Hello, I'm Zheng Yishi from Shanghai. I'm 15 years old. I study at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cleveland, Ohio, US. I like reading, traveling and listening to music. I'm glad to share my experience with you.
Have you ever wondered what PE classes are like in other countries? In China, PE tests are required to graduate from both middle school and high school. To get good grades on the PE tests, Chinese students will need to practice running as well as doing sit-ups and pull-ups. However, this is not the way that PE classes work in US high schools.
In my high school, we are required to take two terms of PE to graduate. We play real sports during PE classes, such as basketball and volleyball. There are also some other typical American sports that we often play, such as kickball and dodgeball (躲避球).
I didn't know the rules of kickball and dodgeball when I first came to the US. The teacher allowed me to sit on the sidelines and watch how other students played it in order to let me find out the rules.
We also learn some useful life skills in PE. Last year, I learned how to do CPR(心肺复苏), which is a life-saving skill. We were also taught how to provide first aid to someone who is choking(窒息).These skills are a large part of the final grade for the PE class in my high school. Self-defense(自卫)is taught in PE class as well. This includes some tae kwon do(跆拳道)and karate(空手道) skills, as well as Chinese kung fu. It is practical. I prefer PE classes in the US to the ones in China. I think they are more fun and useful. What do you think?