Summer can be very hot in southern Taiwan where the temperature usually goes up to 32"C or more. Because of the heat it is a trying experience to go to school or do anything else in a place that is not air-conditioned. Also because of this I stay at home most of the time during the summer vacation and only occasionally go to the beach to plunge myself into the cool water as a way to keep my body less sticky. Actually I like swimming and think nothing is more refreshing than a swim. In the summer vacation that has just ended I went swimming many times with my classmates and we all had a good time. This summer vacation, however, was not spent entirely in seeking fun. As a second-year senior student I had to prepare myself for the college entrance examinations that were only a year away. In other words, I must find time to study, too. So I divided my time between work and play during the summer vacation and derived much benefit from this arrangement.
I spent this summer vacation in quite a different way. I used to run about every day in previous summer vacations, but this summer vacation I simply could not afford to do so. I would soon be in the last year of my high-school education and would after graduation be up against the college entrance examinations. Though those examinations were still a year away, I had to start early to make myself well prepared by reviewing all those things I had learned at school and this summer vacation was the ideal time for me to do this. At first I was rather dismayed at the thought of this, but later I thought it was better this way because by working hard this summer I could count on endless happy summers to come. With this in mind I then set to work like anything and only occasionally went out for a change or did some physical. I was not at all bored by this kind of life, for I was sustained by a hope.
The summer vacation had come round again. I was happy that I could forget about school at least for a while. Lest I fool around all through this summer vacation, I made a plan as to how to spend it. First, I thought I should go over all those things my teachers taught in the previous term so that I could have a better understanding of them. Then I thought I should take up some forms of exercise, such as walking, running and rowing, to keep me physically strong. It stood to reason that with such a good plan I should make the best of my vacation time. I did, because I lived up to what I had planned.
