13．Get Out of the Crowd and Reach New Heights
　　John and his friends decided to go mountain climbing in the Swiss Alps. When they reached one of the famous mountains, they were surprised to see many people already climbing it. John and his friends put on their gear (装备) and started climbing. In no time at all, they reached the top of the mountain.
　　His friends thought they could (1)       there for some time and then go back. Then John saw another mountain that only a handful of people were trying to climb. He told his friends, "Let's go and climb that mountain instead of camping here. It will be fun and (2)      !" A friend replied, "No way. It seems very difficult to climb and only a few people are climbing it now."
　　John wanted to take on the challenge and started walking toward the mountain. Two hours later he reached the top. The people at the top (3)       John with a round of applause (掌声). John was very happy to see the beautiful views of (4)      .
　　He then started talking with people, "This mountain is not so difficult to climb. So why are there so many people below us? If people could reach that peak (顶峰), they can reach this one if they put in some (5)      !"
　　An experienced climber smiled and said, "Most people in the crowd down there are happy with what they find easy. They don't think that it is possible to (6)       more. Even people who aren't happy down there don't want to take any risks. They think that if they take risks, they will (7)       what they already have. The reality is, to reach a new peak, you just need effort. Many of them do not show any (8)       and they remain part of the crowd their whole life. They also complain about the handful of courageous people by saying that they're just lucky!"
　　After hearing this, John thanked the experienced climber for explaining the importance of courage in life.

14．　　After-school clubs are a great way to help kids develop themselves in different areas. They will serve kids well throughout their lives.

15．　　It was Saturday and Juan was going to his friend's house for the day. He was so excited. He thought it would be fun to bring some video games to play with his friend, Tom.
　　Tom lived on the other side of the town and did not own any video games. He didn't really ever play them, but he didn't want to tell Juan. He was afraid Juan would tell the other kids at school. When Juan arrived and suggested playing video games, Tom looked a bit uncomfortable.
　　"I thought we could go outside and play tag or hide-and-seek," said Tom.
　　"I don't usually play such kind of games," said Juan.
　　"Well, we don't have a television or a computer because my parents don't have much money, and we can't afford those extra things, so I usually play old-fashioned games, like tag or hide-and-seek, or dodgeball. Would you please not tell anyone at school that we are poor?" asked Tom.
　　"You shouldn't worry about what other people think," Juan told Tom. "I'm sure the games you play are just as fun as video games."
　　The two boys went outside and began playing hide-and-seek. Tom's parents had a big backyard with many cool places to hide. Juan and Tom played for over an hour! After lunch, they played tag. Juan had so much fun. "I should play these games more often," he said to Tom.
　　Three o'clock came and Juan's mom was there to pick him up. On their way back home, Juan told his mom about not having a television or a computer at Tom's home. He also told her that he learned to play some great games.
　　"Sweetie, there are plenty of ways to have fun without video games. When I was growing up, we played hopscotch," Juan's mom said.
　　"What's hopscotch?" asked Juan.
　　"I'll show you when we get home. You will like it." When they got home, Juan's mom showed him how she played hopscotch.
　　"That looks like fun!" said Juan. "Now I have another game to add to my list."
　　Juan never told anyone at school that Tom was poor, but thought to himself that Tom was rich in kindness and honesty.

16．　　Some people are worried that wearing masks will have a bad effect on children's ability to learn language and socialize. Even parents often worry about how a school year without smiles might negatively (消极地) influence their children.
　　These worries are understandable, but according to Dr. Danovitch, a research psychologist, who studies the cognitive (认知的) and social development of children, wearing a mask at school could improve certain social and cognitive skills, helping to strengthen abilities like self-control and attention. Take language learning as an example. It's true that masks cover our mouths and that seeing mouth shape and movement helps babies learn language. But learning how to communicate involves a lot more than mouths. Looking at eyes is at least as important as looking at mouths to understand the people you are looking at and what they are trying to express. Children also make use of other signs to figure out what new words mean and what other people are thinking. A classroom full of people wearing masks is a great chance for children to practice paying attention to those signs, such as a classmate's tone of voice or a teacher's body language.
　　Wearing a mask can also help teach children to pay more attention to their own bodies and physical behaviors. Keeping a mask on over the course of a school day involves the kind of self-control that many children find challenging. Needless to say, children will not always be perfect at keeping their masks on, but they have to be mindful of when their masks are slipping down or when it is OK to take them off. The research on self-control suggests that children who master the skills needed to keep their masks on will grow up to be better at achieving their long-term goals.
　　Perhaps most importantly, wearing masks during a pandemic (流行病) is a chance for children to practice caring for their community. A recent study shows that children understand the spread of illness better than ever. Wearing a mask gives young children the ability to do something to help protect other people. For older children, mask-wearing is a way to teach them about duty and sacrifice (牺牲). They believe that it feels good to make sacrifices for people in need. Stressing that the discomfort and inconvenience of mask﹣wearing are forms of caring and public service might encourage children to address other social problems in their lives.
　　In fact, how children feel about wearing masks at school, and how much they benefit from wearing them, are going to depend on how the parents, teachers and caregivers around them present the topic. Masks are hopefully not here to stay, but while they are still necessary, we should make the most of them.

17．　　This high school term was supposed to be easier. That is the thought in my mind — after all, this is the first term that I'm taking less than 20 credits (学分), and I'm enjoying all of my classes. However, this term has felt the most difficult and my grades are much worse than they were when I was taking two more classes.
　　I could blame (怪罪) it on the fact that I've been busy working in several school clubs and practicing for a school musical several times a week. Actually, it is important that I don't overlook (忽视) that because it wouldn't be fair to myself to say it doesn't play a part in my low grades. However, it's clearly not the only reason. In fact, study has never been easy for me.
　　I thought that putting in more effort would change things, but it hasn't. The exam I studied for hours on comes back a failure. I fall asleep while working on homework and forget to hand it in. I sit in class taking lots of notes, and when I look back at them to do my homework, it all reads as gibberish. I start to realize that maybe some of the work I do is just hard.
　　I'm learning that it's okay not to be the best at the work that you do. When you're used to being naturally good, it's hard to realize that throwing the same amount (数量) of effort at something that is more difficult won't just automatically (自动地) work.
　　However, we shouldn't feel bad about that. Even though we're here for learning, there are so many things to spend our time on. I think of the things I want as all having a price, and the amount that I would like to pay at any given time changes, as does the price. It's not to say that you should stop working hard, but it's good to keep in mind that sometimes the price just might be too high for you at a given time.
　　You don't have to do everything perfectly, even if it looks easy, and you're allowed to deal with knowledge that just doesn't make sense to you. This is the time to learn how to keep on keeping on. We will be the best of ourselves once we learn that being our best isn't a precondition to learning.

18．　　Even the most confident performers can suffer from stage fright (怯场). Stage fright is common for everyone from Broadway actors to experienced presenters. If you have stage fright, then you may start to feel nervous, shaky, or even completely frightened at the thought of performing in front of an audience. But don't worry — you can deal with your stage fright by training your body and mind to relax and trying a few tips.
①Fake (假装) confidence.
Even if your heart is racing, just act like the coolest person in the world. Walk with your head high and a big smile on your face, and don't tell anyone how nervous you are. Keep this posture (姿势) when you get on the stage and you'll actually start to feel confident.
②Create a ritual (仪式).
Come up with an effective ritual for the day of your performance. This could be a five-kilometer jog on the morning of your performance, the same "last meal" before your performance, or even singing a certain song in the shower or putting on your lucky socks. Do whatever you have to do to lead yourself toward success.
　　A lucky charm is also a great part of a ritual. It could be a necklace that's important to you, or a silly stuffed animal like a teddy bear that cheers you on from your dressing room.
③Think positively (积极地).
Think about all of the possible amazing results of your presentation or performance instead of everything that could go wrong. Fight every negative thought with five positive ones. Keep a small card with encouraging words in your pocket, or do whatever you need to do to focus on all of the benefits that the performance will give you.
④Get advice from a professional performer.
If you have friends who have experienced performing, ask for their advice. You may learn some new tips and will be comforted by the fact that everyone gets stage fright, no matter how confident he or she may appear on stage.

19．题目①
5月18日是国际博物馆日，今年的主题是“博物馆的力量”(The Power of Museums)．
假如你是李华，你校英语社团要开展线上国际交流活动，其公众号正在进行关于中国博物馆的系列推送。请你用英语给公众号留言，推荐一个你喜欢的中国博物馆，对其做简要介绍并说明推荐理由。
提示词语：exhibition, exciting, history, provide, make, learn
提示问题：
● What is your favorite museum in China?
● What is the museum like?
● Why do you like it?
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20．题目②
生活有酸甜苦辣，我们的情绪也有喜怒哀乐。合理的情绪管理有助于我们认识自我，并逐步提升。
某英文网站正在开展以“学会管理情绪”为主题的征文活动。假如你是李华，请用英语写一篇短文投稿，谈谈生活中自己的经历，分享一个你管理情绪的故事，以及你的收获。
提示词语：sad, angry, control, calm, think, lesson
提示问题：
● What experience can you share about managing your emotion?
● What have you learned from it?
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