Some people think homework is good, but others think homework is bad. In my opinion, homework is good ________ students.

First, homework helps to make sure you understand the lesson taught at school. ________ to an article, doing homework is a good way to study for your tests. After you do homework, you should be able to ________ answer questions about the lesson all by yourself. It gives you a better ________ of getting good grades on your tests.

Second, homework ________ because it helps you remember materials for a long time. ________ your study takes practice. That’s where homework comes in! You can also have your work ________ by your teachers, which helps you know what you need to do.

Finally, homework helps you ________ in life after you leave school. Jobs that are fun and that pay well will require you to know math, language, science and so on. Homework teaches you how to work on your own and stay focused (专注的). You would have a hard time knowing how to work eight hours a day when you are a grown-up, ________ you never did any homework.

So be ________ about your homework and make sure you understand the material. Together we can make the world smart!

Yesterday, on Friday, January 13th, there was a terrible snowstorm and the wind was blowing. As a result, the power was cut in the village. At 5:30 Nancy Gordon, the maid (女仆), entered the sitting room and found Mrs Janet Smith lying in a pool of blood next to the sofa. She immediately took her mobile phone and called the police. Inspector (巡官) Japp and two detectives arrived ten minutes later and started looking for clues. They discovered a broken cup of tea under the coffee-table, a carving-knife covered in blood behind the TV set, and a small piece of paper in Mrs Smith’s hand where the words “can’t leave her” could only be read.

The three policemen narrowed(缩小) down the suspects to four people: Paul Smith, the victim’s husband, their daughter Jenny, their maid Nancy Gordon and their gardener Steven Baker. Inspector Japp questioned them by turns in the study.

Jenny, who is an accountant in a big firm, claimed she was in her bedroom finishing a report for the following week. She had to light some candles because it was already dark and she couldn’t see what she was doing. She added she hadn’t heard anything.

Paul Smith said he was in the library watching a football match on TV. He didn’t want to miss it because his favourite team was playing. He didn’t hear anything because he had turned up the volume(音量).

Nancy Gordon explained she had prepared a cup of tea for Mrs Smith at 5:00 and had brought it to the sitting room where Mrs Smith was reading a letter. Then she had gone back to the kitchen because she had to do the washing up since the dishwasher didn’t work and she wanted to leave everything in order before the weekend. When she went back to the sitting room to get the tea cup. she discovered Mrs Smith’s body but she didn’t touch anything.

Steven Baker told the police he was working in the greenhouse: because of the awful weather, he couldn’t do anything else. He didn’t see anything because of all the snow that was falling. Besides, he didn’t spend much time in the house.

Inspector Japp, after hearing the four suspects, arrested Paul Smith.

More and more Chinese mobile apps are known by foreigners, from top short video app TikTok to the biggest fashion app Shein and karaoke video app StarMaker.     34    

In 2021, the overseas revenue(海外收益) of China’s apps grew nearly 204 percent, according to a report by market research company, iResearch. The US, Japan and South Korea have the largest number of users for Chinese apps.     35    

The report said that this has shown the strong power of Chinese companies. It often takes a long time to develop something new in foreign markets.     36     For example, TikTok has more than 100 million followers in over 75 countries and areas. This app can show videos to users according to their interests.     37     So the TikTok users are able to make their own videos more interesting.

    38     In July 2021, a national guideline(指导方针) came out. It says more efforts will be made to help with the companies’ research and development overseas. They are also encouraged to work together with foreign technology companies in fields.

Whenever we meet with     45     or failure, teachers, parents or others often say to us or perhaps we     46    , “Never give up.” These can be     47     words. A person who believes in himself will keep trying to reach his goal no matter how many times he fails. It is usual for us to fail in our first try at something new, so we should not get     48     and try again. If we give up, we have no chance of     49     our goals any more, but if we keep trying, there is always a chance that we will succeed in the future.

If you are going to study abroad, which country would you like to go to? Chinese students are searching for the best country.

A growing number of Chinese students are studying in Asian universities, especially during the recent years, China Daily reported. Take Singapore for example. The 2021 Report on Chinese Students Overseas Studies showed that the percent of Chinese students interested in studying in the country has risen from 9% to 12% in the past three years. Other Asian countries like Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia are also winning Chinese students’ hearts.

The growth of quality education in the area is the main reason for the change. According to the latest QS World University Rankings 2022, more than 10 universities in Asian countries (except China) are listed in the top 100. The two leading universities are the National University of Singapore(NUS) in 11th place and Nanyang Technological University, also in Singapore, in 12th place.

Zhang Mila, 28, graduated from NUS in 2018. She chose the university for its high standard of education. She joined the volleyball team at NUS, took part in competitions and made good friends through rich social activities. “The diversified(多元化的) courses might not help me in my future career, but it opened my eyes and knowledge,” Zhang told China Daily.

The lower cost, geographical advantages and similar cultures in Asian countries are other reasons attracting Chinese students. For example, if you study in South Korea, the cost is about $16,000 per year(about 114,000 yuan), compared with the $50,000 it costs to study in the UK for a year and $100,000 in the US.

Chinese students have taken studying abroad as a choice for higher education. Now, the study destinations(目的地) are also becoming more diversified, said Pan Jie, chief officer at Liyuan Education, an overseas education consulting company in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

63. 生活中，困难与挫折在所难免。但既然命运给了我们挑战，我们就迎难而上。你们学校英文校报以“That day, I faced a challenge”为题正在开展征文活动，请你用英语写一篇短文投稿。

That day, I faced a challenge

Everyone faces challenges in life. That day, I faced a challenge that I would never forget.

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