【推荐1】In spring the weather gets warmer. Flowers start to bloom (开花). Signs of new life are everywhere.

But US kids get excited for a different reason. It is time for Spring Break. Middle school students get a week or two away from school. It’s time to relax and enjoy spring.

What do students get up to? Many things, but one thing’s for certain―it’s a welcome change from school. Because middle school students don’t have their own cars, they usually take trips with their parents or hang out in their neighborhoods.

I used to bike around my neighborhood with my classmates or have Easter egg hunts (寻蛋) in my backyard. Some students take hikes, while others are happy to sit back and enjoy watching TV.

There is one place in the US that kids dream about going to—Disney World. But only a few kids realize that dream. If you are one of the lucky ones who get to meet Mickey Mouse, you know it’s been a special holiday.

【推荐2】On November 11th, there is a holiday created by Chinese people for singles (单身人士). It is known as Singles’ Day. But now it has become the biggest online shopping day in the world, T-mall, Taobao and many other online shopping sites offer huge sales on this day to attract shoppers. This year’s sales reached 253.97 billion yuan.

There are similar shopping days in the United States as well. The most well-known of these is Black Friday. It always falls on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. On this day, stores will offer special deals, just like on Singles’ Day in China.

On Black Friday, shoppers will often wake up very early to wait in line at stores before they open. They might start to wait in line as early as 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. Sometimes the crowds will be so big that it is impossible to get inside the store.

Another similar holiday is Cyber (网络的) Monday. This day always falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. It is like Singles’ Day, since it is only for online shopping.

Personally, I don’t like any of these holidays. They place too much importance on buying things. I prefer to celebrate Buy Nothing Day. It is a “holiday” that falls on the same day as Black Friday. It is an international day of protest (抗议) to the problem of over-consumption (过度消费). What do you think about these holidays?

【推荐3】Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another year in some ways. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.

In western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at the midnight on December 31^st-January 1^st. People may go to the party, sometimes dressed in formal（正式的）clothes, and they may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minute of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures like to celebrate the New Year by walking up early to watch the sunshine better. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

Many cultures also do special things to say goodbye to bad luck at the beginning of the new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll and burn it to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start. Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or seas, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

Other new year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year, you have to eat 365 of them.

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【推荐2】How do you feel when you go to a birthday party? What about making a speech in front of the class? Do you get really shy? If you think you are too shy and want to be a little braver, try the following. You can make it!

1. Tell people you’re shy.

There is no need to hide (隐藏) it. When they get to know you’re a shy kid, they will understand you better. This also helps you feel more at ease (自在) in talks.

2. Try to smile more.

When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. Remember that other people have feelings, too. And most people will stay away from an angry-looking person.

3. Learn to be a good talker.

If you find it hard to start talks, say something nice about people around you. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you.

4. Get your attention elsewhere.

Think more about ways to enjoy the party or the game. Don’t waste (浪费) time worrying about your looks or whether people like you or not.

Imagine an 11-year-old child often spends time washing clothes, looking after a baby, and working hard in the fields.

Imagine a little girl who knows there will not be enough food for dinner, who can’t fill her stomach with water because it’s polluted, and who has watched life slip away(消失)from her father and little brother and sister because the family is too poor to see a doctor.

Is it hard to believe? For Mary, these are the real life.

Mary would gladly walk miles to school, but her mother, now alone, needs her badly at home. Mary will grow up without any schooling. What will be her future? In many ways, maybe it will be unlucky. But with just 52 pennies a day, you can sponsor a child like Mary.

To help Mary most, your money is put together with that of other sponsors, so hard-working people can help themselves. Build a school, a hospital, or bring in clean water. This is what “Save the Children” has been about since 1932.

For you there are many rewards(奖励). Have the chance to write to or hear from your sponsored child. Receive photos or progress reports. Know you are reaching out to another person. That’s how “Save the Children” works. But without you, it can’t work. Let’s help a child like Mary and her village.

It can make such a difference in her life and yours.

For the children

David

【推荐3】Is there anything that you do to cheer yourself up and “heal（治愈）” your mind when you’re feeling down? Many of us have our own ways to make ourselves feel better. This is referred to as “self-care”.

This idea originated（起源） in Japan. It refers to any activity that can soothe one’s nerves（平缓心绪）, clear one’s mind, and comfort a troubled heart, according to China News Service. It was first used to describe the music of Japanese songwriter Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龙一）in 1999.

Self-care is now booming（急速发展）in China as well. One of the most popular activities is “healing travel”. According to Caissa Touristic, a Beijing-based travel agency, more Chinese tourists are going on meditation（冥想）or yoga retreats in places like Japan, Bali and India.

By taking these trips, people can learn more about local culture and the way people in these countries live. Without a tour guide or detailed plan, they allow their bodies and minds to relax as they forget about daily stresses and noisy surroundings（周遭事物）back home.

Having a pet can also help to improve our mental health. Research has shown that pets and humans can heal each other, NPR reported. Strong human-to-animal bonds（情感联系）make both pets and their owners happier and healthier. Chinese dog and cat owners spent over 5,000 yuan per pet on average in 2018. China’s pet industry now has a value of over 170 billion yuan, Xinhua reported.

More people are seeking out self-care activities simply because they can finally afford to, particularly China’s growing middleclass（中产阶级）. With fewer financial（财务的）worries, they can slow down and take a closer look at their own inner（内心的）world, the Paper noted.

【推荐1】“I am so happy!” said Gorilla. “The Great King Ape is coming for dinner!”

Chimp was happy, too, and he jumped up and down on the sofa.

“I will cook a great meal for the Great King Ape!” said Gorilla.

“I will cook, too!” said Chimp.

But Gorilla did not want Chimp to cook. He was sloppy. He often made a mess. He would ruin her great meal. So she asked Chimp to buy some drinks.

When Chimp came home, he asked, “May I cook now?”

“We still need bananas,” said Gorilla. “Please pick the best bananas you can find. I want to serve sliced bananas for dessert.”

Soon Chimp brought back a bag of bananas and put the bag on the kitchen chair. Gorilla walked into the kitchen. She did not see the bag and sat down on the chair. “Oh, no! My bananas! They are mined!” Gorilla started to cry.

“Don’t cry Gorilla,” said Chimp. “I have an idea for a nice dessert.”

Chimp took out a big bowl and a spoon. He peeled some bananas, put them in the big bowl and mashed(捣碎) them with the spoon. Then he added some milk. At last, Chimp made a banana milk shake!

Soon the Great King Ape arrived. He ate up all the food. “I’m so full. This is the best meal I have had!” he said.

Chimp brought out the dessert. The Great King Ape tried it. “Delicious!” he said. “You are both such wonderful.”

“Thank you.” said Gorilla. She smiled at Chimp. “Chimp is a wonderful cook” she thought.

【推荐2】Sports can help you keep fit and close to nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should realize that sport you choose might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also lots of water. Besides, huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental changes. For example, in the dry places of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage (短缺) in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes, and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also help you stay healthy. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and keep thin.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener than by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms.” They are better replacements (替代) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership (会员身份). And best of all, it’s free.

【推荐3】A large part of China experienced larger amounts of smog (雾霾) than usual this January and the air was badly polluted. The distance one could see was shorter than 1,000 meters in Beijing, Tianjin, and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Anhui. In some areas, it was down to 200 meters.

People usually set off firecrackers (爆竹) to celebrate Spring Festival. But because of the smog, this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei said that his friends and he hadn’t set off a single firecracker.

“ We all suffered from last month’s smog. If we don’t call an end to the firecrackers, the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday. ” said Zhang Wei. He called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year’s Spring Festival by putting up a notice in his neighborhood.

More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said the new celebrations sounded fashionable.

To clean the sky, more than ten provinces including Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu have started to use national 4 standard (标准), which is expected to reduce vehicle emission (车辆排放) by 30% to 50%. Beijing even has started to use the stricter national standard.

We still have a lot to do to improve the air quality. For example, using public transportation as much as possible is not a hard thing for us to do, but it matters a lot.