A student's life is never easy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A lot of preparations are needed so you can be sure to go back home with a diploma and a bright future waiting for you. The following are some basic things you need to do before even seizing that passport and boarding on the plane.

Knowing the country.

    You shouldn't bother researching the country's hottest tourist spots or historical places. You won't go there as a tourist, but as a student. It'll be helpful to read the most important points in their history and to read up on their culture. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You surely don't want to face legal problems, especially if you're away from home.

Studying their language.

    Don't expect that you can graduate abroad without knowing even the basics of the language. Before leaving your home country, take online lessons to at least master some of their words and sentences. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Doing this will also prepare you in communicating with those who can't speak English.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Check the conversion（兑换）of your money to their local currency, set up your bank account so you can use it there, get an insurance, and find an apartment. The Internet or your intended school will be very helpful in finding an apartment and helping you understand local currency.

    Remember, you're not only carrying your own reputation but your country's reputation as well. If you act foolishly, people there might think that all of your country men are foolish as well. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Packing your clothes.

B. Preparing for other needs.

C. Most importantly, read about their laws.

D. This will be useful in living and studying there.

E. That would surely be a very bad start for your study abroad program.

F. Going with their trends will keep it from being too obvious that you're a foreigner.

G. And it is even more difficult if you will have to complete your study in a foreign land.

    Here's how yo-yo dieting affects your body and your mind

    Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, occurs when a person experiences periods of weight loss followed by weight gain followed by weight loss and so on and so on. The effects of this weight cycling are significant, even when the weight lost and gained is as little as 10 pounds.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It can make you gain weight

    While dieting may help you lose a few pounds at first, it only works temporarily. Your body responds to the lack of calories by turning to lean muscle mass for energy. Once you have returned to your normal eating habits, the weight comes back on –{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Yo-yo dieting may increase the risk for heart disease and sudden death in post-menopausal（绝经后期）women. Studies found that when normal-weight women experienced periods of weight cycling, they were 3.5 times more likely to have sudden death than women whose weight remained stable. In the same study, yo-yo dieting increased a woman's risk of death by 66 percent.

It can be damaging to your skin

    Dermatologist (a doctor who studies and treats skin diseases) Robin Evans weighed in on the effect that yo-yo dieting has on the skin. “The up and down weight losses and gains can have harmful effects on the skin especially on the face with stretching and contracting the skin,” said Evans{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

It plays games with your mind

    Yo-yo dieting is hard on the body,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Repeatedly gaining and losing weight can leave dieters feeling more depressed about their weight and losing self-belief as a result.

    If you're a yo-yo-dieter, talk to your health care provider about lifestyle changes that can help you maintain a stable and healthy weight for years to come.

A. It only works temporarily

B. It can damage your heart

C. but in the form of fat, not muscle

D. but it's even harder on the mind

E. but with a smaller size, you will make yourself less friendly

F. The result ends up more wrinkles and an overall effect of aging the skin

G. We turned to the experts to find out how yo-yo dieting can affect your body and your mind

    As most of us know, talking and listening don't go smoothly every time. Will parents take you seriously, believe what you say, listen to and respect your opinions? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But some of what happens depends on you, too. Since communication is a two-way street, the way you talk can influence how well a parent listens and understands you. So here are some guidelines to consider when talking to parents:

    Be clear and direct. Be as clear as you can about what you think, feel, and want.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They can listen better or be more helpful if they understand what you mean and what's really going on.

    Be honest. If you're always honest, a parent will be likely to believe what you say. If you sometimes hide the truth or add too much drama, parents will have a harder time believing what you tell them. If you lie, they'll find it hard to trust you.

    Try to understand their point of view. If you have a disagreement, can you see your parents' side?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Telling parents you understand their views and feelings helps them be willing to see yours, too.

    Try not to argue or complain. Using a tone that's friendly and respectful makes it more likely parents will listen and take what you say seriously.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you think your emotions might get the better of you, do something to blow off steam before talking: Go for a run. Cry.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Do whatever it takes to sound calm when you need to.

A. Hit your pillow.

B. If you can, say so.

C. A lot depends on your parents.

D. Think twice before you make a decision.

E. Your parents won't always see things your way.

F. Give details that can help parents understand your situation.

G. Of course, this is hard for any of us when we're feeling heated about something.

What to expect at high school

    Are you super worried about what to expect at high school? Well, guess what? Everyone is! The following tips will help guide you safely through your first day!

    Understand that you'll be moving a lot.

    Depending on the school you're at, there could be more subjects and you'll have more classrooms! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Be ready to move around and remember what classrooms they are in.

    Understand the newness of high school.

    There are usually more strict teachers and more classrooms! Don't worry. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} More friends and more freedom (hopefully)! There will be a lot of differences, so go along with it and don't feel nervous about the change.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Stay away from students who have higher grades than you! They're older and you will be an easy target (目标), so watch your back! If they do try to threaten (恐吓) you or anything, tell your parents or teachers to help you with it.

    Be prepared for the dining room.

    Make sure you have friends to sit with, or you'll look lonely and feel lonely. Make some new friends to sit with. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Remember to stay good in school.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You don't need an “A” for everything, but an “F” on everything is not good! Spend enough time on study and take notes during class.

A. One for every subject.

B. Put your books in order.

C. Know who to watch out for.

D. There are some advantages!

E. Try to eat healthily on your first day.

F. Try to make a good impression on the teachers.

G. Do your homework and make sure you study hard!

Social Media

    Social media can be defined(解释)as web-based and mobile media that are used for people to interact ,connect and communicate with each other. It often involves the creation and sharing of content (writing, pictures, and video) that people make themselves, mostly through the Internet.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The first type involves people getting together to work on a project, for example, Wikipedia. Blogs and micro-blogs (such as Twitter) are another type of social media. There are other websites like You Tube that allow people to share content such as pictures, articles or videos.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}These sites allow people to stay in touch with friends, make new ones and join communities. Facebook is an example of this type. Many people like to play games on the Internet and, yes, there are social media games as well. These games allow gamers to interact with each other and play with or against other gamers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The final type of social media is websites like Second Life, where people can create avatars(化身)and use and create objects, as if they were in the real world.

    Social media are different from traditional media. With social media, many individual people in different places create content.

    Another difference is that people who produce content in social media don't need very special skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes only a few minutes to write a twitter post, for example.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But whatever you might think, social media is here to stay.

A. World of Warcraft is a good example.

B. And social media content can be produced much faster.

C. In general, there are six different types of social media.

D. Another type of social media are social networking sites.

E. Some people think social media is good and some think it is bad.

F. In traditional media, people need special skills to produce something.

G. Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today's world.

    When you have got a lot of stuff, decluttering(整理)your home can be really necessary. Decluttering is just about putting new systems into place in your life.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, you realize how great you feel about it, and you want to keep going.

Getting rid of things gives you time to look after yourself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, or looking for the potato peeler—because everything has a home and you know exactly where it is—you're free to spend that time on yourself and your family. It's liberating.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It has taken you a long time to get everything, and you won't be able to get rid of it all straight away. If you're pushed for time, there are easy ways of introducing decluttering into your life. Spend 10 minutes a day decluttering or, if that's not manageable, declutter three items a week.

    Have three piles: one for things you're going to keep, one for things that are a maybe, and one for things you're going to give away. You will also need some bin bags, for rubbish. A revisiting pile is important if you're struggling to get rid of things.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. More often than not, you end up saying, actually, I don't need that.

Stay focused. People often get sidetracked when they're trying to declutter. They start trying on clothes they had forgotten about, or looking at old photos. Another common mistake is to just move things from place to place, instead of getting rid of them.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Once you start decluttering

B. You need time to reflect on what to keep

C. Don't expect to declutter everything overnight

D. When you're not always looking for the scissors

E. If you realise that you own six wine openers, keep only one

F. Start the decluttering process before you move in with a new partner

G. You can just leave things there for a few weeks before a final decision