If we agree that education is used to prepare us for life, then there is very little time to waste. So, while we can, we should teach children something really useful. Here is what our school should teach.

    Politeness is a mark of civilization(文明). The sooner children learn this, the better. In any case, a lot can be achieved by a smile and good manners.

    Like it or not, our adults work hard for money, but we don't make an effort to teach children how to manage it. So our schools have a duty to teach them this ability from the beginning.

    We're likely to accept something we are told, but that's not what educated people do. Educated people are reasonable(理性的) and they look at facts. If our schools teach nothing else, they should at least teach critical（批判性的）thinking.

    Children should learn to take care of their health. They should know that if they eat junk food（垃圾食品）, they will become fat and unhealthy. They should be very clear about what happens to their bodies when they drink or smoke.

    All of us are part of society. We have rights and duties. We should understand what they are. We have to know a little bit of history and geography, because we need to have an environment in which to communicate with the people around us.

    In a word, our schools should spend every moment they have telling this to our children: “This is life, this is what you are going to face, and this is how you deal with it.”

A. When you need help for your homework, go to the library. You may find newspapers, and big dictionaries there. They can always help you.

B. For families with children, an important problem is stopping the children from watching TV to do their homework.

C. Even if you could buy the world, you couldn't buy a happy family, good friends, or knowledge.

D. The Lost World is an exciting American film. People, especially school students, may like it.

E. People might grow plants and vegetables in the sea in about 50 years.

①{#blank#}1{#/blank#} "Parents Headache"

②{#blank#}2{#/blank#} "Farms of the Future "

③{#blank#}3{#/blank#} "Study Tools(工具)"

④{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Activities(活动) for Free Time

⑤{#blank#}5{#/blank#} "Money Isn't Everything"

    Aron Ralston is an American man who is interested in mountain climbing. As a mountain climber, Aron is used to taking risks. This is one of the exciting things about doing dangerous sports. There were many times when Aron almost lost his life because of accidents. On April 26, 2003, he found himself in a very dangerous situation when climbing in Utah.

    On that day, Aron's arm was caught under a 360-kilo rock when he was climbing by himself in the mountains. Because he could not free his arm, he stayed there for five days and hoped that someone would find him. But when his water ran out, he knew that he would have to do something to save his own life. He was not ready to die that day. So he used his knife to cut off half his right arm. Then, with his left arm, he bandaged himself so that he would not lose too much blood. After that, he climbed down the mountain to find help.

    After losing his arm, he wrote a book called Between a Rock and a Hard Place. This means being in a difficult situation that you cannot seem to get out of. In this book, Aron tells of the importance of making good decisions, and of being in control of one's life. His love for mountain climbing is so great that he kept on climbing mountains even after this experience.

    Do we have the same spirit as Aron? Let's think about it before we find ourselves "between a rock and a hard place" and before we have to make a decision that could mean lire or death.

    About one hundred years ago many educated people learned and spoke French when they met people from other countries. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It has become the new international language. There are more people who speak English as a second language than people who speak English as a first language. Why is this?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} One of them is that English has become the language of business. Another important reason is that popular American culture (like movies, music, and McDonald's) has quickly spread all over the world. It has brought its language with it.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I don't know. It's important to have a language that the people of the earth have in common. Our world has become very global(全球性的) and we need to communicate with one another. On the other hand, English is quite a difficult language to learn and it brings its culture with it. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Scientists have already tried to create an artificial(人造的) language that isn't too difficult and doesn't include any one group's culture. It is called Esperanto. But it hasn't become popular. But maybe the popularity of English won't last that long either. Who knows? There are more people in the world who speak Chinese than any other language. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Do we really need that?

B. So it is important for people to learn French.

C. There are many reasons why English has become so popular.

D. Today most people speak English when they meet foreigners.

E. Maybe someday Chinese will be the new international language.

F. More than six thousand languages are spoken in the world today.

G. Is it good that English has spread to all parts of the world so quickly?

    Lily is from New York, the U.S.A. She is twelve. She is in Shanghai NO.3 Junior High School. She is in Class Eight, Grade One. Her phone number is 66786019. Dongdong is from Kunming. His English name is Tom. He is eleven .He is in Class Seven, Grade One. His telephone number is 24524233. They are not in the same class. They are good friends.