{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This was not because the woods and fields were always far away, but because they were too far from the city to permit people to make a day trip between morning and nightfall.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He decided to turn his little school house into a dormitory for the summer holidays. Anyone who brought his sleeping bag and cooking equipment along could stay there for a very small quantity of money. The idea was a success. A few years later, the school house was much too small to hold the many young people who wanted to stay there. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This was the first hostel(青年招待所).

    Today, young students and workers of every country can meet in the hostel and get to know each other. When young people arrive at the hostel, they have only to show their cards of membership in a hostel organization in their own country. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Often, at the evening meal, a group of boys and girls from various parts of the country or world will happen to meet at the same hostel. They may put their food together and prepare a dinner with many kinds of dishes. Sometimes a program will be organized after the meal with dances, songs, or short talks followed by a question period. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For this reason, a few weeks spent ‘hostelling' can be just as useful a part of one's education as classes in school.

Walk Out of the Comfort Zone and Try New Things

    For most high school students, free periods are useless. From what I have seen, few do homework, instead many are on their phones and talking, making it impossible for those who actually want to do work to complete any. As a senior next year, I think extra periods should be used to take optional subjects.

    Our school offers many classes. Now is the time to experiment in different fields of study. We will never know if we are interested or talented in a subject if we don't try it.

    In my 8th grade, I was told that I had to take an art class as a graduation requirement; so in the 9th grade I took Studio and Art. One of the projects was to build a clay pot, but I built mine incorrectly, so it broke in the kiln (窑). I found out that I have no artistic ability at all, and now I know for sure that I do not want to be an artist. However, the class was one of my favorites that year. I was able to try new activities and test my ability.

    Walk out of our comfort zone and try new things! College is when we should focus on a specific major, but high school is when we have to figure it out.

    Half of all college students change their major at some point. By doing that hundreds of dollars are wasted on classes that they would have never needed to take. So use our extra periods to find out what we want to do in college. The classes we choose can impact us in future. Taking optional subjects will enrich our mind. It will also show colleges we are diverse students.

    ID systems are used as a means for people to prove their identity, as a means of access control, or for many other situations. ID cards also contain a lot more information than simply the name of the holder. All ID cards contain information that is relevant to the institution that released them, so there is no single model that applies to all ID cards.

    Different institutions have different rules when it comes to ID cards, and ID cards used by students, in universities, will not have the same security features as those used in the military, for example. The more important the institution is, the more important the security is, and the more security features will be used to prevent duplication(复制) of an ID card.

    Anyone with a printer that can print ID cards can duplicate in ID card, if it does not have any security measures. There have been lots of cases, especially in low security institutions, where ID cards have been duplicated and this was not noticed, since the person holding the card usually flashed it when it was requested, and that was not enough to notice that it is a fake.

    That may not be extremely important when it is simply a case of a student trying to enter the campus of another university, but it can be of vital importance if it happens in a military institution. Checks in military institutions are much stricter and the personnel checking the card are always trained to spot fakes in a short amount of time.

    Some may think that creating an ID card is extremely difficult, but it is not. All it takes is a special printer that can print ID cards, a model and a photo ID. The fact that such printers can be freely ordered online has raised security issues with lots of companies and institutions, and most have decided to either create their own ID cards, or simply use more advanced security features that regular home-users do not have access to. This includes magnetic stripes(磁条), chips, barcodes(条形码),and other methods. This does increase the cost of the card per person, so the total cost of the cards increases based on the number of employees the company has, but it also reduces security risks to a minimum.

    So ID systems, as basic as they seem, are an excellent security measure for any institution. To ensure that the IDs look good and function properly, the company that handles the card printing services should be top-class. Trying to save some money by choosing a cheaper provider is not really wise. While some companies offer bonuses for large orders, if the quality provided is not of the highest standard, it is not worth it.

    Kids who are old enough to surf the Internet can get to know the world. But it can also bring problems. For example, some of the websites are not proper for kids, which can lead to kid's growth problems. That's why it's important to know what your kids see and hear on the Internet.

    When it comes to safety problems, it's wise to take advantage of online protection tools. They will control your kids' seeing and using adult material. Many Internet service-providers (ISPs) provide parent-control choices to prevent certain material from coming into a computer. You can also get software (软件) that keeps your child from certain sites based on a “bad site” list that your ISP creates. Besides, keep the computer in a common area, not in their own bedrooms, where you can keep a close eye on their activities.

    Discuss the dangers of talking with strangers online and remind your kids that people online don't always tell the truth. Tell your kids never to give strangers their personal information, such as the address, phone number, school name or location. Tell them never to exchange photos with strangers in the chat rooms online, which will put the families at risk. Tell them never to agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person. Tell them never to reply to a dangerous email, message, post or text. Give your kids some encouragement to let them tell you about any communication or conversation that is dangerous. Nothing can make sure that they'll be kept away from 100% of the risks on the Internet. So it's important for you to spend time online together to teach your kids proper online behavior and educate them about online risks so they can surf the Internet safely. Taking an active part in your kids' Internet activities will help ensure that they benefit from the wealth of valuable information it offers.

    If your child spend long hours online, especially at night, with people you don't know, you should take notice of your kids behavior. If your child suddenly turns off the computer when you walk into the room, ask why. Unwillingness to discuss online activities is another sign to watch for.

    The Silk Road was a historical network of trade routes that connected China and the Mediterranean Sea, allowing cultural and economic interaction between the East and the West. Begun in the 2nd Century B C, the Silk Road carried goods, ideas, and even illness for thousands of miles between great civilizations for more than a thousand years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It was the creation of Germany's Ferdinand von Richthofen, who traveled to China several times in the second half of the 19th Century.

    China's powerful Han Dynasty began expanding its trade routes towards the West in the years around 100 B.C. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some shipments made it through to Europe and to northern and eastern Africa, through the port of Alexandria.

    As its name suggests, the Silk Road was home to large amount of silk, which made its way from China to the Mediterranean and, to Rome. It wasn't only silk, however, that was carried along the Silk Road  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Chinese traders brought delicate porcelain plates and thin but durable paper money. Romans brought delicately carved pottery (陶器）and jewelry to China.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Merchants carried shipments from major center, and then others carried the foods farther on the route. Many merchants traveled in groups, called carvans (商队). Many carvans and individual merchants traveled with bodyguards because theft along the routes was not uncommon.

    Several cities along the Silk Road became major trading centers. Some of the more famous of these were Alexandria, Karakorum, Antioch, Constantinople, and Persepolis. Local taxes placed on goods traveling along the route were quite common. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The name, however, is a modem idea.

B. Diseases also spread along the Silk Road.

C. It sent silk and other goods to other civilizations.

D. Merchants would prepare some supplies in advance.

E. Goods did not travel with the same person all along the route.

F. As a result, many goods traveled only part of the way due to the high cost

G. Many other things made their way from the East to the West, or from the West to the East.

    When big news breaks, it's easy to get caught up in following the story online. The Internet can be a place to find useful information. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Helping kids understand the news and how to separate fact from fiction is an important job for parents and educators.

    Here's some advice that parents can offer kids to help them be quicker to judge as they consume news online.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In the rush to cover stories, reporters make mistakes, officials don't always have correct information and tidbits (八卦新闻) that sound reasonable often get passed around before anyone has checked them for accuracy.

    Use social media wisely. Some say Twitter is a great source of news in the first few minutes of a tragedy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} On the other hand, Facebook can be a great way to connect with friends affected by events in the news and to spread personal news within a more limited circle.

    Be skeptical. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} After the Boston Marathon bombing, NBC Sports reported that some runners kept running all the way to the hospital to donate blood for the victims. Not true. There are plenty of websites devoted to exposing false news stories. The Washington Post also has a Fact Checker column that delivers claims made by public officials and politicians. Visit them to find out if a story is true.

    Keep it age-appropriate. Kids aren't always ready to digest big, tragic news - especially if the news is about kids, such as school shootings or abuses. The constant repetition of information can be confusing for younger kids, and at the beginning of a news event, parents might not be able to offer any correct answers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Remember, breaking news is often wrong.

B. It also can be the source of misinformation.

C. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

D. Make sure you and your kids aren't falling victim to false news.

E. However, after that it just becomes messy and largely inaccurate.

F. With social media at your fingertips, it's convenient to express your opinion.

G. Kids who are eager to learn more about certain events can check kid-guided news sources.