There is no doubt that technology has had a big influence on our lives. People from all around the world can now talk to each other almost at once on mobile phones and the Internet. People can easily solve their problems with the help of computers and the world wide web. With this technology, it seems that the world is more connected now than ever before. Even so, there have been worries about technology making people feel lonely and disconnected from others around them.

So does this mean that technology makes us lonely?

In my opinion, it is hard to say Yes or No.

It’s true that humans need communication with each other. If we depend on technology too much to communicate, this can badly impact our mental (心理的) health. For me, technology is a tool. And just like any other kind of tool — like scissors, a pencil or a ruler, for example, it depends on how we use it: in a right way or in a right place. Take social media (社交媒体) as an example. If you only use it to compare yourself with others, you might feel sad and lonely. But if you use it as a tool to connect with friends and family or to start a new community to talk about your hobbies and interests, the loneliness will turn into love and friendship.

When you feel lonely after staring at your computer screen all day, maybe you can use that technology to reach out to a reliable (可靠的) friend and invite him or her out for lunch or a coffee.

The term Start of Summer appeared over 2200 years ago. Since it is an important time for the harvest (收获) of summer plants, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties paid special attention to it.

In the Zhou Dynasty (1050-221 BC), the emperor led his officers to celebrate the Start of Summer and encouraged his people to do farm work in time. Everything, including the emperor’s and the officers’ dress, the horses and the flags, was decorated (装饰) in the color red, in order to show respect to the god of summer and hope for a good harvest.

One of the most interesting customs (风俗) is weighing people at the Start of Summer. It began to be celebrated from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-180) and is getting popular in South China today.

It was believed that this custom would bring heath and good luck to the people who were weighed. After lunch on the day of Start of Summer, the young and old took turns to get weighed while receiving good wishes from the people around him. It is said that those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer and that those who weren’t would get back sooner or later.

It seems like yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital, and now you are my little man. Your father and I were very nervous being first-time parents. I have been a mother for five years. When I look back these days, I cannot help but smile.

Every milestone (里程碑) of yours was a kind of personal success for me. Your first smile your first word, your first step…As years passed, things started to get very challenging. Sometimes I found myself in very difficult situations. The mess you made and the millions of naughty things you did really stressed me out. The times I was worried the most were when you were sick.

Now I have learnt to deal ① ________ them calmly. The one thing that helped me through the hard times was your smile — it made me forget everything and realize it was all ② ________ it.

Soon it was time for preschool (幼儿园). I prepared you as much as I could for that terrible first day, but you cried so much and I sat down and cried with you. After the first week, you felt better, but I still cried because I didn’t want to let go. But I want you to enjoy yourself, enjoy your schoolwork, make good friends and most important of all be a good man. The conflict (矛盾) has troubled me for a long while.

I have learned so much from you and will continue to do so in the following years. How to forgive (原谅), how to love unconditionally (无条件地) without expecting anything in return, how to enjoy the small things in life…The list is too long…Thank you! You have made my life meaningful! Wish you good luck!

Love and always,

Mom

61. 假设你叫李华，即将从初中毕业。请你根据下面表格中的信息给校长写一封信，谈谈你对学校的一些看法。

I am writing to show my sincere gratitude to you for the progress I have made in the past three years. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Li Hua