U1  Back to school
Reading
Realizing your potential
Hello, everyone! Welcome to senior high school! Today is the start of a new term, the start of a three-year journey and the start of a promising future.
I can’t wait to describe to you what senio r high schoollife is like. The path before you leads to a world full of challenges: a new environment, new knowledge and new ways of thinking. However, for those of  you with a positive mind, opportunity lies in each challenge. When you rise to the challenges, you will have the opportunity to acquire great knowledge and enjoy personal growth. Most importantly, your time and effort at senior high school will open the door to your potential.
“What is potential?” you may ask. Put simply, potential is your natu ral ability that can be developed when you try hard enough. Who knows what beautiful works of art you will create, what medical advances you will make or what amazing technologies you will develop! The possibilities are endless, and I have confidence in your ability to make a difference to your family, to your community and to our
country. Over the next three years, you will discover your potential while you develop as a student and as a person.
To fully realize your potential, it is important for you to make the most of our school resources. Take advantage of your classes, learn from your teachers and classmates, and make use of our school facilities. There are also a lot of school activities for you. Join a club or two, and take an active part in different sports.
Of equal importance are good study habits, useful skills and a positive attitude. Carefully plan your study, set clear goals and balance your schoolwork with other activities. As a senior high school student, you must make efforts to improve your communication and problem-solving skills. Last but not least, always look on the bright side and never lose hope, even in difficult situations. In time you will find yourself growing into a well-rounded individual.
As Lao-Tzu wisely said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You need to make a continuous effort to train your mind and develop your character. Senior high school will help you learn and grow, yet you alone are responsible for realizing your great potential. Be confident, do your best and make us proud! Extended reading
School life in the UK
Last year, I had the chance to study at a British secondary school as an exchange student. I stayed with a lovely host family and went to school with their son, Daniel. We were both in year ten and we got on well. He is learning Chinese and will come to
The British school day begins at and ends at Students usually have to learn nine subjects at secondary school. Every student in the UK must study English, Maths and the Science subjects: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students can also choose to study other subjects, such as History, Art and Business.
The classes are different from those in China. Each teacher has their own classroom and the students move around for every lesson. In most of my classes, there were only about 20 students. In the beginning, however, it was still tough for me to remember everyone’s name!
I enjoyed most of the classes, but some of them were quite challenging. Technology classes were fun. I made a clock to take home. The teacher helped me put the parts together. I like it so much that I still use it as my alarm! I found Maths quite easy and enjoyable because the material was less advanced in the UK than in China. However, learning in English was a great challenge for me. There
were a lot of difficult English words, especially in Geography and Biology. Class discussion is very important in the UK, but I could not make a great contribution because sometimes I wasn’t able to express myself clearly in English. Although there was not as much homework as I was used to, it was still challenging. Fortunately, my teachers and classmates were always helpful and gave me lots of encouragement. My language skills improved over time.
During the hour-long lunchtime, I ate in the school dining hall. There were lots of options including bread and butter, chicken pie and puddings, but I still missed my mum’s cooking! After lunch, I often played on the school’s huge sports field  with Daniel and his friends. Sometimes we just relaxed under a tree or sat on the grass.
After school, there were many clubs to join. The one that attracted me most was the Rugby Club. We played once a week, and it was  great fun. Also, I enjoyed acting in the  Theatre Club. I still have photos of myself acting in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Joining clubs was a great way to meet British students and make friends with them.
I am glad to have the opportunity to experience this different way of life. I met some great people and learnt a lot about school life in the UK. Daniel and his family were fantastic hosts, and his friends were very nice as well. I can’t wait for Daniel to visit China!
Unit2  Let’s talk teens
Reading
Strangers under the same roof ?
Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into a battle? Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and guarded? Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye with them on anything? You are not alone. Heated arguments and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.
anxious that you are developing at a different rate to your friends, shooting up in height or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice, weight problems or spots. When it all gets too much,  your parents are often the first targets of your anger.
It can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground— no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new desire for independence and a continued need for your parents’ love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. Unfortunately, your parents do not always agree and t
hat makes you feel unhappy. “Why can’t they just let me go?” you may wonder. On the other hand, when you are struggling to control your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient—sometimes they forget that growing up is a rough ride. It  can be difficult when  your  parents treat you like a child but expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.
Although sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to keeping the peace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation from their point of view. Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain. After you have thought it through, explain your actions and feelings calmly, listen carefully, and address their concerns. Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will learn when to back down and when to ask your parents to relax their control.
Just remember that it is completely normal to struggle with the stress that parent- child tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is that this stormy period will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for adulthood.
Extended reading
Mama and her Bank Account
Every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa had brought home.
“For the rent.” Mama would count out the big silver pieces.
“For the groceries.” Another group of coins.
“I’ll need a notebook.” That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me.
Mama would put one or two coins to the side. We would watch with anxious interest. At last, Papa would ask, “Is that all?” And when Mama nodded, we could relax a little. Mama would look up and smile, “Good. We do not have to go to the Bank.” We were all so proud of Mama’s Bank Account. It gave us such a warm,secure feeling.
“It will cost a little money,” he said.
Eagerly we gathered around the table. I took down a box and laid it carefully in front of Mama. This was the “Little Bank”. It was used for sudden emergencies, such as the time when Christine broke her arm and had to be taken to a doctor.
Nels listed the costs of the things he would need. Mama counted out the money in the Little Bank. There was not enough. “We do not want to go to the Bank,” she reminded. We all shook our heads.
“I will work in Dillon’s grocery after school,” Nels volunteered.
Mama gave him a bright smile and wrote down a number. “That’s not enough,” P apa said. Then he took his pipe out of his mouth and looked at it for a long time. “I will give up smoking,” he said suddenly.
Mama reached across the table and touched Papa’s arm. Then she wrote down another figure.
“I will look after the Elvington children every Friday night,” I said. “Christine can help me.”
Now there was enough money. We all felt very good because we did not have to go downtown and draw money out of Mama’s Bank Account.
So many things came out of the Little Bank that year: Christine’s d ress for the school play, my little sister Dagmar’s operation ... Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend upon.
That was twenty years ago.
Last year I sold my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mama’s and put it i n her lap. “For you,” I said, “to put in your Bank Account.”
I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed shorter, and Mama’s hair was silver now.
“Tomorrow,” I told Mama, “you must take it to the Bank.”
“You will go with me, Katrin?”
“That won’t be necessary. Just hand it to the teller. He’ll pay it into your account.”
高中英语课文Mama looked at me. “There is no account,” she said. “In all my life, I’ve never been inside a bank.”
And when I didn’t—couldn’t—answer, Mama said seriously, “It is not good for little ones to be afraid—to not feel secure.”
Unit3  Getting along with others
Reading
Friendship on the rocks:  Please advise!
My best friend and I have been close for eight years. When I was an awkward primary school student, she was the popular girl who was willing to make friends with me. Since then, a close friendship has grown between us and she’s been almost
out at the weekend, we’re hardly out of each other’s sight. But last Saturday, she broke my heart, and I’m still picking up the pieces.
Our original plan was to see a film at the cinema that afternoon. But in the morning, my friend posted a message on social media saying she had a cold. When I called her, she said she might not be able to make it to the cinema. “Don’t worry,” I said. “Get some rest. We can wait till you get better.”
Today, however, I received a horrible surprise. A classmate told me she had seen my friend chatting with another girl in a café on Saturday afternoon. How stupid I was! My friend’s “illness” was a complete lie! Instead of recovering at home, she was out having fun with someone else.
I was so angry that I avoided her during school all day, and I still don’t feel like responding to any of her online messages. The stress of this situation is killing me, and I’m at a loss what to do next.
I’m so sorry! But this friendship is worth saving: eight years is a long time! Don’t be so quick to judge your friend. Perhaps she kn ows she’s in the wrong and wants to apologize, or maybe she has a simple explanation for her behaviour. In any case, find an opportunity to have a full and frank talk with her. Listen to what she has to say, and be sure to explain how you feel. I’m sure yo u can solve this problem together.
I definitely understand how you feel. I also had a friend whom I trusted a lot. When I found out that I was tricked by him, I was really hurt and let go of our friendship. I know you value your friendship and want your friend to value it equally. However, if your friend ignores your feelings or makes you suffer, it’s time to rethink your relationship. Talk to her and decide whether this friendship is still important to you. It’s sad to move on, but you have to accept that friends come and go in life.  Extended reading
Of friendship
As we walk the “path of life”, we may sometimes wish to be alone with our own thoughts, for quiet periods of reflection can lead to personal improvement. However, when we seek to be alone, we must be careful that we do not always escape into our own world. Social life is also important to us. More often than not, close friendships will help smooth out the sometimes
rocky road that we are all meant to travel.
As we live in social groups, there are many benefits of friendship that we can enjoy. Generally speaking, close friendships have three “fruits”: they may comfort the heart, advise the head and help us achieve the goals we set for ourselves. Through friendship, we can become happier, wiser and more satisfied humans.
The first fruit of friendship is the peace that comes from sharing with friends our joy, sadness, success and failure. Here, friendship has a double advantage—happiness takes on a greater meaning and a trouble shared becomes a trouble halved! Naturally, this kind of openness results from a close friendship. With