1 . In America, when the eighth graders leave the middle school, they are often worried about moving to the high school. It is a hard time for them, but it can be an exciting one as well. To make it easier, students need to get familiar with their school.

Even though they’ve done this already in the middle school, it’s still important to find where their classrooms are. Most schools take students to the high school for a visit at the end of their eighth-grade year. And, most schools also have a freshman speech for parents and students before the first year begins. Sometimes the main office will give away a map of the school. This can help students and parents to find different places in the school.

One way to know your high school more and make new friends is to join a club or play a sport. Schools often offer chances to join different clubs and sports. Fall activities begin in August before the first day of school. If you are not interested in sports, there are clubs for any interest, such as drama, dance, chess, photography, community service, etc. These clubs allow students from different grades. By joining an activity, students can find new friendships, not to mention improving their chances in future college applications (申请). The school office will have a list of activities offered at the school and information on how to join them.

What’s more, to have a great start to a high school year, students can write down some of their worries, and ask for help from teachers and school workers.

2 . Certainly, a well-rounded(全面的) education is the foundation(基础)from which all of us spring forth. I am grateful to the many great teachers who have inspired me to do greater things, and have fired my enthusiasm(热情)for everlasting learning!

But, sometimes I wonder if the outline of our educational plan is lacking (缺少)something. I watched the movie Easy A with my daughter. The main character's parents were loving, supportive, and built great confidence in their children and developed their ability to handle their own problems.

There was a scene where the mother was speaking to the younger child who announced that he received an "A" on his spelling test. She replied, "That's great, honey, but everything has. spell check these days. "It was funny…. but TRUE! I don't mean that we shouldn't teach our children how to spell, but maybe some of our time should be spent educating them about the dangers of posting things on Facebook. Maybe we might want to spend time showing them how real life works—the credit card(信用卡)isn't free money—you will have to pay it back at sometime. Oh, and get this—they charge you for borrowing that money. Perhaps, we should spend some time on interpersonal relationships. I worry that our kids do not know how to relate to one another.

Choosing a career(职业)is a daunting task. My daughter is in her second year in college and has changed her major(主修课程)twice. It's not that she didn't know what she wanted to do. What she "wanted to do" and the course she chose did not match.

I have learned many college students do not know what they want to do because they haven't seen what it looks like in the real world. Being a journalist (记者)in the real world looks very different from writing stories. Maybe if we spent some time exposing them to real life experience—maybe two or three courses in areas of interest in high school that give them a feel "for what that particular field would look like, they might be better prepared. I do not know the solution, but it seems that it should at least be a topic of discussion.

3 . The first time I used the TV to distract (使分散注意力) my daughter, I felt like a bad parent; I convinced myself I was a “bad” mom. However, these days I believe the opposite to be true. Screen time makes me a better mom.

Now I know what most of you might be thinking: That’s ridiculous. Only crappy (糟糕的) parents rely on the screen to care for their kids. Then again, experts suggest parents limit media use. And while I do not doubt experts, there are things they fail to consider.

Like most 6-year-olds, my daughter gets worked up and excited easily and watching a cartoon gives her a chance to shut off her mind. And there are other reasons— more selfish reasons. I am a work-from-work mom, and giving her screen time gives me “me”time. I’m able to write while she watches TV. And while this may sound bad, I believe I am helping my daughter realize she should rely on herself. When Mommy works, she gets her own snacks, drinks and toys.

There are other benefits, too. TV has also taught my daughter. Thanks to “super Why”,she knew her alphabet at age 2, and thanks to “Sesame Street”, she was able to count to 20 by age 3. Also I use the screen as a great incentive. My daughter earns “IPad time” when she completes tasks, e.g., making her bed earns 15minutes while doing her homework gets her 30.

Of course, I have a few rules. During meals, the TV is off; all programs must be supervised; on weekdays, she is limited to two hours maximum. So remember: It doesn’t matter what our kids watch; it matters what they do, what they say, what they feel and how they act, and only you know what is best for them.

4 . In so many ways, cyberspace (网络空间) mirrors the real world. People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.

Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity (身份) and appearance mean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person’s thoughts—or at least the thoughts they type—are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star.

Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems. Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this stress on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat?

But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with. They’re looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail.

Supporters say that the Internet allows couples lo gel lo know each other intellectually (智力地) first. Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way. Bill others argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully change their words to fit whatever image (形象) they want to give. In a sense, they’re not really themselves.

All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks.” This unavoidably leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different than the real person.

So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Clifford Stoll: “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen.”

5 . As 17-year-old Norwood drove through St. Petersburg, Florida, last February, the laughter and chatter from the four teenage girls inside her car quickly gave way to sharp cries. A car behind heavily hit them, sending their black car into a tree five meters away. As smoke rose from the other car, a bystander (旁观者) shouted, “It’s about to blow up! Get out!”

Terrified but not hurt, she got out through the window. Along with two of her friends, who’d also managed to free themselves, she ran for her life. But halfway down the street, she realized that her best friend, Simmons, wasn’t with them. Norwood ran back and found Simmons stuck in the back seat. “She wasn’t moving,” Norwood told Inside Edition. She threw open the back door and pulled her friend out, trying to avoid the broken glass.

She dragged Simmons to safety and placed her on the ground. “I put my head against her chest. No sign of life. That’s when I started CPR (心肺复苏术).” Norwood, who longed to have a career in medicine, had passed the national CPR test just the day before.

Looking down at her dying friend, Norwood knew she had only a little time to practice what she’d learned. She started pumping Simmons’s chest and breathing into her friend’s mouth. No response. She tried again and again. Slowly, Simmons began coughing and opening her mouth for air. The CPR worked! Soon, doctors arrived and rushed Simmons to the hospital. And then she heard how her best friend had saved her life. “I wasn’t shocked,” Simmons told CNN. “She will always help any way she can.”

I’d like to share a unforgettable experience with you.It happened in a warm Sunday afternoon in August .I go shopping with my cousin, Li Ming. When walk in the street, we found a young man, who was big but strong, stealing a woman’s wallet. We stopped her immediately. Though he stared at us angry, we didn’t feel frightened and tried to make him to realize his bad behavior. Because our bravery, he left without say a word. The woman thought highly of us for what we had done. In my opinion, it’s our duty to fight against bad behaviors.