An old farmer lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa got up early to read his thick book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate (模仿) him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you but I don’t understand it. What good does reading the book do?”

The grandfather quietly stopped putting coal in the stove (火炉) and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as he was told to, but all the water leaked out(漏出) before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time.” Then he sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the same thing took place. He told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water with the basket.

The old man said, “You’re just not trying hard enough.” So the boy again put the basket into the river and ran harder, but the basket was again empty when he reached his grandfather. He said, “Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been changed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one inside and out.

“You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out.”

This story above uses a thick book as an example, but any good book we read can do the same thing.

For some students, getting better grades can seem like an impossible task sometimes. Just paying attention in class or studying hard isn’t always enough. Are there other ways for students to improve their grades? For students and parents who have ever wondered if this is possible, they can rest easy now. Research suggests that a person who likes doing activities can improve their grades.

Scientists think that those students who are active are not just exercising their bodies, but also exercising their brains. In turn, they can be able to improve their grades at school.

In the most recent study, researchers found that when children played for half an hour each day, they were better at organizing their schoolwork and learning “difficult” subjects, such as maths.

What does this mean for children who aren’t active? Researchers think that if kids don’t get enough activities, they are going to be at a disadvantage when it comes to school performance.

In the research experiment, a group of children skipped (跳跃) with ropes, played basketball and did a number of other games or exercises. Another group of children didn’t do any activities. They took part in testing both before the experiment and after the experiment. Testing was mainly for maths and reading skills. Results showed that the children in the activity group did better on the tests than those who had no activity.

All work and no play will not only make Jack a dull (迟钝的) boy, but will also negatively affect his grades in school, according to a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Parents complain (抱怨) children today are actually less active and they always worry about their grades. Dr. Belton, an expert, said, “If you’d like to see your kids do better in school, have them close their books, set down their pencils and go outside to play.”

Vaccines (疫苗) are being used to stop people from getting the COVID-19 virus, China is giving free vaccines to all Chinese people.     16     Let’s take a look at several things you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines.

    17    

The vaccines is now using are called “inactivated vaccines” (灭活疫苗). They have “dead” viruses inside. They won’t make you sick, but your body will learn what the virus looks like. When your body sees a “living” virus, it can kill it right away.

How is the vaccine given?

    18     You need to have three injections. You should wait about two weeks after the first one to get the second one. Six months after the second one, you need to have the third one.

Can people of all ages get the vaccines?

China has tested the vaccines in three different age groups: 3 to 17, 18 to 59, 60 and above. The 18-to-59 age group got the vaccines first last year.     19    

Do we still need to wear masks in public places if we’ve gotten the vaccines?

It takes a few weeks for the body to become immune (免疫的).     20     There is also a small chance that your body won’t become immune. So you’d better keep wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing your hands after getting the vaccines.