1 . Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese female astronaut to have worked in space for more than 100 days. She and two other members Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu were sent into China’s Tiangong space station on October 16, 2021 for a six-month stay.

37-year-old spacewoman Wang Yaping made history—she is China’s first teacher in space. Wang Yaping taught Chinese primary and middle school students on Earth physics problems in the zero-gravity(零重力) environment. She prepared for the lecture (讲座) for a long time. She gave the lesson on December 9, 2021.

“Wang’s lecture was a pleasant surprise,” said Zhang Xiaoguang, an astronaut in the three members of Shenzhou-10 spacecraft (宇宙飞船). “She does well in whatever she does. Sometimes we’d like to give her a helping hand, but she just would not take the hand in help,” said Nie Haisheng.

Like many young Chinese people, Wang likes photography, music and basketball. She said, “We are all students in facing the universe. We are looking forward to joining our young friends to learn and explore (探测) the mystical (神秘的) and beautiful universe.”

When we play a game with our classmates or friends, we usually need to make some rules first. I think it’s very important to have rules.

In the school library, you are free to read books. You don’t have to pay any money. But remember, you must be quiet. Don’t talk loudly. You can’t make the library dirty.

We have to follow the traffic (交通) rules. We can go at green lights (灯) and stop at red lights. The traffic rules make us safe.

When we take a car and sit next to the driver, we have to wear the safety belt (安全带). Also, little children need to take the back seats. The car rules make us safe, too.

3 . As COVID-19 spreads in the world, many countries are changing their social habits in order to protect themselves.

France

France is famous for its romantic greetings. They touch each other’s faces and make a kissing sound. But now, this habit may have to stop. A French manner expert said that simply looking into a person’s eyes can be enough as a greeting.

Brazil

In Brazil, chimarrao is a special drink that is commonly shared among a group of close friends. The tea is passed around in a cup, and everyone takes turns to drink it. But at present, people are encouraged not to share it.

Australia

Australians are quite free when it comes to greetings. “G’day（你好）, mate”, a handshake, and smile will be enough. But now the Australian government is asking Australians to take a pat on the back instead of a handshake.

Iran

Traditionally, people in Iran shake hands to greet with one another. But today, COVID-19 has made “footshake” a new way of greeting. A video has been popular in Iran, showing three friends meeting-hands in their pockets-tapping their feet against each other as a greeting.

Self-disciplined（自律的）people are not all excellent people. But nearly all excellent people are self-disciplined people. Some of them read every day. Some of them never get late. The real difference between an elite（精英）person and an ordinary person is that an elite person can manage his or her time well. That’s where the success comes from. What people call self-management is in fact self-discipline.

One example is staying healthy. Never underestimate（低估）someone who is in good shape. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it’s not easy. It’s even harder to avoid putting weight back on. If someone is in good shape, it means that this person is good at managing themselves and their time. Whether it is natural or acquired（后天的）, it is a great skill. It also shows that this person is able to keep persevering and can balance long term-goals with short-term goals. So if someone is in good shape, he or she is far more than just healthy.

How can you learn self-management? First of all, set a goal and write down your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Create a list of all the things you need to do to achieve this goal and start to work on them one at a time. With self-discipline, small things in life will no longer trouble you. Only through self-discipline can you truly own your future.

When you wear clothes made of cotton, do you know where the cotton comes from? Countries like India are believed to have grown cotton for the first time, but China is the world’s largest cotton producer now.

China produces about 22% of the world’s cotton, of which 87.3% comes from Xinjiang according to the latest data (数据). Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区) in the northwest of China is home to the nation’s largest cotton-producing area.

The planting of cotton in Xinjiang dates back to the late Western Han Dynasty. According to historical records, cotton was introduced from West Asia to Xinjiang. It soon spread across Xinjiang because of the area’s full sunlight and plenty of water, which the plant needs.

Xinjiang is famous for its long staple cotton (长绒棉). In the past, people mainly picked the cotton by hand, but now machines have gradually taken its place. It prevents the cotton from being polluted and improves its quality.

After bags of cotton are packed and transported to many factories, they become clothes, shoes, dolls, toys and many other things. So we also call the cotton—“white gold”.

7 . Since it came out in 1908, Anne of Green Gables（《绿山墙的安妮》）has been a favorite book of teenagers all over the world. What it teaches us is simple: How to grow up to be a happy and useful person.

Anne is an 11-year-old orphan（孤儿）who arrives in the town of Avonlea, Canada. She helps Mathew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister, on their farm.

At first, Mathew and Marilla hope to adopt（收养）a boy, not a thin girl. Will she be helpful and useful on the farm? It seems no: Anne loves to imagine, talk and she is easily distracted（分心的）. So at first, she seems to be useless for a farm.

However, Anne tells others that she can be useful in her action. She works really hard. But she doesn’t lose her powerful sense of fun-and this is why readers love the story. She doesn’t become “a good girl”, if “good girl” means knowing how to work and live unhappily. We see Anne’s love for life everywhere. She knows how to enjoy herself, whether it’s by eating ice cream or trying on a new dress.

Many stories for children try to tell them how to behave（表现）well. Usually, it means doing one’s duty（责任）and not having any fun. But the Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery didn’t want to do it. The book gives readers a helping hand rather than try to push them into being “good” girls and boys.

8 . Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge. If you remember the following information, your life will be much safer.

Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn’t walk alone outside. Make sure you know where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens, you can find them easily.

Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back.

If you are followed by someone whom you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way. Let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next, don’t go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift.

If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. This stops other people from studying you. On the bus, don’t sit alone. Sit behind the driver or with other people. And don’t sleep.

“The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence (栅栏).” That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. Some people worry about that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring (忽略) Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.

Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the west has nothing to compare with Mid-Autumn Festival. And let’s not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they cannot replace (代替) your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.

10 . Nowadays, there are more and more TV talent shows. They are very popular all over China. These talent shows give everyone a chance to show off their talents. For some lucky people, these shows may make them famous, and can even make them rich. However, there are also many bad sides. First, some young people just imitate(模仿)the people they love. They may forget about their own style. Second, young people spend too much time on such TV shows. They always dream of being a star, so they spend less time on their studies.

I think TV talent shows are social activities. Young people can join in these activities to get social experience. But they should know that the chance of being famous is very small for most people and they should know that their schoolwork is much more important. In a word, you can do what you like, but you should know what is important and what is not.