Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-miute excitement of flying wrapping paper.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.

    1).Know the person

    The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows you really know the person well, and you really care about them.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    2).Donate in their name

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone's name this holiday season.

    3).Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.

    Family heirlooms(传家宝)may be another good girl option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing—money—through the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.

    4).Provide chances for participation

      If there's a golden rule of girls, though, it's this:{#blank#}5{#/blank#}People who receive experiential girls, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the girl giver than people who received material girls.

A. But it doesn't have to be that way.

B. Give experiences rather than objects.

C. New and store—bought is not always best.

D. That is always beyond their expectation.

E. That means catering to another's pleasure.

F. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.

G. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift

    How you calm yourself before giving a speech? Both modern research and centuries of experience from experienced（有经验的）public speakers suggest some practical（实用的）advice.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Know to whom you'll be speaking, and learn as much about your audience（听众） as you can. The more you can expect the kind of reaction your listeners will have to your speech, the more comfortable you'll be in delivering your message. Be audience-centered rather than speaker-centered.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    You will feel less nervous if you talk about something you are familiar with or have some personal experience of. Your comfort with the subject of the speech will be reflected in your delivery.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The better prepared you are, the less anxiety（焦虑）you will experience. Being prepared means that you have researched your topic and practiced your speech several times before you deliver it.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You are likely to feel the most nervous during the opening moments of your speech. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a clear plan for how you will start your speech. Being familiar with your introduction（介绍）will help you feel more comfortable about the entire speech. If you know how you will end your speech, you will have a safe harbor in case you lose your place. If you need to end your speech ahead of time, a well-delivered conclusion can permit you to make a graceful exit.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    One of the symptoms(症状) of nervousness is a change in your breathing and heart rates. Nervous speakers tend to take short, shallow breaths. To help break the anxiety—reduce breathing pattern, consider taking a few slow deep breaths before you rise to speak.

A. Know your introduction and your conclusion(总结).

B. Channel（引导） your nervous energy.

C. Know your audience.

D. Use deep-breathing techniques.

E. Be prepared.

F. Select（选择）an suitable topic.

G. To talk with your friends before giving a speech.

How to Retain More of Every Book You Read

    In recent years, I have focused on building good reading habits and learned how to read more. For most people, the final goal of reading a nonfiction book is to actually improve their life by learning a new skill, understanding an important problem, or looking at the world in a new way{#blank#}1{#/blank#} With that in mind, I'd like to share three reading comprehension skills that I use to make my reading more productive.

    Make all of your notes searchable. Having searchable book notes is important for returning to ideas easily{#blank#}2{#/blank#} An idea is only useful if you can find it when you need it. There is no need to leave the task of reading comprehension merely up to your memory.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you go to the library, all of the books will be divided into different categories. In the real world, of course, knowledge is not separated into neatly defined boxes{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For that reason, I try to consider how the book Fm reading is connected with all of the ideas that are already inside my head. Whenever possible, I try to combine the lessons Fm learning with previous ideas.

    Summarize the book in one paragraph{#blank#}5{#/blank#}It forces me to review my notes and consider what is really important about the book. In many cases, I find that I can usually get just as much useful information from reading my one-paragraph summary and reviewing my notes as I would if I read the entire book again.

A. Combine thoughts as you read.

B. All knowledge is interconnected.

C. Describe the book to your friends.

D. Read widely if you want to practice the skills.

E. It increases the chances that you will apply what you read in real life.

F. Once I finish a book, I challenge myself to conclude the text in just three sentences.

G. It's important to read books, but it is just as important to remember what you read and use it.

    Anyone studying a foreign language knows the importance of memorizing words and expressions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} We still also tell you ways about developing a large vocabulary.

    You have probably faced a situation in which you can't remember new words. Perhaps you haven't heard the word enough times or you haven't used it for a very long time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The easiest way to enlarge your vocabulary is to create flashcards. The word in English can appear on one side of the card. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} By repeatedly using flashcards, you can remember more words. The important point is that you should not try cramming (突击学习) unfamiliar words if you want to have long-term learning. This method can help students on some exams. But a couple of days later you're not going to remember any of that information. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There are several websites that can help with testing. English learners can be helped by taking free language tests, which can be of great help to show you where you need to improve.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, with effort, a little sacrifice, and training, you can increase your number of vocabulary words.

A. You can also try using some free online tests.

B. Building a large vocabulary is not an easy task.

C. The difficulty in remembering and using words counts.

D. A large vocabulary improves our powers of expression.

E. You need to develop a large vocabulary for language tests.

F. We will explore the reasons for developing a large vocabulary.

G. The meaning in your native language can appear on the back.

Five steps to make a difference to the oceans

    The oceans are being seriously polluted now. Plastics are harming the marine (海产的) life. Carbon pollution is warming the oceans and increasing their acidity(酸度). Waters are being overfished. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some steps we can take to help make a difference.

    ⒈Bring our own bags. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Try carrying a reusable bag at all times, including while traveling, and bringing our own things to work to avoid relying on plastic items.

    ⒉Talk about it now. We should carry that conversation into public places. Talk to our friends and family about why the ocean is important and why we take steps to help it, and challenge them to do the same.

    ⒊{#blank#}3{#/blank#} A good way to make a difference is to organize a garbage cleanup now. Whether it's an inland cleanup or one near the coast, plan one in our community.

    ⒋Throw away our cars. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When we hang out, we should reduce our carbon footprint, which may help slow global warming and ocean acidification as well as conserve energy

    ⒌Recycle, obviously. Experts say recycling is an obvious action to take. Check on what can be recycled in our community, and make sure you're separating out your plastic.

    In summary, think about it more and act on it more. The more someone thinks about plastics and plastics pollution, the environment and the consequences of our actions, the more likely they are to act on it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Plan a cleanup.

B. Choose public transportation over driving our cars.

C. Driving cars is not a good way to protect the oceans.

D. However, experts say there's still hope to make a difference.

E. However, marine life plays a very important role in the oceans.

F. If everyone can contribute to the oceans, the oceans will be well preserved.

G. Whenever we put something, we should bring our own bag, but not a plastic one.

My, what a big beak you have!

For humans, adapting to climate change will mostly be a matter of technology. More air conditioning, better-designed houses and bigger flood defenses may help to make the effects of a warmer world less harmful. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}In a paper published in Trends & Evolution, a team led by Sara Ryding, a PhD candidate at Deakin University, shows that is already. happening. Climate change is already changing the bodies of many animal species: bigger beaks (喙), limbs and ears.

In some species of Australian parrot, for instance, beak size has increased by between 4% and 10%since 1871. Another study, this time in North American dark-eyed juncos, another bird, found the same pattern.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

All that is perfectly consistent with evolutionary (进化) theory, "Allen's rule". Allen suggested it in 1877, holding that warm-blooded animals in hot places tend to have larger body parts than those in temperate (温带的) regions.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Being richly filled with blood vessels (血管), and not covered by feathers, beaks make an ideal place for birds to get rid of heat.

Ms. Ryding examined museum specimens (标本) to prove that climate change was the cause of an anatomical (解剖学的) changes. All sorts of other factors might have been driving the changes. Her team combined data from different species in different places. They have little in common apart from living on a warming planet.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

For now, at least, the increase is small, never much more than 10%{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Since any evolutionary adaptation comes with trade-offs (妥协), it is unclear how far the process might go.

A. Therefore, climate change is the most reasonable explanation.

B. That may change as warming accelerates (加速).

C. Animals will have to rely on changing their bodies or their behaviors.

D. It seems that the future world is going to be hotter than humans are used to.

E. Therefore, the negative effects of a warmer world are visible in these animals' bodies.

F. Such adaptations boost an animal's surface area relative to its body, helping it to release extra heat.

G. Similar trends are seen in mammals, with species of mice and bats evolving bigger ears, legs and wings.