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.

    Any car accident is frightening, but an accident in which your vehicle is thrown into the water, with you trapped inside, is absolutely terrifying. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    However, most deaths result from panic, without a plan or understanding what is happening to the car in the water. By adopting a brace position (防冲击姿势), acting decisively and getting out fast, you can save yourself from a sinking vehicle.

Brace yourself for impact. As soon as you're aware that you're going off the road and into a body of water, adopt a brace position. The impact could set off the airbag system in your vehicle, so you should place both hands on the steering wheel in the “ten and two” position.

Undo your seatbelt. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Unbuckle the children, starting with the oldest first. Forget the cellphone call. Your car isn't going to wait for you to make the call.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Leave the door alone at this stage and concentrate on the window. A car's electrical system should work for up to three minutes in water, so try the method of opening it electronically first. Many people don't think about the window as an escape option either because of panic or misinformation about doors and sinking.

Break the window. If you aren't able to open the window, or it only opens halfway, you'll need to break it with an object or your foot. It may feel counter-intuitive (有悖常理的) to let water into the car. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Escape when the car has equalized. If it has reached the dramatic stage where the car cabin has been filled with water and it has become balanced, you must move quickly and effectively to ensure your survival. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

While there is still air in the car, take slow, deep breaths and focus on what you're doing.

A. Open the window as soon as you hit the water.

B. Surviving a sinking car is n ot as difficult as you think.

C. It takes 60 to 120 seconds for a car to fill up with water usually.

D. Such accidents are particularly dangerous due to the risk of drowning.

E. In conclusion, if you know what to do in the water, you'll be safe.

F. This is the first thing to attend to, yet it often gets forgotten in the panic.

G. But the sooner the window is open, the sooner you can escape directly through it.

How to Improve Your English

    One of the most important questions that every student asks is how to improve your English. There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Let's begin with the three most important rules to help guide you. You'll find further ideas below.

Rule 1:{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    The most important rule to remember is that learning English is a process. It takes time, and it takes lots of patience! If you are patient, you will improve your English.

Rule 2:Make a Plan

    The most important thing to do is to create a plan and follow that plan.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Patience is key to improving your English, so go slowly and focus on your foals. You'll speak English well soon if you keep to the plan.

Rule 3:{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's absolutely necessary that learning English becomes a habit. In other words, you should work on your English every day. It's not necessary to study grammar every day. However, you should listen, watch read or speak English every day even if it's for a short period of time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you truly understand and master these three rules, then you will find your English level is really great.

    At what age does a child became an adult?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are a few examples.

    First, in some North American Indian culture, a boy became a man around the age of 13. At that time, he would go into the woods alone, without food or water, for several days.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Girls became adult women as soon as they were old to have babies, also around the age of 12 or 13.

    In the Jewish religion, children spend years studying their history and religion. Then, at age of 13 for boys and 12 for girls, they go through an important religious ceremony.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    In Japan today, young people become legal adult at age 20. Each year on January 15th, they celebrate “Coming-of-Age Day”, when the 20-year-olds in a town are invited to attend to special ceremony.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Finally, in the United States, the passage into adulthood takes several years. American teenagers look forward to their 16th birthday because in most states that is the age when can get a driver's license. The legal age of adulthood is 18, when Americans can vote, get married and work full-time. However, they must wait until age 21 to buy alcohol.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Many people celebrate their 21^st birthday by having a drink with friends in a bar.

B. It's hard to answer the question.

C. The answer depends on your culture or religion.

D. From that day, they are adults, and they become responsible for their own religious development.

E. When he returned safely, he became an adult man.

F. The teenagers are not allowed to drink alcohol.

G. They wear traditional clothes, listen to speeches and visit old friends.

    There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} While others hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths(缪见):

    I'll never lose weight—I come from a fat family

    Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are born with, we can't blame our genes for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism(新陈代谢). In fact, although fat people consume more energy than slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.

    Exercise is boring

    Wrong!{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that's fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a different route. If you do yoga, try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge.

    No pain, no gain

    Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. And the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercising too little.

B. I am fat because I burn calories slowly.

C. Anything will be interesting if you do the same kind of exercise.

D. If they don't, rest and seek medical advice.

E. And the main reason is that their parents are fat.

F. Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively.

G. Some people believe that they can't help putting on weight as they get older.

    I've been keeping an English blog for many years. These practical tips have helped me over the course of my blogging.

    ●Read quality books, blogs, journals, etc. which are written in English. Blogging is not always about writing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Reading also improves your English comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and writing.

    ●Practice helps, so continue writing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Trying to make a perfect post (帖子) free from grammar and spelling mistakes is good but you're not making use of your time efficiently (有效地).

    ●{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about the main points you want to raise. I prepare an outline of my post and a list of the points I want to talk about. Doing this has helped me stay on track and focus on my main points. The outline and the list of points I want to write about serve as my guidelines when I'm writing.

    ●When writing, use simple words and sentences. Using simple sentences makes your job as a blogger easier. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Always remember this: The aim of your writing is to get your message across and the only way to become an effective writer is successfully conveying your message to your readers.

    ●Write your posts ahead of time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To free yourself from the pressure of making a post on daily basis, which might affect your writing, consider making your posts ahead of time.