Is it difficult for you to remember things? I`d like to tell you some ways to improve your memory, so you shouldn't feel upset.

  My first advice is that if you want to remember something well, you have to review it regularly(有规律地). You might review the material two days after you learn it, then a week later, then two weeks later, and then a month later. After a month you will find that you can easily remember the material.

My second advice is to use a colored pen to highlight （标注）the important parts on your book. This will help you in two days. First, it will help you pay attention to the most important parts when you learn the language. It is always easier to remember only the key points. Second, this will make reviewing easier. When you open your book, the colored parts will show you the most important things quickly. In this way, you don't have to review all the material again.

  Another piece of advice is to use the proper time well. First, review all the information in your mind right before you go to sleep. Your brain is working while you are sleeping. If you think about the information before you go to sleep, you might be able to remember it better. Another good time for memorizing information is in the morning because you have just rested and your brain is fresh and clear. So you might also try to review the important information in the morning.

    When people travel abroad(国外), they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is a homestay.

    I am living with an old English couple, in the west of London. They have a clean four-bedroom house. This is a new house. It has two bathrooms and a garden with many beautiful flowers. I have a bedroom of my own.

   There are some shopping centres and a restaurant near the house, and the house is close to an underground station. It takes about 30 minutes to take an underground to the centre of London.

    I think a homestay may be a good choice for you if it is your first time to visit abroad. The local people are friendly and helpful. If you want to celebrate the holidays with them, you will get to know more about their culture and customs.

    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

An American in Beijing Lives His Chinese Dream

    Wearing his bright red armband (袖章) and speaking fluent Mandarin (普通话), 62-year-old Terry could be taken for any regular Chinese man from a distance.

    His Chinese name is Gao Tianrui. He became interested in Chinese culture as a teenager when he read the Tao Te Ching by Laozi. At 18, he took a ship to Taiwan to learn Chinese. On the ship the captain advised him to have a Chinese name." He named me Gao Tianrui, based on the pronunciation (发音) of my English name," he said. Then he first visited Beijng in 1987 on business.

    Gao Tianrui lives in a Siheyuan with other three families. His neighbors are very helpful and friendly. Gao Tianrui once didn't know much about Chinese living habits and his neighbors helped him to overcome difficulties. Gradually, he could speak Chinese fluently.

    Having lived in Beijing for more than 20 years, Gao Tianrui has also finally achieved his Chinese dream: becoming a public security (安全) volunteer. Life as a"Xicheng Dama" has even made him an' online celebrity. Xicheng Dama is a club for volunteers, usually women in late middle-age, who roam (漫步) the streets of downtown at Beijing's Xicheng district. And now Gao Tianrui has joined their club.

    "I like helping others", he said. "I live in the Siheyuan and my neighbors and I usually help each other…This is where I live, where my friends are and where I call home."

Information Card

    Good morning, everyone! I'm Miss Li. I am an English teacher.  There are twenty boys and twenty-two girls in my class. This is Betty. She is an American girl. She likes football. This is Tony. He is an English boy. He likes basketball. His favourite day is Saturday. Yellow is his favourite colour. This is Daming and he is Chinese. He likes white best. Table tennis is his favourite sport.

    Good morning! I am an English boy. My name is Frank Smith. My first name is Frank, and my last name is Smith. My telephone number is 451-3175. I am in China now. I like blue and white. My pen is blue, and my ruler is white. I have two friends, Grace Brown and Mike Green. Grace is a nice girl. Her phone number is 535 -9861. She has a green cup and she likes it. But Mike has no phone. His QQ number is 86324176. He has a cup, too. He likes yellow very much.