When I first entered high school, I knew no one at my school. All my friends in middle school went to other schools. I wanted to make some new friends. However, I was shy and wasn’t good at making new friends.

On my first day at school, I looked at others who were walking in groups happily. How I wish I were one of them! I guess I was very lucky then. At lunch in the dining hall, when I was eating at a table alone, a girl came to me. “Excuse me, is this seat taken？” she asked. I immediately shook my head. She smiled and sat down opposite (对面) to me. I felt a little awkward and didn’t know what to say at all, but I really wanted to communicate with her. It was a good opportunity(机会) to make friends with her. When I looked up, I found she was smiling at me. Her smile calmed me down. “I really like this school. It's beautiful, but I don't know anyone here. All my friends went to other schools,” said the girl. Hearing her words, I immediately said, “My friends are not here, either. Can we be friends？” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe I would say something like that, and to my surprise, that girl immediately said “Yes”. We both smiled. We became very good friends.

Now it’s the beginning of a new term again. Many students may have no friends at their new schools. If you are also as shy as I used to be, please don’t be afraid to talk to others. You may get a surprise and make a new friend. After all, others want to make new friends, too.

Don’t drive your kids to school. Let them ride a bike to school.

In England 8.3 million children travel to school every day. It is reported that only a small number of pupils cycle to school (under 2%), although one in three children would actually like to.

Experts say that to stay healthy, children need at least one hour of moderate (适度的) exercise every day. But only six out of ten boys and four out of ten girls get that. One of the reasons is that parents have developed a habit of driving their children to school when they could just walk or ride a bike to school.

Teachers often say that children who walk or ride a bike to school are more ready to listen to their classes, ask and answer questions in class than those driven by car, and the school journey is a good chance for children to learn about road safety and other life skills. Also, for many children, riding a bike is more fun than going to school by car.

Most parents know the benefits (好处). Then what’s stopping them from letting their kids ride a bike? Safety is the number one worry for them. But actually riding a bike is not as dangerous as parents think it is.

Everyone knows English is one of the most important subjects in middle schools. And we always know learning English is very important, but few students know how to learn English well.    11    

I think if we have a right way to learn English, and we work hard, then we must learn English well. But what is the right way?    12    Second, everyone knows remembering new words is important, but how to remember them? I think we can copy new words on pieces of paper, and take them with us. When we are free, we can read them. Third, how to improve our listening and speaking?    13    And we can answer the questions in the class; don’t be afraid of making mistakes. I think it’s useful to us. Finally, it’s about reading and writing.    14    And try our best to retell it, we can also keep a diary every day, and spend an hour practicing English.

    15    If necessary, we can turn to our classmates and teachers for help instead of giving up. If we don’t study hard, it’s difficult to learn English well.

When I was about twelve, I was taken out for dinner with my family one day. As we headed towards the______, a girl about my age came up to us and asked if we had any spare______. My mom asked where she kept her things. She pointed to an old car. She said there were six of them ______ in that car, which was the same size as my______.

After ______ her a few dollars, we said goodbye. Then, my mother sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my______. But she didn’t come. ______, she had gone home and ______our cupboards into a few bags. She brought all the ______ over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn’t there when that______, but I could imagine the______appearing on their faces.

Later, when I ______about what she had done, I asked her______she helped them. She told me that the girl’s family ______needed help. The girl and I were the same______, yet we lived ______ lives.

Here I stood, ______ in good clothes, headed to dine(用餐) in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I ______with my sisters. I remembered thinking that the other girl didn’t have any food to eat and had to share an old car with five other people.

After______ this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she had done. She ______ me one of the best lessons I ever learned.