A primary school in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, has announced (宣布) it no longer requires parents to sign their children’s homework. China Youth Daily _____:

Putting an end to the _____ that parents sign off the homework of their children _____ the burden on many parents, as otherwise they would have to look through primary school homework after a hard day’s work. But there are _____ that if parents stop having to sign off their children’s homework, the children will not get _____ grades.

_____, the most efficient way for children to study is to develop their _____ to learn and do their own homework.

When doing homework, students practice and _____ apply what they have learned. Truly, teachers are _____ to check students’ homework and ______ their mistakes. But some parents correct their children’s mistakes by themselves when signing off it.

It is the ______ of students to do their homework, be responsible ______ their studies and correct their mistakes. Parents’ supervising (监督) their homework, checking their answers and ______ the harder problems will only make children ______ aware of their mistakes and encourage them to ______ their parents’ help when they face any problems.

Children have to manage their own learning and ______ the ability to study by themselves, as competency (能力) will not be achieved ______ a student simply repeats fixed ______ in which he is helped in school by teachers and at home by parents.

An experiment ______ by Walter Mischel in the 1960s proved that children with better self-discipline performed better in their studies and interpersonal relationships.

There is little doubt that parents’ supervision can make children’s homework better. But it does not give children the ______ to practice their ability to solve problems independently.

   Fights at school have become an increasingly familiar sight for children. You should know what to do if you are in a fight, or see a fight at school. 【小题1】

You should try to get away if you can. If you know someone is coming up behind you to attack, turn toward the person with your hands up in front of your body and loudly say “stop” before walking away. 【小题2】 If the person doesn’t stop, cry for help by calling out the name of a teacher whose office is nearby.

【小题3】 In some school areas, everyone involved in a fight can be punished, no matter who started it.

What should you do if you see a fight? You mustn’t jump in to break up a fight or help a friend. If you get involved in a fight，you may suffer injuries and punishment. 【小题4】 It’s a good choice to find an adult or call the police. Shout loudly to break up the fight or warn that an adult is coming.

【小题5】 It only provides temporary（临时的）relief for the attacker and causes more trouble. If you are concerned about fights at school, the best thing you can do is talk to an adult who will listen and take action.

   Harry Potter brings us a wonderful world of magic that has caught the imagination of millions of people on both the printed page and the silver screen with best-selling novels and popular films. However, you may be surprised to hear that children in Britain, home to the world's most popular novel Harry Potter, have a problem with reading. The problem, as far as the government, experts and many parents are concerned, is that kids are just not doing enough of it.

It's not just a question of children not reading the classics（经典作品）-difficult works by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Reading generally is in crisis（危机）in the UK. Many different reasons are gven: lack of encouragement from parents, competition from TV and the Internet and computer games. But the government and schools have not given up on the young. There are many activities to encourage kids to read more and develop children's love for reading.

The National Literacy Trust（NLT）, an organization set up by the government, has a plan called "Reading Champions". This summer Reading Champions has a challenge called "Quest Seekers". It is designed to take children into a mysterious and wonderful land where they can discover the joy of reading. The idea is to turn a trip to their local libraries into a kind of magical adventure, the kind that young readers love in the Harry Potter books.

Many older British people like myself feel sad because so few of the younger generation read books. We know that when you have a book, you will never be bored. Unlike some other school subjects like math and science, for many which will always be a necessary thing to learn rather than much fun, reading can be a real pleasure and books are lifelong friends.

   Nowadays, I acknowledge that a revolution has occurred. That much has been ___ by having hand-held iPads or smart phones that allow us not only to communicate while on the _____ but also to reserve parking spaces, get weather reports, and _____ tell us where, at any given moment, we are standing on the planet Earth.

But I must acknowledge a _____. Conversation used to be surprisingly _____ to start. When I took a seat next to someone on a train, bus, or plane, the first thing I would do was _____ the person. Once the ice had been broken, the following chat _____ erupt naturally.

Time has changed, and the change has been _____. Recently, while I was _____ a long distance bus, I couldn't help but notice everyone was staring at their ______, clicking. I found an empty seat next to a middle-aged man and said "Morning" to him. He threw me a ______ and said "Morning". Then he returned to his ______. So I left him in his world.

I miss the ______ conversations with fellow travelers. One never knows what will be ______, and in fact, sometimes how ______ it will be. I was once on a ______ traveling from Iceland to Denmark. I noticed an old man looking out over the North Sea. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said. He turned to me,______, and we were soon chatting away. _____ I told him that I didn't know how I was going to get from the port in Denmark to my destination city. He ______,"Of course you know. I have a car and I'm going to ______ you there. "