There are some skills for students to listen to the teachers in class, which means you're going to have to practice them. Just as you would have to practice basketball to be a better player, you also have to practice listening. How to listen in school? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One of the things you'll need to do is to make sure that your mind doesn't wander(漫游). It's easy to start thinking about other things, especially when you are not interested in the subject. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

   Next, listen for the main ideas. If you want to catch every little piece of information, you'll feel tired and bored. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Not only does this show respect to the teacher, it also helps prevent your mind from wandering. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Or it could just be someone talking to their neighbors who shouldn't be, it can even be some birds outside the classroom window, or a group of kids who are talking loudly as they pass the door to your room.

    Finally, you need to take notes because you will not remember everything the teacher said. You'll have to take down the notes so that you can study it after class. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Listening isn't always easy, but if you follow these simple steps, you'll be much more successful in your classes.

Has your mother or grandmother ever made embroidered (刺绣的)clothes for you? In the past, Chinese people often embroidered on hats, shoes and dresses. Some girls would even embroider on a sachet (香囊)as a gift for their lovers.

Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is said that Shu embroidery is the old lest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD).They sold it to other countries such as ancient Rome.

Shu embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10 cm. Embroidery workers need to divide each silk thread (丝线) into more than 10 or over 30 smaller threads. Each smaller thread is thinner than a human hair.

Meng Dezhi, who used to work at the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory，has been making Shu embroidery for over 40 years. She loves this form of art and wants more people to try it, so she gives lessons in universities. She said. "Although the work is hard, Shu embroidery stands for thousands of years of Sichuan culture. It is a symbol of Chinese culture as well."

What's the weather going to be like tomorrow？In fact，we can know it by checking out nature. 

Want to know how hot it is outside？Listen to a cricket （蟋蟀）!The more it sings in a minute，the hotter it is. Spiders（蜘蛛） can make a prediction of cold weather. If you find a lot of spiders inside your house，it means it might get cold soon. Spiders go indoors when the weather is cool，so be careful with them in the dark places of your home. 

Pine cones （松果） can tell whether dry weather is coming. Pine cones open their scales （鳞片） when the weather gets very dry. They do this to spread seeds（传播种子）. When the air is a little wet，they close up to keep their seeds dry. Pine seeds travel by wind，so they have to stay as dry and light as possible in order to fly. 

Nature is man's teacher. Man should protect the nature，and man should get along well with it. There is much more that people can learn from nature. 

Last week I finished a class at a middle school, receiving some meaningful answers after I asked the students what they would tell their parents about money.

Max said he would say: "Dear Mom. I need to give you some advice on money. I need more allowances(零用钱）! Many teenagers had the same answer: As a teacher, I advise on a few allowances and more if the kid helps with housework. Now that the kids are in middle school. it's time to think about paying them for doing something. My son missed a lot of school when he was in middle school so I offered the down payment(分期付款)on a car if he wouldn't miss any school as a high school student and the result was that he finally got the car.

Grace wanted to tell her mom. "Only buy what we need." Spending wisely and saving money is a good idea for all the students. The idea of thinking carefully about spending is exactly what I want to make them know in class. but they learn more at home. Teenagers look at their parents' spending habits, and they develop the same habits. So watch your behavior(行为)! 

Nikola's advice is helpful to all parents — "Mom and Dad, I think I should take part in financial(财务的)activities more so that I can know how to deal with money when I grow up."

Remember, your kids watch everything you do especially when it is about money, so do it right, pointing them in right direction.

There are many deserts on the earth. And here are some facts you may find interesting. 

What are deserts like?

Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony (多石的). Deserts can also be very windy places. The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place to place. 

Temperatures in the deserts can vary very much. During the daytime, the temperature may reach 40℃ even in the shade (阴凉处). At night, deserts can become very cold. In winter there may even be a frost(霜冻) in the early morning. 

Living in the deserts

The camel is sometimes called"the ship of the desert". It stores food in its hump (驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet which help it not to fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes keep out the sand during sandstorms. 

An oasis is an area of the desert where water may be found. The water may be in pools or under the ground. People and animals visit an oasis to find something to eat and drink. Plants grow at an oasis. Some farmers are able to grow crops there. 

The Arabian Desert

The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. In some parts of the desert, it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered under parts of the desert. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there.