3 . The Programme for International Student Assessment. (PISA)is a worldwide study of 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance in mathematics, science, and reading undertaken by the OECD. A closer look at the reading tests, shows the interesting fact that girls are outperforming boys in reading and that this is associated with girls’ greater enjoyment of reading.

One key area which has a major impact on reading performance, is reading for enjoyment rather than simply for study or school work purposes. Interestingly, the PISA study found that in all countries assessed (apart from South Korea), girls read for enjoyment more than boys.     1     In countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands, the difference between boys and girls was most significant, where they found a 30%gap or more between the genders. Additionally in places such as Austria and Liechtenstein, very low levels of boys expressed interest in reading(40% or less), which are worrying statistics.

    2     In places like Japan, boys and girls read for enjoyment at an almost identical level, with 54% of boys and 58% of girls reporting that they enjoy reading. And there were a few countries and regions that scored very highly in boys reading enjoyment, for example in Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Shanghai in China and Thailand where at least 80% of boys enjoy reading.     3    

    4     There were clear differences in the choices boys and girls make when deciding on what to read. Boys were found to enjoy reading magazines, newspapers and comic books more than girls.       5     Unlike reading enjoyment, this pattern was clearly repeated across all countries, especially in terms of boys reading of magazines and comic books.

4 .     1     The 21st century. That would make you young, creative, connected, global, and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking, too. Right?     2    

Some adults worry that you’re more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you.     3     because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family. Are today’s teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies to become successful in real life-or “IRL”, as you would say?

    4     Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by “helicopter parents” who were always there to guide and help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and extra-curricular activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With parents who do everything for them,     5    

5 . It is so important to make sure you take care of your body, mind and soul every day, not just when you get sick. Here are some of the top, most practical ways for you to take care of yourself and keep yourself healthy.

    1    Talking about your feelings can really help you to keep your mental health in good shape. It can also help you to deal with times when you happen to feel the most troubled.

Stay active.    2    On top of this, it can help you to feel better overall. Exercise keeps your brain and your organs healthy and it also provides you with a significant amount of benefits when it comes to your mental health.

Eat well. Your brain needs to have a lot of nutrients to stay healthy.    3    It will be very good for your physical health as well as your mental health. If you don’t feel as though your diet is good right now then this is understandable, so you do need to make a positive change.

Stay in touch. There is nothing better than being able to catch up with someone in real life, but unfortunately, this is not always possible. You can give them a call and you can also drop them a note.    4    

Ask for help.    5    If you feel as though things are just getting too much for you or if you feel as though you cannot cope then you should ask for help. Rely on your friends, your family, or even local support.

6 . Your teen years are a time to learn about yourself and start thinking about your future. Doing well in school and leading a healthy social and personal life will make you happier and more likely to succeed.     1    . Instead, remember to have fun and live a life you love!

Become a curious reader. Go to your school library and check out books that interest you. It can be anything from poetry to storybooks — just get reading!     2    .

Look ahead to life after you graduate from high school. Think ahead to what you will do in the future, whether that’s getting a degree, volunteering, or jumping right into the career of your choice.     3    . Just start to think about what you might want to do in the future according to your interests, passions and skills.

Take after-class activities you enjoy.     4    . Whether you’re into film, theatre, pottery, painting, or playing music, you can find classes at your school or courses at local recreation (娱乐) centers.

    5    . To feel a sense of achievement about your school and personal life, set realistic goals for yourself. For example, you might set a goal to achieve all A’s and B’s this term. As for personal goals, you might plan to get really good at shooting 3-point shots in basketball or learn how to bake bread.

8 . Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits (好处).     1     The benefits are the same whether or not you’re good at sports. If you are not good enough to play competitively on a school team, you can play sports with your friends.

Making new friends.

Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed.     2     You play together happily and gradually know each other. Many times, the friendships you create on the field remain strong when you are not playing sports.

Understanding the value of health.

Taking part in sports improves your health in many ways.     3     This gets you thinking about what to eat and how to treat your body so as to achieve the highest performance levels. Thus, playing sports can lead to better eating habits and prevent you from becoming too fat.

Building team spirit.

Sports provide children with the important lesson of learning how to work in a team.     4     By working together they will learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and will be better able to decide and work out the best plan for the team. This will without doubt help them in their future lives and jobs as well.

    5    

Playing sports requires a lot of time and energy. Some may think this would take students’ attention away from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skills that are directly relevant (有关的) to schoolwork.

9 . How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1.    1    

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation

Staring a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.    2    You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.    3    

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together.

4.    4    

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls or visits and finally you may lose your friend. The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.    5    and try not to change them. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be.

Lost in the PostHow would you feel if the letter you penned carefully and posted to your favorite star ended up in the recycling bin? That's where unopened fan mail sent to singer Taylor Swift was found in Nashville.     1    Swift’s management said it was an accident, but dealing with piles of letters is a burden for most public figures. According to the BBC reporter Jon Kelly, at the height of his fame, Johnny Depp was said to receive up to 10,000 letters a week.     2    The dawn of the digital age in which public figures with a Twitter account can be messaged directly has made the process easier. The White House says it deals with 20,000 messages addressed to President Barack Obama each day.Some celebrities don’t want letters. In 2008, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said that he would throw them out because he was too busy.     3    Robert Pattinson, star of the Twilight films, claims that he reads tonnes and tonnes of letters from fans, which takes up almost all his free time.Many artists, however, outsource(外包) the task of opening, reading and replying. Sylvia “Spanky” Taylor, 58, has run a service in California that does just that since 1987.     4    Most letters are simply declarations of affection and admiration, she says. A few ask for money. A small number contain threats which require her to contact the celebrity’s security team and law enforcement.The biggest problem for Taylor is working out how to deal with the correspondence(通信). Presents such as soft toys are sent to local hospitals, and most of the letters just get shredded and recycled.    5    For some, this is enough, according to Lynn Zubernis, an expert at West Chester University. She says that the relationship between fan and celebrity may exist only in the mind of the former but it comes from a deeply-rooted human need for community.