Huangshi will have new rules about behaviour standards for middle school students very soon. Middle schools are going to use a new way to decide who the top students(优等生) are. The best students won’t only have high marks. The new rules will be used first in No.2 Middle School of Huangshi in September 2012. The following are some of the new rules.   

Tell the truth       Have you ever cheated in an exam, for example, copying answers from a book or looking at other students’ answers? Don’t do it again! That’s not something honest students should do.        

Do more at school     Good students don’t only think of themselves, but they also care for other people and the surroundings（周围的事物）. Look at the people around you, do they need help? Give a hand to whoever is in need. You are in a big family! Pay attention to the environment. Whenever possible, do something to protect the earth we live on.   

Be open to new ideas     Have you ever thought people may live on the moon or travel in space? Having new ideas means possible inventions and discoveries.   

Protect yourself       Has a thief ever broken into your classroom and taken your money from your schoolbag? Don’t let it happen again. And if you have to go back home late, you should let your parents know.   

Use the Internet carefully     The Internet can be very useful for study. But some things on the Internet aren’t good for kids, so try to look at the good web pages, which you can use for fun or homework.

How to take a family road trip

Road trips are a great option for vacation because they allow you to see multiple places in one trip and can be customized to what your family wants to do and see. 【小题1】 Here are some steps to take before you hit the road.

First, you and your family will want to figure out when you can take a road trip and for how long. You can have everyone sit down with a calendar and decide when you can take time off together. You may find you have a week at the end of the summer or a long weekend in the fall when you’ re free to travel. 【小题2】

【小题3】 Discuss potential destinations and any special factors to consider, like the weather. You could choose a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Just be sure to choose a location that gives you time to get there and back and enjoy your visit.

Then you can map out your road trip. Plug in your current city and final destination into a website or app like Google Maps and start considering good places to stop to sleep at night and what sights you might want to visit along the way. 【小题4】 If you put in your route, it will populate a list of interesting things to see on your drive.

Last, have your car stocked with necessities like water, snacks, and first aid supplies in case of an emergency. 【小题5】 For example, you can take activity books or travel versions of board games. You can also download an audiobook or music to listen to together.

Live with roommates? Have friends and family around you? Chances are that if you’re looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle, not everyone around you will be ready to jump on that bandwagon.

I experienced this when I started switching to a zero waste lifestyle five years ago, as I was living with my parents, and I continue to experience this with my husband, as he is not completely zero waste like me. I’ve learned a few things along the way though, which I hope you’ll find encouraging if you’re doing your best to figure out how you can make the change in a not-always-supportive household.

Zero waste was a lifestyle movement a few years back. I remember showing my parents a video of Bea Johnson, sharing how cool I thought it would be to buy groceries with jars, and have so little trash! A few days later, I came back with my first jars of zero waste groceries, and my dad commented on how silly it was for me to carry jars everywhere. It came off as a bit discouraging.

Yet as the months of reducing waste continued, I did what I could that was within my own reach. I had my own bedroom, so I worked on removing things I didn’t need. I also offered to cook every so often, so I portioned out a bit of the cupboard for my own zero was te groceries. Perhaps your household won’t entirely make the switch, but you may have some control over your own personal spaces to make the changes you desire.

As you make your lifestyle changes, you may find yourself wanting to speak up for yourself if others comment on what you’re doing, which can turn itself into a whole household debate. If you have individuals who are not on board, your words probably won’t do much and can often leave you feeling more discouraged.

So here is my advice: Lead by action.