In classes, your teachers will talk about topic that you are studying. The information they provide will be important for you to know when you take tests. So you must be able to take good written notes from what your teachers say.

   Here are the three stages(阶段) of taking notes and what you should do during each stage.

   1. Before Class Review your notes you have taken before you come to class. This will be good for remembering what was covered. Get you ready to understand new information your teacher will provide.

   2. During Class Keep your attention on what your teacher is saying and „the signal words that tell you what your teacher is going to say and it is important to write in your notes. Examples of signal words are „The most important point…and „Remember that… Be sure to include in your notes information that your teacher repeats or writes on the blackboard. Write quickly so that you can include all the important information in your notes. Do this by writing abbreviations(缩写） such as med for medicine, using symbols such as % for percent, and writing short sentences.

   3. After Class Rewrite your notes to make them more complete and accurate (准确的) by changing abbreviations into whole words, symbols into words, and shortened sentences into longer sentences. Use them to answer your questions. If necessary, ask your teacher for help.

    Any time of the day you can devote to exercising is a good time for getting active, but if you want to make a healthy fitness plan, it may be helpful to keep several points in mind and find out the best time to exercise.

    First, try to know what kind of person you are. Especially, are you an early bird who always wakes up early in the morning, or a night owl(猫头鹰)who almost never goes to bed before midnight? Once you are generally aware of what your sleep characteristics are, you will have a better understanding of when your body needs exercise, either early in the morning, sometime during the day, or later on in the evening.

    Second, consider your daily plan. When do you seem to be most busy, and when do you plan your most important tasks? Try to fit in your exercise before or at least around these events if possible, so that you can keep exercising and your life won't be influenced as well.

    Third, think about when you feel you have the most energy. For most people, that time is usually in the morning after a good night's rest, or after a long day of work. After a busy or much stressful day, exercising can reduce your working stress from hard work.

    Lastly, find out the place you plan to do exercise. Your house provides exercise at any time if you own fitness equipment(设备)，but if there is a gym(健身房)down the street or along the way home from work, it will make it more suitable for you to exercise.

    More importantly, you need to make a plan and try sticking to it for one week. If you do so and can get through the exercise without being pulled in another direction, make it a habit. And once you have set up your fitness plan, don't make any great changes to it unless your doctor allows you to.

    The world is an interesting place. Different people like different things.

    Some people like loud music. Other people don't. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many people like sport, but they don't all like the same sport. In some countries, cricket(板球运动) is a very popular sport. In other countries, no one plays it or watches it on TV. However, most people like soccer. The World Cup is very popular. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Different people like different foods. Some people don't like meat. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Some people don't like potatoes or bread. They prefer rice.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Most people have their favorite colors. Some people like bright colors. Others prefer black colors.

    Many people like traveling. Different people like different places. Some people like to go to the country. They like the fresh air. Some people like to go to the city. Because they like shopping. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. They like soft music.

B. Not everyone like the same color.

C. Millions of people watch the games on TV.

D. Different people like different kinds of pets.

E. They eat fruit and vegetables most of the time.

F. Some other people enjoy beautiful places like the mountains or beaches.

    In the Middle Eastern country of Syria (叙利亚), there are over 4 million refugees (难民). Youssef was 10 years old when a local Syrian musician discovered his talent: a deep, powerful voice. However, Syria's civil (内部的) war took place. He and his family lost their home.

    When the Action for Hope Music School announced that it was looking for talented children to train, his family encouraged him to attend the school. A year and half later, the now 14-year-old, Youssef, with another 11 children, was chosen to take part in a concert.

    Youssef, a shy boy, was a lead singer in the concert. He gave a confident performance of traditional Syrian songs. “We only heard the sound of a mortar ( 迫 击 炮 ). It fell near us. Many buildings fell down. That is all I remember,” said Youssef. “Music makes me forget everything. Music is the most important thing.”

    Basma, director of Action for Hope, said the music school offers strength to the children who suffer (遭受) from the war. They can find a good way to express themselves and stop thinking of themselves as refugees.

    “Art gives strength. It comes from the ability to create,” Basma said. “People who are in difficult conditions need this strength much more than the rich.”

Dear Xia Yu,

    Do you know that there are two special days for parents in America? One is Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May, and the other is Father's Day on the third Sunday of June. On these two days, American children often give gifts to their parents or take them out for lunch or dinner. Common gifts are flowers and cards for mothers and shirts or ties for fathers. I heard that it is becoming more and more popular to celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day in China. I wonder if children over there also give similar gifts to their parents. I believe that there, are many ways to show our love. Actually, we don't have to spend a lot of money. It is also a good idea to help parents to do something instead.

—June

Information card

A. Arguments are useless.

B. Parents help us grow better.

C. Everyone's opinion counts.

D. Learn to control our emotions.

E. Deal with the bad situation better.

    There always comes a moment when I wonder where I will end up and this moment always gives me a life lesson. These are the lessons that I wish I'd learned earlier:
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    There was a time when everyone's opinion was mine as well. Remember that your opinion matters just as much as the next guy's, whether they make more money than you or are less popular than you. Everyone's opinion holds the same weight.
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    When I was a teenager, I'd be angry and go crazy if I had heard someone said bad things behind my back. Looking back on those memories now, I'm not too surprised. After all, when you have little self-control, anything is possible.
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    Will one small quarrel among friends decide the development of the friendship? In my world it felt like it. I just wanted so much to be right and for them so much to be wrong. It only resulted in me wasting my time and in the other person storming off in frustration.

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    I'm not saying every parent knows what's the best for kids, but in general, parents do what they do to help us know how to look after ourselves. My parents used to make me do the dishes, cook dinner, sweep the floors, take out the garbage…Now I can take better care of myself.
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    Whenever I'd lose a friend, get an awful grade, or disappoint my parents, I feel terrible. Fortunately, I know now that we don't have to be stuck in bad situations. We can go out and create better ones. It all depends on how you see the situation.