We went camping in the Green Natural Park on a sunny morning. We wanted a(n) ________ two-day holiday. On the way, we ________ singing and making jokes.

However, in the afternoon, it was dark and windy. Soon, there was ________. Unluckily, we didn’t bring any umbrella and we could find no place to hide.

Twenty minutes passed and it was raining all the time. There were hours to go ________ we reached the end. It was even ________ that our small compass (指南针) showed wrong way. We were lost! It was still raining ________, so we had to make a quick decision (决定). Chris said we could ________ a tent (帐篷) to hide in. So Mary and Tom helped with the tent. Chris and I tried to make a fire to keep us warm. But we were unable to make it. Because everything was _________. But we still had ________ waiting and chatting inside the tent.

This camping trip may not be very ________, but we know each other better and it was unforgettable.

Books are our good friends. I _________ reading in my free time. My _________ book series (系列) is the Harry Potter series. I have read all of the books from these series. _________ the books are the world of wizards (巫师) and magic, the Harry Potter books have a lot of lessons for young people to _________.

First, it teaches _________ the importance of friendship (友谊). Harry gets on well with his friends. They always _________ each other. The books tell us that we should have good friends.

Second, it teaches us that no one is _________. Everyone has good and bad sides. We are the ones we choose to be. This helps me to make better choices and to become a better person.

_________, these books give us hope. They teach me the meaning of hope and we should have hope even in the _________ times of life. I will read more books in the future. I hope to read more books _________ the Harry Potter books.

Safety Education

Attention, please!

Inside your school                                                                                                                                                    Outside your school

What do you do on holiday? How about trying the traditional opera — Shaoxing Opera? Some students decide to learn it in the winter holiday.

Shaoxing Opera started in the city of Sheng zhou, around 1906. Today, like many other traditional operas, it’s very difficult to attract (吸引) young people to enjoy Shaoxing Opera. So some Shaoxing Opera artists in Shanghai often give cultural (文化的) talks to young people. They also teach young people for free and invite them to go backstage (后台) after shows. Now more and more young people become interested in Shaoxing Opera.

Li Hong, one of the young, said, “My grandparents are artists of Flower-drum Opera. I come to learn Shaoxing Opera because I want to know more about traditional Chinese operas.” Li Ping is the teacher of those young students. “I’m glad they come. More and more young people like to learn Shaoxing Opera and they bring new life to it,” she said.

Mike was an 11-year-old boy. His family wasn’t rich, but they had a happy life.

Mike wanted a new bike for his coming birthday. And then he could go to school by bike and not on foot. And his father didn’t have to pick him up. But on his birthday, his father gave him a lot of books as a gift. Although Mike was a little unhappy because he did not get the bike, he also thanked his father. Mike’s father was very sad too. He didn’t have enough money to buy a bike for Mike. He told his son that he would soon buy him a bike.

After a week, Sam, Mike’s classmate, was badly hurt when he rode his bike on the road. Mike saw this and rushed (冲) to a nearby hospital to ask for help. An ambulance (救护车) came and carried Sam to the hospital. He then rushed to tell Sam’s parents.

Sam and his parents thanked Mike for the timely help. Sam said, “My bike is too small for me to ride and that’s why I hurt myself.” Hearing this, Sam’s parents decided to buy two new bikes—one for Sam and the other for Mike.

Compared with other European countries, lifestyle (生活方式) in Italy is slower and more relaxing in Italian way. Italians love to chat over a cup of coffee, go out for a walk in the middle of the day, and enjoy long lunches and dinners.

Family is important to Italians. They can’t think of spending a day without asking about their parents or children, and a weekend without a family lunch or dinner. Italians living outside their country also miss their family a lot.

Italians like simple (简单的) life. Their days start and end with a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee after every meal is a must. Italians love to spend time over a hot cup of coffee and even hotter conversation with friends. Topics are usually about family, football and so on.

Sport is a very important part in the lives of many Italians. Football is their favourite sport. There are hundreds of football clubs with top soccer teams in Italy. Also, many top players from all over the world play in Italy. Volleyball is also popular and so is rugby (橄榄球), with the top rugby team playing for the European Challenge Cup.

Imagine a large open space with two teams running, throwing, passing and catching a thin round disc (圆盘). It is called flying disc, the newest popular sport in young people in China. Research shows about 60% of people say they like to make new friends through the sport. The Chinese Flying Disc Administrative Committee says about 500, 000 people in China played flying disc last year, producing over 80,000,000 yuan.

How did flying disc get such great popularity in China in a short time? First, it is a team sport. It helps everyone quickly get to know each other. Second, it is played with a flying disc, thrown by hand. It needs little or no body-touching so it helps avoid being angry and fighting (搏斗). What’s more, this sport allows people to enjoy it without spending much time learning about the rules or skills.

The growing popularity has drawn attention of the Chinese government. In 2019, the Asia Oceanic Ultimate and Guts championships was held in Shanghai. It is the first world match in this sport held in China. In July 2022, the General Administration of Sport decided China’s first flying disc tournament (锦标赛) starting in August and the final match to be held in May next year. The sport will certainly have a bigger home market going forward.

I read about Wildlife Protection Club yesterday.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Helen