My parents told me we were going camping during winter vacation. Camping! They are always trying to get me outside more. It seems like my mom is always saying, "Brian, turn off the computer!" or "Brian, put down your phone and talk to us!" They don't understand that I'm in the zone when I'm using a keyboard, so of course I don't want to stop.

    We drove for an hour to Everglades National Park. As soon as we got there, I couldn't get a signal(信号) for my phone. Suddenly, I was facing three days of no contact with the outside world. My mom tried to tell me I'd like it, "You'll be able to look around more when you're not staring at a screen."

    We took a hike with a ranger(护林者) in the afternoon. He explained a lot to us about the Everglades. At first, I couldn't care less, but after a while I started listening. By the end of the hike, I realized there was more action going on in the park than in most video games.

    We did a lot of walking and that night I was really tired. Even so, I woke up in the midnight, and I was scared at first because of some strange sounds. But then I realized it was the barred owl that the ranger had described. It sounded like it was calling out "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you?" Then I was not afraid anymore and went back to sleep.

    The next two days we did a lot more exploring. I saw that all the land and water and animals were connected in the Everglades. Small fish eat mosquito eggs; large fish eat those smaller fish; and alligators eat the large fish. If you got rid of(除掉) the mosquitoes, you might lose some of the other animals higher up the food chain too.

    After we left, we talked in the car about the Everglades. Right in the middle of our discussion, I heard a familiar sound from my phone. My friend Jeff was sending me a message. I reached for my phone, then put it back down. "Aren't you going to reply?" asked Mom.

    "I will in a little while," I said. My dad and mom looked at each other and just smiled.

    Growing up in the US, I always wanted to know about another culture. The chance came when I was 15. After a few months of planning and preparing, I was ready to spend the second term of my first year of high school as an exchange student in Australia.

    The city I stayed in was Perth, Australia, and it is the fourth largest city of Australia. When I arrived at the airport, the family I would live with were already waiting for me there, and the new school term would start in only five days. The school I attended was very different from my school in the US. In the school we had to wear the uniform, and we were not allowed to wear bracelets (手链) or necklaces(项链). I was quite uncomfortable at first, because I had never been to a new school— even in the US. Everything went smoothly, though. The teachers were welcoming and the students were friendly.

    The most memorable time of my term abroad was with other international exchange students. We traveled around Australia during the breaks. The few weeks we spent together were filled with amazing activities. At the end of our stay in Australia, we had three weeks to share our stories and help each other. Our last day together was filled with tears. We packed our things, exchanged e-mail addresses, and got together to say goodbye.

    I really have learned a lot from my exchange experience.

    "Can I see my son?" the happy new mother asked. She couldn't wait to open the swaddling(襁褓) clothes. But when she saw his tiny face, she was shocked! The boy had been born without ears.

    Although the boy's hearing was perfect, he was often laughed at because of his strange appearance. It was only his appearance a little bit different. One day, he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother's arms, burst into tears, "A big boy called me a monster!" Sad tears flowed down the boy's face, also into the mother's heart.

    The boy's father asked a famous doctor for help, "Could nothing be done to help my son?" "I believe I could put a pair of ears on him if they could be found," answered the doctor. Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You are going to the hospital, son. Someone will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret." After the successful operation, a new person appeared! The boy's life became beautiful since then. The boy often asked his father, "Who gave me the ears, dad? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her." "It's a secret," answered his father quietly. The years kept their secret, but the day did come. It was the darkest day for the son. He stood with his father over his mother's casket棺材). Slowly and gently, the father raised the mother's long thick hair to show that the mother had no ears! "Mother said she was happy that she never had her hair cut," he said, "And nobody had ever thought Mother less beautiful than before, had they?" After mother had died, the boy finally knew the truth.

Is your food and drink healthy? A lot of ice-cream, hamburgers and cola are unhealthy（不健康的）. Meat is healthy but too much meat is not good for children. Cola and candy are very sweet, and too much sugar is bad for you. Eat the right food and be healthy. Carrots, eggs and sweet potatoes are good for your eyes. Milk, cheese and fish are good for your teeth. A bit tired? Have lots of delicious chicken soup! It is important to remember: eat well, stay healthy, and don't get fat!

The following are some suggestions on healthy eating.

● Eat noodles or rice, not hamburgers.

● Have a good breakfast every morning.

● Drink juice, water, tea and milk, not cola.

● Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, not candy or ice-cream.

Jane is from America. She is in China with her parents. Now she is writing an e- mail to her1 back home.