1 . It's interesting to have a chance to teach English abroad because you see a completely different education system． I am teaching in Belgium （比利时） this year and I have realized______ there are some big differences．

For example， in the UK， it is ______ to wear a school uniform． It is nice to wear a school uniform ______you don't have to think about what to wear in the morning．You just put on your uniform and go． This ______ a lot of time．

Another difference I have noticed is also about clothing： Teachers______ in a more relaxed way in Belgium． They wear______． In my experience in the UK， teachers wear similar things to the people ______ work in an office： shirts and ties for men； dresses， skirts， dark trousers and shirts for women．

As I am working with older students who are aged_____ 16 to 18 ， I have also noticed that they have ______subjects than I did at their age． In the UK， students only choose four subjects （five if they have very good grades） at 16． Some people like this， because it means they do not have to study subjects they don't like．Others feel that students make such a big choice too_______， because the subjects they choose at 16 will have an influence on what they can study at university．

2 . American schools are quite different from those in China. In America, at the beginning of the term, students must select (挑选) their subjects and teachers first.

Selecting is very important for your marks in America. So at the first term, don’t select too many subjects, or you’ll feel very nervous and tired. Then you have to ask for some teaching plans. There is some information about subjects, time arranging, marks and textbooks. At the same time, you must choose the teachers. Different teachers have different teaching methods. If the teacher is called “killer” by the last grade, many students will give up choosing him, because this kind of teacher will leave too much homework, too many exams and give too low grades. There is another thing after you select the subjects and teachers. How to buy textbooks makes each student feel hard. The textbooks in America are very expensive. Each one is about $30–50. In order to save money, many students buy some used textbooks, and some students usually borrow textbooks from the school library.

In class, discussing is very important. The teacher encourages you to ask questions or show your own opinions. They don’t usually ask you to sit well. Instead they allow you to sit or stand anywhere you like.

Where you sit and how you fit

    1     For more than seventy years, researchers and teachers have studied the link between the place where students choose to sit in class and what they are like as people and learners. Where do you usually decide to sit? Have you ever really thought about the reasons for your decision?

    2     But is this really true? Well, some researchers say it is not. In fact, shy students often choose the back row because it is fare away from the teacher and they don’t want to answer questions. At the back, students probably won’t speak much, but in big classrooms, it can be hard to see the board and hear what the teacher is saying. This could be the reason why students who sit here often get lower grades on tests and exams. For students with poor eyesight or hearing, a seat at the back of the classroom is not a good choice.

    3     However, they like watching and listening rather than joining in. These students are usually also very good at taking notes. Next time you miss a class, borrow notes from someone who sits here. On the sides of the classroom you will generally find modest and thoughtful people. These people usually get good grades in school and are interested in learning.

    4     Then the statistics (统计数据) say you probably like your teacher. You probably also have a good relationship with your classmates. Caring, outgoing, and cheerful people usually sit in the middle. They are normally serious about learning and feel disappointed with low grades on tests and exams.

    5     Students who sit here usually want to discuss things with the teacher and are often very interested in the subject. They want to be in the best place to see and hear everything the teacher does and says. The only problem with sitting here is that it can be difficult to see and hear what other students do and say in class. So, if you really want to hear what everyone says in class, choose a different place to sit.

What do you think of different kinds of reference books(参考书>? We did a survey. Here’re some of their answers.

Liu Yang

In some ways, reference books (参考书) are useful. They help us understand textbooks better. For example, if we can’t learn a language point well in English class, a reference book can help us to review the point. So I think it’s better to have such books.

Wang Qian

Reference books have some disadvantages. Some reference books show answers to the exercises in textbooks. This isn’t very good. Students will just copy the answers directly instead of thinking for themselves. Day after day, students won’t listen carefully in class.

Zheng Xia

Sometimes, reference books are useful. Some reference books show something a little bit more difficult than the textbooks. They challenge us and let us reach a higher level in our studies. So if you want to learn more, reference books are needed.

Liu Wei

I don’t think reference books are very helpful. If we listen to our teachers carefully and solve the problems at school, this is enough to grasp (掌握>all the knowledge. Besides, the school has already gives us a lot of homework. More reference books will only make us sick of studying. And for some subjects like English , if you want to learn well, the best way is to speak, not just to do exercises.