Everyone knows that fish is good for health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But it seems that many people don't cook fish at home. Americans eat only about fifteen pounds of fish per person per year, but we eat twice as much fish in restaurants as at home. Buying, storing, and cooking fish isn't difficult. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This text is about how to buy and cook fish in an easy way.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Fresh fish should smell sweet: you should feel that you're standing at the ocean's edge. Any fishy or strong smell means the fish isn't fresh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When you have bought a fish and arrive home, you'd better store the fish in the refrigerator if you don't cook it immediately, but fresh fish should be stored in your fridge for only a day or two. Frozen fish isn't as tasty as the fresh one.

There are many common methods used to cook fish.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} First, clean it and season it with your choice of spices（调料）.

    Put the whole fish on a plate and steam it in a steam pot for 8 to 10 minutes if it weighs about one pound. (A larger one will take more time.) Then, it's ready to serve.

    The favorite food in the United States is the hamburger, a kind of round sandwich of cooked beef. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} At fast food restaurants, people order their food, wait a few minutes, and carry it to their tables themselves. People also take their food out of the restaurant and eat it in their cars or in their homes. At some fast food restaurants, people can order their food, pay for it and pick it up without leaving their cars.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most of them sell hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes, which are traditionally popular foods among Americans. In addition, there are many fast food restaurants that serve Chinese food, Mexican food, Italian food, chicken, seafood and ice cream.

    The idea of a fast food restaurant is so popular that nearly every kind of food can be found in one. Fast food restaurants are popular. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    First, they are not formal restaurants. Customers wear any type of dress when they go to a fast food place. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People who are busy do not want to spend time preparing their own food or waiting while someone else prepares it. In fast food restaurants the food is usually ready before the customer even orders it. Finally, most food in a fast food restaurant is not expensive. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, they may not be able to afford a more traditional and more expensive restaurant very often.

A. Second, they are fast.

B. Chinese diets are also welcome.

C. In fact, they reflect American life style.

D. They will go to a good restaurant for important guests.

E. The favorite place to buy a hamburger is a fast food restaurant.

F. Therefore, people can afford to eat at a fast food restaurant often.

G. There are many kinds of fast food restaurants in the United States.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity.

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

B. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

C. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

D. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

E. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

F. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

G. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

    Want to know how to be a confident friend-finder? We can help, with four easy steps.

    Step 1. Change your mental state.

    It's easy to get so freaked out（不安的）about being in a new situation that you start throwing off don't-come-near-me signals. And guess what? It worked. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Instead, change your attitude with some positive thinking. Tell yourself: “It'll be great to get to know someone new”, or “I can't wait to hear what these girls have to say.”

    Step 2. Remember, the eyes have it.

    The first place we look at when we're uncomfortable is the floor. No one can tell if we're embarrassed. We can't tell if anyone is looking at us. Whoa! {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Holding your head up and making eye contact is a bold（大胆的）move． It's confident and friendly.

    Step 3.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Does starting a communication bring on an attack of shyness? Try adding a good question to your friend-finding tools. Strong opening questions usually begin with “what” or “how” words that get people talking. Typically, our first instinct (本能) is to ask a “can” or a “do” question, like “Can I borrow a pencil?” or “ Do you know where the bathroom is? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Asking “what” or “how” questions gets you more information to respond to. Try something like “Hi. I really like that flower. How did you draw it?” or “Hi. I'm new. What's the least scary lunch option in the cafeteria?”

    Step 4. Practice, practice, practice.

    Making new friends is a skill. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But the more you practice, the more relaxed and natural. You'll feel, and the easier it will get. So flash that smile, offer some welcoming words, and soon you'll be hanging out with your newest friends!

A. People don't come near you.

B. All you need is one question.

C. Listen closely to their answers.

D. Not a good way to meet people.

E. The thought of meeting people makes you excited.

F. But that only gets you short answers. Like “Yeah” or “Down the hall”.

G. Like art, music, or sports, it takes practice to feel truly confident of it.

Habits to Make You a Happy Person

    Habits remain the same even if everything around us is changing fast. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So they are beneficial to our achievements.

    However, positive habits are hard to develop. People fail and make mistakes when making changes and trying new things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's just life and nothing to feel upset about. What you are supposed to do next is trying again, and develop the positive habits gradually. Here are three little habits that can make a big difference in your life.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} How you take care of yourself will make a difference in the quality of your life. The tiny habits of caring for your body and spirit will give you the energy to achieve your goals-plus increase your well-being.

    Don't forget to forgive others. Forgiving takes you one step closer to your happiness. Make a habit of not holding hatred(仇恨). It does nothing but hurts your own happiness and success. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, you will be more likely to get relief and succeed.

    Encourage yourself to be curious(好奇的). There is no stage in life when we can't be learning something valuable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And as long as you follow your heart and your curiosity, you won't miss out on learning. The habit of being curious means you will always benefit from life.

A. Try to be healthy.

B. Never forget to take notes.

C. Trying things again will bring you happiness.

D. Forgiving yourself doesn't mean you are a loser.

E. As long as you live, there will be something to learn.

F. They will probably not succeed the first time they do it.

G. Good habits can bring us happiness and help us to achieve our goals.

    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.