Oral English, also known as spoken English, is the form of English that is used when people are speaking to one another . Students who are learning English as a second language often feel uncomfortable using oral English because they fear that they will not be understood. It is important that a person who is learning to speak English practice using the language.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Listening is important to learning spoken English.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pay attention to conversations that happen around you while you are shopping . Watch the news every evening while you have supper .Part of learning spoken English is in understanding how English words are formed . Watch the mouths and tongues of native English speakers carefully.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Notice how the lips form certain sounds. Imitate （ 模仿）what you see .
       Rent movies over the weekend. Try to follow the story line of comedy shows.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Not having to respond in English lets you concentrate on simply understanding what is being said. Understanding how English is used in conversation will help you to better communicate in the language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}When you are reading, pay more attention to the correct pronunciation of the words you are reading rather than comprehension of each word. Read easy books that were written for children. Reading simple books takes away the frustration of sounding out hard words.

A. Read out loud for twenty to thirty minutes every day .

B. Listen to English radio while getting ready in the morning .

C. Observe how much the mouth is opened to say certain words .

D. Find a friend or teacher who is willing to help you learn English .

E. Repeat the conversations several times to increase your speaking speed .

F. Watching TV shows and movies allows you to hear English used in conversation .

G. The more a person practices his or her skills , the more easily speaking English will become .

The benefits of Keeping a journal

    If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.

    It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn't write it down?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I'm away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.

    It helps you review all the lessons you've learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you've learned and the ideas you've gotten.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you've gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.

    It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In the end, you will expand your ideas.

A. I often experienced that myself.

B. It trains you to express your thoughts.

C. It allows you to see your progress over time.

D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.

E. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.

F. And to be honest, I can't imagine what my life would be like without it.

G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Children's Games in Ancient China

    Unlike the children nowadays, the children during ancient times didn't have smart phone, iPad or computer to entertain(娱乐) themselves. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Let's take a look.

    Flying kites

    Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, the swallow-shaped kite is a well-known Beijing style.

    Playing hide-and-seek

    Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. Even nowadays, many children like playing it. There are two ways to play. One way is covering a child's eyes while other kids run around to tease(戏弄) him. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

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    The closest thing to watching a film or television for entertainment during ancient times was going to see a shadow play. Folk artists manipulate puppets behind the screen, narrating stories and accompanied by music.

    Setting off firecrackers(鞭炮)

    Firecrackers have a history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that there was a beast (野兽)named Nian in ancient China. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} After gunpowder was invented, it gradually replaced the bamboo joint cracker. Crackers are still set off during Spring Festival to symbolize auspiciousness(吉利).

A. Watching shadow plays

B. Each of them has special features.

C. Different materials are used to make the kite.

D. Shadow plays were the popular entertaining form in ancient times.

E. And to scare off the beast, people burnt bamboo joints to make it blast.

F. More commonly, participants hide and one child must try to find them.

G. Instead, they came up with(想出) interesting games to play in their childhood.

    Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.

    Allow them to study in blocks of time, such as for half an hour with a five­minute break in the middle. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ideal(理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.

    Never allow your children to study in front of the television, as that will encourage passive activity. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you've set up a good study time for little learners, set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.

A. Pick a place where your children can study properly.

B. Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.

C. Finally, spend time with your kids when they're studying.

D. Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement, too.

E. Instead, use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.

F. Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.

G. One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

    Many students have trouble staying focused in class. Some of them easily become absent-minded or fall asleep. As a result, they turn to study drugs in order to stay focused in school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Get some sleep.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it is important to stick with it. Having irregular sleep cycles can really affect concentration and physical well-being. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and get eight to nine hours of sleep. Your body will thank you in the morning.

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    Eating first thing in the morning provides fresh energy throughout the day, and it doesn't even have to be a big meal. Something as small as a bowl of oatmeal can make students more energetic and efficient for the rest of the day. And foods like peanut butter, berries, and whole grains have even shown to improve memory.

    Turn off your phone.

    An obvious way to maintain concentration is to avoid distractions that take your attention away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When students need to channel their energy into studies, turning off the phone or even putting it on airplane mode is a good way to centralize their drive and keep distractions at bay.

    Break a sweat.

    Trying to concentrate in class will feel as challenging as a marathon if you're not in good physical health. On the other hand, actually running a marathon may help boost your ability to concentrate, as exercise is shown to have many benefits for the brain. While you don't necessarily have to run 26 miles before class or work, doing exercise in the morning can get your blood flowing towards your brain. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Do not skip breakfast.

B. Sit in the front if you sleep in class.

C. That helps in strengthening the mind.

D. Probably the biggest one is the smart phone.

E. Students should have a regular bedtime routine.

F. But many study drugs have proven harmful to human health.

G. However, there are other all-natural ways to help with concentration in class.

Master Your Deadlines

The struggle begins in high school, sometimes earlier. Deadlines, and lots of them, start to pile up. At college, the pressure sometimes leads to last-minute rush and unsatisfactory work. At work, failing to meet deadlines can easily get you fired. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are a few best practices.

▪Assign deadlines to what matters.

If the task isn't of high importance, don't set a specific deadline. In this way, you are able to keep it on your radar for a while without feeling pressured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This will provide just enough pressure to ensure you get it done.

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Set a personal deadline for yourself a day or two before the actual deadline. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're working with a group of people, add in even more time to account for potential follow-ups and the need for approvals.

▪ Keep communicating.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This means letting others know when something is taking longer than expected, when a delivery didn't come in, when a client is not providing the necessary information, etc. Although it may feel embarrassing to admit that something is not on schedule, being honest is much better for relieving your stress.

A. Plan for flexible hours.

B. Finish your project as early as possible.

C. But if an activity is urgent, set a deadline immediately.

D. In this way, you'll never have to stay up late and feel stressed.

E. But handled properly, deadlines can actually improve productivity.

F. Whenever you feel challenged to finish work on time, communicate.

G. So if anything takes longer than expected, you can still wrap it up and submit it on time.