One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese girl student, “You speak very good English.” But the girl answered, “No, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite _________ at the answer. _________ the girl kept saying “No.”, the boy still said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” He may think he had not made _________ understood or the girl had not heard him _________. In the end, the American boy could not understand and didn’t know _________ to say.

What’s wrong with the girl’s answer? She didn’t _________ a compliment (恭维) in the same way as the American people do. She should answer “Thank you” instead of “No”. She _________ understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest (谦虚). In the _________, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the _________ you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, “Thank you.”

In our country we think that being modest is a virtue (美德) and being __________ is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not __________ being proud, so sometimes you should be confident __________ being modest. If you are modest and say,   “No, I’m afraid I __________ do it well”, the others may think that you really cannot do it while working in a western country. When asking for a job, if one says something __________“Yes, I can certainly do it”, he or she will __________ getting it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence.

The summer vacation is coming. During the vacation, you can do what you like and prepare yourself well for your Senior High School life. You’ll enjoy your summer vacation with the help of the following suggestions.

    46     After studying hard for years, you must be bored and tired. Taking exercise is the best way to get energy again. Swimming and walking are perfect choices for you. All kinds of exercise are good for your health.

    47     You will live an independent life one day. So you should learn some necessary and useful basic life stills such as washing clothes and cooking. At the same time, you should you’re your parents with housework to express thanks to them.

    48     The world is a book. Those who don’t travel only read one page. Travelling is so interesting. Have you made your own plan? If not, do it at once. During the trip, you will have a chance to get more knowledge. While learning about different cultures and customs, you will also make a lot of friends.

    49     Family members play an important role in your life. They give you love, care and support all the time. Don’t forget to spare some time together with them.You will find it great to stay with them, talking about dreams, hobbies or anything you like.

    50     Do you have some hobbies? Do you have time to enjoy them when you are busy you’re your study? Now, you have enough time to swim in your hobbies, such as singing, dancing, reading books or playing football. Just do what you like and also you can share them with your friends.

As long as you follow the suggestions mentioned above, you will have a wonderful vacation.

Five students went out for a one-week trip in the countryside. When they returned, the group leader, Dave, wrote a report about each student.

Scot—He was getting on very well until he hurt his foot on the third day. He didn’t take part in most of the activities in the second half of the week. Maybe he thinks the last few days were quite boring.

Laura—She enjoyed herself but found it very difficult to get up in the morning and often kept the others waiting. But she enjoyed the trip very much.

Rik—He is a future leader. He must love this kind of trip! He always wanted to be the first to try a new activity. He was very kind and helpful to those who had difficulties.

Julie—She was very shy and easily frightened. She couldn’t sleep alone. It was hard for her to make friends. I’m not sure if she enjoyed the trip very much.

Mike—He took part in only a few activities. He missed home very much, and he didn’t like the food there. I think he didn’t really want to be with us.

Acupuncture is known as “zhenjiu” in Chinese. It first appeared in China more than 2, 000 years ago. H    61     when I grew up, I’d always considered it out of date. As we know, acupuncture treatment lasts a long period and causes a lot of pain. Sometimes     62     (simple) taking a pill can treat the same illness. But my experience made me c    63     my mind.

Last month, I slept through a flight from London to Beijing. When I woke up, I found that I could no l    64     move my right arm and fingers. There was no pain. My arm didn’t follow my brain’s instructions to move, as i    65     it was no longer mine.

One doctor said he could do     66     (something) except give me some pills. “Rest for two months first and come back for an examination.” I felt great fear.

When I felt helpless, an acupuncturist in Sichuan, offered to help. I started my acupuncture treatment the next day. At first, I was     67     (worry). After a few days, I could move my fingers. Two weeks     68     I could use chopsticks. Within a month, I got almost well. It was amazing.

Now, acupuncture     69     (consider) to be one of China’s national treasures. Recently, it     70     (spread) internationally, which shows the power of acupuncture. I hope this kind of traditional Chinese medicine will bring health and happiness to friends all over the world.

For many of us, the idea of a family is a lot narrower (狭窄的) than it used to be. Today children go away to college and take up jobs wherever chances seem greatest. So instead of growing up in a family with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, many of us are truly connected only to our parents.

Many kids today know little of the lives of their relatives and don’t care deeply about them. Whether we realize it or not, the feeling of being disconnected makes people feel empty in their hearts. “People need to feel connected, ” says Joy Browne, a doctor in the U.S. “And they will do it in the easiest ways.” For that, we need to stay connected to our own families. Parents can tell their children stories about their grandparents, aunts and cousins so that children can know their latest activities and interests.

We can keep connected with our relatives by using technology. It’s easy to send an E-mail to granddad. A week of relaxing vacation can be a great way to tie up family ties. And when a bad thing happens, no one can be as helpful as our relatives. The relationships between our relatives and us are two-way (相互的).

Do you have a problem? Write to Diana at New Standard Magazine and ask for (A)________.

82. 2022年北京冬奥会在开、闭幕式中贯穿多种中国元素，让全世界的人都感受到了中国文化的魅力，也让我们意识到了文化强国的重要性。你校英语校刊“Tell the World about China”发起了以中国传统节日为话题的征文。请你以“My Favorite Chinese Traditional Festival”为题，选择一个你最喜欢的中国传统节日，写一篇短文参赛。

My Favorite Chinese Traditional Festival

With the success of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, more and more foreigners become interested in Chinese traditional culture, especially Chinese traditional festivals.