When you hear the word “birthmark”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots that you have on your body. For me, it’s different—I have them on my lips and inside my mouth. I’m used to being asked, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I tell people they’re birthmarks, they usually say, “That’s strange.” I used to consider them ugly. However, my mom calls them beauty marks.

In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing my lips so I wouldn’t have to deal with people’s questions. As I was growing up, people wore me out with them. Some people would ask me the same questions even before knowing my name. In society I feel like we judge people by their looks before personality.

My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom's side of the family. My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. Every year I plan to have a procedure to remove them. But when imagining the process, I always get nervous and give up.

My cousin faces a similar challenge. She has a huge birthmark that takes up her whole arm. She’s never tried to hide it or change her appearance. Once, her grandmother told her that the birthmark looked extremely prominent and suggested that she should wear long sleeves more often. If my cousin had actually taken that suggestion, she wouldn’t be such a person as she is.

Inspired by my cousin, I am finally accepting who I am and now I don’t hesitate when someone asks me about them either. I say, “They’re beauty marks” and smile without pursing my lips.

When your alarm clock rings and you drag yourself out of bed, you probably wonder: Why on earth does school have to start so early?

Fortunately, there is a new law to back you up—or better still, science. A law in California requires that public middle schools begin classes no earlier than 8:00 am and that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 am. The law will go into effect by July 1, 2022.

Starting school at 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning may not sound like a big change, but it could mean one more hour of sleep for students who used to start school at 7:30 or even earlier. “The effect of that one hour is something they will be feeling as 40-year-old adults,” Sumit Bhargava, a sleep expert at Stanford University, told The New York Times. He said that not having enough sleep can affect students’ mental health and increase the risk of fatness and diabetes.

In the short run, students’ school performances should improve almost immediately. Kyla Wahlstrom, a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development, found that students who have enough sleep are more active in class and get better grades.

Some might say that urging students to go to bed earlier could have been a much easier solution than changing the school timetable across an entire state. But according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers go through biological changes when they enter adolescence, which makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11:00 pm. So when school starts at 8:00 or earlier, they can hardly get the ideal 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep that experts suggest they need to do their best in the daytime.

This is why when the new law came out, its author, Anthony Portantino, said, “Generations of children will come to appreciate this historic day and our governor for taking bold action.”

Can you imagine an ancient and quiet place? Well, this is Vicenza, my hometown. Every time I have the opportunity to speak about Vicenza with foreign people who do some sightseeing in Europe, I realize that it gets less credit than it deserves. Everybody knows Venice, Rome, and Florence very well, but only a few know the attraction of Vicenza.

Vicenza has to be taken into special consideration for the important historical buildings by Andrea Palladio, who was born in Padua (1508-1580), one of the most famous architects in the world. It was during the Renaissance and the next four hundred years in which Vicenza was under the protection of the Republic of Venice that the great structures were constructed, making Vicenza well-known throughout Europe and giving it the remarkable and distinctive appearance which it keeps today.

Apart from its historical district, Vicenza is surrounded by beautiful hills and countryside where you can spend time walking, sightseeing, and having delicious meals in the numerous restaurants which serve typical foods and good drinks. Moreover, in Vicenza’s countryside there are splendid villas. This is where many Venetians used to spend their summers, farming their land during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Vicenza is a must-see for people fond of historical works. In addition, there are jazz and classical music concerts, ballets, and theatre performances, mostly during the autumn. It may be that young people feel Vicenza is not a place where they can have fun, but there are also pizzerias and pubs where contemporary music is performed, so they can have a good time there, too. Everyone needs to come to Vicenza to get to know it. They will see and touch the contributions to beauty that it made to the world.

Maintaining good health doesn’t happen by accident. It requires you to know in many areas.

    11     It strengthens the bones, and makes the heart and lungs work better. The most beneficial type of exercise is aerobics（有氧运动）. Aerobic exercise, in the form of jogging, cycling or swimming, strengthens the heart. It also helps to relieve pressure.     12     It could be dancing or just walking. As long as you would like to do it regularly, you will be fit. People who are fit enjoy life more because they can join in any kind of activity.

To have a healthy life, it is necessary to develop good dietary habits. Eat a variety of food but specially more whole-grains, apples, oranges, pears, green vegetables and fish. Decrease intake of animal fats. Avoid eating junk food or processed food which is high in the sugar or salt content and has little nutritional value.     13    

Being overweight can lead to a lot of health problems. You can suffer from heart disease and high blood pressure. Weight control requires effort and self-control.     14     Watch the amount and type of food you eat and remember no late night meal. Make sure exercise is part of your daily program.

Taking care of your mind is important if you want to keep fit. Develop a good balance between work and social life.     15     Limit your activities to the most important and give those 100%. Overextending yourself can lead to stress or discouragement.

I spent the opening day of school this year at DeMatha Catholic High School in much the same way I spent the first day of classes ________30 years ago; I sat in Dr Charles E Offutt’s British literature class, listening to him ________what his seniors would learn and get them excited about the journey they would ________. I’m the principal(校长) of the school now, but for a few minutes I was back in 1975, ________what the future held.

I have been learning from Dr Offutt for 30 of the 51 years he has been teaching at DeMatha. He not only taught me to think, but also ________me, as much by example as ________, that it was my moral duty(道德责任) to do so and to ________others.

Neither of us could know how our ______would develop over the years. When I first came back to DeMatha to teach English, I worked for Dr Offutt, the then department chair. After several years, I was ______department chair, and our relationship changed______. I thought that it might be ______chairing the department, since all of my former English teachers were still there, but Dr Offutt ________me throughout. He knew when to give me ________about curriculum(课程), tests and personnel, and when to let me design my own course.

In 1997, I needed his advice about leaving DeMatha to become principal at another school. If he had asked me to stay at Dematha, I might have. ________, he encouraged me to seize the new ________.

Five years ago, I became the ________of DeMatha. Once again, Dr Offutt was there for me, letting me know that I could ________on him as I tried to fill such big shoes. I’ve learned from him that great teachers have a(n)________wealth of lessons to teach.________his students don’t know it yet, I know how ________they are; I’m still one of them.

Knowing what to expect from your destination will make all aspects of planning an adventure trip easier, as well as helping to get     36    most out of the experience. Research will help you pick the best places     37    (go) but you’ll also learn what you need to pack, what health and safety precautions(警惕) to take, and what     38    (culture) issues you should be aware of.

Climate and seasonal pricing are important factors in your decision about when to go.     39    (especial) for adventure travel, bad weather or weather you’re not prepared     40    can ruin the trip. While you can’t predict the exact weather in advance, you can learn about climate trends ahead of time when     41    (do)your destination research. Seasonal popularity and pricing should also be considered if you intend to keep away from peak-season     42    (crowd) and prices.

While some research     43    (be) absolutely essential, don’t plan every moment of your trip in advance. Over-planning tends to make us less willing to take part in the unpredictable and spontaneous(自发的) events     44    are part of any sort of adventure travel. It’s really important to keep a big reserve of     45    (excite) and energy ready for the unexpected.