Teenage Life
Each chunk with a gaokao-style example sentence
What|Describing facts, scenes and experiences
1.1Freshman Challenges on Campus
①feel confused about the new school life—find it hard to understand a completely new environment
e.g. I thought my pronunciation was the problem, so I explained again more slowly, but he still looked confused. (2024新课标Ⅰ卷)
②face the challenge of a heavier workload—deal with much more difficult schoolwork than before
e.g. Many freshmen find the heavier workload a real challenge.（自编）
③find the lessons quite challenging—think the new courses are difficult but worth trying
e.g. Emma says it's challenging to be a health expert, because people can be easily influenced by advertisements that lack scientific support. (2022新高考Ⅰ卷)
④struggle to become fluent in English—try hard to speak English smoothly and correctly
e.g. She signed up for the English corner to become more fluent.（自编）
⑤adapt to a completely new environment—get used to an unfamiliar place little by little
e.g. It took me a month to adapt to life in senior high.（自编）
⑥miss the days in junior high school—remember the happy time in one's first school with longing
e.g. In my memory, it is Youth that accompanies me through my whole high school. (2021新高考Ⅰ卷)
1.2Extra-curricular Activities on Campus
①sign up for extra-curricular activities—apply to join clubs outside regular class time
e.g. Over sixty freshmen signed up for extra-curricular activities this term.（自编）
②work as a volunteer for the community—help others willingly without asking for any pay
e.g. Volunteers will wash, cut, and freeze or dry them for use in meals down the road. (2022新高考Ⅰ卷)
③debate hot topics with classmates—discuss different opinions in a formal, organized argument
e.g. We debated whether teenagers should bring smartphones to school.（自编）
④prefer ballet to football—enjoy watching or doing ballet more than playing football
e.g. She prefers ballet to football because dancing makes her graceful.（自编）
⑤take an advanced literature course—choose a higher-level class about books and reading
e.g. My teacher recommended that I take an advanced literature course.（自编）
⑥balance study and hobbies properly—arrange time fairly between lessons and personal interests
e.g. As I am about to begin my college life, I would rank sleep, study and socializing in that order of importance. (2026新课标Ⅰ卷)
1.3Growing into Adults
①become more independent from parents—learn to do things without one's parents' help
e.g. According to Charlotte Markey, a professor of psychology, food is one of the rare subjects where, as parents, saying less is more. (2025年1月浙江卷)
②behave like a responsible adult—act in a mature and reliable way
e.g. Volunteering taught me to behave like a responsible adult.（自编）
③take responsibility for one's own choices—accept the results of what one has decided
e.g. I encourage my daughter to make healthy snack choices and often dissuade (劝阻) her from a second dessert. (2025年1月浙江卷)
④explore personal interests and goals—discover what one truly likes and wants to be
e.g. We played kick ball in the empty lot, caught snapping turtles in the creek, and spent many an afternoon exploring the woods. (2026新课标Ⅰ卷)
⑤go through the teenage years—experience the period between childhood and full adulthood
e.g. As I move through my college years, I look forward to the visits to my little hometown. (2026新课标Ⅰ卷)
⑥be attracted to fresh ideas—feel strongly interested in new ways of thinking
e.g. Some birds are attracted to the poles. (2025年1月浙江卷)
Why|Interpersonal metafunction — opinions, values, pros and cons, stance
2.1Value of School Life
①shape one's character and confidence—build a strong personality and belief in oneself
e.g. She brought specially-trained dogs to special education schools and helped children to build confidence. (2022新高考Ⅰ卷)
②lay a solid foundation for the future—prepare well for the studies and life ahead
e.g. First, sleep is the foundation of a healthy and productive life. (2026新课标Ⅰ卷)
③develop lifelong friendships—build friendships that last for many years
e.g. We developed lifelong friendships through the volunteer project.（自编）
④broaden one's horizons beyond textbooks—learn knowledge and ideas outside school books
e.g. Making friends helps us broaden our horizons and improve communication skills. (2026新课标Ⅰ卷)
⑤discover one's true potential—find out what one is really able to do
e.g. The adventure camp helped me discover my true potential.（自编）
⑥prepare teenagers for adult life—get young people ready for grown-up duties
e.g. Extra-curricular activities prepare teenagers for future adult life.（自编）
2.2Risks of Bad Habits
①be addicted to online games—spend too much time gaming and cannot stop
e.g. Some teenagers stay up late because they are addicted to games.（自编）
②focus too much on grades—care only about marks and nothing else
e.g. Emotional intelligence, with its focus on both head and heart, may serve to point us in the right direction. (2021新高考Ⅰ卷)
③quit useful hobbies for extra homework—stop helpful interests because of too much schoolwork
e.g. Never quit useful hobbies simply because of extra homework.（自编）
④lose interest in outdoor movement—no longer want to do sports or exercise outside
e.g. Some students get so interested in gardening that they bring home seeds to start their own vegetable gardens. (2023新课标Ⅱ卷)
⑤waste the golden time of youth—spend the best years of life on nothing valuable
e.g. Playing on phones all day wastes the golden time of youth.（自编）
⑥put off important tasks again and again—keep delaying what should be done first
e.g. He kept putting off the plan and finally missed the deadline.（自编）
2.3Attitude and Stance
①I firmly believe that ...—I am completely sure that this is true
e.g. I walked into class believing that writing is important as a means of communication. (2025新课标Ⅰ卷)
②as far as I am concerned—speaking only for myself, this is my opinion
e.g. As far as I am concerned, volunteering is worth the time.（自编）
③there is no denying that ...—it is clear and nobody can argue against it
e.g. There is no denying that the Internet attracts teenagers easily.（自编）
④it makes sense to ...—it is reasonable and wise to do so
e.g. It makes sense to make a study schedule before exams.（自编）
⑤from my point of view—the way I personally see the situation
e.g. From a 21st-century point of view, the printed book is certainly ancient, but it remains as interactive as any battery-powered e-reader. (2023新课标Ⅱ卷)
⑥play an important role in ...—have a great influence on something
e.g. Habitat Restoration Team volunteers play a vital role in restoring sensitive resources and protecting endangered species across the ridges and valleys. (2024新课标Ⅰ卷)
How|Textual metafunction — solutions, actions and cohesion
3.1Making Suitable Schedules
①make a suitable weekly schedule—plan the week's study and activities in a workable way
e.g. I made a suitable weekly schedule for study and clubs.（自编）
②set clear goals for each term—decide exactly what to achieve this term
e.g. Setting clear goals keeps freshmen moving forward.（自编）
③focus on one task at a time—put all attention into a single job
e.g. The research team focused on a large urban park. (2023新课标Ⅱ卷)
④balance study and extra-curricular activities—give fair time to lessons and clubs
e.g. A good schedule balances study and extra-curricular activities.（自编）
⑤take regular breaks to stay focused—rest from time to time to keep attention strong
e.g. The team focused only on three common types polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene and they didn't study other chemicals previously found in water such as vinyl chloride. (2025新课标Ⅰ卷)
⑥keep a diary to review the day—write down daily events and check one's progress
e.g. Initially, I used the online platform as a diary, something to look back on, giving me a sense of achievements and keeping me motivated and moving forward. (2024新课标Ⅰ卷)
3.2Finding Solutions and Support
①come up with practical solutions—think of useful ways to solve problems
e.g. This absorbing new book by Catriona Campbell is a practical roadmap addressing the challenges posed by the forthcoming AI revolution (变革). (2024新课标Ⅱ卷)
②turn to experts for advice—ask knowledgeable people for helpful suggestions
e.g. We've been fortunate to have got good advice from some famous athletes on how to improve our skills and build up our body. (2022新高考Ⅰ卷)
③recommend suitable courses to freshmen—advise new students which classes fit them best
e.g. Senior students recommended suitable courses to us freshmen.（自编）
④communicate openly with parents and teachers—talk honestly with adults about one's problems
e.g. We have students who say they went home and talked to their parents and now they're eating differently," Jaramillo says. (2023新课标Ⅱ卷)
⑤learn from senior students' experience—follow the useful lessons older students share
e.g. I learned a lot from senior students' experience.（自编）
⑥join study groups to help each other—study together with classmates and support one another
e.g. The core (核心) of your relationship is that you will always be there to help each other. (2022新高考Ⅰ卷)
3.3Text Organisation
①first of all—to begin with — introduces the first point in order
e.g. First of all, freshmen should learn to manage their time.（自编）
②what's more—in addition — adds another supporting point
e.g. What's more, extra-curricular activities build confidence.（自编）
③as a result—therefore — shows the outcome of something
e.g. Program evaluations show that kids eat more vegetables as a result of the classes. (2023新课标Ⅱ卷)
④on the one hand ... on the other hand—introduces two different sides of one issue
e.g. On the one hand, clubs are fun; on the other hand, they take time.（自编）
⑤in short—to sum up — gives a brief conclusion at the end
e.g. In short, a suitable schedule makes school life much easier.（自编）
⑥obviously—clearly — marks a fact that is easy to see
e.g. Obviously, teenagers need both study and rest.（自编）
