We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs (习俗) for each festival.

    Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China

    “It'll soon be Chinese New Year. Before it, we'll clean the house and decorate it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”

    Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia

    “Australia Day is on 26th January and it's an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing. What fun！”

    Amy, 14, New York, USA

    “The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It's still a very important day for families to be together. This year we're going to visit my grandparents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”

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Lei Feng Spirit Carrying on

    On December 18, 1940, Lei Feng was born in a poor peasant family in a little mountain village of Hunan Province. He didn't go to school till 1950. At the age of 18, he worked as a steel worker. He was often praised for his good job. On January 8, 1960, he joined the army. In the same year, he joined the Communist Party. He loved the Party and the people, and constantly did good for others. “It's my duty，” Lei Feng always said when he was thanked by those. He became a model soldier one year later. Lei died in an accident in 1962.

    After his death, Chairman Mao called on the people to “Learn from Comrade Lei Feng”. And 5 March has become the official “Learn from Lei Feng Day” since 1963. People got to know more about him after LeiFeng'sDiary was first presented to the public. Now the term “Living Lei Feng”has become a noun for anyone who is selfless, anyone who has deep love for his country, anyone who works hard, or anyone who is always ready to help others...

    The whole nation are moved by Lei Feng's deeds. And Lei Feng's spirit will live in our heart forever and we surely will practice his spirit in life as he did.

From：Shanghai Middle School English Online

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    Do you ever wish you were as thin as a model(模特) or as strong as your favourite football player? Maybe you wish you were taller or just thinner a little. Those thoughts are a natural part of growing up.

    But learning what you can and can't change about your body is part of growing up, too. It can be hard to do. But when people accept the way they look, they often feel happier.

    Some children worry that they're not growing and developing as fast as their friends. It's important to know that puberty(青春期) doesn't happen at the same time for every child. And there are no special medicines that can make it happen sooner!

    Eating healthy foods and exercising more can make all children feel better. Why? Because they will help you feel energetic (精力充沛的) and keep your body working just the way it should be. Watching TV and playing computer games can be fun, but they don't do much for your body because you sit when you do them.

    But when you move your body—by playing, dancing, taking part in sports, or even cleaning your room—you exercise your muscles(肌肉). When you exercise the muscle, it gets stronger. And when you have strong muscles, you can do whatever you want to do!