学进去

I joined a band as a drummer in my middle school. I thought it would be fun playing the drum and meeting new friends. At first it was easy, but a month later, it got _________. I was the only one who couldn’t catch up with the other _________.

Our teacher, Angie, singled me out to keep practicing _________ everyone else got to relax. I felt ashamed as my teammates watched me _________ so many times. Finally I got so tired of practicing that I didn’t care about doing it right.

“Are you giving up on me, Steve?” Angie asked.

“Yes, I am,” I _________ and ran away. Angie sent me inside the music room and said, “Don’t be sad. I believe you can make it!” She told me never to _________. She added, “Remember, it’s okay to make mistakes. That’s _________ we learn and grow as musicians.” Then she left me alone and I realized Angie was right—by giving up, I not only gave up myself but also the _________.

With her comfort, I decided to go on practicing. However, I _________ couldn’t play well.

Knowing my difficulties, my teammates gave me a __________. They spent about three more hours practicing with me every week. Thanks to their __________, I began to keep pace with them. Later, we performed __________ in an important show.

In the whole process, I was taught that we each had our own job to do in a __________, and it would take all of us working together to make the show great. I felt __________ and made great progress. I love __________ in the band, and I can’t imagine what my school life would be like without them.

Do you compare yourself to other people? Perhaps your best friend receives something you really want, or you’re not allowed to go to a concert but your brother or sister is. Even though comparisons are common and can sometimes be beneficial, focusing (专注) on your own progress is important for your happiness.

“We often compare ourselves to others who are doing better or not as well as ourselves.” says Dr. Jack. “But I suggest comparing yourself to your past self and your future self. This can make you feel proud of what you’ve achieved and excited about what you might do. Focusing on your own purposes is more worthwhile than always trying to come out on top.”

Comparing yourself to those around you is natural. It can help us to be clear about our achievements and to form friendships with people having similar interests. However, nobody is perfect in real life. It’s also important to realize how the comparison is making you feel. “If you begin to feel quite low, focus on your own strengths.” says Jack. In other words, you can ask yourself questions like “What can I do well in?”, which can help you trust yourself.

Maybe here you are wondering “What if all my friends are better than me?”. Dr. White says that jealousy (妒忌) is not bad but focusing on bettering your own work can help you feel just as successful. He also mentions that learning to celebrate your friends’ success can not only help to cheer your friends up but also help you feel good. It will encourage you to build each other up.

On June 5, 2022, China sent the Shenzhou-14 spaceship into space successfully. Cai Xuzhe, one of the three astronauts in the flight, became the first astronaut in Hebei Province to go into space to perform a space task.

Cai Xuzhe was born in 1976, in the countryside of Hebei Province. As a child, every time he heard a plane flying past, he would run outside and stare up at it till it flew away.

Cai went into an Air Force flight college in his final year at school in 1995. After graduating from college, he volunteered to work at an airport which has few pilots and poor condition. He studied and trained his flying skills there really hard. Cai became a member of China’s second-generation astronauts in May, 2010.

Since then, he has got hard training that is a big challenge to him. The training in the desert in northwest China in 2018 had a great influence on him. During the 48-hour training, he endured (忍受) heat above 40 degrees, sandstorms, heavy rain, and cold below zero degrees at night. He seemed to experience all four seasons in the 48 hours. His outstanding training performance finally made him become a member of Shenzhou-14 group.

Dreaming of flying high since childhood, Cai Xuzhe, a new face of the Shenzhou-14 group, has spent many years as an astronaut to prepare for his debut in space. “I feel proud to have this chance to go into space,” he said.

On that day, Cai Xuzhe’s hometown was boiling. The villagers beat gongs and drums in the village cultural square and celebrated lively. “I hope he will successfully complete his first space task and return safely,” Cai Xuzhe’s father said excitedly.

I’m writing to ask you come to our class for a visit. I’ve heard that you have been to the China. In our China unit, we have learned about it’s rich culture and long history. Because you have visited China some times, I would like to know if or not you have seen the old buildings there. Although we have learned a lot from the text book, but I believe your personal experiences will be a lot better than the book. Your knowledges of China can help the whole class. Could you share your experiences for us? It will be very excited and interesting. I hoped that you will think about my request and visit us as soon as possibly.

MS. Smith