John is thirteen now. He began to study in a middle school two years ago. His home is in a village and it's nearly five kilometres away from the school. He has to get up early in the morning. After quick breakfast he has to run to school and get there on time. His father hopes to borrow some money to buy a bike for him, but John knows his mother is always ill and that his father spends much money on medicine. He doesn't agree with his father and keeps running there every day. Now he's very strong. He is never late for class and his teachers often praise him.

    Last week there was a sports meeting in his school. John ran faster than any other boy in the boys' 800—metre race, 1, 500—metre race and 3, 000—metre race. The whole school knew him. He was happy. He told his grandma about the good news as soon as he got home.

    "I broke two school records today, Granny, "called out the boy.

    To his surprise, the old woman wasn't happy. She thought for a while and I'm sorry to hear that. But we have no money to pay for them, you know!

    Are you the kind of person that loves studying new grammar rules? Or do you dislike doing grammar exercises? Whether you love it or dislike it learning and practising grammar will help you improve your spoken and written English. Using grammar correctly is also very useful for passing exams! Here are some tips for learning grammar:

    Don't worry about making mistakes. Every time someone corrects you, you learn something new. Do you know which mistakes you make most? Make a list(清单) of your mistakes and pay special attention to them.

    Be patient. Maybe you can do the practice exercises, but when you're speaking you don't have time to think about the correct grammar. Don't worry, that's completely normal! If someone explains(解释) to you exactly how to swim, can you just get in the water and swim without practising? Of course not! It's just the same with grammar. The more you practise, the better you'll be.

    Read and listen to English as much as possible. Think about grammar when you're reading and listening. Do you notice any differences between your language and English? Knowing what the differences are will help you get English grammar right.

    Practise, practise, and practise! Try to use the new grammar you have learnt immediately. When you do the practice exercises, try writing a sentence of your own, and use that grammar next time you're speaking. This will help you remember new grammar very well.

—Congratulations! And I guess your parents must be _______ you.

—Yes, I know. He told me he would never forget his pleasant _______ there.

    September is the time for students to go back to school! For Chinese students, most schools start on the same day. We will share summer stories with the same classmates 1 the first—year students. But in American schools, students get ready for classes a little 2.

    First of all, American schools don't all start on the same day. Classes begin any time between August and September. Every 3 decides when to begin its classes. If summer is too 4 then schools will usually start a little later.

    Every year we usually see the same teachers and classmates, but American students have some big changes. In American high schools teachers divide 5 into different levels. Students can choose their favourite teachers and courses according to their abilities and 6. This means that every year American students will 7 different classrooms or different classes. They will meet 8 classmates and teachers in each one. Also, students will go to school a few days early to get their 9 so that they can know the classes every day.

    For first—year students, the first day of school also means they finally get their own lockers. Primary school students in the USA have to share lockers with their 10.