📖 英文美文 · 第十九辑 📖

Starting this September, a big change is coming to Chinese schools. No more 'fast classes.' No more 'slow classes.' No more secret exams to sort kids into different levels. The new rule is called 'sunshine class placement.' All students are divided into classes fairly — often by a computer draw, right in front of parents and teachers. Everyone gets an equal start. For years, kids were quietly separated by test scores from the very first day. Some children felt like failures before school even really began. The new system says: school should be a fair race, where everyone lines up at the same starting line. What do you think of that?

Picture this: the summer holiday is over, but your homework is not finished. Do you panic? Not anymore. In many places this year, schools have a new rule called the 'late homework system.' Students who could not finish their summer homework are allowed to turn it in late — no scolding, no punishment on day one. One city even said students can hand in their work within a few weeks after school starts. Why? Because teachers realized that a child's first day should feel safe, not scary. Homework is important. But so is a child's happiness. This September, some kids can finally breathe.

Think of college freshmen, and you probably picture them going to school in September. Not anymore. Peking University welcomed new students on August 18. Tsinghua on August 19. Zhejiang University on August 21. This year, a wave of top universities moved their new student registration into August — some even before high school seniors return. Why so early? First, military training needs good weather, and August has more sunny days. Second, it spreads out the crowds, so freshmen and seniors do not arrive at the same time. And third, it gives new students time to settle in. The message is clear: the new school year is coming — a little earlier than you think.

This summer, a new kind of travel became a big hit: traveling with your textbook. Students visit the places described in their school books — the Yellow Crane Tower, the Great Wall, or the West Lake — and see the words come to life. Travel platforms said searches for 'textbook tours' grew 2.8 times in just one month. A student who visited the West Lake said, 'I used to think the poem was just words to memorize. Now I know how it feels.' This is why schools love it, too. When a lesson becomes a real place, it stays in your heart. And next time you read a poem, you might see it with new eyes.

Chen Yujie is only 17, but she just did something amazing. At the national athletics championships, she won the women's 100-meter race in 11.08 seconds — a result that sent her straight to the Asian Games. She is the youngest sprinter in China's 72-athlete team. 'My strength is that I am young and fearless,' she said. 'I will give everything on the track for my country.' For most teenagers, 17 is a year of exams and schoolwork. For Chen Yujie, it is the year she runs onto Asia's biggest stage. She reminds us that big dreams do not wait for you to grow up. You can start running — right now.

Here is something you have probably never seen at an Olympics: a cruise ship full of athletes. But at the Asian Games in Nagoya this September, around 5,000 athletes will actually sleep on a cruise ship! To save money, the organizers did not build a big athletes' village. Instead, they rented the Costa Serena, a huge cruise ship, to house athletes. Another 2,000 will stay in wooden container houses near the harbor. Some people worry it will feel crowded. Others think it sounds like a floating adventure. Imagine waking up in the morning, looking out the window, and seeing the sea before your big race. That is the Asian Games this year.

The countdown has begun. In 30 days, on September 19, the 20th Asian Games will open in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan. About 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries will take part — a scale even bigger than the Olympics. For China, the target is clear: stay on top of the medal table, like the 201 golds won at the Hangzhou Games three years ago. The team includes stars like Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, plus many young newcomers. For young athletes, this is their first taste of a big international stage. The torch is burning. The teams are ready. In 30 days, Asia will be watching.

This September, science class in China is going to change. A new national program called 'learning by doing' asks every student from grade 4 to grade 9 to complete at least one real science project each term. Not just reading a textbook. Actually doing it. Build a small water filter. Test how plants grow in different lights. Measure the temperature around your school. The program covers six themes, including health and artificial intelligence. For too long, science was something you watched your teacher do. Now, it is your turn. Get your hands dirty. Make a mistake. Try again. That is what real scientists do.

Every September, millions of Chinese students start their new school year with military training — marching, saluting, and drilling on the hot playground. But this year, some schools are changing the plan. In Changsha, several middle schools said new students will not do military training before school starts this fall. Instead, schools may arrange shorter 'welcome activities' after classes begin. Why the change? Last month, videos of students marching in 40-degree heat sparked nationwide debate. Many parents asked: why make kids suffer in the hottest days of the year? The debate is not over. But one thing is clear: schools are listening.

There is some good news for families as school starts this year: the bills are getting smaller. Many provinces have announced new education fee rules. For public compulsory schools, books and study materials are fully free — and schools are strictly banned from charging extra fees. For universities, dormitory prices have been made fairer, and some old dorms even became cheaper. Private schools now have a clear price limit and cannot raise fees in the middle of a term. Parents call it the best 'back-to-school gift' this year. Because every child deserves to learn — and no family should be crushed by the cost.

Just as schools are about to open, nature is sending a warning. Typhoon Sader has strengthened over the Pacific and may become a super typhoon within days. Forecasters say it could hit southern China around August 24 to 26 — exactly when students in Guangdong are preparing for the new term. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected. Schools are checking their roofs and windows. Parents are checking their phones for updates. A typhoon does not care about your schedule. But there is something we can learn from it: no matter how the weather is outside, life goes on. So keep your umbrella ready — and your spirit ready too.

A student stares at a blank page. The essay is due tomorrow. Instead of writing, he opens an AI app, types a few words, and gets a perfect essay in seconds. Sound familiar? This is the new reality of homework. Some students use AI to do their work — and some teachers have started using software to catch them. The debate is everywhere. 'AI is a tool, not a cheat,' some students say. 'If I learn nothing, what is the point?' teachers reply. Maybe the real question is not 'should you use AI?' but 'how do you use AI without losing yourself?' The tool is here to stay. The thinking — that part is still yours.