This week we asked students at New Star High School about the best ways to learn more English. Some said they learnt by using English. Some students had more specific suggestions.

      Lillian Li said the best way to learn new words was reading English magazines. She said that she never studied grammar. She thought it was too boring.

      Wei Ming felt differently. He has been learning English for six years and really loves it. He thought studying grammar was a great way to learn a language. He also thought that watching English movies was a good way to watch the actors say the words.

      Liu Chang said that joining the English Club at school was the best way to improve her English. Students got lots of practice and they also had fun.

    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.

    Sometimes people come into your life and you know that they are there to teach you a lesson, or to help you understand who you are or who you want to become.

    You never know these people who may be a classmate, a neighbour or a friend—but when you lock your eyes on them, you know at that very moment they will influence your life in some ways.

    Sometimes things that happen to you may seem unpleasant, painful, or frustrating at first. But in another way, you find that without getting over those difficulties you would have never realized your ability, strength or will power (意志力).

    The people you meet and the success you get help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones.

    If someone loves you, give love back to them in the way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

    If someone hurts you, or breaks your heart, forgive(原谅) them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being careful of people around.

    Self-confidence is necessary to a person. If you're not confident，it will be hard for others to believe in you. Learn a lesson in life each day you live!

配对阅读：左栏是五个建议，右栏是7个人在人际关系中遇到的问题。请根据给出的每条建议找出适合该建议的人。

    Canada is a big country with a large area, but it has a small population. It lies in North America with oceans around it in three directions except in the south, where the United States is. The Great Lakes are between Canada and the United States. There are many lakes and islands in the coastal areas. Canadians care about the environment very much. The government and the people in Canada try their best to protect the environment. So in Canada, the air is fresh, the water is clean, and the sky is blue. Many tourists like to travel in Canada and live there for some time to relax themselves.

    The climate in Canada is different from area to area. It is wet in the west and east, but cold in the north and south. Canada is rich in natural resources, such as forests, fresh water, coal, oil, and so on. Farmland mainly lies in the south where farmers grow lots of corn and wheat. There are many big farms there. The farmers work hard so that the people in Canada can get enough good food for their daily life. Industry in this country is well developed and the transportation is very convenient. Living surroundings in Canada are the best in the world. Canadians enjoy themselves and live a happy life.

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