Music and Art will enter the Entrance Exam for the high school in Jiangsu. Without music, life would be a mistake. Music is a big part of our lives. But in recent years, some US schools have cut music classes to control budgets (预算).

    For example, Chicago public schools hurt arts education when it fired (解雇) over 1,000 teachers. Among them, 10 percent of the teachers taught art or music, according to The Washington Times. In fact, this is not just a problem in the US. In other countries, such as China and the UK, music classes are not thought to be as important as ones like science, math and history. That's partly because music is not seen as a very important life skill, and it isn't tested. Many students are busy with schoolwork, so parents and students choose to focus on subjects that are tested more often.

    However, learning music is beneficial (有益的) in many ways.

    When playing music, you need different abilities to work together. It is not as simple as it looks, according to Kenneth Guilmartin of Music Together, an early childhood music development program. For example, when playing the piano, people see music notes and decode (解码) them in their brains. They also use their fingers to make sounds. You need to deal with all these things at the same time.

    Music has a special connection with science as well. You can see that many scientists are good at playing music: Einstein played the violin, and German physicist Max Planck was talented in playing the piano.

Hiking (远足) can be a great way to relax, get away and enjoy the natural beauty around us. Going on a hike sounds like a walk in the park, but there are some risks when you head out into the wilds (偏远地区). We spoke with Sgt. John Adams from the Search and Rescue unit(搜救队) to learn what you can do to keep safe.

Tell someone where you're going

Especially if you're hiking alone, it is important to make sure someone knows exactly where you're going and when you expect to be back. And the information you left with a friend or family member will make it easier for the Search and Rescue unit to find you.

Do some research and check conditions before you go

The weather can be very different even an hour from where you live, and trail(路径) conditions can change daily.

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Adams suggests you should think about bringing along a personal locator beacon (人员定位标) and a whistle(哨子). He said there are several successful Search and Rescue cases in which hikers were found alive and rescued when using locators.

Don't be afraid to turn back

If you are uncomfortable, uncertain or worried about your safety at any time, be honest with yourself. Don't be afraid to call it a day and turn back. 

If worse comes to worst

Stay calm, get to a safe place and stay there. If you're lost, walking around is likely to take farther away from the known trail and make you harder to find. If you're injured, trying to move around may lead to a worse situation. If you brought a whistle, use it to let the Search and Rescue unit hear you.

Good Moments of Your Life

 Bruce Kelly, a reporter interviewed some people and asked, "What are some of the good moments of your life?" Here are some of the answers.

"I always failed my English exams. But thanks to my teacher, Ms. Green, she helped me find the learning methods. I was taught to review what I learned every day. I was asked to finish grammar exercises as many as possible. Now I can always get high scores in English tests."

-Jack,12 years old, from No.2 Middle School

"My parents always helped me decide everything. For example, they asked me to focus on my study instead of practicing my hobby - - - running. But I'm 14 years old! I should be allowed to make my OWN decisions! So last Friday I had a long talk with them. In the end,I won! Now I'm allowed to run and remain in the school team."

-Liu Yu, from Shandon

"I have lots of great moments. For one thing,I' ve traveled a lot. I lived in Italy a few years ago. Then after Italy,I went to America and worked with a team of volunteers. We were rebuilding homes after a major earthquake for two months. It was hard work but so worth doing. Life has been interesting so far."

-Alice,35,a high school teacher