The following are the messages from Mike's moments (朋友圈) on WeChat during the trip to Beijing.

    Today is July 5, my birthday, the first day of our trip. It's 2:30 p. m. I'm riding a bike with my parents and my little brother Bob in Beihai Park. We are singing, listening to birds, and having a lot of fun.

    Today is July 6. It's the second day of our trip. We plan to visit the Great Wall. There area lot of people along the way. I feel a little tired, but I'm happy! While we are climbing the mountain, I talk about my future (将来的) job with my parents. What do I want to be? Ha! Maybe a teacher or a singer.

    My parents are visiting their old friend, a famous writer, at her place. I am having lunch with Bob and watching a show in Deyunshe. The food isn't so delicious but the show ... Well, it's so humorous and interesting. I really like it.

    It is the fourth day of our trip. We're going back home at 6:00 p. m. It's 10:00 a m. now. We are visiting the famous Chocolate Factory and making chocolate by ourselves happily. We are really having a great time here! Sweet Kiwi! I love you!

Several years ago, when I was teaching at a middleschool, a girl sent me a message. She found someone write a very1messageon her locker. She made a picture of it and then sent it to me asking for2.

A few hours later, I noticed that on herInstagram she had posted that picture and asked if anyone3whodid that.

Well, the following day, the girl came to mewith a boy. She showed me a4she had received. It was a heartfeltapology. I asked her if she knew who had done it, and the boy repliedembarrassedly(尴尬地), "It was me. I don't know why I did it,but I know it was5. So I wrote her this note. I6wantedto do something to try to make up for my meanness."

My heart felt so full of7forthis boy. I told him how8he was to come forward and how amazing itwas that he did something9to correct his mistake. I10thegirl and asked her if she could forgive him. Without hesitation, she said, "Yes."

I think middle school students are not littlechildren any more, and not grown-ups yet. It is normal that they make mistakes.Every day I remind myself that although I am an educator, my students trulylove me.

①The scientific method is used for simple experiments that students may do in the classroom or very difficult experiments that scientists are doing all over the world. It is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions (结论). There are usually four steps in the scientific method, including observation (观察), hypothesis(假设), experiment, and conclusion.

②The steps may not always be completed in the same order, but the first step is usually observation and asking a question about your observation. For example, you had a sick stomach, and ate a candy bar. An hour later, you observed that you felt much better. Here, you can ask a question, such as, "What makes a sick stomach feel better?"

③The second step is to state a possible answer to the question, or a hypothesis, such as " ▲ " A good hypothesis includes three things: The explanation for the observations, it is able to be tested, and it will usually predict new results or conclusions. 

④The third step is the experiment, to test the hypothesis. An experiment is a test which will either challenge or support the hypothesis. The hypothesis will then be true or false.

⑤The final step is to think about what happened when you tested the hypothesis and draw a conclusion. The conclusion will either clearly support the hypothesis or it will not. If the results support the hypothesis, a conclusion can be written and you can share it with the rest of the world. If it does not support the hypothesis, you may choose to change the hypothesis or write a new one based on what was learned during the experiment.

The key to learning a new skill isn't necessarily how many hours you spend practising, but the way you practise. Scientists have found that by simply changing your training method, you can keep your 1 more active in the learning process and spend less time reaching the required standard. People think simply 2 a skill—for example, practising the same piece of music on the piano or playing the same level in your game over and over again—is the best way to learn it. Instead, it turns out that there might be a 3 way to level up. 

Recently, researchers got 86 volunteers to learn a new 4 —moving a cursor(光标) on a computer screen by pressing a small device, 5 using a mouse. The volunteers were divided into three groups, and 6 spent 45 minutes practising the skill. Six hours later, one of the groups was asked to repeat the same training exercise again, 7 another group to perform a different version(版本) that required a different pressing8 to move the cursor. The third group was 9 asked to complete the first training, acting as a control(对照组). 

In the end, everyone was 10 on how they could perform the new skill. As a result, the group that had repeated the original(原来的) training did 11 on the test compared to the one that had had mixed training and trained in new areas—in fact, the group that had 12 their training method did twice as well as the group that had repeated the original training. 

So how does that work? The researchers believe it's due to something called reconsolidation(重新合并), which is a process: 13 are recalled and changed with new knowledge. "Our results are important 14 little was known before about how reconsolidation works in relation to skill development. This shows simple training method changes can 15 more rapid and better skill gains, " said Celnik. 

Plastic is useful.  It's in a lot of things we use every day, from clothes to pens, and bottles to toys.  But there's a problem.  Most plastic is not biodegradable (可生物降解的), and a lot of it ends up in the sea. 

How big is the problem?

There are billions of bits of plastic in the world's sea! Every ocean and every beach has plastic, from large objects to small pieces called micro plastics.  Tons of plastic go into the sea every year.  Increasing like this, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the sea!

How does plastic harm sea animals?

Fish, sea turtles, and birds think plastic is food, and they eat it.  The plastic stays in their stomachs.  Dead seabirds are found with stomachs full of plastic.  Whales, dolphins, and seals are caught by plastic bags or fishing nets.  It's said that millions of ocean animals die each year because of plastic rubbish in the sea around the world. 

What can we do?

Many people and organizations around the world are taking action.  In some countries, plastic bags aren't allowed to use.  Scientists are developing new biodegradable plastic.  Many communities are trying to use less plastic and recycle more.  Kids are playing their part, such as working to make their schools "zero plastic". 

Plastic pollution is becoming more and more serious, so it's necessary for us to produce, buy and use fewer plastic products.  Above all, one person can't solve it alone, but together we will make a difference. 

 What is Competitive Eating? It's a game where people try to eat a lot of food very quickly. There are different types of food, like pizza and ice cream.

 The Big Hot Dog Contest Every year, on July 4th, there's a big contest in New York where people eat hot dogs. It started because some people wanted to show they loved America by eating lots of hot dogs. The first winner ate 13 hot dogs in 12 minutes. The Best Eaters Joey Chestnut can eat 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes. He's the best right now. Before him, Takeru Kobayashi was the best. He's not very big, but he can eat a lot of different foods very fast.

 Is It Good or Bad? Some people think it's not good because it's not healthy and some people don't have enough food. But the people who do it think it's just a sport, like running or swimming. They see themselves as sports players.