Someone once told me, "Senior high school life will be a journey full of challenges and hope. " At that time, I didn't understand what he meant. However, my first day at senior high school made me realize the meaning of his words.

My senior high school life began on August 26th. I woke up early and stepped into my high school. The minute I saw the class list on the wall, I found zero old classmates or friends in my class! None! When I entered the classroom, I saw a middle-aged man. "Welcome to my class! I'm your teacher," he said. After everybody was seated, each of us made a short self-introduction.

Then my teacher announced that we were going to make an important decision on our senior high school life — to choose the courses from all the subjects at school. "This will have a lot to do with your future. The school adviser will help you choose the suitable ones. You still have several days to think about it or have a talk about it with your parents!" said my teacher. "High school life has started, and you should be responsible for your decisions. "

In the evening, I sat in the living room silently. Dad asked me to share the day with him. After hearing my words, Dad touched me softly and said, "Different things happen in every period of our life. And they all come with hope. You could make the first move to make new friends. What's more, you could join different clubs at senior high. As for choosing courses, isn't it a good thing? You could choose the ones you like and the ones that you are good at. Come on, my boy!"

I start to look forward to my challenging and hopeful high school life. I believe I can make it. 

Here are five ways for teens to improve their ability to balance their emotions(情绪).

Keeping enough Sleep

Getting more sleep improves the way teens feel when they're awake. However, one study showed a surprising result. .

Doing physical exercise

Physical activities are helpful for teenagers. Exercise helps produce a certain chemical which can do good to emotions. . In this way, teens' self-confidence is improved.

Developing creativity

.When it's difficult to tell what they're going through, they can draw a picture or create a poem. An artwork is a good expression of emotions and creativity.

Trying meditation(冥想)

The ability to calm the mind and stop daydreaming is good for teens. They can start by learning how to meditate with a teacher. .

Learning to ride the wave

Teens sometimes try to push strong feelings away. . For example, they may have the feelings of pride, love, or joy. Riding the emotional wave helps them control strong feelings and become more comfortable.

A. Setting up an English club is one of the things we are going to do this term. So do it right now. Let's see how many people will join and then decide where and when to meet. 

B. You must know that pools are expensive to build, and they usually take several years to complete. So I think it's a good idea to get the swimmers to a nearby pool. 

C. Reading poems can be very fun. You can first ask your classmates to join, and then they will invite their own friends to join it. 

D. Your plan sounds like a good one. As for the cost, you can ask your mother for some advice. She must know a lot about cooking. 

E. First you should think about your interest. If you like playing games, a gaming club will be a good idea. If you are a swimming fan, it is great to start a swimming club. 

F. I think it is a good idea to set up a club like that! You can first give speeches about protecting the environment at school.

Everyone wants to relax after working or studying for a long time. I have many ways of relaxing myself. Let me tell you some of my favorites. 

I am a big sports fan（粉丝）, so my way to relax is to watch or play many kinds of sports. My favorite is tennis, but I am interested in all kinds of sports. Whether（无论）I am playing tennis or watching a game on TV, it is exciting to see team members trying their best. It's surprising to see players playing very well. It's true that playing sports is not physically(身体上地) "relaxing", but I find it really cool, and a good way of "relaxing" my brain（大脑）after a day's hard work.

I enjoy listening to music, and I always have some music playing in my free time. I listen to all kinds of music, but I enjoy listening to beautiful piano music. Some people can't study when they listen to music, but for me, I believe I can study better(更好) by listening to light songs.

Some people choose to relax by travelling(旅行). I don't have a favorite place, but I hear that travelling in Japan is really enjoyable. I like visiting different kinds of places and eating famous snacks（小吃） there. The beautiful view and delicious food can make me forget all my problems. I also enjoy sightseeing and seeing the people from place to place.

In China, we call those born (出生) after 2000 the "post-00s"generation (00 后). In English, young people born between the mid-1990s and 2010 have another name-Generation Z or Gen Z.

Thanks to social media (社交媒体), more people know about small problems, and only a small number of young people care about them. So, some people describe this generation as thinking little about others. However, Gen Z is, in fact, more grounded (踏实的) than people think. 

A study by Bank of America showed that over half of young people aged between 18 and 23 planned to buy a house in 5 years. "They are not just thinking about it,"said a work at Bank of America. "They are doing something about it. " To make their dream come true, Gen Z would choose to save for a down payment ( 首 付 ), not to go shopping or take a vacation.

This is not only in the United States. In Europe and Japan, Gen Z thinks a lot before buying things. They like to buy things they need more. That's because they saw the things their parents went through during the 2008 financial crisis (金融危机).

Social problems are also a center of worries for Gen Z. They think they are able to play a big role in making the world better. In India, young people choose a new leader who is able to help with most of their problems. "I went to the villages and saw how girls there lived. Keeping women safe is the most important for me. " said Monica Donald, 20, an Indian student.

Are you shy or outgoing?

Li Jun, a middle school boy, felt shy when he was making a speech a few days ago. Before the speech, Li thought it would be quite easy to speak in front of his classmates. But he found it was very different. He tried, but it was still too difficult to speak naturally. He said he just wanted to leave the classroom quickly. 

Li is not the only student feeling nervous when making a speech. They can talk about their ideas freely with their best friends after class, but can't speak in front of many people.

Zhou Hong is a middle school teacher. He thinks all schools should pay more attention(注意力) to speaking than writing. And students can join in any one they want. He also gives some advice( 建 议 ) to the students. Before a speech, it's necessary to practice more in free time. Then when speaking in front of many people, all you need is to take it easy. Third, just speak up your ideas clearly.

Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not so necessary, however. Anyone can become better if he or she wants to. Here's how:

When you plan your week, you should make g list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to what is happening to your time. 

Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a comer of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject. 

Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says. 

When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer. 

The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried. 

There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover them after you have tried these. 

A. Study regularly. B. Treat tests properly. 

C. Plan your time carefully. D. Find a good place to study. 

E. Enjoy a colorful social life. F. Make good use of your time in class. 

Do you have any problems in listening? Here are some tips on listening. We hope they can help you in one way or another.

Before you start to listen to something, you need to relay. Don't be worried or excited. This will help you with your listening.

The first sentence tells a lot about the whole passage. For example, at the very beginning, if you hear "Many shops in many parts of China have decided to take away all kinds of Japanese goods off their shelves but some people say it's not a good idea. Our reporter says...", you know you will hear a piece of news, not a children's story, or a science report.

When you're listening, try to do some thinking. For example, you can think of the following questions: What happened, when, where and how? What was the result and what does the speaker want to tell us? In this way, you may understand the passage better.

It's important for you to remember some important facts. For example, if the passage is a science report, you should try to remember its findings and how the scientists got their results.

You may hear some words that you don't know, but don't spend too much time on them. Very often, you'll find out what they mean later when you go on with the listening. But you can remember some words or sentences that you think are important, and you can use them when you're answering the questions.

Thomson likes to bake（烘烤） delicious food. One day he baked 12 chocolate cookies and called his friends Lucas and Mary." Come to my house at 2:00 p.m. I have something yummy to share," said Thomson.

Thomson put three plates on the table. He put four cookies on each plate." I like to be fair（公平） when I share," said Thomson. But Thomson was hungry. He couldn't wait until 2:00p.m. He ate up the cookies on his plate. Thomson tried to put an equal （ 相同的） number of cookies on the three plates. But he couldn't make it.

"Lucas and Mary will be angry if I am not fair." So he ate up all the cookies. Thomson looked at the clock." I must hurry to bake something nice for my friends!" he said. But Thomson only had a little flour, a little sugar and a little milk. He had one egg and nine blueberries." This was not enough to bake 12 cookies. What should I do?" asked Thomson. Suddenly he had a good idea. He put everything into a little bowl and baked it. At 2:00 p.m., his friends came on time.

"I baked two blueberry muffins（松饼） for you two," said Thomson. "But that is not fair! We want to share with you!" Lucas and Mary Said.

"Please don't give me anything. The two are for you!" In fact, he was quite full. "Thomson!" said Lucas. "How nice of you."

"You are a good friend," said Mary. "Thank you!" said Thomson.

The Flower Village is very. Now it is open to the public. People can it from Tuesday to Sunday. They can go there by bus or by. It's very convenient. But they can't go there on. Why? Because it is not that day.