America's holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Shoppers make the most money this time of year, about 20 percent to 30 percent of all revenue all year. About 136 million people shopped during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. Nearly 80 percent of this year's holiday shoppers, or about 183.8 million people, shopped on Cyber Monday. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Online spending on Black Friday rose 15 percent to hit $2.7 billion this year. Cyber Monday spending increased 12 percent to $3 billion. NBC News reported that for many, shopping online was a more comfortable alternative than crowded malls.

    The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on solid shopping malls. Since 2010, more than 24 shopping malls have closed and an additional 60 are struggling. Fortune says the weakest of the malls have closed. However, the business in malls is thriving again, it adds.  According to a survey, 94.2percent of malls were full with shops by the end of 2014. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The average American consumer will spend about $805 on gifts. That's about $630.5 billion between November and December – an increase of 3.7 percent from last year.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}That goes to China's Singles' Day, celebrated on November 11, which posted record sales of $14.3 billion in 2015.

A．More and more people shop online nowadays.

B．That is the highest level in 27 years.

C．It is the busiest shopping day of the year.

D．One-in-five Americans used a tablet or smart-phone.

E．The traditional mall industry can hardly survive.

F．Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

G．Nonetheless, Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day in the world.

You must have written your research paper, your personal essay, your book review—-whatever your school class requires. You think you have provided good information in the needed number of words.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But is it really done? Many teachers and professional writers believe that writing is revision.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Revision of writing is a necessary skill for students. The classroom is a good place to practice patience, concentration and listening. There are rewards with spending time with your thoughts and really taking time to compose your ideas in an orderly and reasonable way. You should put away your paper after you have written a first version, or draft. Wait several hours, maybe overnight, before working on it more.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Not only are you refreshed, but you're looking at things through different eyes. That's what revision literally means—to see again through different eyes.

Following a four-step process may help you with your paper. The first step in the process is invention. It includes forming many questions about your subject. It is called “question-storming”.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Then comes the revision period. Take your time to read what you've written, to think about it, and maybe to re-shape it based on what you see now, as a kind of new person looking at it with a reader's eyeglasses rather than a writer's. The fourth step is called “publication”.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In a sense, anytime you turn it over to another person, that's publication.

    Probably, the process takes away some of the tension of writing. And worry about the quality of your writing often disappears when you share that writing.

    Two hundred years after Charles Darwin's birth, studies have found new details of his life at the University of Cambridge. Six leather-bound ledgers (皮革账本) discovered in the university show this.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    He lived in the most expensive rooms provided for a rich student at his time.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}He had someone to clean his room, make his bed and take care of the fire in his bright rooms. He hired a dishwasher, a clothes washer and a man who cleaned his shoes. A tailor (裁缝), hatter and barber made sure he was well presented. A chimney cleaner and a coalman kept his fire going. Christ's College's basic food was meat and beer.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Darwin's bill topped 636 pounds during his three years of study at Cambridge. Later he described this time as the most joyful of his happy life. That large sum (金额) would have been fairly common for a student at Cambridge in the 19th century.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    In those days Cambridge was full of rich students living a pretty good life and Darwin was just one of them.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}And thus he had plenty of time for socializing or private study. He would be out shooting, collecting beetles, doing his scientific hobbies or visiting friends. He played cards and drank wine at night, just like students always have.

A. Thanks to the richness, he was able to hire servants to help with the daily life.

B. The findings were published on the Internet.

C. So he paid five and a half pence extra each day to have vegetables.

D. He enjoyed the kind of comfortable university life that most of today's students can only dream about.

E. He had several people to help him to deal with the daily housework.

F. When you look at the ledgers, you can find there were many rich students in Cambridge.

G. The bills were paid by his wealthy father, Robert Darwin, a doctor.

    Developing good teacher-student relationships

    We all have our favorite teachers-those who seem truly interested and treat us as intelligent beings. But what about teachers we don't know as well (or even don't like much)?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First, do the obvious stuff: show up for class on time, with all assignments completed. Be polite, be respectful, and ask questions.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Obviously, your teachers are really interested in their subjects or they wouldn't have decided to teach them! Showing the teacher that you care sends the message that you are a dedicated student.

    You can also schedule a private conference during a teacher's free period. Use this time to get extra help ask questions, inquire about a career in the subject, or talk about your progress in class.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    What to do if you don't get along

    Before you try to get out of a class to escape a teacher you don't like, here are a few things you can try to make a difficult relationship work:

    Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this teacher?” Even if you don't worship his or her personality or lectures, dig deep until you find a subject in which your teacher is very knowledgeable.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Talk to students who are doing well in the class and ask them for tips, tools, and a plan of action to get along with the teacher better.

    If your relationship problems can't be solved in school, then it's time to tell your parents. Let them meet with your teacher and try to work it out.

    Teachers are there for more than just homework, and they know about more than just their subject matter.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Undoubtedly, there will be a few teachers along the way who you'll always remember-and who might change your life forever.

A. Show an interest in the subject.

B. Teachers sense when your only motivation is to get special treatment.

C. They can help you learn how to function as an adult and a lifelong learner.

D. You can do lots of things to get a good connection going with your teacher.

E. Focus of that part of the teacher's personality, and use it as a tool for learning.

F. Here are some things to avoid when trying to establish a relationship with your teacher.

G. You may be surprised to learn that your teacher is a bit more relaxed one-on-one than when lecturing in front of the whole class.

                      How to Love Your Parents

    Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling（有意义的） part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents. 

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. A gentle “good morning” and “I love you” will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, we might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

    Respect them more and cherish(珍惜) these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

    Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

    Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Seek help if you are being abused（辱骂） in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A. Forgiveness is the key.

B. Parents will in turn express their love to you.

C. Tell them you love them every morning.

D. After this, share your feelings with your parents.

E. Please remember parents are as important as friends.

F. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can.

G. There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence（暴力） for example.

    Are you happy with your appearance？{#blank#}1{#/blank#} "Almost all the girls with single﹣fold eyelids in our class have had double﹣eyelid operations," Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    From popular photo﹣editing apps to plastic surgery, it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves？

   {#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to Huxiu News, over six in ten girls choose not to take part in certain daily activities, such as attending school, because they feel bad about their looks. As much as 31 percent of teenagers avoid speaking up in class because they worry that others will notice their looks.

    Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty, experts say.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Seeing all these things can make anyone believe that they're too dark, too fat, too short, or too tall.

However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our "imperfect" looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Plus﹣size models are being featured in some fashion shows. All of us should be just as confident as they are.

A．Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes．

B．Body image anxiety is common among teenagers．

C．Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image．

D．Some teenagers might feel negatively about their appearance．

E．She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful．

F．It's not uncommon for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance．

G．Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising TV shows and social media．