Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad(少年) offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If the lad had gone home to ponder（考虑）his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.

A．This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B．People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.

C．It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.

D．Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E．But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F．He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G．It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

    Recently some American scientists have a useful piece of advice to people in industrialized nations. They say people should eat more of the same kind of food eaten by humans living more than 10, 000 years ago.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The scientists say that the human life has changed greatly. Our bodies have not been able to deal with these changes in lifestyle and this has led to new kinds of sicknesses. These new sicknesses were not known in ancient times.So they are called “diseases of civilization”. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Scientists noted that people in both the Old Stone Age and the New Stone Age enjoyed very little alcohol or tobacco, probably none.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, a change in food is one of the main differences between life in ancient times and that of today.

    Stone Age people hunted wild animals for their meat, which had much less fat than domestic ones. They ate a lot of fresh wild vegetables and fruits. They did not have milk or any other dairy products, and they made very little use of grains.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}We eat six times more salt than our ancestors. We eat more sugar. We eat twice as much fat but only one third as much protein and much less vitamin C.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But scientists say that we would be much healthier if we eat much the same way the ancient people did, cutting the amount of fatty, salty and sweet food.

    When I was young, my friends and I often played baseball in an alley(小巷) behind our home. A woman named Mrs Shinas owned a tiny house nearby, and she used to watch us play from her window.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} we all thought that she was mean.

    She had a big trained dog and whenever one of our baseballs rolled in its direction, Mrs Shinas would send the dog to catch it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} soon we ran out of balls.

    In those days, I used to water our lawn each day. One day as I stood watering our small lawn, I noticed that Mrs Shinas' lawn looked a little dry. It took only a few more minutes to water it, so I did it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    When autumn came that year, I also helped gather up the leaves on Mrs. Shinas' yard. As I was doing this one day, she invited me to sit in her living room. She gave me a cookie and a glass of milk. As I sat there eating the cookie, she showed me her collection of paintings. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}that surprised me a lot. It was the first conversation I had ever had with her.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} She went into her kitchen and returned with a box. In it were all the balls that her dog had taken. She handed me the box, said "thank you" and smiled. I realized she had a kind heart. I also learned that when we serve others, we are showing them that we love them.

A. We wanted to buy a new ball.

B. But the dog wouldn't return the ball to us.

C. Her next action even changed my opinion of her.

D. Then she thanked me for taking care of her lawn.

E. Soon I found myself watering her lawn each day.

F. She rarely came out of her house and never smiled.

G. What delighted me most was that she was a great painter.

New Lives for Old Phones

    When a new mobile phone starts to be sold in stores, many people rush out to buy one. We all want the newest, latest thing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Mike Townsend works at Total Recall, a mobile phone recycling company. "Don't throw your old phone away. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you throw it away, it goes with other rubbish to become landfill. In other words, it is put in a big hole in the ground-and it becomes a big problem," he says.

    Mobile phones contain some poisonous materials. If your phone goes to a landfill, these poisonous materials can get out and get into the water under the ground. That's the water we need to drink or water goes into rivers or the ocean. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's a lot of landfill and a lot of poisonous materials.

    "At Total Recall, we separate the old phones into pieces. Most of the materials in the mobile phones can be recycled and used again.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, phone batteries contain nickel and cadmium. The nickel is used to make steel, and the cadmium can be used to make new batteries," explains Mike.

    "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can usually just take it into a mobile phone shop and they will send it to us," says Mike.

    So before you throw that old mobile phone away, use it one last time: search for a recycler near you and give them a call.

A. Send it to us and we'll recycle it.

B. Recycling your old phone is easy.

C. How much is your old mobile phone worth?

D. But what should we do with our old mobile phones?

E. Millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year.

F. We take apart the old phones and they are used to make new products.

G. Recycling materials helps keep the environment greener and cleaner.

How to Plan a Holiday Trip

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whether it's to grandma's house, a family reunion or simply a holiday getaway, these yearly road trips can often be the source of dread and stress. The thought of being trapped in the car with restless children or the possibility of car trouble along the way is enough to make anyone consider staying home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Plan out the route for your car trip. If you're planning on driving to your holiday destination, a little planning can help make your trip easy and uneventful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remember, it's likely that you won't be the only person on the road during the holidays, and traffic is always a factor. Alternate routes or shortcuts can help reduce time spent in traffic jams and get you to your destination sooner. This information can also come in handy in case of road construction or other situations that might block your primary route.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Although traveling by air can be quick and convenient, it can also be much more expensive. Start planning your trip early to take advantage of advance purchase discounts and avoid sold out flights. Many airlines become extremely busy during the holidays so booking in advance can also help ensure that you get the flights that you want. High traffic destinations such as New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta can be extremely crowded during the holidays. If you have the option, consider booking your flight to a nearby airport and renting a car for the short drive to your destination.

    Consider your luggage needs. If you're traveling by car, the issue of luggage is only important with regards to the amount of room needed. Before you begin packing, think about how many people will be in your vehicle and how much room they will need to travel comfortably. This could affect the number of bags that you can take along. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Not only is the possibility of lost luggage an issue, but most airlines now charge extra for checked baggage.

    For a family of four, carrying a few bags each could result in several hundred dollars worth of baggage fees during your trip. Try to pack as lightly as possible.

A. As an alternative to driving or flying, check into the possibility of traveling by train.

B. Plan your trip to avoid peak travel times.

C. Luckily, with a little planning, these situations can be avoided.

D. Book airline tickets.

E. Each year, millions of people load up the family car and set out on a holiday trip,

F. For traveling by air, the number of bags that you take is a much bigger concern.

G. Consider your starting point and desired destination, and investigate several possible routes.

Quick tips for better time management

    Are you a good time manager? If your answer is "no", here are some tips on how to be a better time manager:

    ⒈Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it starts. The plan gives you a good description of how the day will go on. That way, you will be ready to deal with most of the things you meet. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒉Focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you're just not getting anything done? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Only focus on what you're doing. You'll be more efficient(效率高的) that way.

    ⒊Stay away from your time wasters. What takes your time away from your work? QQ? Email checking? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} One thing you can do is make it hard to check them — remove them from your browser(浏览器) quick links.

    ⒋{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't take on more than you can deal with. For the distractions(分心的事物) that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm no. Or do it later.

    ⒌Decide to be early. When you prepare to be on time, you'll either be on time or late. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, if you decide to be early, you'll most likely to be on time. For appointments, try to be early. For your deadlines, meet them earlier than required.

A. Learn to say "No".

B. Cut off when you need to.

C. Stop checking them so often.

D. Most of the time you'll be late.

E. Great ways to know your time spent.

F. If so, focus on just one key task at one time.

G. Your job for the day is to follow the plan as best as possible.