An Interesting Experiment

    Put an ice cube(冰块) from your fridge into a glass of water.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Thus, you can take out that piece of ice with the help of the string. But you must not touch the ice with your fingers.

    You may ask your friends to try to do that when you are having dinner together.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You must use salt when you carry out this experiment.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then put some salt on the ice. Salt makes ice melt(融化). The ice round the string will begin to melt.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The cold ice cube will make the salt water freeze again.

    After a minute or two you may raise the piece of string and with it you will raise your piece of ice!

    This experiment can be very useful to you. If, for example, there is ice near the door of your house, you must use very much salt to melt all the ice.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. If you don't put enough salt, the water will freeze again.

B. The string must be at least 10 centimeters long.

C. First you put the string across the piece of ice.

D. We can learn a lot from this physical experiment.

E. But when it melts, it will lose heat.

F. You should have a piece of string 10 centimeters long.

G. There is a salt bottle on the table.

    Reading is an interesting and useful thing. You can read a novel or a poem. But do you know how to read? Here's some advice for you.

    Define your purpose for reading. Before you start reading, ask yourself why are you reading this book.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Being specific and clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to eliminate books that you don't need to read. It also reminds you why reading the book is important to you as you are reading it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may recommend books that they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

    Give up books that you don't enjoy. You may have selected books that are aligned with (与……一致) your purpose.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But as you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore (杂事).

    Give yourself a deadline to complete each book. Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to complete this book. When you don't set a deadline to complete your book, there isn't a sense of urgency.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}you tend to procrastinate (拖延).

A. When something is urgent

B. When something isn't urgent

C. Because reading is very important

D. Read only what you are attracted to

E. You may have selected books that you are attracted to

F. Most people read for two main reasons—pleasure or knowledge

G. This motivates you to keep reading and complete the book faster

    Injuries and deaths caused by driving after drinking are preventable. Sadly, actions by the police can only catch a small number of drunk drivers on the roads. It is up to each person to make the decisions.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}So we should help guide our friends and persuade them to avoid driving after drinking. Here are some tips.Start talking to the person early. With every drink, judgment becomes increasingly uncontrolled.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So as soon as your friend starts drinking, you should try to persuade him to make a plan to get home safely. Remember, after he gets drunk, he may not listen to you.Help the person realize he is drunk. Talk to him and show him that he is increasingly clumsy.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example, ask who you can call to pick him up, or what public transport he would like to use. If he knows he is drunk, he may follow your advice.Make last efforts. If all else fails and a drunk person wants to drive home, threaten to call the police or take his keys.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When he is not concentrated, take his keys. This may make it easier to convince him to take a cab home. Remember, don't give him the keys even if he's angry.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you once drove home after you got drunk, your friend may not listen to you. So in order to succeed in persuading your friend to avoid driving after drinking, you should behave yourself first.

A. Ask him where his keys are.

B. Set a good role model.

C. Give him an alternative way to get home.

D. But it isn't easy to make the right decisions.

E. Make him realize drinking makes him look like a fool.

F. The police will come to help you out once you call them.

G. It means the more one drinks, the less likely that he will listen to you.

    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.

A. Do not buy it.

B. The easiest is to steam it.

C. This is how you can do it.

D. It just requires a little knowledge.

E. The fish will go bad within hours.

F. When buying fish, you should first smell it.

G. The fats in fish are thought to help prevent heart disease.

    Ancient Rome was one of the world's most powerful empires more than 2,000 years ago. The Romans' Ideas about roads, laws, government and buildings still influence us today. Italy is shaped like a boot.

    The Colosseum (角斗场)in Rome was built during the time of the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is a popular tourist attraction today.

    Italy is well-known for its designers, who create cars, handbags, clothes, shoes and other items that are in demand for their style and fine workmanship.

    Today, the economy of Italy is stronger than in the past. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Today, manufacturing and tourism are the main sources of income. There are some big companies, but Italy has many smaller companies, too. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The southern part does not offer as many manufacturing jobs, so it is not as prosperous.

    Italy is a member of the European Union, a group of countries that join together for better trade. The currency, or money, they use is called the “euro”.

    Food and eating good meals are important to Italians. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Popular foods include pasta, risotto, minestrone and pizza. McDonald's is also popular there.

    Many families still eat their main meal in the middle of the day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Families spend a lot of time together.

A. The family is very important to the Italian way of life.

B. The country used to depend on agriculture.

C. Mountains cover about three-fourths of the country.

D. It could seat about 50,000 people, who went to see fights between animals and people.

E. While there are some supermarkets, many people shop at small, neighborhood markets.

F. Italy has several islands off the coast.

G. The northern part of the country is the main manufacturing center.

What do a picturesque sunrise, a nice cup of coffee, and holiday celebrations have in common? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Being open about your feelings can be rewarding. Here are some reasons for sharing your feelings with others.

Expressing your feelings connects you with others. When it comes to relationships with your family and significant others knowing how to express your feelings is the key to creating intimacy (亲密关系). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}However, it is that sincere revelation(透露) that enables you to bond with your loved ones.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In a study, after participants expressed their emotions, brain images showed a decrease in the brain activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with feelings, indicating a calming effect on the brain. The researchers concluded that talking through emotions decreases the strength of these emotions.

Sharing your feelings boosts health. According to The New York Times, holding everything inside and not expressing your emotions can be harmful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}But choosing to appropriately share them benefits you mentally and physically. By doing so, you can normalize your speaking about emotions and emotional needs. This can help not just you, but also others.

Speaking about your emotions enables you to get help.When you put what's in your mind into words, you are making that experience or emotion real, instead of ignoring it. That's a way of recognizing yourself. Moreover, talking about your feelings allows your loved ones to help you. They are naturally concerned about your well-being. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

All in all, accept your feelings, even negative ones and learn to manage them. Practice sharing your feelings on a regular basis, and you will benefit a lot.

A. Opening up keeps emotional intensity down.

B. Sharing your emotions improves brain function.

C. Telling others about the depths of your feelings can be scary.

D. If so, you'd better avoid judging yourself and other people.

E. These are all wonderful experiences that you can share with loved ones.

F. By letting them know what you're experiencing, you can get their support.

G. That may cause increased stress levels and risk of developing related diseases.