It is a beautiful spring day in a forest. High up in a tree, a mother bird is in her warm home. She has six baby birds. They don’t have flight feathers (飞羽), ________ they aren’t ready to leave the nest.

Five of the baby birds are strong, but the last one is very ________ and quiet. His brothers and sisters ________ him often. “Look at him,” says oldest Brother. “He’s so weak. He can’t move.” They call ________ Clumsy (笨拙的) Bird.

Clumsy Bird doesn’t like the name and wants to get strong. Every ________, he gets up before the sun comes up. He flaps (拍打) his wings over and over again to make them strong. Before his brothers and sisters get up, he finishes all his ________.

“What are you doing, Clumsy Bird?” asks the oldest brother. Then he goes back to sleep again.

“It’s too early, Clumsy Bird,” Second Sister shouts. “Stop moving ________ so much.”

All through the spring, he ________ up early every morning and works hard week after week.

Forty days later, all the birds have flight feathers. Mama Bird starts to teach her babies to fly. Clumsy Bird is the ________ one to start flying!

“Look at me!” he cries ________ but it is still difficult for his brothers and sisters to fly from the nest.

Do you remember when your grandma told you the story of Snow White? Ah, the happy days of childhood! But do you know that Snow White comes from Germany?

It’s just one story from the 209 in Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The Grimm brothers started to collect fairy tales in 1806. Their first book came out in 1812. Why are German fairy tales so interesting? Maybe it’s because they come from a great place famous for its stories—the Black Forest.

The Black Forest is in Southwest Germany. It’s the largest forest in the county and one of the most beautiful. It’s famous for its trees and lovely views. There are valleys and waterfalls there. It’s a good place to start a story.

Don’t forget to bring something back if you visit. People there are good at making clocks, musical instruments and watches.

Primary and middle school students in Shandong can’t use mobile phones or E-books in classrooms. It started from November 2018, according to a regulation (法规). This is to protect students’ eyes.

The regulation calls on schools to keep such things for the students during school time if they bring them to school. It asks teachers not to depend on electronic devices like mobile phones when teaching or giving homework. Parents should also watch the time their children spend on electronic devices.

More than 40% of primary and middle school students in Shandong wear glasses. People believe the government, schools, parents, and students can work together to cut down on the number in the future. Wang Jing, the mother of two primary school students in Qingdao, welcomes the plan. “Young children are easily addicted to electronic devices and it will hurt their health and school grades.” she says.

Shandong isn’t the only one to take action. A regulation came out last May in Jiangsu. It asked children not to bring mobile phones to class. And there is good news: A UK study finds that students do better when they can’t get hold of a phone at school.

Life in England

Homes

Many English people would like to live in houses, not flats because most houses have gardens. They like growing vegetables and flowers when they are not busy.

Daily Life

Most office workers start work at about nine in the morning and finish it at about five in the afternoon. They do not go home for lunch. They just have quick meals at noon. They usually have big meals from Saturday to Sunday. Many English people like outdoor sports and travelling. They think they are good for their health.

School Life

Children go to school at about 9: 00 a.m. and go back home at about 4: 00 p.m. Most children have lunch at school. All the children go to school when they are four or five years old.

Shops

Most shops open at about 9: 00 a.m. and close at 6: 00 p.m. Usually they don’t close for lunch.