Teenage life — better now，or in the past?

    Does this situation sound familiar (熟悉)？

    You are complaining (抱怨)to your parents about something. Maybe your computer isn't powerful enough to play the latest games. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Then you hear...

    When I was your age, there weren't any computers or video games. And I didn't get a bike until I was sixteen. And it was second-hand. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    So, is it really true that life is better for teenagers now? It is certainly true that many teenagers have got more things nowadays.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} So parents have got more money to spend on each child. And many things are cheaper than they were when our parents were children.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Forty years ago, no one could imagine a world with tiny computers and amazing smartphones. And now these things are necessary — we can't imagine living without them!

However, technology often means we spend more time at home. And often it is just us with our computer or television. Teenagers don't do enough exercise. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And, although young people still get on well with their friends，some people think teenagers today don't have so many social activities as they did in the past.

    What do you think? How is teenage life better these days?

    The film is very exciting and dramatic(戏剧性的), but it is also romantic(浪漫的) and very sad. It is about the ship, the Titanic, which sank in the Atlantic in 1912. It is a love story. The two famous stars are Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslett. They fall in love on the ship, but are not allowed to be together as she is rich and he is poor. Leonardo is excellent as poor, handsome Jack and Kate Winslett is perfect as rich and beautiful Rose. The best thing about the film is the part where the ship is sinking. This love story doesn't have a happy ending.

    Flubber is a comedy. Starring(主演) Robin Williams is a forgetful scientist. He is very forgetful and he even forgets his own wedding(婚礼)! Flubber is the name of the amazing(令人惊奇的) green stuff(物品) that he invents. The plot(情节) is about two bad men who try to steal both Flubber and the scientist's girlfriend. The scientist has lots of silly adventures(历险) with Flubber, and he is really funny as the mad scientist. The best thing about the film is the special effects as Flubber changes into all different shapes and sizes and even does a dance routine(舞蹈动作). It's really an enjoyable film.

根据短文内容，完成表格。

    What are most 14-year-old boys doing? Going to school, playing sports with friends and doing their homework. But life is much more colorful for the TFBOYS members.

    TFBOYS is a singers' group started in 2013. Its full name is The Fighting Boys. It has three members, Wang Junkai, Wang Yuan and Yi Yangqianxi. Wang Junkai, the group leader, is 15 years old. The other two boys are both 14 years old. When most boys at their age are spending their whole day in the classroom, the three young singers present（展示）themselves to thousands of people. They had made three albums（唱片）and won two singing awards（奖）. Now the three boys are among the most popular singers in our country.

    Many students are interested in TFBOYS, because they are friendly and good at singing. They are still junior high school students. During the week they study at school with their classmates. On the weekends and holidays they have singing class, dancing class and other training. Most of their fans are teenagers. “We are of similar age,” some fans said, “TFBOYS feel like friends to us and we love their songs.”

Creating a study plan

    Studying is important to students. But it is always difficult to find enough time to study every subject you need. So a good plan helps you to make sure of your success in study.

    Then, how to make a study plan? Well, you can begin with listing all the subjects you need to study and make sure what you need to do for each subject. Next, you should decide how much time you should spend on different subjects. Now, it is a good idea to study at the same time every day. In this way, you actually have a plan you can remember easily. While arranging (安排) time for each subject, you also need to make sure that you still have time for family, friends and rest. This is because you won't be able to succeed in your studies unless you balance your personal life and your study.

    Once the plan is made, the next thing you need to do is to follow it. One of the biggest challenges in following your study plan is that you will be tempted (诱惑) to avoid it and do something relaxing, or fun instead. Luckily, you can fight this temptation by taking breaks. But be sure not to take extra breaks or too long breaks as it can affect your plan. So at the start of your break，set an alarm clock to remind you when your break is over. Also, you need to use your break wisely. For example, go for a short walk, eat a small snack, or listen to some music.

    To avoid forgetting to follow your plan, try to get into the habit of looking at your calendar every day. Sometimes our plans are herd to follow because some important people in our lives distract (使分心) us from our goals. In order to avoid this, tell people in your life about your plan. Put up a copy of your study guide at home so you and your family can see it, and email a copy to your friends so they know when you have spare time.