Abingdon School Open Day

    The Open Day this year will be on Saturday, 1 October 2011. The Open Day is for all the family, with activities and displays(展示) about all aspects(方面) of the school. All the teachers, students and parents will attend. The day starts at 9:30 a. m. and finishes at 2:30 p.m.  You are welcome to arrive at any time during the lessons in the morning and afternoon. Please read the outline of Open Day events.

    If you can't come to the Open Day, that's all right. There are many other chances(机会) to visit Abingdon School

    St Helen School and St Katharine School Open Day will be on the same date, so you can also visit those two.

    Parking at the school on the Open Day may be limited(有限的), so you can also park your cars in Lotus Supermarket's car park.  It's just a three-minute walk away.

The map of Abingdon School can be found on the school website-www. abingdon. edu.

Hi everybody,

    We saw your names on the Penfriends list. You all said you wanted to get e-mails from the English children. So here we are!

    We live near Oxford, in the south of England. We are 11 years old (Emma) and 10 years old (Ben).

    We go to school in Oxford. Our school has 400 boys and girls between 8 and 13. We have lessons from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to, lunchtime. (School lunches are horrible! We don't like them.) After lunch, we usually have lessons or sports until 4:15. We have lessons about English, French, Maths, science, history, geography, art and some other subjects.

    Emma's favourite subjects are Maths and science. Her worst subject is geography. Ben's favourite subjects are art and French. His worst subject is Maths.

    There are three terms in a year, and we do different sports in each term.

    Autumn term: rugby(橄榄球) for boys, netball (无挡板篮球) for girls

    Winter term: football and hockey (曲棍球)

    Summer term: cricket(板球)，swimming, tennis and athletics (田径运动) We like sports but we're not very good at any of them! At home we like playing computer games, sending e mails to our friends, cycling (Emma) and photographing (Ben).

    Write and tell us about you and your schools in Egypt, Japan, Russia and Spain. Emma and Ben

    Summer vacation is coming. Attending a summer program is a good way to improve skills and make new friends. Teen Life has researched and collected the best summer activities for you. For more information, please log in www. teenlife. com.

    Snow Farm Summer

    At Snow Farm Summer, you're not a student, and you're an artist! It offers small-group, studios (工作室) led by professional artists. The studios include glass, clay, metal, drawing/ painting and printmaking. They are for the 8th- 12th graders from July 15 to July 20, 2020.

    The Ithaca Summer Music Academy (ISMA)

    ISMA provides a creative and supportive environment for young adults to grow into musicians. Our program offers rich music courses which are taught by Ithaca College teachers and top music educators from across the country.

Our program is open to Grades 7一9. It is from July 8 to July 21, 2020.

    National Teen Leadership Program (NTLP)

    Our leadership program includes leadership exercises and speech training. It will improve teens 'leadership skills.

    Our program is open to students in Grades 9- 12. Our camps this year will be held at Chapman University, July 10--12 and at Sacramento State University, July 31- August 2.

    Engineering Experience

    Have you ever wanted to build a bridge? Program a robot? Join us for a hands-on, weeklong introduction to the world of engineering at Episcopal High School. Students will use their design skills and the scientific method to solve real engineering problems.

    It is open to the 7th-9th graders and starts on July 10, 2020.

    Traffic rules help to keep order on the road. They also help to keep people s. The pedestrian (行人) has as many rules to f as the driver of a car. You should walk on the sidewalk (人行道) or at the side of the road. Always look (careful) before you walk across the street.

    If you like riding bike, don't ride in the middle of the road or run through red traffic lights. When you ride a bike w a friend, don't look around or talk.

    If you drive a car, you should s down at the traffic lights. You must always wear a seat belt (安全带), Without belts b the driver and the passengers may be badly hurt in a sudden accident.

    You may not need to take a bus, but look out if you have to travel in one. Get on or get off a bus only when it comes to a s. When it is full, don't try to get inside, o you may fall off.

    Traffic rules are also (call) Road Safety rules. The maxim (格言) for all road users is "Thinking about others".

    Two years ago, a small town in Changhua started to grow healthy rice. The healthy rice was not grown by farmers but by the students from a small primary school of only about fifty people.

    The idea of growing rice came from the school teachers. When making teaching plans, the teachers decided to teach students how to grow healthy rice on school land. They wanted the students to get closer to the land when doing the rice farming outside the classroom.

    What's better, the school made money from selling the rice and giving farming classes to the public. With the money, the school could help the students who wished to go to foreign countries some day. Today the dream is becoming real—the students are flying to Japan to share their special farming experiences, and have fun over there, of course! "We all feel very proud that even students from a small town make themselves seen in the world," said one of the teachers.

    Last week was Road Safety Week at Jason's school. All the students listened to a talk on road safety given by a police officer. The following is what the police officer said. ”

    “Most traffic accidents shouldn't happened. They happened because people were careless. They drove too fast. This means that if they had to stop suddenly, they couldn't stop the car at once and hit other cars or people. You need to remember this when you are walking across the street or along the sidewalk.”

    “It's not only drivers who cause accidents. People who walk or ride bikes often cause accidents, too. People sometimes walk out into the street without looking. You should always look on ways before walking into the street. ”

    “Does any of you ride a bike? Bikers can cause accidents by changing directions suddenly without warning other road users. Before you turn left, for example, you should check behind you to make sure there aren't any cars, trucks or buses coming. You should show with your left hand if you want to turn left. You should not turn until the street is clear. ”

    “The traffic rules are very simple. If we learn them and obey them, there won't be traffic accidents any more. ”

    As the host city of the next Winter Games, Beijing held a wonderful eight-minute show at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics, sending a warm invitation to the whole world.

    The show was directed by Zhang Yimou, a famous Chinese director who was also responsible for the eight-minute summer handover in Athens in 2004 as well as the opening and closing ceremonies in Beijing in 2008 that had a big success in the world.

    Unlike Athens which focused on showing Chinese history with traditional culture like red lantern and jasmine(茉莉花), "Beijing 8 Minutes" gave special importance to the Chinese people's sincere welcome to the world by using modern technology.

    Leading the team were two dancers in costumes of panda puppets that are the world's largest but the lightest at the same time, each weighing only about 10 kilograms. To reduce the pressure on the two dancers, researchers had tried hundreds of different materials until ending up with high-technology ones.

    During the whole performance, the dancers and robots both wore LED lights on them that could be fit for the cold weather at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium without the risks of breaking. The costumes were also made with a kind of special material to keep the dancers warm.

    Performers danced with 24 intelligent robots – standing for Beijing hosting the 24th Winter Olympics. They showed scenes of sports such as skating and skiing.

    Pictures were projected to the icy floor while dancers skated across it, making a sense of augmented reality(增强现实). A number of moving screens in the middle of the field were also controlled by artificial intelligence(人工智能).

    Funny things may happen in different places around the world. Yes. Every year, it was held by the Oxford and the Cambridge in late March or early April on the Thames River, England. This boat race is as famous as the two oldest universities in Britain.

    It came from two friends—Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his friend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. They decided to set up a boat race between the two universities. On March 12, 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford first.

    The first boat race took place in a small town in Thames. Crowds of twenty thousand traveled to watch. It was so exciting. And the Oxford was clear winners. Later on, not only did the students from the two universities take part, but also some social groups attended the event. By 1845, with the small town becoming too crowded, the boat race had moved six miles up to the village—Putney. This boat race is considered to be "the world's oldest sporting challenge".

    The race is four and a quarter miles in just 20 minutes and the competitors often face difficulties. In the past, the Oxford was mostly the winners. But things have changed from 1993 on. The Cambridge has won more.

There are a number of travelers to Japan every year and they can choose different ways of transportation to travel around this beautiful country. One of 1 ways is by train. Here are some suggestions2may help you have a comfortable train journey in Japan.

While you are waiting for a train, you should stand behind the yellow line. That's because the platforms(站台) can be narrow(狭窄的), and it's dangerous 3 you to go over the line.

Nowadays, many Japanese trains have special women-only cars(车厢). It means that only women 4 to get in. So you have to pay attention to the signs before getting in the train.

On the train, there are usually special seats for elderly people. However, even if you are not sitting in one of these seats, it's polite 5 up and give your seat to elderly passengers.

In the rush hour(交通高峰期), the trains can be very crowded, 6 don't put your bag on the floor or on the seat next to you. Sit with your bag or put it under your seat.

Japanese trains are usually quiet. Passengers generally won't speak on the phone because they don't want to make trouble to other passengers. For the same reason, you 7 talk loudly.

And finally, make sure you have 8 map of the train lines. There are 9 stations in Tokyo, and it's easy to get lost! If you have any problems, the staff at the train stations 10happy to help you. So don't worry too much.

There are always some helpful people who take care of others as volunteers. For example, some high school and university students often spend many hours volunteering in hospitals, orphanages(孤儿院) or old people's homes in their free time. They read books or the newspapers for the sick people, play games with them and tell jokes for fun. Other young people volunteer to help some old people. They help paint, clean up, repair their houses or cut the grass.

To help teenagers, there are a number of clubs where boys and girls can go to play games or learn some skills. The clubs often offer the problem teenagers some chances to watch movies or have short trips to the mountains, the beaches, museums or other places of interest. Most volunteers there are high school and college students because they are young enough to remember the problems of younger boys and girls.

The volunteers always get excited about helping others. The volunteers help make people less worried and forget their problems and understand the happiness in their life. They say they can learn a lot from the experiences. The volunteers also believe that the happiest people in the world are those who help to bring happiness and kindness to others.

Recently, Chongqing Three Gorges University has held an activity named "Cell Phone Ninja" (手机忍者). They would like their students not to use cell phones for 21 days. It is really a challenge (挑战) for most students.

The activity started on April 12. Each student who volunteered to take part in this activity got a bracelet (手环). If the students did not use their cell phones, there would be a photo on the screen of the bracelet to show that. If they used their cell phones, a different photo would appear on the screen of the bracelet. After the last class of each day, the students sent the photos to the school's public Wet Chat.

More than 800 students wished to take part in this test, and 400 were chosen. After seven days, only 103 students remained. The test was set for 21 days because some scientists believe that 21 days is long enough to help form (形成) a habit.

According to the teachers in the university, the activity was not a competition. It depended on students themselves to make the decision. The teachers hoped their students could form better study habits through activities like this one.

You may see people in need on the news after a typhoon. Perhaps you've walked past homeless people on the streets. Or maybe you've come across lost dogs and wished you could give them a home.

The answer is to be volunteers! Volunteering means spending some of your free time and energy to help others. December 5'is International Volunteer Day. It calls for people around the world to volunteer to help those in need.

People volunteer to help others in many ways. Volunteers visit homes of old people and sick children. They read books to them and chat with them. In Shenzhen, school students volunteer to teach children with brain diseases. Their classes include painting and learning numbers.

For example, many children in China volunteer to become narrators(讲解员) in museums. They need to receive history and communication lessons first, so they can tell the stories behind works of art to visitors.

A person can also volunteer to protect the environment.

Although volunteering lakes up our time, it shows our care for others. When people get your help, you will find your life more meaningful.

We don't have special skills but all of us can be special people. Why? we can volunteer. Mary, a Canadian girl, was sad because she had a heart problem. Her classmates were trying to1her up. However, they couldn't, because she was so2 that she needed lots of money to have an operation(手术). Her parents3 to get help from the public. A TV station soon4 a call-in center for Mary. Many people called and offered to help Mary5. At the same time, Mary's classmates donated money, and some of them even handed out flyers (传单)6 Mary's story at a local supermarket. All above helped Mary a lot. Mary and her parents really appreciated(感激)7hard work.

There are lots of8 for us to volunteer. The National Games in Shenyang, for example, needed thousands of volunteers. And volunteers are also 9 in local hospitals, old people's home, and so on. We can also help homeless people and10people or volunteer to clean up parks. Volunteering is not only a great way to help people, but also a great way to make new friends, to learn new skills, and to have fun.

The Dragon Boat Festival is very popular in China. It comes on the fifth day of the fifth month according to Chinese calendar. On that day, people eat special food-zongzi. It is also known for dragon boat races. The dragon boat race is the most popular activity during the festival, especially in South China. A dragon boat looks like a dragon, and is painted in red, white, yellow or black. Usually, a dragon boat is twenty to forty meters long, and needs twenty people to row. Boatmen row the boat in cadence(节奏)with the drumbeats, as the captain in the front of the boat waves a small flag to help coordinate(协调)the rowing.

The dragon boat race is quite a spectacle(壮观). Now it becomes a popular activity in South China.

International dragon boat race is held in Guangzhou and Hong Kong every year.

Volunteering is fun and meaningful, but if you want to be a good volunteer, you need to learn more.

*Be well−trained. If you need to learn about your job, begin to do it at once. If you're good at your job, it will be easier to help others.

* Work as part of a team and make sure everyone works together and shares the work. If someone asks for help, just give a hand. If you need some help, ask politely for it.

*Be understanding.

*Be friendly. To be a volunteer, you might meet new people who want to make friends with you. You might just meet someone who becomes a friend for the rest of your life.

After a long and cold winter, spring is finally here! Trees turn green. Flowers come out. Animals go out to play. People go outside and enjoy the warm weather. Are you still staying inside, playing with your mobile phone or computer? It's time to go out and look for some fun things in springtime

Hiking

Spring is a great time to see nature and get some exercise. Hiking will help you do both. You can take a long walk in the countryside, up a hill or through a forest. The walk can be tiring, but it's good for your hear and bones(骨骼).

Flying kites

What is the best spring activity to free your eyes and neck from screens? Flying kites! On a sunny day with a good gentle wind. it's exciting to see hundreds of kites flying in the sky. if you want to see lots of colorful kites, you can go to Weifang in Shandong. The city holds an international (国际的) kite festival on the third Saturday in April every year.

Viewing lowers

With the blooming(盛开)of beautiful flowers, spring is a feast(盛宴) for your eyes, You can enjoy flowers at a park or take a weekend trip to other cities to see flowers shows. For example, Luoyang in Henan is famous for peonies(牡丹), Wuyuan in Jiangxi for rapeseed flowers(油菜花). Wuhan in Hubei for chem blossoms. Jinchuan in Sichuan for pear flowers, and Linzhi in Tibet for peach blossoms.

We work for Second Chance Animal Services which is an organization. We provide food and cover for homeless dogs and cats. We need volunteers to complete our tasks. So volunteers with different skills are welcome. You may go to www. scanimals. com/new to apply to (申请) become a volunteer. After checking your application form, we will give you a call to discuss your job.

Popular volunteer programs

Dog's Day Out

After completing our dog care training, volunteers can take part in our new Dog's Day Out program. You will take one of our dogs out for a field trip. The program hopes to give the dogs more chances to meet more people. Maybe some of them would like to adopt (收养) them. The program will also give you the chance to get some dog time, if you don't have your own dog.

Dogs can be picked up from Monday to Saturday, beginning at 10 am. You should spend at least two hours on your field trip. You must return no later than 4 pm on Fridays and 5 pm on other days. We will provide you with everything you need for your trip. For example, we will offer a list of dog-friendly businesses to visit. Please visit www. scanimals. com/ddo for more information.

Everyday work

Volunteers need to clean the place where dogs live twice a day. And you need to walk our dogs and play with them. The cats especially love this one-on-one time. And volunteers also need to write monthly news. Please visit www. scanimals. com/opp to see the full list.

Thank you for thinking about volunteering with Second Chance Animal Services. Welcome to join us!

Being Good Pet Owners

Do you like animals? Do you have any pet dogs? Having dogs at home is great fun but taking good care of them isn't an easy job. Here are some tips for you.

You need to have a feed schedule first, then follow it. Give your dogs enough food and fresh water.

You should pick up any food or clean water that is out of their food bowls in order to keep their food areas clean.

You should walk them every day. If your dogs are puppies, you should only walk them 5-10 minutes a day.

You should spend at least ten to fifteen minutes a day playing with your dogs so they fee loved. You can use pet toys to play with them.

You should work with your parents to teach your pet dogs to sit, stay, and come when called. You should also learn how to calm your dogs down when someone is at the door.