How to Know Yourself Better

    Most of us believe that we know ourselves better than anyone in this world. But a lot of people are still strangers to themselves. Why?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For a person to have a well-lived life, it is important that he know himself good. If you are one of those who are striving to know yourself better, these steps will guide you.

    Take a moment to write down things that you know "very good" about yourself - your interests, likes, dislikes, preferences, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears, dreams, etc.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}By creating a list of your personal attributes that you are familiar with, you are keeping yourself in touch with yourself.

    Take personality and psychological tests. This is another way to know yourself better. The Internet has a rich source of free online personality and psychological assessments and tests.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Know yourself better by understanding people's perceptions about you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Sometimes, you think you know yourself enough, but other people who see you from their point of view can offer you some insights how you act and get understood by others. Be careful, however, to balance both perceptions to come up with an objective view of yourself.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's a lifetime process. Everyday you will be given new insights about yourself. Writing a journal will help you keep track of these new discoveries. Maintaining that hunger to know yourself better will make you more self-aware, opening up new opportunities to enrich your life.

A. Keep on learning who you are.

B. Remember that you are a worthy person.

C. By answering them, you will understand yourself better.

D. The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to love yourself.

E. Reflect on these qualities and find out how they impact your overall life.

F. Pay attention to what your family, friends, coworkers, etc. observe and say about you.

G. Not everyone is courageous enough to travel the path within to achieve a better self-understanding.

    About ten percent of spending on primary and secondary education in the United States comes from the federal government{#blank#}1{#/blank#} States have been required to show progress through yearly testing.

    But states say testing tells only part of the story about efforts by schools and students to improve. So the Obama administration has eased the limits in states in measuring performance.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This new measurement tool is called the Colorado Growth Model. The ideas is to show academic growth, not just achievement on tests. It combines test scores, family income levels, school size, the ethnicity of the student and many other factors.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The graph shows a school's average score on standardized tests as well as its academic growth.

    On average, students enter sixth grade at WEST Denver Prep performing below grade level{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The new assessment(评价) method shows that, each year, the average West Denver Prep student learns more math than ninety-four percent of all the students in Colorado{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Josh Smith says perhaps the most important thing they should learn is to believe in themselves.

A. The results from schools across the state are shown online on a graph.

B. Reading and writing scores also show growth.

C. For ten years now, federal law has tied this spending to student performance.

D. Therefore, the government feels it a great pressure.

E. But three years later, most are outperforming other students across the state.

F. However, the limits don't work at all.

G. The western state of Colorado, for example, has a new assessment method.

    Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The city of Honolulu, Hawaii wants everyone to learn that lesson.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Beginning on October 24, you will be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban what is called "distracted walking". It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says, "No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device."{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cellphone, tablets, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.

    Pedestrian deaths have been increasing as the use of cellphones rises. The Governors Highway Safety Association, or GHSA, says pedestrian deaths in the United States increased 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The state of Washington was the first to outlaw distracted driving back in 2007. Now, 46 other states as well as D. C. Puerto Rico, Guam and the U. S. Virgin Islands, have laws against texting while driving.

    If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu by using a voice-controlled digital assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. Or you could just wait until you are again, safely, off the street.

A. The law does permit an exception.

B. Other U. S. cities may follow Honolulu.

C. But do they also teach them to put away their cellphones?

D. Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city.

E. Do you like Honolulu's new law that bans texting while walking?

F. In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined.

G. The law's creator hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city.

Understanding special education

    What will appear in your mind when you think about special education? You might picture children with disabilities spending the day in a different classroom, separated from most of the kids of their age. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But as the field of special education has moved forward, it much has changed.

    Special education today is still focused on helping children with disabilities learn. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. In fact, federal law requires that students who receive special education services be taught alongside their non-disabled peers as much as possible. For example, some students with reading disorder may spend most of the day in a general education classroom. They may spend just an hour or two in a resource room working with a specialist on reading and other skills.

    The changes are also reflected in other aspects. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It's tailored(量体裁衣) to meet each student's needs. Special education refers to a range of services that can be provided in different ways and in different settings. If your child qualifies for special education, he'll receive individualized teaching resources. The specialists who work with your child will focus on his strengths as well as his challenges.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Making the curriculum accessible to students with disabilities is a lot like making buildings accessible to people in wheelchairs. School districts have a process in place to determine which students are qualified for special education. This process involves a systematic evaluation that looks at the way your child thinks. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If the district agrees to evaluate your child, the testing will be conducted at no cost to you.

A. "Access" is an important term in education

B. You or your child's school can request an evaluation

C. This may have been the normal situation in the past

D. There is no "one size fits all" approach to special education

E. To clear the learning barriers is the purpose of special education

F. But this no longer means placing kids in a special classroom all day long

G. The qualification for special education is assessed by local school districts

    Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an accepted and valuable part of your new neighborhood. The easiest w ay to achieve this is to make sure you behave yourself as a good neighbor should. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产)neat, clean, and in good repair.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help to improve the look and feel of the area.

    Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously. When going for a walk, take along a small garbage bag. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If a neighbor is going to be out of tow n, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping. Let them know that you are there to help in any w ay that is acceptable, while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By follow in g the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciates.

A. In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone.

B. A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways.

C. Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior.

D. Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping.

E. If you come across waste paper throw n out of a passing car, pick it up.

F. People tend to take pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and pleasing.

G. Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly.

    Your children are watching you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} According to the Health Program, developing healthy habits is an important part for your children. And when it comes to developing healthy habits, parents influence their children more than anyone else.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} What happens during those early years can influence children for the rest of their lives. This includes some eating and exercise habits. Children are very careful, even at a young age. Children watch what others do carefully and imitate the behaviors of those closest to them. As parents, you should do the following: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you do that, your children are more likely to be enthusiastic about developing theirs.

    Let your children see you taking care of your own physical health by eating fruit and vegetables. Talk to them about healthy habits in appropriate terms and at a proper time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Computers, televisions and other forms of technology are a major part of life in the 21st century. Unfortunately, as the use of technology in the home increases, so does the time spent watching TV or playing on the computer. So as parents, you should also arrange the time for your children wisely.

A. Don't get rid of technology, but use it wisely.

B. Take part in physical activities and exercise regularly.

C. Be enthusiastic about developing healthy habits of your own.

D. Your actions are speaking to them louder than your words will.

E. Children prefer to imitate their parents rather than listen to them.

F. This can be helpful to teach your children to form good eating habits.

G. It's easy for the children to form their healthy habits when they are young.