1 . How do the students around the world get to school? In North America, most students go to school by school bus. Some students also walk or ride a bike to school. In other parts of the world things are different. In Japan most students take trains to school, although some also walk or ride bikes. In China, it depends on where you are. In big cities, students usually ride bikes or take buses to school. And in places where there are rivers and lakes, like Hongshanhu. Hubei and Kaishandao, students usually go to school by boat. That must be a lot fun than taking a bus.

3 . Everyone hopes to have a healthy lifestyle. But do you know what a healthy lifestyle is like? Here are some ways to have a healthy life.

Get active

This is the most important way of a healthy lifestyle. Walking, running, playing basketball and other sports will help you keep healthy.

Keep clean

Keep the places around you clean. Unclean and untidy places can not only make you angry but also make you sick.

Eat healthily

Our health depends on our food. So everyone should remember to eat healthy food. The healthier food you eat, the healthier you will be.

Live green

This is the easiest way to live a healthy life. Plant trees around your house. Try your best to use less water. Stop using things if they are bad for the environment.

4 . Not many Chinese students do housework at home. They are busy with schoolwork on weekdays. And at weekends they have to spend lots of time finishing their homework. So they often play computer games or watch TV in their free time to relax themselves. Parents think that children should spend more time on study and learn some other skills such as playing the piano, dancing and so on. They think doing housework is wasting time, and children should learn something more important. The following is the result of an interview about how many students do housework.

5 . In China, students go to school in many ways. Some students go by bus, some go by bike and some walk to school. Do you know how Japanese students usually go to school?

In the city, students usually go to school near their homes, so many students walk to school. It usually takes them 10 to 20 minutes to get to school. But in the village, schools are usually far from students’ homes. It usually takes them 40 minutes to an hour to walk to school. Many students in the village go to school by train, because the train goes quickly and doesn’t need much time.

Many Japanese schools are small but nice. And students seldom (很少) take the school bus. Parents also seldom drive their children to and from school. Sometimes children walk to school with their friends living near them. To make sure of their safety, some kind people will help children cross the road when there are lots of cars on the road.

In the village in Japan, schools are usually far from students’ homes. They usually _______ 40 minutes to an hour walking to school. Many students in the village ________ to go to school, because the train goes quickly and doesn’t need much time.

If you are going to study in a foreign country, what can you do to feel less lonely? Well, here I will give you some advice to help you.

Always say yes. Of course, if you feel uncomfortable in any way, don’t agree. I mean, try not to refuse an invitation. By saying yes, you can get the chance (机会) to meet lots of people and learn a lot from them.

Take up a hobby or try something new. Join a dance class, a chess club or a cooking class. This is a good way of making your life interesting.

Take language classes. By taking them, you can improve your language and you can meet a lot of people who are also looking forward to making new friends.

Get out of your house! If you spend long hours in front of your computer, you’ll feel more lonely. Go out to find new and exciting places in your neighborhood.

Don’t be a wallflower (舞会或聚会待在一旁的人). When you are at a party or in a group, don’t be shy. Be friendly with others and try to talk with them.

If you follow the above, I’m sure you’ll have a good time in a foreign country.

7 . In Western countries, many children do chores to get pocket money. They usually start to do this at 10 years old. School students have to do homework and study for tests. They don’t have a lot of free time on weekdays. They often do the chores at the weekend. Young kids only do easy chores. They help do the dishes after dinner, and feed the family cat or dog. Because the chores are easy, they don’t get much money. But that’s all right. Many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap.

When kids get older, they want to buy more expensive things. Then they have to work harder! They often wash the family car, cut the grass, walk the dog or cook dinner.

Some jobs are a good way for kids to learn new things. For example, they can learn to use a lawn mower (割草机) or how to cook. Of course, their parents help them at first.

8 . In July last year, China introduced the “double reduction” policy (政策). It aims to reduce the burdens (负担) of too much homework and after-school training for primary and middle school students.

The policy lists requirements such as reducing the amount and difficulty of homework, as well as improving the quality (质量) of education and after-school services. For example, homework for middle school students should take no longer than 90 minutes to finish. It allows students more free time to take up their hobbies and interests. Also, after-school training has been further asked to reduce the burden on students.

How do students and parents feel about this new policy?

“Our homework is clearly less than before,” said 13-year-old Shen Yuzhe from Beijing. “I have joined a group. The exercises are mainly from the textbook.” According to Shen, teachers now teach at a much slower speed. “Our teachers are also giving us more chances to do experiments and learn from real life,” said Shen. “For example, we went to research ants in a field during a biology class. Some students now spend more time having fun when homework is finished early.” Shen also pointed out that when the burden is reduced, self-discipline becomes the key. “Exams push me to study better. But if you use all the free time to relax, you might fall behind your classmates,” he said.

For 13-year-old Zhang Hangming from Tianjin, the best thing about “double reduction” is the much more time in after-school activities. “We can now take part in more activities. We are not encouraged to buy workbooks anymore. I can learn all kinds of skills out of class,” said Zhang.

“With homework done at school, my child and I can read books and listen to music together in the evening, or we can play soccer and do more outdoor exercise,” said Lu Di, the parent of a fifth-grader in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang.

9 . Have you ever watched a space lesson on TV? On December 9, 2021, a special science lesson was given to millions of students in the China Space Station (CSS). The teachers are Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu.

On Wednesday, March 23, 2022, three astronauts at the CSS gave their second space lesson to the students on Earth. The astronauts did some amazing experiments in microgravity(微重力). They were experiments that demonstrated the crystallization process, surface tension, separating water and oil, and momenturm in space. The astronauts also used popular Winter Olympics 2022 mascot figurine Bing Dwen Dwen to demonstrate (证明) how an object would move in a weightless environment.

For the lesson, there were three classrooms in Beijing, the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region where the students could communicate with astronauts in real time. Millions of primary and middle school students across China watched the space lesson, which made them take pride in the rapid development of our country’s space technology.

Shi Yi, a physics teacher at the Beijing No. 101 Middle School, said, “The space lesson is an eye-opening experience that can develop students’ interest in science.” Wang Yihan, a fifth-grade student at the Yuxin School in Beijing, said, “The astronauts’ experiments have really made me surprised. I am really interested in spaceflights (太空飞行). I want to be an astronaut in the future.”

“We will carry out more science experiments in the future and bring more scientists to the station,” Chinese astronauts Wang Yaping said.