B

    I'm Henry, from America. This is my first time in Japan. One day some new colleagues (同事) invited me to 1. At first, I was quite happy and learned to use chopsticks with them, but later 2 started.

    That day, I had a 3. I felt uncomfortable with my nose, so I turned away from the table and blew (擤) my nose. My colleagues looked at me 4. They explained to me that in Japan, people don't blow their noses in public — especially at table.

    When I was trying to stick my 5 in my bowl of rice, one of my colleagues said, “Don't do that. Just leave them on the table.” Later, I found that leaving your chopsticks in your rice means death 6 Japanese culture!

    The next time I needed to blow my nose, I left the table and went to the toilet. 7 I returned, it was nearly time to leave. I noticed there were some small bowls with water in them on the table. It smelt good and I started 8 it before it got cold. Then I saw some of my colleagues cover their mouths. They were trying not to 9. “What's the matter?” I asked the colleague next to me.“It's for washing 10 fingers,” he said. For a moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

    Charlie and his family don't always live in their house. Sometimes they live in a houseboat. There are 4 rooms in the bottom of the boat. One of them is his parents' bedroom. Another one is his bedroom. Then there is a kitchen and a bathroom. Charlie's bedroom is small, but he likes it very much. It has a small window. He doesn't open it because it's under the water. When the boat is in the water, Charlie can look out of his window and see many fish under the water. Once he saw an old car under the water. He thought it was funny to see the fish swim through the car windows.

    In the school year, Charlie's family keep their boat on the bank (岸) of the lake. In summer Charlie and his family often take their boat out to the middle of the lake. They stay on the lake for a few weeks. Then they go fishing for their food. Charlie's mother grows vegetables in pots on the boat, so they also have vegetables to eat. When it is very hot, they jump into the water and go swimming. Charlie thinks a houseboat is the best place to live in.

A student walks into the teacher's office with his heavy schoolbag slowly and looks worried. "What's happening?" the teacher asks. He tells a lot of small things that make him really unhappy. Then the teacher stops working and decides to do something to help the little boy.

He asks the student to get a glass of water and some salt* from a box. The teacher asks the student to put the salt into the glass of water and drink it.

"How does it taste*?"the teacher asks.

"It doesn't taste good."the student answers.

The teacher doesn't say anything else, but asks the student to get the same amount* of salt and go with the teacher to a nearby lake.

"Put the salt into the lake,"the teacher says. The student does what the teacher says.

"Now, taste the water from the lake,"the teacher says.

The student gets some water from the lake with his hands and tastes, the teacher asks,"How does it taste?"

"Fresh and a bit sweet,"the student answers quickly.

"Do you taste the salt?"the teacher asks.

"No,"the student shakes his head.

The teacher sits beside the student,"The pain* of life is just like salt—no more, no less.

However, how salty it tastes depends* on the container* you put the pain in."

"How do you feel now?"asks the teacher.

The student looks at the teacher with a big smile. He feels much better now.

"Thank you for giving me such a lesson. I think I will never forget the taste of them and learn to be a lake."

Alice Hou, started Girls in STEM club(俱乐部) in America, tries to help more girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math. 

Do you know Girls in STEM? It's a club for girls. They can learn science here. Alice Hou, a 16-year-old girl from the US, set up(创立) the club. 

Alice loves science, and now she learns computer science at the University of North Texas. She is also good at Chinese dance, and she won the title of Miss Arlington's Outstanding Teen(阿灵顿杰出少年). "When I'm dancing on the stage, I just feel relaxed," Alice said. "But I feel worried(担心的) when I have my science lesson. There are 100 students in my class, but only 11 are girls. " To help more girls to be interested in science. Alice set up STEM. Now,a lot of girls are in the club. They often come to the club after school. In the club, they can learn science by playing interesting games. They can also talk about the school subjects with their friends. 

People in the US like this club. Now many schools have the same clubs. They want more girls to love science. 

My name is Cindy. I'm thirteen years old this year. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}I'm in Class Three，Grade Seven. I have some new subjects this year. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} My favorite day is Thursday because I have science on that day. 

I have a twin sister. Her name is Sonia. She is a middle school student. too. She is in Class Six，Grade Seven. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Her favorite day is Monday because she has English on that day. 

My father is Mr. White. He is a math. teacher. His favorite day is Sunday because he can go to the baseball club. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. 

My mother is Mrs. White. She is a clerk at Huaxing Clothes Store. Her favorite day is Saturday because on that day she doesn't go to work. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Oh，my mother likes playing tennis. 

Yang Le Ge Yang is an interesting matching(配对) game. Many people like to play the game on the computer. But can we use it to learn English?

Xu Yanglan is an English teacher in a high school in Wuhan. She has a good idea about it. She changes the game into Ying Le Ge Yu. It has the same music as that famous game. But the pictures are English words. Students need to remember the English words in the new game. 

"Playing is our favourite way of learning, " Xu said. "When students play games, they are more active in their learning. Some students can learn English words more easily by joining in the game. "

"Now I ask and answer questions actively in the English class because I want to win the game, " Yuan Ruxin says, a student at the school. 

"Teachers usually use games in teaching so they can help students learn better. " Zhong Ruhui, a teacher of the high school, says, "Behind the games, there is always strong love from a teacher for his or her students. "