2 . Did you watch the opening ceremony (开幕式) of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 at the National Stadium in Beijing? It is totally different from that of the 2008 Summer Games. Because there were no stars, no famous people or professional (专业的) performers. Just common people showed the world who they are.

“It is time to show a modern China and common Chinese people, especially the younger people, to the world instead of always paying attention to the country’s 5,000-year history,” said Zhang Yimou, director of the opening ceremony. He also directed the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games ceremony. It offered people a look of China’s ancient and wonderful history.

At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, there were about 3,000 people from all walks of life. More than 90 percent of them are students between the ages of 5 and 25. Did you remember the children singing the Olympic Anthem? They were primary school students who came from Fuping, a small county in Hebei. Many live in villages and their parents are either farmers or migrant workers. It was the first time the 44 little singers had left home to perform in Beijing. Although most didn’t have any singing experience, their songs touched people’s hearts. It will be a meaningful experience for their whole lives.

Besides, square dancing is a popular national activity in China, where it’s seen as a form of daily exercise. So the square dancers from the ages of 5 to over 70 performed in the 30-minute warm-up show before the ceremony.

From the opening ceremony, the world got to know a modern China and the lives of common people. There were no famous performers, but everyone was sincere and wore a big smile. That warms people’s hearts.

3 . Do you often feel cold in winter? When you feel cold, what do you do to warm yourself up? Do you put on more clothes? When it’s cold, how do you sense that?

I like to take a bath. I like the way the warm water feels on my skin. I do not like to get out of the bathtub (浴缸). When I get out of the bathtub, I get really cold. Sometimes I am so cold that my teeth begin shaking, and I start to shiver (颤抖). Why do we shiver when we are cold?

Shivering is a reflex (反射). We don’t have to think about a reflex in order to make it happen. When the air around us suddenly becomes cooler, the nerves (神经) in our skin sense that we are cold. These nerves then send messages to our brain. The brain sends messages back that race through our bodies. These messages tell all of our muscles (肌肉) to start warming up.

Our muscles then start tightening (绷紧) and relaxing. They do this very quickly over and over again. These quick actions are the shivers. These shivers help to warm us up. So the next time you start to shiver, thank your nerves. They’re working to warm you up before you even have the chance to shout, “Mom, I’m c-c-c-old!”

4 . Our English teacher Mrs. Wang let us do an English project—researching the Chinese traditional festivals. Here are two groups’ reports about it.

5 . Make It a Good Day

Mom and Dad are going out today, and you’re in for a whole day of fun. However, Mom leaves you with a list of “duties”—finishing your homework, playing the violin and tidying up your messy wardrobe (衣柜). You also really want to play video games and read comics (漫画). There’s so much to do! It’s time to make a plan.

6 . Have you noticed that some people succeed, while others may not? This is because some people own certain qualities while others don’t have. If you want to be successful, you should remember the following things.

The first thing you must remember is that in order to succeed, you must have a strong wish. If you do not expect to win, you will not try as hard as those who do expect to win. You also need to have a clear purpose and reason for doing something. If you do not have a purpose, you will not do your best to work hard and make sure that every detail you have done is right.

Reading is another thing to remember, as it will help you learn about how other people have achieved success. If you want to learn how to set up a successful business, you should read books about some successful people who have achieved amazing success in their areas of business, such as Jerry Yang.

Another thing that helps people succeed is creativity -- thinking about things differently and wondering how others will do the same thing. Think about some successful people you know. They might be successful with a little creativity, but the most successful people are the most creative ones.

Practicing is essential if you want to succeed because practice makes perfect. Practice every day for the job you are in, and by doing so, you will see yourself, your business and your self-confidence begin to grow. If you feel confident about what you do, this confidence will make other people believe in you more as well. Your workmates will be happy to work with you, and your boss will give you more important things to do.

Finally, if you succeed, you will get respect from people and do more for our world.

1．Before leaving home, it’s important to give your parents a call. Let them know where you are going, who you are going with, and when you plan to return.

2．After meeting with your friend, you walk to the bookstore. You need to walk on the sidewalk and wait for the traffic lights. You may talk with each other happily when walking. But always remember to watch for cars.

3．The bookstore is very crowded! Try to stay with your friend. Don’t chat with strangers. You may find some books interesting, but it is better to put them down and go back home before 9:30 pm.

4．You may want to buy a burger for dinner. You can pay for it with your smartwatch or phone. If you need to enter the password (输密码), make sure no one else is watching.