May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

      These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also, common colleges work more to getthe students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

      For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economymakes parents nervous. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The recent problems that spread from thehousing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans．Solately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aidfor students.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}The Education Department expects the number of highschool graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of thechildren of the baby boom generation finish high school. Thenumber is not expected to start rising again until 2016.

A．Besides, top colleges are facing changesin the population.

B．What contributes to it?

C．But a mistake can be costly if ithappens.

D．But top colleges ignore them．.

E．They have international students whoknow English.

F．It can mean several acceptances tochoose from.

G．They cannot afford college as planned.

Happiness begins from appreciation

    If you are feeling that life just cannot be any worse for you, it can be challenging to think positive. When stressed, depressed, upset or otherwise in a negative state of mind because you are aware that misfortune keeps occurring, it is important to shift those negative thoughts to something positive{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It is often very hard to think positive when so many things are negative, but be sure that someone, somewhere is worse off than you{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you start with one small, positive thing and appreciate it during the course of your day, you will begin to move into a more positive situation and people will start showing up in your life. With appreciation, you will find that over time, you will change your outlook and choose to be happy, regardless of the events around you{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Begin and end each day with a “Thank you for this wonderful, glorious day!”

    When you see the rise of gas prices, say “I am so glad to have a vehicle in which to get around.”

    When your boss is too hard on you, say “I am grateful for my job as I know that many don't have one.”

    If you are having health problems, be grateful for what does work: “I really do appreciate it that my eyes see, my ears hear, my mouth tastes, my legs walk, my arms lift and my mind thinks and everything else works.”

    Write down what you're grateful for each day. In moments when you're feeling really down, read loud what you wrote previously{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you practice this regularly, you will find your list getting longer and longer.

    The key is to move yourself into a positive thought and keep it there long enough to make it a moment of appreciation{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This will certainly help uplift your spirits.

B. If not, you will only attract more misfortune.

C. It is of great importance to learn to be grateful.

D. The more you appreciate, the happier you'll be.

E. You have made some achievements in your career.

F. Here are a few common examples for you to practice.

G. You can choose to think differently by beginning with the smallest of steps.

How to Store Strawberries

    You've scored some beautiful strawberries and brought them home with great care. You've washed a few and eaten them immediately, but what to do with the rest? Strawberries can go bad easily, especially when not stored correctly.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First things first, don't wash the strawberries until you're ready to eat them. Strawberries are ready to absorb water. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you plan on eating or cooking with the berries within a day and it's not too terribly hot in your kitchen, you can leave the strawberries out at room temperature. Put them in a pretty bowl within easy eyesight so people remember to eat them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Take a shallow bowl or plate with a clean kitchen towel. Place the unwashed strawberries in more or less a single layer and refrigerate them. Stored this way, very fresh strawberries will keep for several days. The closer you can create this dry and un-pressed situation, the better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you're not planning on using the strawberries within a few days, you'd better freeze them rather than keep them all fresh. Frozen strawberries are perfect for baking up in cakes, and other treats. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They say frozen strawberries hold their shape better. Besides, whenever you have strawberries about to be not at their best, you can also place them in the freezer. By the end of strawberry season, you'll likely have enough of them to make jam.

A. Different people have different opinions.

B. They say frozen ones are to be more easily stored.

C. Actually, many bakers prefer frozen berries to fresh ones.

D. Again, don't wash them until you're going to use them!

E. And once they've met with water, they are quick to rot away.

F. For overnight storage, however, you'd better refrigerate them.

G. Here are some simple tips for storing strawberries to guarantee the least waste.

Five tips for safe running

    We all know that exercise is good for our health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others. Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems.

    Running is good exercise, but it can be hard on the body. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Take it easy. Do not run too much, too soon or too fast. Most people get running injuries when they push themselves too bad. The body needs time to get used to increases in distance or speed. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Listen to your body. Most running injuries do not come unexpectedly. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They may include body aches, sore muscles (肌肉酸痛) and pain that does not go away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is no single best shoe for every runner. You should find the shoes that offer the best fit and support for your feet. More importantly, you should replace your shoes every 500 to 800 kilometers.

    Take good notes. Take time after each run to write down what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns, things that happen over and over again. These notes will help you find the best exercise for you.

    Cross train. As we said earlier, running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free. They say swimming, yoga, and riding a bicycle are good exercises to combine with running. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Everybody hates the idea of cutting back financially(财政上) because it usually means living without things you like. But not always.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.They could reduce your costs by thousands of dollars a year.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    An increasing number of grocery chains are selling their own lines of food. Actually, these brands cost vastly less than the name brands, but taste the same. Switch and you could save 25 percent on your grocery bills.

    Make a list.

    Whether you're buying groceries or gifts, spur－of the－moment impulses(一时冲动)are your enemy.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you want to buy something on impulse, force yourself to go home and think about it.

    Carry snacks.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The same holds true for anything you eat out. So if you know you're going to be out for several hours and likely to get hungry, throw an apple in your car or carry a six-pack of soda or water in your bag.

    Use it up.

    Before you run to the store, make sure you check your fridge. There's a good chance that you've got lots of unused or partially used items that will go to waste while you waste your cash buying more.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Make a savings plan

B. Switch to store brands

C. There are many painless ways to save

D. Choose reliable brands of well-known companies

E. Write a to-do list before you go shopping and stick to it

F. Whether it's food or beauty care, use it up before you replace it

G. Buy a soda at a restaurant and you're likely to pay twice as much

    How Many Cups of Coffee per Day Are Too Many?

    From cappuccinos to cold brew, coffee is a must-have to start the day for many people. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, a new study suggests too much coffee can be harmful.

    This is what a recent study shows. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A University of South Australia study led by Elian Hypponen suggests a couple of cups to start your day probably won't hurt — and may even be good for you. But drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22%, the researchers found. A cup was defined as eight ounces of coffee.

    Knowing the limits of what's good for us and what's not is necessary. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} About one in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. That's why Elian set out to discover how much caffeine causes high blood pressure. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Elian says her findings suggest that sipping two to three cups per day is pretty safe and possibly beneficial. She also notes that if you're generally healthy, lots of evidence suggests that four cups per day shouldn't be harmful.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even though the research says five cups of coffee is permissible, each person should know his or her own limit. If we begin having difficulty sleeping or feeling nervous, we might have reached our limit for the day.

A. Drink no more than six cups per day.

B. Over the limits and our health will pay for it.

C. Coffee is the most popular drink in the world.

D. But of course, don't forget to listen to our body.

E. The relation between them is quite complicated.

F. As we know, it is a key heart disease risk factor.

G. It sets you off on an energetic morning and prepares you for a busy day.