① {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  When a teacher assigns(布置) a lot of homework, Domenica Roman draws up a timetable, dividing the assignment into small parts. "It's like eating a steak(牛排)," she says. "You chew it one bite at a time."

② {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  One student put a vocabulary list in the bathroom. He learned a new word every day while brushing his teeth. Another student used the time to remember biology terms while practicing running.

③{#blank#}3{#/blank#}   In high school, McCray ran track, played football and was in the band and orchestra. "I was so busy that I couldn't waste time looking for a pencil or missing paper. I kept everything right where I could put my hands on it," he says.

④ {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  In an international class, Asian-Americans, on average, scored higher than other students. The teacher found that the Asian-Americans discussed homework problems together, tried different ways to work out the problems and explained their solutions to one another.

⑤ {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Christi is an excellent student at the University of California. If her math teacher assigns five problems, she does ten. If the history teacher assigns eight pages of reading, she reads twelve. "Part of learning is practicing," she says. "And the more you practice, the more you learn."

    The most common disease in the world is the cold. It often starts with a sore throat. You sneeze and your nose runs. You usually have a headache, too. Often you have a cough later. It's not a serious disease, but you can feel quite bad.

    There isn't a cure (良药) for a cold, but you can take some medicine to make you feel better. For example, you can take aspirin (阿司匹林) to get rid of (去除) your headache. It is good to rest. and to drink a lot of water, too. A doctor once told me. "With the right medicine. a cold will last for seven days. With no medicine, it will go on for a whole week!"

    A long time ago, people understood that some plants made them feel better. For example, the juice of lemons (柠檬) makes a sore throat feel better. In modern times, scientists have found out which chemicals (化学药品) are in them. Man, of our medicines today are made from those chemicals. There are some diseases that we can't cure yet. And nobody has found a cure for old age. But because of modern medicines, the average people now live longer than their grandparents.

Dear Wang Tao,

    I'm so glad to read about the changes taking place in your city. I am happy that you can travel by subway in Chongqing, though there are only six lines there. Here is London we have twelve lines.

    The London Underground is very famous. It's famous for several reasons. Firstly, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world. It opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric（电动的）trains in 1890. Thirdly, the London Underground is the second largest metro（地下铁道）system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometers of tracks (轨道). What's more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation（交通）system famous! I've got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.

    In your e-mail, you also said workers were building more lines. I'm sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I'm happy for you to live in an ancient city with such a new look!

    So much for now. I'll write soon again. Best wishes!

Yours,John

    People who buy property (房产) or move into a new apartment or house usually hold a housewarming party (乔迁派对). The party is an opportunity for friends and family to congratulate (祝贺) this person on their new home. It is a tradition (传统) to bring a gift to a housewarming party. Decorations (装饰品) for the new house, such as pieces of art or potted plants (盆栽植物), are good housewarming gifts. You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests. The host or hostess of the party will give all the guests a tour of their new home. Sometimes, because housewarming parties usually happen shortly after a person moves into their new home, guests may be asked to help unpack boxes. This isn't common, though.

    A long time ago, people would bring firewood (木柴；柴火) to their friends' new homes as a gift. This is where the name "housewarming" comes from. This allowed their friends to keep their homes warm for the winter. These days, most homes have central heating, so firewood isn't needed.