soccer or clubs, such as yearbook, speech, school newspaper, photograph or student government.

Stories and Art of Chinese Fans

    You may think you cannot live through summer without air conditioners. But in ancient China, hand fans were almost the only ones to help people keep cool.

    Chinese people started to use hand fans over 2,000 years ago. The fans came in different shapes, such as round and square. They were also made from a11 kinds of materials. Palm leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans(羽毛扇) showed the owner's high status. Sandalwood(檀香)fans could send out a sweet smell.

    Later, hand fans became far more than just something that could cool you down. They developed into art works, in which tuanshan (round fans)and zheshan(folded fans)were the most common.

    In the shape of a full moon, tuanshan was usually made of silk. They had beautiful birds and flowers on them. Women especially those in the imperial palace(皇宫),liked to use them. Meanwhile, men, especially the literati(文人), used zheshan. The literati liked them because zheshan were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them. It was a way for them to show off their ability in literature, painting and handwriting. Almost anything can be painted on zheshan.

    Today, Chinese people still use these fans, only not many people write or paint on them any more. Next time when you are waving a fan, you may think of the stories behind it.

    Brandon Forest Park is a place of interest. This large woodland is home to many birds and other wildlife. It's open all year round to visitors.

    In the centre of the park is the Forest Shop and Cafe. You can buy maps in the shop and there are all kinds of gifts and souvenirs on sale as well.

    The Cafe is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is open from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. from Monday to Friday. But on Wednesday it's shut all day.

    There's also a large area for visitors to enjoy a picnic lunch. But please don't throw rubbish.

    Bicycles are for hire(租用). For an hour it costs $3. 5 and for half a day it's $9. 79.

    Special events are held at the park during the summer. There's going to be an outdoor play, a concert and a horse-riding race this summer.

More information about the park can be found on our website www.brandonforestpark.com.

    That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in the city I lived. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked. I thought seriously about giving up both acting and the life in this awful place.

    As I walked down the empty street under tall buildings. I felt very small and cold.

    "Run!" I told myself and began to do so, both to keep warm and keep away from any possible danger.

    About a block from my flat. I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun, but the street was empty. The noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. I didn't realize what the noise had been until I reached my flat and unlocked the door. It had been my wallet falling to the street.

    I wasn't cold or tired any more. I ran out of the door and back to where I had heard the noise. Although I searched the street for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.

    Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard a rubbish truck stop next to me, A voice called from the inside, "Alisa Camacho?" I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name？The door opened and a man jumped out. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, holding up a small square shape.

    It was nearly 3 a. m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn't get much sleep that night. But I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life.