Five steps to better handwriting

    Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

    Get a great grasp

    Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index (食指) and middle fingers.

Let the lines be your guide

    Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion (均衡). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

Slow down

    If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

    Lower the pressure (压力)

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

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    Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games

B. Ask for more advice

C. So “a” should be half the height of a capital “A”.

D. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write.、

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.

    Gratitude(感恩)is a social feeling．Many people see it as relationship—strengthening because it requires us to see how we've been supported and recognized by other people．

    First，it's belief of goodness．We are convinced that there are good things in the world，gifts and benefits we've received．The second part of gratitude is figuring out where that goodness comes from{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It doesn't come from anything we necessarily did ourselves．Instead，we acknowledge that other people gave us many gifts to help us achieve the goodness in our lives{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Of course，there are various important reasons．Here are some of them．

    Gratitude allows us to celebrate the present{#blank#}3{#/blank#}We notice the positives more，and that enlarge the pleasures you get from life．Instead of adapting to goodness，we celebrate goodness．

    Gratitude blocks negative feelings．You cannot feel envious and grateful at the same time{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're grateful，you can't hate someone for having something that you don't．Those are very different ways of connecting to the world，and sure enough，research has suggested that people who have high levels of gratitude have low levels of negative feelings．

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}That's because when you're grateful，you have the sense that someone else has provided for your happiness．You notice a network of relationships of people think it's worthwhile to help you get to where you are right now．Realizing someone has seen the value in you transforms the way you see yourself．

A．They're contradictory feelings．

B．It strengthens positive feelings．

C．Gratitude heightens your sense of self-worth．

D．Most of the time，it makes you feel confused．

E．Gratitude allows us to participate more in life．

F．So why gratitude has such effects on people's lives?

G．We recognize the sources of it as being outside of ourselves．

Study Habits You Should Be Practising

    With exams, essays, projects, and many deadlines for different things, effective（有效的）study habits are necessary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you are in need of a bit of an improvement, keep reading for the top four study habits that you should be practicing.

    ⒈Make and use flashcards.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} By using flashcards with a question on one side and the answer on the other, you will force your brain to recall he necessary information. Even if you struggle a bit with a card, you will still be actively revising the necessary material.

    ⒉Revise, revise, revise!

    Many students put off studying until just before the exam, with the more hardworking students giving themselves a week or two before a test. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's best to revise the information a little bit every day, so that you are not upset when a test comes around.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    One of the most effective—and the most fun—methods of studying is to watch related lectures and videos in order to get more material. Watch documentaries or videos on YouTube and educational websites. You may be surprised at how much you can learn from videos, and just how much information is available online.

    ⒋Re-write your notes.

    Studies have shown that writing information out by hand increases your ability to remember the material. This makes the recall go hand-in-hand with muscle memory.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    These are the four most effective study habits, and something all successful students do. Make sure you are on top of your game by following these study methods!

Pronunciation Tips

    These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program.

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    For example, "threw" and "through", although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical（相同的） letters or letter clusters（字母组合） in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the "ough" in "though" and "through" represents a different sound in each word. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it.

    Try to visualize（想象)）the positioning of your mouth and face. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Listen to and try to imitate the Pronunciation Power instructor.

In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation（语调） of the instructor's voice and patterns of emphasis. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently.

    It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.

    Finally, the Pronunciation Power program is a tool to help you.

    But you must practice what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Use the program to exercise your mouth a little bit each day.

A. Read these words over and over again and try to learn them by heart.

B. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.

C. Learn to practice what you hear, not what you see.

D. So you should force yourself to do what you really don't like to do.

E. Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling!

F. It is like going to the gym and exercising your body.

G. Think about how you are going to make the sound.

    Perhaps you have heard the expression "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, make marketing plans, and run your business by local laws.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language.

    The first thing that you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look at the person in the eye. In social meetings with friends, kissing is common.

    Use first names only after being invited to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.

    Dress well. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make­up is practiced widely by businesswomen.

    The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do not begin eating until the host says "bon appetite". Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who makes an invitation always pays.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

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    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing(沉浸)yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

    Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called "whole body listening". It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal(非语言), your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate(使生效)with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    "Of course." "That makes sense." "Naturally." "Clearly." "For sure." {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In conversation, combining those little phrases: "Of course you feel that way." or "That makes total sense." doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger: acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.