23. — What about going shopping together?

— Sorry, I have a lot of homework _________.

I’m so happy that you’ll go to the middle school this September. I’ll give you some advice on your middle school ________.

Don’t be ________ in class. Try to be an active student and ________ the teachers’ questions. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

________ well with your classmates. Be a friendly boy and help them when they’re in ________. Play some sports with them in P.E. class.

Don’t care about ________ appearance (外貌) too much. Keep your head up, and ________ to be a confident boy.

Study hard and try your best on all the subjects. I know you do well in math, ________ you should also study other subjects.

Don’t stay up too late. Go to bed and get up early. They’re good ________ and they’re good for your health. ________ a word, I hope everything will be OK in your new school life.

Yours,

Dad

Modern life is impossible without traveling. The fastest way of traveling is by plane. With a modern airliner(客机), you can travel in one day to places which needed a month or more to get to hundreds of years ago.

Traveling by train is slower than by plane, but you can see the places you are traveling through. Modern trains have comfortable seats and dining-cars. They even make the longest journey enjoyable(令人愉快的).

Some people prefer to travel by sea. You can visit many other countries or different parts of your country. Ships are not so fast as trains or planes, but traveling by sea is a very pleasant way to spend a holiday.

Many people like to travel by car. You can make your own timetable. You can travel three or four hundred miles or only fifty or one hundred miles a day, just as you like. You can stop if there is something interesting, for example, at a good restaurant where you can enjoy a good meal, or at a hotel to spend the night. That’s why traveling by car is popular for pleasure trips, while people usually take a train or a plane when they travel on business.

Having a bad week, I’m sorry. I have no idea why your week is bad. I don’t know if you try to tell anyone. But I do know that I’m sorry that you’re hurt, or bored, or lonely or lost.

There is something to make you feel better: go outside or look at the trees or look at a baby photo of yourself.

When you are unhappy, you hope that someone say, “Yeah, that sounds really hard.” But in fact, other people often tell you that you should show smiles and put the sadness in the heart. That’s very bad.

I want you to know you can spill (溢出) your bad day all over the places and wear it on the front of your shirt.

I want you to know that you are still pretty (漂亮的) when you are angry or in bad spirits. I hope your day turns around, and that even if it doesn’t, you can still find a few moments of beauty or happiness.

Sincerely,

Clara Wagner

The holiday season is usually a very busy time. To have a happy and healthy holiday, you need to learn some ways to relax during the holidays.

First, sit down with a pen and paper before the holiday season starts.     66    

Second, take exercises to relax.     67     Do a few minutes of yoga (瑜伽) before you go to bed to make sure you have a good sleep. And getting around 8 hours of sleep every night is good for your health.     68    

Third, plan some time for yourself. Choose something you enjoy doing alone, such as reading a book, taking a walk or listening to music, and do it for at least 15 minutes every day.     69     So the holiday season is a wonderful time for everyone.     70    

Today I’d like to say something about my mother.

I often asked my mother for help when I had difficulties. But she always said, “Do it     81     (your), dear.” I thought she seemed to be the     82     (lazy) mother in the world.

One day, I decided to     83     /ɪnˈvaɪt/ some friends to my home. My room was not tidy (整洁的). Books were     84     /ˈevriweə(r)/, and I didn’t make the bed. I asked my mother to help me clean it, but she     85     (refuse) me and said “Do it yourself, girl.” again.

Because     86     my “lazy mother”, I had to wash my clothes and clean my room. I had to help my parents     87     /diːl/ with the housework. It was really hard for me to do everything well,     88     I learned a lot.

Now, I know     89     my mother always said that. Because of her “laziness”, I became     90     (help) and diligent (勤奋的). What a great mother!