Why I Love Cycling

    One of the first things I did when I moved to a new city was hire a bike. Why?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You travel much faster than on foot and you notice so much more of your surroundings than when in a bus or a car. It's more appealing to wander down small streets if they seem interesting, as you can quickly get back to the main road.

    Besides, I soon discovered plenty more benefits to cycling.

    A bike means that fewer places, especially in a small city like the one where I live now, feel far away. For example, cycling to work takes me half the time that it would to walk.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Of course, there are obvious health benefits of cycling—a bit of extra movement as part of your daily routine can help you keep fit and healthy. Cycling on my way to work also makes me feel more energetic in the mornings.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While cars pollute the environment, bikes are carbon-neutral. Furthermore, thanks to being petrol-free, bikes are cheaper to run, buy and fix than cars. Even if you don 'town a car, a bike can pay for itself when compared to the price of bus tickets.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Always wear a helmet, pay attention to other traffic and don't forget your lights at night. Make sure you know the road rules, especially in a new place. Some cities are more cycle-friendly than others.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Luckily, where I live now is pretty easy to ride a bike around, thanks to having lots of cycle lanes and not too many hills!

A. However, be careful when cycling.

B. I have to learn to ride safely on the right of the road.

C. Importantly, cycling also helps to reduce your carbon footprint.

D. And sometimes city roads are difficult or unpleasant for cyclists.

E. Riding a bike also means you're not restricted by bus timetables.

F. Seeing a city by bike is ideal for settling in and learning your way around.

G. Cycling to work excellently fits for someone who wants to save their pocket money.

    Don't you just love ice skating every winter? I am sure that since winter is approaching, your skates are set to come out, just waiting to be used. Impress your friends with your new trick on how to ice-skate backwards with the help of these tips.

    Stand straight

    The first thing that you need to do is, stand straight. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} , if you feel that you are falling backwards. Don't worry; this happens to all.

    Confidence is what you need

    The most important step while learning how to skate backwards, is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing. How can you achieve this? By practice. One of the important ice skating tips and techniques is that if you feel that you are losing your balance, then scissor（做剪式运动）your skates. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} .

    Maintain speed

    Try sculling（滑）with one skate while rolling in a straight line with the other.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Now bring the skate which you are using to scull, and then again, repeat the same process. Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling.

    Now, try the same thing using the other foot.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} .

    Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot, the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed. Try some of your own tricks now. Scull with either foot or with both at the same time.

    Scull and be aware

    While you keep one foot straight, keep sculling with the other. You can do that with both feet at the same time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} , but don't get so involved that you don't see where you are going. If you are not watching your back, you might just bang against something or someone.

A. That is, keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke（滑动）

B. While going backwards, just get used to the feeling of moving backwards

C. Keep practicing this till you are confident about it

D. Increase your speed now

E. One must be brave enough to learn to ice-skate backwards

F. Concentrate on what you are doing

G. Just put your chin up and slightly bend your knees

    A dog's mind is only equal to that of a two-year-old baby. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Therefore, they are probably the first to notice any change in the behavior of their masters. Let's do some deep-digging to understand the amazing ability of a dog.

    They sense your feelings. Isn't it strange? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This is true. A study published in the Animal Cognition journal says that dogs are known to come to people who appear sad or depressed. It doesn't matter if the person is their owner or a stranger. They have an ability to sense sadness and are attached to troubled souls.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Dogs can easily tell when you're playing with favorites, and if you reward or play more with other pets, your dog might notice it and feel uncomfortable. As they can't say how they feel, they will scratch, yawn or lick their mouths.

    They smell fear. Let's say you're faced with your worst fear. Would you get scared and run away or just face it? Before choosing how to deal with it, you should remember one thing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Research shows that dogs often sense their masters' responses in dangerous situations. If you fear something and choose to back away, chances are that your pet is going to do the same thing.

    They're watching you. We are all raised as respectable individuals who are taught to respect elders, obey the law and help out people in need from time to time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But if you have a dog at home, it is time to be serious about them. Dogs like generous people. So just be careful around your pet; it may judge you on how you behave with others.

A. They sense health problems.

B. They understand when ignored.

C. They know when no one's looking at them.

D. You would be setting an example to your pet.

E. Every time you feel sad, you dog just know it.

F. But dogs are able to sense everything around them.

G. However, not all of us take these three things seriously.

When to Say “No” to Antibiotics (抗生素)

    Although they know that antibiotics kill only bacteria but not viruses and the obvious risk of antibiotic overuse to personal health, many doctors still use antibiotics when the drugs are not necessary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In some serious cases, the patients with them failed to respond to any medical treatment and died within days. Therefore, several medical organizations have tried to correct antibiotic misuse by explaining when the drugs are not needed.

    Ear Diseases

Earaches account for over half of ear related diseases for children. Most earaches gradually heal with no antibiotic in days, especially in children two and older. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In severe cases or when children under two years old experience moderate to severe pain, antibiotics might be required.

    Eye Diseases

    Doctors often use antibiotic eye drops after treating related diseases. Macular Degeneration, for example, is an eye disease generally treated with injections or laser operation. But those drops are rarely needed after such procedures and can even damage patients' eyes.

    Lung Diseases

    For older patients, particularly those who live in long-term care centers, doctors need to use antibiotics when a routine test finds bacteria in lung. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Throat Diseases

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Therefore, antibiotics shouldn't be widely used in treatments for such diseases. Only less than one third of strep throats are bacterial. If you suspect bacterial throat, get tested to find out for sure.

    Another report, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also indicates that antibiotic misuse affects at least two million people annually, killing more than 23,000. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Therefore, health experts urge all doctors in practice to follow the above instructions.

A. Most throat diseases are caused by viruses.

B. Just wait two days to see if symptoms disappear.

C. But if the result proves normal, the drugs won't help.

D. In this case, antibiotics are the most effective for the old.

E. Most doctors already know it, so they say no to antibiotics.

F. Under such circumstances, limiting antibiotic misuse is a must.

G. This may develop the “superbugs”, which can't be easily controlled.

    Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast (盛宴). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Everyone brought food.

    In time, other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

A. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest.

B. He declared the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving.

C. The Pilgrims were those who celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day.

D. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

E. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast.

F. This is why he decided to make it a national holiday throughout the U.S.

G. The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest.

Exam Anxiety

    Has this ever happened to you? You've been studying hard for your midterm, but when you walk into your exam, your mind goes blank, your heart races fast, you get sweaty palms and find it hard to breathe. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Everyone feels stressed during exams. Usually, it results from a fear of failure, lack of adequate preparation time and bad experiences taking tests in the past. This is normal and often helps you work harder, think faster and generally improve your performance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You may also feel that other people are managing the exam better than you. This can cause you to feel that your mind has "gone blank" on information you know you have revised.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some choose to ignore the problem, while others don't review because they think they will do badly anyway and even miss exams due to the anxiety. It can also be really easy to think that if you don't try and then you fail, you won't feel as bad as if you fail after trying really hard.

    So what can you do to fight against the negative mindset and stay calm before and during your test?{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Yes, this seems obvious, but it's worth repeating. If you feel confident that you've prepared thoroughly, you'll feel more confident walking into the test. The second tip is simple: just start. The blank page can maximize your anxiety. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling. Besides, allocating(分配) your time is equally important. Look through the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you'll spend on each section. If there's time to recheck, even better.

A. The first thing you should do is to be prepared.

B. People often deal with exam stress in many unhelpful ways.

C. If these classic signs of exam anxiety sound familiar, you're not alone!

D. Therefore, people need an appropriate amount of pressure to help deal with exams.

E. Realizing time is almost up and that there's still a lot of blank space will make you desperate.

F. However, if you are overly anxious about the result, you may be unable to focus on your work.

G. After you get the paper, dive right in by getting some questions done to build up your confidence.