Secret codes（密码）keep messages private. Banks, companies, and government agencies use secret codes in doing business, especially when information is sent by computer.

    People have used secret codes for thousands of years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Code breaking never lags（落后）far behind code making. The science of creating and reading coded messages is called cryptography.

    There are three main types of cryptography. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, the first letters of “My elephant eats too many eels” spell out the hidden message “Meet me.”

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You might represent each letter with a number, for example. Let's number the letters of the alphabet, in order, from 1 to 26. If we substitute a number for each letter, the message “Meet me” would read “135520135.”

    A code uses symbols to replace words, phrases, or sentences. To read the message of a real code, you must have a code book. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, “bridge” might stand for “meet” and “out” might stand for “me.” The message “Bridge out” would actually mean “Meet me.” {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, it is also hard to keep a code book secret for long. So codes must be changed frequently.

A. It is very hard to break a code without the code book.

B. In any language, some letters are used more than others.

C. Only people who know the keyword can read the message.

D. As long as there have been codes, people have tried to break them.

E. You can hide a message by having the first letters of each word spell it out.

F. With a code book, you might write down words that would stand for other words.

G. Another way to hide a message is to use symbols to stand for specific letters of the alphabet.

    Having bad feeling about world? “Cheer up.” says science writer Matt Ridley. “The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature.”{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

1 ) {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone. Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, and better cars. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we'll be.

2)Brilliant advances

    One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel and shelter—have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour's light cost six hours' work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes' work to pay for. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Today it's half second.

3 )Let's not kill ourselves for climate change

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel (化石燃料) electricity is forbidden by well-meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change. If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose-bleed by putting a tourniquet (止血带) around our necks.

A. Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he's carefully weighed the evidence.

B. Overreaction to climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself.

C. Shopping fuels invention.

D. And, of course, we earn more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us.

E. In 1950 it was eight seconds.

F. It's high time that we took immediate action to fight climate change.

G. Here's how he explains his views.

    It's important to prepare for rainy days. Similarly, it's important to save money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Why? It's because they've got used to spending all the money they make. Sometimes, the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. Here are some tips to help you save money.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The first step in saving money is to know how much you're spending. For one month, keep a record of everything you spend money on. Once you have your data, organize these numbers by category(类别) and get the total amount for each.

    You can make a budget. Now that you have a good idea of how much you spend in a month, what can you do now? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To plan your spending, you can build a budget. In this way, you can limit over-spending and make sure that you put money away for unexpected situations.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Doing so make it much easier to get started. Begin by deciding how long it will take to reach each goal. Some short-term goals include starting a fund to cover 6 months to a year of living costs and saving money for a vacation. Long-term saving goals are often several years or even decades away and can include saving for retirement and putting money away for a child's college education.

    Make saving money easier with automatic transfers (自动转账). Automatic transfers to your savings account are very helpful. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}By moving money out of your checking account, you'll be less likely to spend money you plan to use for savings.

A. You can keep a record of what you do. .

B. You can record your costs.

C. You can plan your spending.

D. You can set savings goals

E. You can move money out of your savings account.

F. However, some people find it hard to save money.

G. They can make saving money much easier.

    Accidents happen more often than you think. Every year in China, 3.2 million people die in accidents – that's an average of six people per minute. Experts say that the 10 minutes after an accident can make the difference between life and death. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The second Saturday of September is World First Aid Day. It fell on Sept 8 this year. First aid refers to the first steps taken to help someone who's injured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It also includes getting help, either by telling other people or calling 120.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR,心肺复苏), and treat things like burns, bleeding and broken bones. It takes as little as two hours to learn these skills.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You can also read books or watch videos that can be found on free apps like First Aid Manual (现场急救指南).{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The Peking Union Medical College Hospital offers these options.

    "Learning first aid is good for everyone and it is better to start young," Wang Jiangshan, a doctor in the hospital's emergency room, told the China Youth Daily. "It can benefit oneself and others for the rest of one's life."

A. It includes keeping the person safe and staying calm

B. You can learn first aid by visiting the official website of China First Aid Training

C. This is why learning first aid is so important

D. Right now is a good time for us to learn more about first aid

E. Some hospitals also give courses or even hold first aid camps for kids

F. In the US, first aid is a basic skill that every student has to learn

G. Basic first aid training teaches you how to deal with emergencies

Super communicators are people who are consistently able to create real connections with others just by listening and talking.The following are four habits of super communicators.

They  know  what  kind  of  conversation  they're  having.Super  communicators  are  usually  able  to  respond accordingly.If you're having  a practical  conversation,your  friend  might  ask  you  to  help make hard  decisions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If your friend is just expressing his feelings,you just need to be a good listener.

They prove they're listening.There are plenty of ways to appear like you're listening,like making eye contact or nodding.To do that,experts suggest a technique called "cycle for understanding".Ask a question and listen to the response.Repeat  what  they  just  told  you.Ask  your  conversation  partner  if  you  got  what  they  said  correct.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

They ask a lot of the right questions.Research shows that highly effective communicators tend to ask 10 to 20 times as many questions as everyone else.They may simply be follow-up questions like"What happened next?" Super communicators also ask questions that get people to open up.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They ask about people's values or experiences and create an opportunity for emotional connection.   {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The goal of a discussion isn't to impress someone,convince someone or wait for their turn to speak. It's to genuinely comprehend someone else's point of view and share their own views accordingly.The right response creates an atmosphere of trust and openness that both parties can benefit from. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A.They  aim  to  understand.

B.Experts call them"deep questions"

C.They are persuasive communicators.

D.The decisions should be easy to carry out.

E.This practice sounds simple but is powerful.

F.Then you should be ready to give good advice.

G.And that is actually the most magical thing that can happen.

Families differ from each other. Some are traditional and seem to be perfect; some are dysfunctional, but tend to still be strong; some are so calm, but controlled and some seem to be rich and have everything, but lack love.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} I've come up with some qualities that would make a great family.

Give credit and appreciate. One of my best memories as a child is when my report card came out with good grades. I then showed it to my parents and they would give me treats, new toys or even money. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Appreciation for small and large things alike is important to boost one's self-esteem and express the love you have for each other.

Talk to each other.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They tend to choose family members (and not friends or neighbors) as their first resort to express their emotions, talk about their fears or desires and help solve their problems. Their meal times are always full of positive conversation and exchange of ideas. And more importantly, they lay out specific ground rules, know their limitations and know a lot about the members of their family.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} No matter how perfect you think your family is, there will come a time that it will be tested, and problems will hit you right in your face. Strong families should learn how to combine all the above qualities and use it to survive every difficulty.

Spiritual wellness. Some might disagree that spiritual wellness is important to a family, but truly, a great family has strong faith and belief no matter what their religion is. When a family has a strong spiritual foundation, they are just more loving and understanding, thus making them stronger.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. So do you feel the same way?

B. Never conflict with family members.

C. The ability to deal with stress, conflict and crisis.

D. So the old question is, what makes a great family?

E. Strong families have an effective communication environment.

F. Simple showing of appreciation is one of the qualities of a great family.

G. So invest in your family's spiritual wellness and learn to be optimistic.