A Moving Classroom

Susan used to be a teacher of the primary school in California, US. After the school was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情), she lost her job.

One day, Susan saw an old school bus for sale on the Internet. 【小题1】

She bought the bus and began turning it into a “moving classroom”. 【小题2】 Many of her former (以前的) students came to her. After a few months at home, they wanted to start learning again.

【小题3】 Susan makes sure that she has no more than five students on the bus at a time. Also, everyone must wear a mask (口罩) during class.

Thanks to the “moving classroom”, the children had a more interesting learning experience. 【小题4】 They also had a lesson about flowers at a beautiful flower shop. The students can truly learn from everyone in the neighborhood.

【小题5】 “You can always make your classroom ‘moving’,” said Susan.

Do you love cooking, gardening or cleaning around the house? Doing housework will boost (增强) your brainpower, according to new study made by an Australian university.

The study shows that older children are more likely to do housework than younger ones and girls do more housework than boys. For example, only 49% of boys but 70% of girls make their own bed. Doing the dishes is a job for 55% of children, including 50% of boys and 61% of girls. Only 34% of five to seven-year-olds do this task, and 64% of those aged 11 to 13 do it.

“Children who cook a family meal or care for plants in the garden regularly may do better in other aspects (方面) of life-like schoolwork or problem solving,” said Deanna Tepper, the lead researcher.

Ms. Tepper said making a meal or cooking for others was connected to a better memory and the ability to think before acting. “These skills usually begin to develop in early childhood and continue in late adolescence (青春期) and early adulthood,” she said.

Doing housework also makes you responsible for your family. It’ll help you make decisions and build confidence and patience.

These life skills should be learnt from an early age. Now you are not a little girl or a little boy anymore. It is time for you to learn to be independent.

Electives (选修课) are always popular with students because they offer the chance to learn something exciting, and they’re a welcome break from regular courses like math and physics. Here are just a few of the exciting electives lucky teenagers can take in some of China’s middle schools.

Self-defense (防卫) skills A school from Chongqing The school offers a self-defense course-just for girls. Those who attend the lessons have the chance to study basic self-protection skills in a one-on-one practice. They learn how to get away when they need to and defend themselves against attacks. “I feel safer by myself now,” said Zhang Yi, 15, a girl student.

Pottery A school from Tianjin The famous pottery scene in a movie called Ghost is a lasting memory for many movie-goers. Young artists at the school love to get their hands dirty creating beautiful pieces. Students learn how to design and make various clay projects. At the end, they have the skills to make their own clay bowls, cups, vases and pots.

Horse riding A school from Beijing Equestrians (马术) can look pretty cool, can’t they? Teenagers at this school can now choose a course in riding skills. They’re taught to communicate with their horses and how to use reins (缰绳).To ride a horse in the proper way, a student must hold the head forward and keep his back straight. Students come away from this elective not only knowing how to ride a horse gracefully, but also physically fitter!

Couplets(对联) A school from Nanjing         How many of you can write a couplet? This old literary (文学的) form is slowly disappearing, but Chinese culture lovers at the school are trying to make it alive. For their elective, teenagers study old couplets and try to rhyme (押韵) their own lines. Many of this year’s students can’t wait for the Spring Festival, when they’ll be able to show off their new skills.