Do you often help the people who are in need?

One day, two boys were walking along the road to school when they saw an old woman carrying a large basket of pears. The old woman looked very tired. They went up and said, “Are you going to town? If you are, we'll help you carry your basket.”

“Thank you,” said the woman. “That's very kind of you.” Then she told them that she was going to the market to sell the pears. So the boys decided to lift the basket together. They walked slowly with the heavy basket, but they were happy.

 The other day, I saw a little girl pick up a piece of banana peel(水果皮). She threw it into the dustbin(垃圾箱). “I  hope nobody would throw that on the street,”she said. “Someone may slip (滑倒) and fall.”

Perhaps some people may say that these are not great things. That's right. But almost all great things are made up of such small things. We shouldn't wait for the time to do great things. We should begin with these things that are full of love.

    Before you make friends, you have to decide who you want to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things as they do. That doesn't mean you have to be exactly like each other, just that you enjoy some of the same things. If you're interested in sports, you probably will want friends who enjoy playing many of the same games you do. Likewise(同样的)，if you love to read books, you will probably enjoy the company of readers.

    ⑴交朋友的最快方式是微笑。When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. It may not be easy at first to smile, but remember most people will stay away from a scared or angry looking face.

    One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about him. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn't it make you want to keep talking to that person?

    Ask your new friends questions about themselves. Who's their favorite singer, where do they live, what do they do after school are all good questions to start a conversation. Make sure you have something to add to the conversation, too. When someone asks you a question, do have an answer for them. There's nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug (耸肩) for an answer.

    ⑵Kids who show an interest in other kids and who are kind and friendly make good friends easily. Remember, everyone wants to be around people who like to do similar things and people who are nice to them.

    Attention, please. We have exciting news for you today. Our yearly Short Story Competition for teenagers is now open.

    The regular（常规）subjects "friendship" and "hobbies" are still choices, but this year we have a new subject "travel". Your stories should be fewer than 2,000 words. You can send your stories to the organizer, Mr. Smith in Room 209. There is an amazing prize for you. The best story will be printed in the magazine, New Writers. Don't forget to hand in your stories before September 30^th.

    And you will know the results on October 15^th.

    So get your thinking hats on. For more information, visit our school website.

    It's June, and summer vacation will begin soon. That's a good thing. Most kids love summer vacation—they've worked hard during the school year and {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Also, the freedom of summer gives them self-esteem (自尊心), happiness, and creativity. When kids have free time, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, causing them to feel good about themselves and believe in themselves.

    But there's another side: the freedom of summer can cause the "summer drop," where kids forget some of the reading, writing and math skills {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Many students go down in reading levels during the summer. Math skills are also easily forgettable for kids during the two months of school break. A lot of teachers spend weeks playing catch-up in the fall to make up for the summer drop. To avoid this drop in learning, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Traveling can be a fantastic way for parents to encourage continued learning during the summertime. Whether taking the kids on a road trip to visit family, or getting on a flight to travel in a different province or country, the learning possibilities are endless. If you and your family have a road trip or vacation planned this summer, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. With a little planning, parents can create learning opportunities that are so fun. The kids won't even realize you are putting education into their free time quietly and secretly.