Learning English is challenging because of the various rules and exceptions to the rules. The best way to learn English is to hear it spoken and repeat the words as you hear them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You will learn how to make English a daily part of your life in order to learn to speak it quickly.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ask a friend to help you write letters of English alphabet on index cards. You should write a letter on each card. Practise the letters by mixing up the cards and saying the letters. You can ask your friend to help you pronounce the letters and quiz you on your knowledge.

    Make your own videos in English. If you have a video camera, you can tape yourself speaking English and practice along with your own video. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Watch your videos daily, and repeat what is being said.

    Get a private tutor. A professional English instructor can give you one-on-one instruction that will help you understand the rules of English. Your instructor can teach you how to write and speak English.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can also inquire at your local community college.

    Watch movies with English subtitles. When watching a movie in your native language, use the English subtitles so you will understand the connection between your language and English.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will make mistakes, and that is OK. You need to practice English as much as possible in order to quickly learn to speak the language fluently.

    Eyesight plays avery important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight：

    •Schedule yearly exams.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eyeglasses.

    •Protect against UV rays(紫外线)．Long­term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    •Give your eyes a break. Two­thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Experts recommend that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20­second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    •{#blank#}4{#/blank#}As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins(维生素) C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    •Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses(隐形眼镜)．Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

A．Eat your greens.

B．Eye care should begin early in life.

C．They can properly protect your eyes.

D．Stay in good shape by taking more Vitamins.

E．Parents usually don't care about their own eyesight.

F．Always follow the doctor's advice for appropriate wear.

G．This frequent eye activity increases the risk for eye tiredness.

    Do you remember the last time you read a book, or a magazine? Is checking e-mails or updating microblog your daily reading habit? If you're one of those who don't make a habit of reading regularly, you might be really out.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Stress Reduction

    No matter how much pressure you have at work, in your personal relationships, or other issues in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Knowledge

    Everything you read fills your head with new information, and you never know when it might come into use.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Besides, you might lose everything else—your job, your money, even your health, but knowledge can never be taken from you.

    Vocabulary Expansion

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} As a result, this will gradually enlarge your everyday vocabulary. Then you might become more knowledgeable and well-spoken, which can increase your self confidence and even help you get promotions more quickly.

    Better Writing Skills

    Exposure to well-written work has a great effect on your own writing. In other words, writing styles of other authors will influence your own work.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Now that reading has so many benefits, step away from your computer and go hunting for something new to read!

A. Here are some benefits of reading.

B. Here are some suggestions for your health.

C. The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to.

D. This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary.

E. A well-written novel can bring you pleasure, and allow you to relax.

F. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are for your life.

G. That is why beginners always learn how to write by reading the works of others.

Common public speaking problems

    The use of “I feel”, “I think” and “maybe”

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like “I feel”, “I guess”, “I hear”, “maybe” and “perhaps”. These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of the empty-sounding “I guess”, using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

Using only one speaking style

    “Don't stick to the same tone{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, when they spoke about their dreams some sounded romatic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words{#blank#}4{#/blank#}So you should think twice before you talk. Don't belike the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

C. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

D. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.

G. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

    April 22nd every year marks the start of Earth Day, a day that is celebrated every year to raise awareness(意识)about our home planet and how we can save it from being damaged. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Green up your home

    This is one of the most common things that people do whenever Earth Day rolls around, that is, switch off their lights. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Conserve (节约)energy by switching off all power of electricity points whenever they are not on use. In addition, take out all the plugs(插头) from plug points even after switching them off.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Cars, being the greatest source of air pollution, can be left at home this weekend. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Other greener choices are carpooling, riding a bike or you can also walk if you want a healthier choice and if your workplace is not that far away from your home.

    Be a little dirty

    No, we don't mean it “that way”. We simply mean to say, don't take a bath. Yes, saving water is super important. A day or two without a bath won't harm you, but it will certainly do a lot of good for our planet. A daily shower isn't a matter of health; it's a matter of comfort. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    The future of our planet is in your hands!

A. Leave your cars at home.

B. Traveling by public transport is a better choice.

C. Below, we have made a list of things you can do to celebrate Earth Day.

D. Showering every day can wash away the natural oils that our skin and hair need.

E. However, this is not something you should do just for a day or for only an hour.

F. Started in the year 1970, Earth Day is now celebrated in more than 190 countries each year.

G. Do something every day that will improve your surroundings to make the planet a better place to live.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity.

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

B. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

C. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

D. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

E. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

F. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

G. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.