This week, we answer a question from a listener who writes: I work with some native speakers of English. I want to practice speaking with them so I'll improve my English. But sometimes, I get nervous, so our conversation ends quickly. How can I talk with these friends for a long time?

You are right. It is not always easy to keep a conversation going in English. You might not be sure about what to say. Or maybe you are afraid that your pronunciation is not good.

First, remember the importance of listening. Listen to the other person carefully. So that you can ask a follow-up question. For example, let's say the other person tells you, "I just got back from a trip to Canada". You can follow up with a question using Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How: Where did you go in Canada? What was your favorite place there? How was the food there? If you want to keep a conversation going, it's a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. If the other person asks you a 'yes' or 'no' question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going. For example, a friend might ask, "Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars movie? You could just answer, "No, I haven't". Or, you could say more. You could answer, "No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?"

Do not worry about your pronunciation. If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly. When you're travelling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy. You may make a new friend.

OK, that's it. We would like to hear from you. Please understand that we cannot answer all of the questions our listeners send us.

I opened the door. "Where are you going, Mom?" my elder son asked me. And his little brother asked, "Can we come, too?" "I'm going for a coffee," I answered. "And no, you can't come." Then I ran away before they could say something, But the guilt(内疚的) feelings slowly went away.

Being a mom is hard work. There's always something new to do to make my kids happy. Sometimes, I need to do something just for.me. It teaches my kids an important lesson: I matter, too.

I know parenting articles often tell us it's OK to take time for ourselves. But it's so much harder to walk the talk. Of course, we should put ourselves first sometimes. And not just when we are sick. I'm talking about putting ourselves first in other ways. For example, tell the baby that after thirty minutes of reading to them, you are going to read your own book or eat at your favorite restaurant. These selfish moments are good ways to teach our children that we are important too.

When you ask my kids "What does mom like?" They can answer with some of my interests and favorite things: reading books, watching movies, taking care of animals and then. They often see me do the things I enjoy, so they understand me and would stay with Dad. This understanding is good for our children." She's a mom" shouldn't be the only way your child describes you. If it is, it's time to be a little selfish, Moms.

   Once upon a time, a young man wanted to go to a village on business. Halfway there was a mountain. Before he left home, his family reminded him of staying calm even in face of beasts(野兽) and just climbing onto trees. So they couldn't do anything to him.

    The young man took the words into his heart and left alone. He walked for a long time carefully and found no beasts were out there. He thought his family's worries were unnecessary. He put his mind at ease and walked happily. At this right moment, he saw a big tiger running to him and he rushed into a tree.

    The tiger roared around the tree. It even jumped to reach the man. The young man, who was supposed to hold the branch tightly, fell off the tree just because of panic and right fell on the back of the tiger. He had to hold the tiger closely, which was scared and started running away at once.

    A passerby didn't figure it out at the sight and said in admiration(羡慕), "How cool the man riding the tiger is! He is like a superman!"

    The man on tiger's back was actually suffering in silence, "It looks like I am like a superman, but you don't understand I am riding a tiger and find it hard to get off. I am in panic and almost scared to death."

A Better Way to Start Your Day

Whether you love mornings or not, they're a fact of life. If you hate them, here are some ways to make them less awful. If you're a morning person, these tips can make mornings even better!

Be sure to get an adequate(足够的) amount of sleep. Most people need seven or eight hours of sleep to feel their best during the day. If you must get up at5 or 6 a. m. , go to bed early to get your eight hours. Turn off the TV, computer or smartphone and hit the hay. When you get enough sleep, you won't feel sleepy. You can get out of bed on time. That will make your day better, too.

Turn on some music in the morning. Play any tune you like. It doesn't matter.   You'll feel much happier as you start the day.

As your mother said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body is out of fuel( 燃料)by morning. You need some to help you control your blood- sugar. That affects your mood(情绪)and energy for the day.

Don't watch TV or read a newspaper first thing in the morning. Your brain is fresh and ready to work on new things. Don't fill it up with negative(消极的) information about the world and its problems. Instead, read something inspiring(鼓舞人的)or uplifting.

Avoid answering QQ or WeChat first thing. Use that precious(宝贵的) morning time to get some exercise, eat breakfast and enjoy life. Check QQ or WeChat last before you leave your house. Then you'll only have time to check the most important messages.

Every day is a new day- enjoy it!

Getting into Harvard Law School is not easy for anyone, but Rehan, who comes from a single-parent family, truly 1 it.

Rehan's mother 2 them when he was 8 years old. His father had to do many 3 to support Rehan and his brother. Rehan's high school grades were so poor that he was refused by every 4. So he began to work at Bates Trucking and Trash (垃圾). His workmates said he was 5 and encouraged him to go back to school. The company owner Brent Bates helped make him a 6 of Bowie State University. Rehan worked hard in the state university. 7 the good grades he got, he was able to go to the University of Maryland.

Then Rehan's father had a(an) 8 during his first year at Maryland. As a result, Rehan had to 9 to work at Bates to pay for the medical bills. Instead of dropping out of school, he 10 at 4 a.m. each day to finish his work before class.

Rehan graduated in 2018 and hoped to go to Harvard Law School, but that school came with a high schooling fee（费用）. 11, Carmie McCook, a communications coach, started a GoFundMe page to help Rehan with the 12. The goal was $75,000, but it grew to over $185,000 in the end.

Rehan was finally 13 by Harvard. What makes his achievement even more amazing is his 14 journey to this moment and the kind people who 15 him all the way.

People usually eat fruits such as apples, pears and bananas. Strawberries look very nice, but a light pressure can make them out of shape. Nowadays, there are many young people who are just like strawberries. They (easy) break down when they face difficulties. They don't know what  (do) when they are in trouble. They have a common name — strawberry kids. 

 are many students so easy to break down? Parents and schools are a main reason. Parents do almost everything for them in their daily life, while schools care more about their grades instead of  (develop) their personality.

Liu Yue is now 13 years old and he is from Fujian. His mom hardly criticizes (批评) him and he always  (feel) good about himself in daily life. When a teacher criticized him heavily, he got a  (surprise) and felt sad. He began to doubt his ability. And little by little, he hardly had confidence (信心) to face the trouble in his study and life.

Students should do something to make  (they) mentally (精神上) strong. An expert said, "When you are in trouble, don't ask for help right away. You should try to deal  problems first by yourself. I also advise you to take  active part in sports and social activities. That can make you mentally strong."

Growing up is not just a happy process. Pains also go along with it.  is very important to face the pains bravely and learn from them.

Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in his life, he might write them in the diary. But now a teenager may go online and write his (每日的) feelings in a micro blog (微博).Diaries and micro blogs both help the writers to 52. (记住)what happened to them on a certain day. But what makes micro blogs different from diaries?

One of the biggest differences is that teenagers pay (注意力) to micro blogs more often, while diaries are too personal. Nowadays people are (积极的) in writing micro blogs because they want others to read the things about them as many as possible. Also, a few special or interesting micro blogs can be spread (广泛地)  and become famous. As they write more micro blogs, their fans may (增加) as well. Therefore, some people may show the moments when they feel happy, some may share the (幽默的) stories or experiences, and some even write (小说) in their micro blogs.

If people are caring about what they write and (谁) may read it, micro blogs are without (怀疑) a good way to write about their life.

注意：

1）短文必须包含表中所有内容，可适当拓展。

2）词数：80～100 词（文章的开头已给出，不计入词数）

    Everyone may have the exam stress. A little bit of stress can be a good thing to us.