I was 12 when I came to Maywood School three years ago. Like most schools in the US, classes here began at 8:00 am. However, the head teacher, Mr Bergman, found there was a problem — so many students were either missing (错过) the first class or arriving late. My classmates and I often found it hard to keep our eyes open in the mornings, so lessons were no fun for us. Our marks weren't good either.

    In the end, Mr Bergman asked the school doctor for advice. The doctor said that because children's bodies are growing so quickly, they need more sleep than adults (成人). But their body clocks make it hard for them to go to bed before 11:00 pm, so the best time for them to get up is around 8:00 am.

    Mr Bergman decided to do an experiment (实验). He changed the start time for classes to 9:00 am. The school still opened at 8:00 am and teachers used the extra (额外的) hour to prepare lessons.

    I didn't think the new timetable (时间表) would make much difference, but I was wrong. I felt much better! Everyone's grades improved. Also, more students had time for a hot breakfast together in the dining hall. We all felt healthier and happier.

    After three months, Mr Bergman asked teachers, students and parents if they wanted to keep the new timetable. Everyone did.

    There are two girls in Mr. Whites family. They're Tina and Anna. They are twin (双胞胎) sisters. Each of them has a long face and a small mouth. But Tina is a little heavy and she has short curly hair. Anna is thin and she has long straight hair.

    They are in the same school and the same class. Their math teacher Grace likes them very much. Are there any differences between them? Yes. Tina likes to talk with her classmates, but Anna is kind of shy. Tina's favorite subject is science, but Anna likes history best. Tina is good at drawing and Anna is good at dancing. Their dreams are different, too. Tina wants to be an artist, but Anna wants to be a teacher.

    Both (两个) of them study hard to make their dreams come true.

    Jane Goodall is a famous scientist. For more than 40 years, Goodall lived mostly in Tanzania in East Africa, studying chimpanzees(黑猩猩).

    As a young child, Jane Goodall was interested in animals. She grew up in the English countryside and was always climbing trees or riding horses.

    When Jane was 23, she got a chance to go to Africa. Even though she had never been to college, she got a job with a famous scientist named Louis Leakey.

    One day Louis Leakey said he needed a volunteer. He needed someone to go to a lake in Tanzania to study a kind of chimpanzees. Jane was excited.

    On July 16, 1960, she began her exploration(探索).At first, the chimpanzees ran away from Jane. But with the passing of time, they got used to her being around.

    Every day, Jane would follow the chimpanzees, taking notes on their behaviour. She learned many new things about chimpanzees. She watched how a chimpanzee made a tool. She learned how some chimpanzees became good leaders. She watched animals get angry and get upset. She wrote everything down so others would understand animals as she did. She learned that if you pay really close attention to animals, you will understand what they are "saying".

When I was twelve, I wrote the first note to my mother, "Hi, Mom! Have a nice day! Love, Marie! ", and I folded the note into her change purse(零钱包) . 

My mother worked as a cleaner in a clothing factory. I knew that when she bought meals in the dining hall, she would have to look for change in her purse. I didn't know that she would keep that note, and always carry it with her. 

From the day that I carefully folded the small piece of paper into my mother's change purse. ____. They would be put in the fridge, under a lamp, or beside the TV set. I even found one hidden in my shoe. From the outside, our notes may have been general records of our days, ideas and wishes. But to my mother and me, they were a lifeline—a special communication with each other that no one else shared. 

On October 20, 2009, my mother died after a long illness. I stood near her bed, holding her hand. I didn't cry the day my mom died, and I didn't cry a week later when I went to collect her things. I was so thankful that she no longer had aches and pains. 

Recently, I found a note that my mom had left me. It had been hidden in the pages of my favorite childhood book for years. It read, "Dear Marie, I love you always. Miss you a lot. Don't forget me. Be happy! Love, Mom" That day, I cried. 

Peng Yixuan is a young reporter. Last November, she went to San Francisco. She took a bartering (物物交换)journey on the city's streets. 

Peng started her journey with a panda doll(玩偶). She wanted to exchange(交换)it with the people to see what this doll would turn into in the end. She met a woman first. She showed the woman her panda doll and said that she wanted to do an exchange. The woman gladly agreed and gave her a model of a San Francisco cable car. She told Peng that the cable car is a symbol of San Francisco. 

Then, Peng continued her journey. She met different people, and they exchanged their things with Peng. Every time, Peng got a different thing. Finally, she got a ship ticket. 

Peng shared her journey online and it got many likes. They all thought the bartering was interesting and meaningful. At the same time, the friendly people's best wishes touched many people. For example, a woman gave Peng a box of glue ( 胶 水 )and said that people should be able to stick together and be better friends. 

Peng said many good relationships start and keep with exchanges—we exchange things, ideas, or experiences. Then we can join hands to face the difficulties and solve all kinds of problems in the world. 

Dr. Know will try her best to help with all your problems.

Dear Doctor,

I am a sixteen- year- old student and I' ve been experiencing lots of back pain and headaches lately. I'm unsure about    the cause. Like some of my friends, I spend my evenings playing computer games and surfing the Internet. What's more, I carry a heavy schoolbag to school daily. I'm just an ordinary student, but these health problems are starting to worry me. What can I do?

Adam
 

Dear Adam,

I'm unable to tell you exactly what's wrong, but I can offer some advice. First of all, don't spend too much time on    your computer, and stop using it late at night. It's important for teenagers to get enough sleep. Also, you get headaches from looking at computer screens for a long time. If you sit on a chair for long, it can make your back so re too. As for your schoolbag, it's important to manage its weight. Take anything you don't need out of your schoolbag. If possible, leave some books or materials at school.

I hope my advice is helpful. Anyway, I strongly recommend you visit a local doctor for that.

Dr. Know