Pronunciation Tips

           These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program.

★ {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For example, “threw” and “through”, although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical（相同的）letters or letter clusters（字母组合） in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the “ough” in “though” and “through” represents a different sound in each word.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

★ Imagine a sound in your mindbefore you say it.

    Try to visualize（想象)）thepositioning of your mouth and face.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

★ Listen to and try to imitate thePronunciation Power instructor.

    In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation（语调） of the instructor's voice and patterns of emphasis.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}．

★ The English language has manydifferent dialects, and words can be pronounced differently.

    It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.

★ Finally, the Pronunciation Powerprogram is a tool to help you.

    But you must practice what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Use the program to exercise yourmouth a little bit each day.

a. Read these words over and over againand try to learn them by heart.

b. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.

c. Learn to practice what you hear, notwhat you see.

d. So you should force yourself to dowhat you really don't like to do.

e. Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling!

f. It is like going to the gym andexercising your body.

g. Think about how you are going to make the sound.

    Many people think only professionals—engineers, accountants, teachers, etc.—have careers.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Even if you've never had a paid job, you still have a career. Your career is the sum of your life and work. It includes all your activities and experiences. Your schooling, your volunteer work, and even your relationships with your family are all big parts of your career.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    During your career, you will have a variety of jobs, occupations and roles. People used to think of a job as full-time, permanent, paid work done for an employer at a work site. But in our changing world, a job is a set of duties or tasks. It can be paid or unpaid{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Even someone who is self-employed has a job.

    An occupation is a group of jobs with similar responsibilities that require a common set of skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Programmers may have permanent or temporary jobs working for specific employers, be self-employed, work full-time or part-time, be paid for their work or volunteer their services. They may change jobs or hold several jobs at one time but, until they change the type of duties or tasks they perform, they are still computer programmers.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We all play a number of roles in our lives and our roles often change over time. For example, Kris works four days a week as a receptionist in a clinic and takes evening courses in social work. She also sews gymnastic wear for her neighbor who sells it at summer markets. Now Kris has at least three roles.

A. A role is a part you play.

B. Actually everyone has a career.

C. In other words, your career is your life story.

D. For example, computer programmer is an occupation.

E. As a matter of fact, a job is different from a role in some way.

F. It can be completed at a work site, at home, or somewhere else.

G. The following is about your work, your family, and your life story.

    If something that you're doing doesn't challenge you, then it doesn't change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} So challenge the following limits:

    ⒈Figure out what you're scared of and do it continuously.

    If you're a salesman, and you're scared of talking to people personally or over the phone now, instead of being scared and thinking you'll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But don't stop on the first try! Eventually, you can look at fear in the eye and say, “Go on. I'm not scared!”

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and relieve your stress while performing this. Some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and so on. Apart from helping you challenge yourself, taking a class for your hobby may also give you extra income.

    ⒊Set aside at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A simple 9-minute run around your neighborhood can do wonders for yourself. Exercise can not only help you maintain your regular weight, but also make you feel better about yourself.

    ⒋Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.

Don't just limit yourself to your fellow travelers—-try to connect with the service staff. You never know what kind of people they're going to be. Get out of your house or go online right now to book your class. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. You should do it continuously.

B. Someone may hang up on you.

C. You don't need to go to the gym.

D. Running in the gym may be a better choice.

E. Start to travel now and learn to challenge yourself.

F. Take a class for a hobby you've been wanting to develop.

G. You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone.

    For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a performer. But when it came time to go to college and decide what I wanted to be for the rest of my life, I didn't want to choose drama as my major. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So instead of studying drama, I went to law school like my two sisters did before me. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They worked about 80 hours a week, but they made good money and could afford expensive cars and apartments in the city.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I had great benefits, including four weeks of vacation a year, but I never got to use any of my vacation time because there was always too much work to do. I worked from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, and when I finished, all I could do was get into my bed until I woke up to do it all over again the next day.

    After five years of this lifestyle, I thought I was going to go crazy. I was unhappy and exhausted, and I never saw my friends and my family. I thought that acting in a small community play might make me feel better, but rehearsals (排练) and performances all took place during my work hours. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    I got a small part in a local play, and then a bigger part, and then a lead role. Now I make my living from acting, and every now and then, I do some legal consulting (咨询) for a little extra money. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I had to give up my big apartment and expensive car, but I'm so much happier now.

A. They aren't good examples to me.

B. They seemed happy enough, I thought.

C. I don't get paid a lot for my acting jobs.

D. So I made a serious decision and quit my job.

E. I am certainly a better performer than lawyer.

F. Making a living as a performer seemed impractical to me.

G. After law school, I got a good job and worked as a lawyer for a big company.

The winner's guide to success

    Do you know what makes people successful? To find out the answers, an American scholar recently visited some of the most successful people in America.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Be responsible for yourself.

    Sometimes you may want to blame others for your failure to get ahead. In fact, when you say someone or something outside of yourself is stopping you from making success, you are giving away your own power.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Write a plan

    It is very difficult to try to get what you want without a good plan. It is just like trying to drive through strange roads to a city far away.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Without this "map", you may waste your time, money and also your energy; while with the "map" you'll enjoy the "trip" and get what you want in the shortest possible time.

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    Nothing great is easy to get. So you must be ready to work hard even harder than you have ever done. If you are not willing to pay the price, you won't get anything valuable.

    Never give up

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When you are doing something, you must tell yourself again and again: giving up is worse than failure because failure can be the mother of success, but giving up means the death of hope.

A. A good plan is like a map to you.

B. It seems to us that everyone knows this. But it is easier said than done.

C. Some people achieve success much later in life because they didn't work harder earlier.

D. You are saying they have more control over your life than you do.

E. Someone else's opinion of you doesn't have to become your reality.

F. Be willing to pay the price.

G. Here are some keys to success that they give.

Benefits of Sports

    Doing sports is a physical, mental and social adventure. It's a great way for children to take a break from academics and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve overall well-being.

    The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious. Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you'll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you're involved. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Basketball players focus on strength training; football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs. The training process helps promote physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really boosts a child's confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So after a game, it's a better idea to ask "Did you enjoy the game?" rather than "Did you win?"

    Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up accountability and leadership. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Teamwork involves both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork breeds accountability and challenges you to be responsible for your actions. Being part of a team gives you an opportunity to be a leader.

    Discipline is another social advantage. Most organized sports require a strict training and practice schedule. As a student-athlete, you need to balance academics and athletics. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to get involved in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

A. It's not just your body that benefits from sports.

B. Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit.

C. But remember, a child's self-worth should not be distinguished by victory or loss.

D. If you play group sports, you'll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach.

E. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive.

F. Among these, learning how to function as part of a team is the most important advantage.

G. Only with strict discipline can you be successful both in the classroom and in the sports field.