I have a coffee machine in my room that wakes me up with a fresh cup at 8:30. Then I go to the gym in my house for a two-hour workout. Once I've showered and eaten breakfast, I'll do interviews or film TikTok videos for a few hours.

I used to live a tiring life. I was always on the road. Last year I only spent 60 days at home and caught at least 200 flights. Being able to wake up in my own bed every day has been the pursuit of my life.

I didn't predict I'd get so into TikTok, but now I have 34 million followers. I film challenges and dances. It has 130 million views, which is crazy. I've a lot of kids that are followers, so my content is normally light and fun, and I want people to be aware of what's going on in the world. I'm hopeful about the future.

I spend most of the day brainstorming ideas or thinking about music. I wrote my latest song, Take You Dancing. It's about dancing at home rather than in the club. When I was four, I decided that I wanted to be a singer and then I realized that as a young man that meant I had to work harder than anyone else. For the longest time I would look at successful people and try to become successful like them. But it's exhausting and it's not authentic.

I can spend all night in my studio, which is in the basement, coming up with beats and songs. Songs are a universal language. No matter where you're from, you can feel something. I love making music.

The best toys of your childhood are everybody else's. I recall the impressive collections of my toys. There was the Matchbox garage passed down from Mum, my toy soldiers and wooden palace. I can imagine these things in detail. But it's only when I get to remember Ben Walker's space hopper, or Neil Savla's roller skates, or Olly Sloboda's copy of the board game Mysteries of Old Pecking that I realize my friends all had cooler toys than me.

I bring this up because my son was recently eager to get one of his friend's toys: one called a Stomp Rocket. It's marketed as a "science toy", because it teaches kids about air pressure, but, really, it's just a big rocket launcher that's good for groups of children to play with to see who can jump the hardest and make the rocket go the highest. My son Harvey immediately became obsessed with it, continuously begging me to buy one for him.

I refused, partly because I thought he could play with his friends, and partly because £20 for a plastic tube is too expensive! If I really put my mind to it, I could probably create one. Furthermore, I was concerned that if I met his demands, Harvey would soon ask for the same remote-controlled car and plane.

So, I told Harvey that if I bought him a Stomp Rocket, he'd soon be bored with it. But then I thought, perhaps that £20 would be well-spent if it taught him a valuable lesson. If I bought Harvey his own Stomp Rocket, he'd be tired of it and realize that his own toys are actually just as good as everyone else's. Then I bought one two months later.

And every weekend since, whatever the weather, he has asked to play with his Stomp Rocket. He wasn't tired of it, but the opposite: he is now developing new ways of playing. I was wrong this time.

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving Day meant a houseful of people. So when it looked as if my husband, Don, and I were going to be eating alone, it just seemed natural to invite Justin, an international student from China.

A few days later Justin called to ask if he might invite two of his student friends—one from Korea, one from Iran. The more, the merrier. "They won't be the most traditional Thanksgiving guests," Don said. In my experience it was the nontraditional guest that made the party.

In our family it was my aunt Esther. Nothing about her was traditional! Seated around the table with Justin and his friends, I found myself reminiscing (回忆) about the Thanksgiving when Aunt Esther made her famous chicken soup for our family.

"Cooking was the one area where Aunt Es was the plain one," I explained. "That's where her sisters—my mother and Aunt Julia—were the stars. But everyone brought a dish." Every year, Aunt Es asked what she should bring. Then her sisters exchanged glances before saying, "Chips and dip will be fine." Aunt Es always agreed, reminding them that if she wanted to, she could make something great.

"Like her special chicken soup," I told our guests. "I didn't think chicken soup was special in America," said Justin's friend from Korea. "This one definitely was," Don said. He knew the story.

Aunt Es sighed with satisfaction in the kitchen, and then went out, wineglass in hand, to greet everyone. The sisters lifted the lid. And there it was: the chicken. "A whole chicken," I told the group. Justin, his friends, and even Don burst out laughing. "My mother and her sister both got to work cutting up the chicken while Aunt Es entertained the hungry crowd. They gave thanks for Aunt Esther's soup."

Our guests enjoyed my family's Thanksgiving story—truly American. Perhaps Aunt Es' story is spreading joy and laughter in China, Korea and Iran. Aunt Es was right. Her soup was something special.

The first day of school is important for the whole year and it's totally normal to feel nervous. But don't worry! There are some things you can do to make your first day go smoothly.

Lay out your clothes and school supplies so they're ready to go. Gather your school uniform and lay it out beside your bed so you can quickly get dressed. ①______

Eat a nutritious and filling breakfast to fuel up. ②______ Snack on some fruit and vegetables as well. If you feel too nervous to eat, try to at least get some toast or a piece of fruit so you've got something to help you make it until lunch.

Introduce yourself to your teachers to start off on the right foot. ③______ You'll make a good impression and your teacher is much more likely to remember you.

④______ Ask questions if you're unsure about something and raise your hand if you know the answer to a question. If your teacher asks for a volunteer, don't be afraid to go for it! But, if you're nervous, it's okay to lay low, take notes, and answer questions only when your teacher asks you.

⑤______ While there's a lot coming at you on your first day, usually your teachers won't assign major homework and you'll spend most of the time learning about your new classes and figuring out your schedule. Make the best of your new school year and enjoy yourself!

When I was a teenager, I was a crazy reader and ①______ (explore) all kinds of books. However, none made ②______ more powerful impact on me than biographies (传记). Famous people and their experiences attracted me and I spent countless hours ③______ (read) their stories.

What I found most attractive about these books ④______ (be) the individuality of each person. Through short but ⑤______ (meaning) biographies, I learned about the lives of leaders, inventors, musicians, and many more. To this day, the individuals I read about still stand out ⑥______ excellent examples of what people can achieve.

However, as I grew older, I slowly discovered ⑦______ was missing: open, down-to-earth stories of famous people's lives. As a result, I began reading more lengthy autobiographies (自传). I directly experienced the events, big and small, of their lives. Autobiographies let me learn about plenty of them, as I read a ⑧______ (vary) of these books.

These autobiographies have taught me some important lessons. Besides, reading about these people's struggles has been life-changing for me, as they have helped me through difficulties. Thus, I believe that reading other people's stories will be ⑨______ (true) helpful for your life, as it is the best way ⑩______ (learn) about the obstacles everyone will face.