How much do you know about Albert Einstein?

    Albert Einstein, born on March 14, 1879 in Germany, was a great scientist in the world. ①He was strange because he hated haircuts and new clothes. He believed in peace. All his life, he hated war. However, his most famous idea, E = mc², helped create the world's most dangerous weapon (武器). Many people think he was the smartest person in the world. But Einstein said that he thought like a child with many questions and unusual ideas.

    What did he like?

    Einstein liked learning sailing (帆船运动). He sailed in small boats all his life. He once joked, “Sailing is the sport that takes the least energy!” When Einstein was a child, his mother made him take violin lessons. At first, he didn't like the violin. But then he learned to love music and became a good violinist.

    Later, he said, “②热爱是最好的老师。”

    Why is the sky blue?

    In 1910, Einstein asked a question which many children often ask, “Why is the sky blue?” After his careful research, he answered the question like this: “It's because light is made up of many colors including blue. When light travels to Earth, gas particles (气体微粒) spread the blue light all over the sky.” His answer is true in physics.

A: Hello, Jim! What are you doing now?

B: Oh, I'm reading my report card.

A: I suppose you have passed all the exams. You are always hard-working.

B: It's true that I always do my homework by myself. But I often get nervous when I see the envelope from school.

A: How about your math this time? I know you don't do well in it.

B: It was lucky that I passed the math exam this time. We had a new math teacher this semester. She is a university graduate and works as a volunteer in our school. Her teaching has a good influence on my study and starts to open my eyes to the outside world.

A: That's really great. Does she like living in our hometown where the air is thin?

B: She said she felt happy with her decision.

A: By the way, I got a message for you. Your mother asks you to look after yourself well.

B: OK. Thank you.

    Reading books is a good hobby for all kinds of reasons.

    First, reading books is fun. You can always keep yourself amused if you like reading， especially when the weather is bad. It is a relaxing hobby, too. You can really become lost in a book.

    Next, you can read a book almost anywhere: in a car, in a waiting-room, on a plane, in bed—even in the bath. All you need is a book! Reading is a convenient hobby as it is easy to stop and then start again.

    Another good reason for reading books is that it is useful. If you read as a hobby, you will get better and better at it. This means that you will read faster and will become better at understanding what you read. As your reading improves, you will probably find your schoolwork become much easier. Many school subjects depend on good reading and, as you read, you learn more and more.

    Some people say that reading is out of date. This is not true. You have to be able to read to use a computer and, the better you read, the better your computer skills will be. Reading is hardly out of date!

What other hobby could be more useful, or more enjoyable!

    “I've always had a pretty clear idea of what I want to do.” says Mary, a middle school student who wants to become a director some day. You may not be as sure of your career (职业) as Mary. But you can start thinking about and planning for your future career.

    The following article helps middle school students plan for careers.

    Explore (探索) your interests

    Many middle school students don't yet know what they want to do. But in fact, students may change their minds several times, perhaps even after they enter society. And some of tomorrow's careers might not exist (存在) today. Focusing on just one job in middle school isn't necessary. But looking into the kinds of careers you might like can help you succeed.

    ①          

    Understanding what you enjoy and what you're good at is the most important step in exploring careers. If you don't know what you want to do, you should ask yourself what you like to learn about. If you really like science, what do you enjoy about it — the lab work or the research? It's important to think about what you like to do, because work will finally be a big part of your life.

Discover possible careers

    Once you've thought about the subjects and activities you like best, the next step is to look for careers that put those interests to use. If you love sports, for example, you might consider a career as a P.E. teacher or a soccer coach. If you like English, a career as an English teacher, a translator or a travelling guide might be a good choice.

    ②          

    After discovering possible jobs, you'll want to learn more about them. Talking directly to workers on the phone, by email, or through online discussion can help you get information about what they do. Even meeting with them in person is helpful. First-hand information is necessary for you to find out if you'll really like a career.

    Many young people would like to go to west China to help children to study. One of them, Lu Yi, was a university student. One day, when she went to a small village in Guizhou, she saw the poor children herself. She felt sad. She thought she should do something for them. So she decided to stay there and to be their teacher. Money is the biggest problem for her. But she didn't give up. She worked hard and her students like her very much. After graduation(毕业), she went back to that village at once and she worked as a volunteer teacher for five years. She worked hard and her students liked her very much. When the journalist at the CCTV Station interviewed her, she said she liked being a good influence(影响). She said she hoped to change the poor children's lives. She enjoyed the time as a volunteer very much. She would try her best to help the poor children.

Information Card

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