How does your teacher make you sit—in rows or in groups? How would you like to _______? Does sitting in rows make you feel good or does _______ make you feel lonely? Do you feel that sitting in a group and discussing things makes you learn more in an easier way?

In   the last 30 years or so, experts on teaching methods have _______ these questions. They felt that sitting in rows was not very useful to children, and that they learnt easier and better _______ they sat around a table in a group. That way, they could also learn to get along with others and exchange _______ easily.

_______, it seems they were not quite right. At least Nigel Hastings, professor of Nottingham Trent University, does not think so. He has been researching _______ behavior for the last 20 years in England. His conclusion (结论) is that children work much _______ when they sit in rows than sitting around in groups.

His study found that students _______ a lot of time talking when they were placed in groups. When children were made to sit singly or in pairs and not in groups as they were used to, they were more attentive (专注的) to their work.

Right now, most primary school students in England are seated in groups of four and six, according to Sunday Times. So the report of Nigel’s study could make a big _______ to how they will sit and learn. Do you think so?

Since my family has been ordering takeout a lot recently, I’ve met a lot of delivery workers. One of them really impressed me.

It was a cold and rainy day. My mother ordered a pot of chicken soup. Half an hour later, a delivery worker called to tell us he had arrived. I went out to pick up the food. I walked slowly because I thought maybe he had just left the food at the gate of our community and left.

As I went to the gate, I saw him standing in the pouring rain without an umbrella. Rain dripped down his face, arms, and the hem (褶边) of his uniform. He was in his 20s. He looked tired. “Chicken soup?” he asked. I nodded and he handed the food to me with shivering (颤抖的) and watery fingers.

“Why didn’t you leave earlier to find some shelter (躲避处) from the rain?” I asked.

“I work to bring food safely to our customers,” he said smiling. Then he turned around and disappeared in the rain.

The cold rain kept falling, but a wisp (缕) of warmth rose in my heart. There are many ordinary people like him who do their jobs every day, even when their work is hard. They bring us convenience and kindness.

How much do you know about the country Russia? Here are some facts that will help you know more about it.

An apology (道歉) means one person has realized that an action was wrong and hurtful. No matter what they are apologizing for, if they hurt someone, then saying sorry is the first step. Teaching kids how to apologize is an important skill.

Why should we teach our kids to say sorry?

Since everyone makes mistakes, learning to apologize is one necessary part of growing up. There are many reasons why this is so important:

◆       Saying sorry is a valuable social skill.

◆       It helps kids know their mistakes.

◆       Apologizing means they take responsibility for their actions.

◆       It is the power of healing a relationship.

◆       It helps them feel better about themselves.

Why do kids find it difficult to apologize?

There are several reasons why kids may find it difficult to apologize:

◆       Lack of understanding.

◆       Feeling ashamed or embarrassed.

Apologizing means admitting (承认) to another person that we did something wrong. Finding the courage to apologize can be very challenging for anyone, but it’s even more difficult for little ones just finding their way in the world.

Should we force a kid to apologize?

When it comes to forcing your children to apologize, it probably won’t solve anything. In fact, forcing kids to apologize is training them to lie. Think about your own mistakes. If someone forced you to apologize, would you want to? Children are the same way.

Don’t force children to apologize. When something that needs an apology happens, ask open-ended(开放式的) questions to help them come to a conclusion on their own.