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MyfirstdayatseniorhighMynameisLiKang,IliveinShijiazhuang,acitynotfarfromBeijing,ItisthecapitalcityofHebeiProvince.TodayismyfirstdayatSeniorHighschoolandI’mwritingdownmythoughtsaboutit.MynewschoolisverygoodandIcanseewhy.Theteachersareveryenthusiasticandfriendlyandtheclassroomsareamazing.Everyroomhasacomputerwithaspecialscreen,almostasbigasacinemascreen.Theteacherswriteonthecomputer,andtheirwordsappearonthescreenbehindthem.Thescreensalsoshowphotographs,textandinformationfromwebsites,They’rebrilliant!TheEnglishclassisreallyinteresting.TheteacherisaveryenthusiasticwomancalledMsShen.We’reusinganewtextbookandMsShen’smethodofteachingisnothinglikethatoftheteachersatmyJuniorHighschool.Shethinksthatreadingcomprehensionisimportant,butwespeakalotinclass,too.Andwehavefun.Idon’tthinkIwillbeboredinMsShen’sclass!Todayweintroducedourselvestoeachother.Wedidthisingroups.SomestudentswereembarrassedatfirstbuteveryonewasveryfriendlyanditwasreallyniceMsShengaveusinstructionsandthenweworkedbyourselves.MsShenwantstohelpusimproveourspellingandhandwriting.Wedothisinafunway,withspellinggamesandotheractivities,Ilikeherattitudeverymuch,andthebehaviouroftheotherstudentsshowsthattheylikeher,too.Therearesixty-fivestudentsinmyclass-morethanmypreviousclassinJuniorHigh.Forty-nineofthemaregirls.Inotherwords,therearethreetimesasmanygirlsasboys.Theysaythatgirlsareusuallymorehard-workingthanboys,butinthisclass,workingthanboys,butinthisclass,everyoneishard-working.Forourhomeworktonight,wehavetowritehomeworktonight,wehavetowriteadescriptionofthestreetwherewelive.I’mlookingforwardtodoingit!MyNewTeachersTheysaythatfirstimpressionsareveryimportant.MyfirstimpressionofMrsLiwasthatshewasnervousandshy.Ithinkperhapsshewas,asitwasherfirstlessonwithus.Butnow,aftertowweeks,theclassreallylikesworkingwithher,She’skindandpatient,andsheexplainsEnglishgrammarsoclearlythatevenIcanunderstandit!Sheavoidsmakingyoufeelstupid!I’vealwayshatedmakingmistakesorpronouncingawordincorrectlywhenIspeakEnglishmbutMrsLijustsmiles,sothatyoudon’tfeelcompletelystupid!Ithinkmaybeshegoesabittooslowlyforthefasterstudents,butformeit’swonderful!IfeelI’mgoingtomakeprogresswithher.I’dguessthatMrsChenisalmostsixty.She’sverystrict—wedon’tdaretosayawordunlesssheasksusto.She’salsoveryseriousanddoesn’tsmilemuch.Whensheasksyoutodosomething.Youdoitimmediately!Thereareafewstudentsinourclasswhokeepcomingtoclasslatebutthey’realwaysontimeforMrsChen’slessons!Someofourclassdon’tlikeher,butmostofusreallyappreciateherbecauseherteachingissowellorganizedandclear.Andafewstudentsevenadmitlikingher!Duringscientificexperiments,sheexplainsexactlywhatishappeningandasaresultmyworkisimproving.Physicswillneverbemyfavouritelesson,butIthinkthatI’lldowellintheexamwithMrsChenteachingme.MrWu’sonlybeenteachingusfortwoweeksandhe’salreadyverypopular.IthinkthisisbecausehereallyenjoysteachingChineseliterature-helovesit,infact!He’sgotsomuchenergy,thisisoneclassyoudonotfallasleepin!H’sabout28,Ithink,andisrathergood-looking.Hetalksloudlyandfast,andwaveshishandsaboutalotwhenhegetsexcited.He’sreallyamusingandtellsjokeswhenhethinkswe’regettingbored.EventhingslikecompositionsandsummariesarefunwithMrWu.Irespecthimalot.MyFirstRideonaTrainMynameisAliceThompson.IcomefromSydney,AustraliaandI’m18yearsold.RecentlyIhadmyfirstrideonalong-distancetrain.Andwhataride!AfriendandItraveledonthefamousGhantrain.WegotoninSydneyandwegotoffinAliceSprings,rightinthemiddleofAustralia,morethanfourthousandkilometersaway.Wespenttwodaysandnightsonthetrain.Thetrainwaswonderfulandthefoodwasgreat.Weategreatmealscookedbyexperts!Forthefirstfewhundredkilometersofthejourneythescenerywasverycolorful.Therewerefieldsandthesoilwasdarkred.Afterthat,itwasdesert.Thesunshone,therewasnowindandtherewerenocloudsinthesky.Suddenly,itlookedlikeaplacefromanothertime.Wesawabandonedfarmswhichwerebuiltmorethanahundredyearsago.Thetrainwascomfortableandthepeoplewerenice.Duringtheday,Isatandlookedoutofthewindow,andsometimestalkedtootherpassengers.IreadbooksandlistenedtomyChinesecassettes(I’mstudyingChineseatschool).Onenight,ataboutmidnight,Iwatchedthenightskyforaboutanhour.Thestarsshonelikediamonds.WhyisthetraincalledtheGhan?Alongtimeago,Australiansneededawaytotraveltothemiddleofthecountry.Theytriedridinghorses,butthehorsesdidn’tlikethehotweatherandsand.Ahundredandfiftyyearsago,theybroughtsomecamelsfromAfghanistan.GhanisshortforAfghanistan.Camelsweremuchbetterthanhorsesfortravelingalongdistance.Formanyyears,trainedcamelscarriedfoodandothersupplies,andreturnedwithwoolandotherproducts.TheAfghansandtheircamelsdidthisuntilthe1920s.Thenthegovernmentbuiltanewrailwayline,sotheydidn’tneedthecamelsanymore.In1925,theypassedalawwhichallowedpeopletoshoottheanimalsiftheywereaproblem.In1935,thepoliceinatownshot153camelsinoneday.ALivelyCityXL:It’sgreattoseeyouagain,John.JM:It’sgreattoseeyou!It’sbeensixyearssincewelastsaweachother,youknow.AndthisisthefirsttimeI’vevisitedyourhometown.XL:Yes,I’msogladyoucouldcome.JM:Youknow.I’veseenquitealotofChinaandI’vevisitedsomebeautifulcities,butthisisoneofthemosta