Homework is a problem for students all over the world. As a student, you have a lot of homework to do every day. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. And it helps you understand important knowledge. Luckily, there're several things you can do to make homework less difficult.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Write your homework down in your notebook if you need to. Don't be afraid to ask questions about it. Understand why you should do your homework.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Many schools have study halls. The students can study there. It's more interesting to play with your friends. But the more homework you finish at school, the less you'll have to do that night at home.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It is difficult to hold your attention for too long. So take some breaks while doing your homework. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If you don't finish your homework at school, think about how much you have left. It's a good idea to make a homework plan, especially when you want to enjoy sports or other activities.

    Yu Minhong, president of New Oriental Education, shared his ideas with the young after the English speech competition of the 14th China Daily. Here is some of his advice to young people:

    “One suggestion I'd like to give you is that it's important to do what you like without fear of failure. And the process（过程）of working toward your dreams matters more than the results. Young people should take chances to show off talents. Take competitions like this one as an example: If you are afraid to fail, you'll never get the chance to stand on the stage and make a speech. Above all, it's most important to take part.

    Another suggestion I want to give you is to read books. It is not easy to keep reading every day. For me, it is much more difficult and challenging to keep reading and taking notes every day than it is to walk 10,000 steps.”

    In his speech, Yu also shared his view on life. He chose a different life rather than a more successful one. He uses the famous lines of American poet Robert Frost (1874–1963) to make his point:“Two roads diverged (分叉) in a wood, and I … took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”Yu pointed out, “Your happiness should not be what others think you should run after, but instead you should decide what it is. It is you who should make choices for your own life.”

    Yu Minhong's speech to young people

The ocean is not a quiet place. This is partly caused by sea animals. They use sound to find what they eat, whom they play with, or which place they move towards. But the noise from human activities is increasingly troubling the lives of ocean animals.

According to scientists, loud noise may increase mass strandings (大规模搁浅) of sea animals. Researchers recorded only five of these events in the first half of the 20th century. From 1950 to 2004, they recorded more than 1,200 mass strandings. These were perhaps because of the use of sonar (声呐) underwater. Another main reason of loud underwater noise is pile driving (打桩). Piles are supports for bridges, oil and gas-producing areas. They're driven deep into the floor of the ocean. Driving a single pile can take several hours and result in as many as 5,000 hits. This process creates a lot of noise.

To restrain that noise, some companies are making use of tiny bubbles (气泡). A single bubble is easily broken. However, the bubble wall can make pile driving quieter. The bubble wall is usually created in this way: A tube (管子) is placed in a ring around a pile. Air is then let out through closely spaced openings in the tube. When the bubbles rise, they act as a wall and take in some of the noise. Some more of the sound reflects back and becomes stuck inside the wall. Such bubble walls are really helpful.

Other changes to pile driving can help as well. For example, people can take breaks while pile driving and let animals travel through.

Our noise in the ocean is causing big problems. But small changes in our behaviors can make a big difference in animals' lives in the world's oceans.

France is well­known for its fine art, tasty food and beautiful scenery(风景). So about 75 million visitors come here every year. 

France is the largest country in Western Europe. It has a population of over 66 million. There are many famous places of interest in France, like the River Seine as well as the Eiffel Tower. 

Many visitors also come for the country's art. If you visit France today, it is not a surprise to meet street artists in the city or come across a singer in the subway. 

No visit to Paris is perfect without a trip to the Louvre, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. Inside, there are 35，000 works of art, such as the painting Mona Lisa by Da Vinci and the statue(雕塑) David by Michelangelo. It would take nine months to enjoy all works of art. 

French food is also world­famous. Bread is very important in France. The best known French bread is called a baguette(法棍面包). It's long and delicious and tastes salty. Snails(蜗牛) are also a must­have here.  French people eat 40，000 tons of snails every year! 

But France is not always good. Paris, the city of light, may also show its dark side to visitors. Chinese visitors feel sorry about the crowded subway in Paris. 

Do you like spaghetti (意大利面)? If you do, you can cook it by yourself! The following can help you.