2 . One morning, a hungry fox（狐狸）sees a chicken（鸡）. He thinks, “Great! This is my breakfast.” He comes up to the chicken and says, “Good morning Miss Chicken. I hear you can sing very well. Can you sing a song for me?” The chicken is happy to hear that. She closes her eyes and begins to sing. The fox sees that and catches her in his mouth and takes her away. The farmers on the farm see the fox. They shout, “Look! Look! The fox is taking the chicken away.” The chicken says to the fox, “Mr. Fox, can you hear? The people say you are taking their chicken away. Tell them I am yours, not theirs.” The fox opens his mouth and says, “Miss Chicken is mine, not yours.” Just then the chicken runs away from the fox and flies into the tree.

3 . One morning, a hungry fox sees a chicken. He thinks, “Great! This is my breakfast.” He comes up to the chicken and says, “Good morning, Miss Chicken. I hear you can sing very well. Can you sing a song for me?” The chicken is happy to hear that. She closes her eyes and begins to sing. The fox sees that and catches her in his mouth and takes her away. The farmers on the farm see the fox. They shout, “Look! Look! The fox is taking the chicken away.” The chicken says to the fox, “Mr Fox, can you hear? The people say you are taking their chicken away. Tell them I am yours, not theirs.” The fox opens his mouth and says, “Miss Chicken is mine, not yours.” Just then the chicken runs away from the fox and flies into the tree.

4 . Do you have true friends? Do you want to know better between you and your friends? There are three different kinds of friends: “pest friends”, “guest friends”, and “best friends”.

The first kind of friend is simply acquaintances (熟人), and all you usually know about them is their names. You may meet this kind of friend at school, at work, or on the bus, but you don’t miss them when they’re not around. When this kind of friend does something bad, you don’t tell them. That is why they are called “pest friends”.

The second kind of friend could also be called “social partners”. They are closer than acquaintances, but not as close as true friends. You know their names, a little of what they like or dislike, and a little of their family histories; you usually have a few things in common, but you don’t talk about anything deep(深), such as your wishes or fears(害怕), and they don’t open up to you how they really feel.

The last kind of friend, the “best friend”, is the one you know the deepest. You’re like family, and know everything about each other. You have no problem staying at each other’s houses, and you share your deepest feelings and thoughts. They will correct you when you’re wrong, and though they may not be perfect(完美的), they at least will always care about you, and never do anything on purpose(故意地)to hurt you.

We all have our pest, guest, and best friends. We should value(重视) all friendships and remember, all best friends start out as just acquaintances.

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6 . In Singapore, primary and high school students take outdoor-skills courses as part of their studies. They are usually three to five days long and include rope and rock climbing, going to the sea in a small boat, sleeping in a tent at night, taking long walks in the forest, and learning to make a fire. It’s real life. One careless mistake could make someone really get hurt. Are those outdoor skills really important?

Minister of Education Ng Chee Meng says that the outdoor courses help students develop skills like critical thinking (批判性思维), teamwork, and good communication abilities that are necessary for work and life. He believes that these skills are as important as traditional subjects. Students need to learn from books, but for some lessons, reading isn’t as useful as doing.

What do the students think? Angelique, a student from Singapore, went for a boat trip in the sea. “It helped me to grow stronger,” she says. The trip was stressful because it was stormy that day. There were moments when she felt afraid and hopeless. But she remembered that “smooth seas never made a skilled sailor (水手)” and felt brave enough to continue against the storm. “I am thankful for this amazing chance,” she says.

Right now, students attend the courses with groups from their own school. After 2020, however, all students will do the course in groups from several different schools. Why does this matter? Good communication skills are more important now than ever. Working closely with students from other backgrounds is a great way to learn this useful lesson.

One student said it this way. “There is nothing to be afraid of and nothing is impossible.” And that’s a great lesson to learn.

7 . Few words are spoken more often every day on the streets of Britain than “I’m sorry.” This phrase has become such a common response（反应）that it has taken on a lot of meanings.

Saying “Sorry” means to apologize（道歉）. This is simple and easy to understand. We learn it both as a native speaker and as a student of foreign languages.

But in Britain, it takes on another meaning. It is a cultural expression. Imagine this: a man walks down the street, looking down at his phone. A woman is walking in the opposite direction, towards the man. She sees him, but she can’t get out of the way in time. The man knocks into the woman. Who should say sorry? Naturally, the man should say sorry because it was he who wasn’t looking where he was going. Yet in Britain, it is common for both to apologize.

It is known that British people, like most people, do not enjoy fight. So to quickly calm the situation, British people will apologize to each other.

Other times it may sound funny to hear “sorry”. Some of my friends say it at restaurants, as they ask the waiter, “Sorry, but can I order another drink?” It is not to apologize, but just to express that we need the waiter. In Britain, sorry doesn’t always mean exactly what you think.