Speaking in public is most people's least favorite thing. The reason is that we are all afraid of making fools of ourselves.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But stop biting your finger-nails. Public speaking is easy. It's just plain talking, and you talk all the time. Although I'm basically shy (honest!), I've been making speeches and talking on radio and television for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that public speaking is not a “gift” like musical talent.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

    Your audience is going to come away with one or two of your main ideas. One or two. Not ten or 20.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to say, there's no way your audience will.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}— how you are going to open, what major points you want to make and how you're going to close.

    When I do a radio or TV piece, I often write the last sentence first.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} A strong close is critical: the last thing you say is what your audience will most likely remember.

    The standard length of a vaudeville (杂耍) act is usually 12 minutes. If all those performers singing and dancing their hearts out couldn't go on longer without boring the audience, what makes you think you can?

A. Some people are born to be good at making speeches.

B. Anybody who can talk can speak in public.

C. Try to relax yourself before making the speech.

D. The more important the speech is, the more frightened we become.

E. If you can't express in a sentence or two what you intend to get across, then your speech is not focused well enough.

F. When you know where you're headed, you can choose any route to get there.

G. No matter how long or short your speech is, you've got to get your ducks in a row.

    Things You Didn't Know About Stephen Hawking

    Even if you don't keep a close eye on new developments in physics, you've probably heard of the famous physicist Stephen Hawking.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    These days, we know Hawking as a brilliant mind whose theories are difficult for a nonscientific mind to grasp. This is why it may come as a shock to learn that Hawking was a slacker when it came to his school studies.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}With a little more effort, he brought those grades up to about average, but not much better. However, from an early age he was interested in how things worked. He has talked about how he was known to take apart clocks and radios. However, he admits he wasn't very good at putting them back together so they could work again.

    Stephen Hawking took a liking to mathematics from an early age, and he would have liked to have majored in it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}He hoped Stephen would instead study medicine.

    But, for all his interest in science, Stephen didn't care for biology. He has said that he found it to be “too inexact, too descriptive (叙述的)”{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

One problem, however, was that Oxford didn't have mathematics as a major. The result was that Stephen would attend Oxford and major in physics. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}That's why he chose to study universe.

A. His father wanted to send him to Oxford.

B. His father, Frank, however, had different ideas.

C. Actually, he focused on the bigger questions.

D. He would have rather devoted his mind to more precise concepts.

E. In fact, when he was 9, his grades ranked among the worst in his class.

F. However, there're many interesting facts you might not know about him.

G. Both his teachers and peers seemed to understand that they had a future genius.

    One of the big challenges that students face in applying to universities abroad is writing the application essay.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Admissions officers(招生负责人) attempt to get at what type of person you are, what motivates you, and what you feel passion for. In a single 500-word piece of writing, they attempt to gather all about you. So your task is to put the stamp of your personality on the essay and make yourself special.

    You can try and guess what the admissions officers like. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The essay will sound empty and become another dull piece of writing, which admissions officers get thousands of each year.

    It is true that admissions officers aren't exactly looking for anything.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If they ask for someone who has inspired you, it could be anyone. It could be a grandmother, a teacher, or even a character from a movie. A lot of people will say their dad. But since you really feel it, you'll have a lot to write about.

    There are some important things to remember. These admissions officers want good writers. You don't have to be Ernest Hemingway, but you have to be able to form an interesting story. That means revision and editing, cutting out stupid grammar mistakes, reading it over several times, leaving it for a few days and looking at it again.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Also, you should use exciting language and really make the reader feel the same passion as you do. It also means finding something unique about your point of view, something that other people might not think of. For example, if you want to write about your dad, you can focus on a specific anecdote(趣闻) about him.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The essays you are required to write differ from university to university.

B. The answer is just as open-ended as the question itself.

C. Admissions officers love personal stories that ring true.

D. The essay topics all have something in common.

E. You can turn to famous writers to polish your essay.

F. Whatever you do, make sure the essay is as good as possible.

G. But that won't work.

    There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving birds. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She cared them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt the great love from the birds.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate love had killed him.

    She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to fly into the clear, blue sky. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The bird circled once, twice, three times.

    The girl watched delightedly at the bird's enjoyment. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest songs that she had ever heard.

    The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight, while the best way to keep love is to give it wings!

A. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss.

B. Suddenly she felt the bird go softly.

C. She took them home and put them in a small cage.

D. She gave them some delicious food and left.

E. She lifted him from the cage and threw him softly into the air.

F. One day the girl left the door of the cage open.

G. One day she left with the two birds at home alone.

    How much do you know about colors? The colors that you select create a distinct atmosphere in the room. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Pick the color for your room and you can create whatever you feel like. The color will also help you to enlarge the space or making it more inviting, which will also make differently all about it.

However, the trick is to select the right version of that particular color. There are different hues (色调) for blues, for instance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Here we have presented a guide that will let you gain a deep insight about the colors.

    Blue

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms it is an ideal choice. Of course it is also associated with sadness that means it may not strike note for each and everyone. It is a popular choice among people. Blue comes from the cold side of the color wheel, so it can make the room feel cold, unless and until it is south filling space. If you are attracted to blue color, think of going for purple, or mix red and purple.

    Dark blue is best for a living room. Probably it is best reserved for high ceiling space. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Green

    Like blue, green is also a calm shade. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is the shade that reflects nature and renewal. Green produces a positive energy without the feeling of overstimulation.

A. Colors can light up the mood of the room.

B. You can use it for a living room or a bedroom.

C. They won't create similar effect and atmosphere generally.

D. Traditionally, blue is just related to calmness and comfort.

E. It is better that you select colors that are very warm like blue.

F. Dark blue will really make you feel the wall appear near to you.

G. But before diving into any decision, here's what you need to know.

Risks of Overtraining

Getting in shape and training for an event such as a marathon requires long-lasting and intense physical commitment.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But the truth is, sometimes the very acts we do to get healthy can actually push us past our physical limits. 

Specifically, overtraining is a set of signs that occur when your body is not able to recover sufficiently before going into your next workout. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}People tend to ignore them. Over time, the cycle of starting the next training session before allowing recovery causes breakdown of the very parts of the body that you work so hard to build up. 

The structures and systems of your body adapt to the demands you have placed on them before the rest time. If your workout slightly goes beyond your current ability, it will adapt toward what you did in a positive way. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Two main factors are necessary in recovery: nutrition. and rest. Good nutrition, including water and protein intake, is extremely important, especially within 40 minutes of your workout. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Your body uses the nutrients you have given it during the rest time. especially sleep, to strengthen. 

One of the best ways to prevent overtraining is to focus on your morning resting heart rate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Generally, you will detect an increase in your heart rate before the other signs show up. Tracking it in a log can be a great way to monitor your recovery.

A. It's easy to measure and track.

B. Allowing time for recovery is also essential.

C. The problem is that they show up very gradually.

D. Below are the signs and symptoms of overtraining.

E. Listening to your body will assure you of your fitness goals.

F. If far beyond, it'll take longer to adapt and may cause injury.

G We generally assume regular intense exercise good for our health.