Hi Grace,

    How's it going? Sorry I haven't emailed for a while, but I had so much to do!

    I had told you about my decision to take up a sport. I knew I wasn't fit and I wanted to get some exercise. But that wasn't the only reason that I decided to do a sport. Students who play sports do better at school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Exercise also helps learning and memory.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} First, I tried soccer. I had played a bit of soccer before and I thought it wouldn't be too bad. I knew I couldn't run for very long without feeling tired. On the first day, I was able to run for the first ten minutes, but then I was so tired that I couldn't even kick the ball!

    Then, I tried volleyball. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I was able to run for the first twenty minutes and I wasn't the slowest runner in the team! After a few weeks, I could run faster and longer. I was doing better and feeling better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Maybe I'm not a team sport person after all!

    Finally, I tried Kung fu. It's a great sport that exercise the body and the mind. You learn to follow instructions carefully and do what you are asked to do. This is the right sport for me! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I feel so confident that I even showed some moves to the class last week! Can you believe it?

I hope you're OK! Write and let me know what you've been doing!

    Bye for now!

                                                                                                                                                                               Kristie

A. I got very excited about soccer.

B. But I couldn't decide on a sport.

C. Running helps me to keep fit.

D. Things were a bit better this time.

E. Then I found volleyball terribly boring.

F. They are more confident and less stressed.

G. I practice twice a week and I haven't missed a class.

    One of the common complaints we hear from the people around us are problems they are facing. Every day and everywhere there are problems. Many times we find it hard to stay happy. When one problem is solved, another one comes up. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to deal with different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are:

Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion. It is not an easy job to get facts. When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case. You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry. And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

Act on that decision.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy . Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: “It is so; it can't be otherwise.” Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Analyze the facts.

B. Accept what can't be avoided.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth.

D. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back.

F. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

G. Unless you take your action, all your fact-finding and analysis is a sheer waste of energy.

UrbanizationUntil relatively recently, the vast majority of human being lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (乡村的) villages. It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.Britain was only the beginning.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}．The process of urbanization—the migration (迁徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.In 1900, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety­five people on farms to feed five people in cities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite (精英) and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus（过剩）food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Today, instead of needing ninety­five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non­farmers.

    In the digital age, copying someone else's words is easy, but getting caught copying is even easier. When Melania Trump recently spoke at the Republican convention, she used some of the same words that Michelle Obama had used at the Democratic convention in 2008. Within hours, news spread around the world with the claim that Melania Trump had plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech. Students and teachers at universities in the U. S. and elsewhere were shocked.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    What is plagiarism?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That person could also be called a "literary thief' or a" plagiarist'.

    Why is plagiarism a serious problem?

    It's our own worst fear, to have that thing that we created stolen from us, and it's the same as our words. That thing that we created is essential to who we are.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Academics are especially aware of the nature of plagiarism because their work is essentially the creation of ideas and putting them into words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    One of the possible punishments for' plagiarism at U. S. universities is dismissal from the school. Students may fail a course or be given a letter of censure(谴责)that stays on their school record, Professors or researchers who plagiarize may damage or end their careers.

    Plagiarism is easy to find

    Before the digital age we live in, plagiarizing was harder. You had to write out the words you copied. But now anything can be copied and pasted. In the past, teachers would have to work hard to prove that work was copied.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}The plagiarism checking software programs used by many students and universities include Turnitin, Grammarly, Duplichecker, and Ithenticate. Nobody is going to get away with it.

A. How to avoid plagiarism

B. Consequences of plagiarism

C. Stealing our words is as serious as if stealing our child.

D. Nowadays, some software programs will help you avoid plagiarism

E. Plagiarism is to copy someone else's written work without giving them credit.

F. But nowadays, all you have to do is run a paper through a plagiarism detection software.

G. They learn from their early years in school that copying another writers words is wrong.

    Do you have a hobby? Something you look forward to spending your time with? Something you love to do?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Or making model airplanes. Sketching. Or making useful things out of waste material. It could be a musical instrument that you love playing. Or singing and dancing.

    There are many things that a hobby can give you, apart from an enjoyable time. Sashay was a shy boy but through his interest in model airplanes he learned the value of sticking to a task until it was finished. His model airplane club brought him to get into touch with similar souls.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Having a hobby helps you relax and get away from the routines of school.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You really need this well deserved one, too! It gives you focus, self dependence, confidence and builds your personality. This is an opportunity to lose yourself in an enjoyable activity, away from the pressure of school, so at the end of it, you feel relaxed and yet, mentally charged.

    Your hobby defines you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And it also shows you what you are good at, and how far you can go, when you apply yourself.

    So go ahead.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.For a hobby is: Happiness: something which you look forward to doing. Opportunity: to nurture and develop your special and unique skills and celebrate them. Believe in yourself: makes you understand your strong advantages and improves your confidence. Best in you: brings out your best—for in each one of us there is a best that is only ours. YOU gives you a unique character, and makes you YOU!

A. Develop a hobby.

B. It gives you a break.

C. It proves your ability.

D. Hobbies show your character.

E. It showcases your special skills.

F. It could be collecting something.

G. He learned to make friends for the first time.

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.