1 . Have you ever thought about what’s more important looking fashionable (时尚的) or feeling comfortable? You might have noticed many people choosing style over comfort and some even go to extremes (极端) to follow fashion. But we should remember: it’s more important to be healthy.

Some people believe that they need to be a cert in size to look good. So, they start extreme diets (日常饮食). They might note at meals or eat too little, which can make them feel sick. Is it a healthy way to live?

Also, many girls wear shoes with very high heels. They might think high heel make them look taller. But these shoes can actually hurt their feet and make it hard to walk comfortably, and it can increase risks of falls, Some even wear tight (紧的) clothes that make it hard to breathe. Should we put fashion over health?

Besides, some boys and girls spend much time and money changing their hair color. The material they use is usually harmful to their heath. To make their hair straight or curly, they also use tools that are hot enough to burn their hair. But using these tools too often can make the hair dry or even burnt. Is it really worth it to risk our health, spending so much time and money?

So, let’s rethink what’s really important. Is it fashion or our well-being? Clothes or hairstyles don’t tell us anything about a person’s character. Instead of spending much time choosing clothes, we could use that time to do fun things with friends. And instead of following extreme diets, let seat properly and exercise regularly. Remember, your worth is not decided by your appearance (外表), but by who you are as a person.

2 . Project-based learning (项目化学习) is learning while doing. It gives learners the chance to get a deeper understanding of a topic (主题). During the learning, learners solve problems by using real-world examples and challenges. Let’s take the example of Sandra. Sandra is a 15-year-old student. She wanted to know more about Chinese ancient stories. Well, how did she make it?

Not everyone is a great test taker, but everyone is good at something. Through project work, students can not only learn deeply about a topic, but a so have fun learning. So if you’re interested in something, why not start with project-based learning?

3 . Looking for a new way to raise money for charity (慈善)? Has your school run out of clever and fun ideas? Don’t give up. There are several ways to support (支持) your favorite charity.

How about organizing a car wash? Everybody who has a car sooner or later washes it or has it washed. So why don’t you and your classmates do the job? The money the car owners pay for having their cars washed will go towards your charity. When we did it, we had an amazing time! At first, some of us were worried about getting wet or dirty and it’s true. But we also had fun, and at the end of the day it was really worth (值得) it!

On the other hand, if you don’t feel like getting wet, but have some musical talent , how about organizing a street concert? You can make a lot of money as a street musician if you have the talent and courage (勇气) to play in front of audiences. You just need to find a suitable (适合的) place, practice for a few hours with your friends first, and give it a try!

I hope the above ideas have helped you a bit, and if you’ve got any other great suggestions, we would love to hear them and practice them, too. Good luck!

4 . These days, many students like volunteering in their free time. Here are some students’ experiences of being a volunteer. Now let’s have a look.

5 . Holidays are very popular with students. They expect to relax and do something they like. However, what do holidays really mean to them? Usually, teachers will give them some homework and parents will ask them to read books, but also because they don’t plan their time well. Instead of relaxing and enjoying their break, they often stay up late to finish their homework. And they find it the most painful experience.

The following charts show some of their findings. Chart I shows different bedtimes of students during holidays. Many junior high school students go to bed late during holidays. They may forget that enough sleep is important for their health and better performance in learning. Chart II shows that more than 80% of the students read during their holidays, and 60% take extra lessons. Reading and learning remain an important part of holiday life, while doing housework and sports are not.

During holidays, teachers should give homework which students are able to do and interested in. On one hand, teachers need to make sure students practise the key skills and knowledge when they are out of school. While on the other hand

Parents should help their children make good plans for their holidays. Give reasonable advice and encourage them to read widely and take part in different activities. Finding a balance between having fun and improving themselves is the key to enjoying a good holiday.

8 . Airships can fly because they are lighter than air, like balloons (气球).

But they also have engines (发动机), so they can fly long ways. In the 1920s and 1930s, airships carried passengers (乘客). They could fly from Europe to the U. S. in two days. That was much faster than the same trip by ship. The biggest airships had restaurants and bedrooms and carried up to 100 passengers.

The airships of that time were kind of dangerous, and many of them broke down. In 1937, a famous airship called the Hindenburg fell down near New York, and thirty-six people died. After that, passenger airships stopped flying. Planes became the most important way of carrying things and passengers because they were faster and safer.

Now a number of companies around the world are making airships again. They are much safer than the airships of the 1920s and 1930s. They are not for passengers, and they only carry things.

There are four main good points of airships:

(1)They don’t need airports. They can land in places where planes can’t.

(2)They can carry much more things than helicopters (直升飞机) can.

(3)They use much less fuel than planes and helicopter, so they are better for the environment.

(4)They can stay in the air for a long time, so they are good for the scientific work.

Today most things still travel on planes, ships, trains and trucks. But in the future, a lot more things could travel by airship because it is cheaper and better for the environment. Maybe there will be airships for passengers again too.

9 . Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch (君主), died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, on Sept 8. Her eldest son, Charles, has now become Britain’s new monarch, known as King Charles III, reported by BBC. The UK began a 10-day mourning period (葬期) on Sept 9. Flags flying from government buildings were half-staff (降半旗).

In her 70-year reign (在位), the queen spent her life serving her country and Commonwealth. She supported over 600 charities and had a close link with the public. In the UK, every Christmas day, people would turn on their TVs to listen to the queen’s Christmas speech. She sent heartfelt messages about important things, like togetherness which cheered up people’s hearts.

“It’s just so heartbreaking,” said Laura Lang, from Georgia, US, seeing the queen’s cortege (送葬队伍) pass her in Edinburgh. “Look, I know the queen is ‘Britain’. But she’s the queen of the world,” Laura told Sky News.

Queen Elizabeth II was the first British Monarch to visit China! In October 1986 she visited China and met Deng Xiaoping. She went to some big cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an, and visited the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and other landmarks.

Queen Elizabeth II loved animals. She had 100 horses and 30 corgis (柯吉犬) in her lifetime. She was still riding horses up into her 90s! But her biggest love was her corgis, now the dogs will now be given to the queen’s son Prince Andrew. The passing of Queen Elizabeth ends an era.

10 . Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do and experience everything you want in life.

Successful people in life think how their life should be and set lots of goals. By setting goals, you are taking control（控制）of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it in this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination（目的地）in mind, and he can find it on a map. He can drive there easily. The other driver has no goal or map. He starts off at the same time from the same place. But he drives around, never getting anywhere, just using up（用尽）fuels. Which driver do you want to be?

Successful people set goals and follow them. They decide what they want in life and then get it by setting goals and making plans. Unsuccessful people don’t think goals are important. They just let things happen by accident（偶然地）. Goals aren’t difficult to set, and they aren’t difficult to reach. You should find out what your goals really are.

According to a study, when we write a goal down, it’s possible for us to get to it. We may read the written goals at any time. ▲ Also when you write your goals in your own way, you are able to make yourself get closer to your goal by working hard.