Since last year a fascinating new phenomenon     1     (sweep) through major cities across China — the explosive rise of night schools catering to young professionals. Usually with one class a week, these schools offer short learning courses regarding     2     (subject) from dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, and the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly     3     (limit).

The pacesetter has been the Shanghai Night School, which offers 12 classes     4     (lead) by masters in their fields for only 500RMB ($70). When Shanghai’s autumn 2023 semester enrollment began, a striking number of students, approximately 650, 000,    5    (immediate) flooded on to the registration website. Soon the trend     6     (follow) by some major cities like Beijing, Xi’an, and Shenzhen, which launched their own distinctive night schools.

These night schools do not just provide standard academic content,     7     are tapping into the personal passions and unfulfilled dreams of China’s urban youth. Yang Song, a student at Shanghai Night School, said, “I have many hobbies and I want to learn all the things     8     I didn’t take the time to learn when I was studying in the past.”

For ambitious yet overworked urban professionals, these schools also promise self-cultivation, community bonding, and most importantly, a happy environment     9     (lack) in the irregular workplaces, which seems to offer an escape     10     the burnout workplaces, even only for a few hours each week.

6 . Being a teacher, I learned a lot from my little kids full of wisdom.

One Friday afternoon, the sports field was in full swing. The basketball shooting game _________ us most. A large crowd of students, happy and excited, surrounded the court and _________ the impressive shooting. Then I _________ one of my darling little girls, who wouldn’t take anything lightly. She stood at the line, basketball in hand, with a(an) _________ expression on her face. She shot. Air ball. She fixed her attention on the net and _________ again. Air ball. Her third and fourth shots both failed again. Not one of her five shots even came close to the _________.

Poor little kid! I felt _________ her.

Back in the classroom, we decided to talk about all the fun we’d had in the game. _________, my tiny air baller raised her hand. What? What did she want to _________? She got five air balls! She must have got me wrong.

Then, she said, “I was __________ about that basketball game at first because I’d never played it before. But when I tried my best to shoot higher and higher, I felt I was already the __________!” With her words still echoing in the air, a wave of __________ washed over me. I had placed too much emphasis on the game’s __________, rather than __________ her progress in the process. From her, I learned that any progress, no matter how __________, deserves celebration.

Notice

9 . How to Pick High School Classes

Many high school students want to know what courses (课程) to take to improve their chances for admission to highly competitive colleges.     1     Here is some advice to help you when you make these decisions.

    2     Students should take challenging classes. But they should balance their schedule with easier classes, too. Students can talk with their teachers about what courses will offer the appropriate challenge.

Don’t take classes for the wrong reasons. Students shouldn’t take a class just because their best friend is taking it or it’s a course they think they need to get into college. Students should focus on their strengths and make sure they have time to devote to studying. Parents shouldn’t set unrealistic expectations either.     3    

Do consider future plans when choosing high school classes. Students should first think through their career plans and whether they want to go to a four-year college, or straight to go to work after graduation.     4     While students don’t need to know exactly what they want to do after high school, the closer they can get to figure out their career path, the better prepared they will be.

Don’t neglect (忽视) to plan early. Students should become familiar with all the courses their school offers.     5     Students can also research what the basic requirements are for colleges they are interested in attending – something school counselors (咨询师) could help with.

It is wise to first consult your teachers and high school counselors on what courses are most appropriate for you at your high school. We hope that these suggestions help you.