One morning last week I looked out of my study window and saw that it was a fine day. No, it was a wonderful day: the sun shone down from a sky without even a single cloud. But later that day, hard at work at my desk, I heard a loud noise on the roof. Turning to the window, I saw that the sky was now the color of charcoal. Two minutes later the rain poured, making rivers of water.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's extremely variable. Go ahead with your picnic in the local park by all means, but don't suppose that because the sun is shining now, it will be when you open your pack of sandwiches.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The weather in Britain is not always bad.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is one of the biggest reasons why the British talk so often about the weather. Wherever there are strangers standing or sitting close together, and talk can not be avoided. The conversation focuses on the weather: “Yes, the weather has been good, hasn't it?” or “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

    The unexpected change of the weather is something that every British can agree on.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even those with different opinions on everything else in the world, such as the argument in the UK about membership of the European Union, can talk about the weather without leading to a quarrel.

A. It is just changeable.

B. That makes it a safe topic of conversation.

C. You'd better take an umbrella, just in case.

D. What shocking weather we've been having!

E. Strangers will choose to talk about the weather to break the ice.

F. This story will give you some idea about weather in Britain.

G. Are you going for a picnic?

    Have you ever cleaned and organized your increasingly high-tech households, your hard drive, phone or tablet? It's not just stuff. Your privacy needs a cleanup too. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Clean up your browsers（浏览器）

    Cookies are blocking everything up and keeping your computer from running fluidly. A free program called CCleaner helps you sort out the cookies and archives（存档）you don't really need. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Cleaner analyses its backlog of information and lists the data that seems unnecessary.

    ⒉Speed up your smartphone

    Most of us already know about e desktops, but what about smartphones? Our phones are essentially handheld computers, and when they overflow with useless information, their operations can also slow down. These aren't necessarily apps, but overburdened call logs, search history, and saved texts.

    For Android users, there's 1Tap Cleaner, an app that earns its name. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most of us are surprised by how many updated messages and URLs get archived, a data stream that we will probably never refer to again. Then again, you do want to make sure irreplaceable bits (landmark texts, unsaved photos) survive the deep clean.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Digital photos are easy to shoot, upload and copy, which is handy in almost every respect, especially if you grew up lugging rolls of film to the one-hour photo lab. The downside is that you may end up with multiple copies of the same picture. If you're shooting with a decent camera, each shot could take 10MG or more of space. This volume adds up.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This is the premise behind Duplicate Photo Fixer, which is designed to filter through your photo collection in search of double takes.

A. Make your photos shine.

B. The app gathers that data in one place, letting you decide what to keep.

C. This aim of this app is to clean your smartphones.

D. Remove redundant images.

E. When you download the app, you can focus on a specific browsers that you would like to clean up.

F. Here are three tools that can help you organize your virtual (and real) environments.

G. The trick is to safely delete redundant photos without losing the original image.

    You're growing up. That means you're probably experiencing lots of changes, all at once. Your body is changing. It might even seem as if your entire self is changing. It can be confusing and even scary.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And it's good!

    Growing up means that you can do more, learn more, and start to make your mark on the world. In order for that to happen, your body produces chemicals called hormones that help both body and mind grow. Hormone levels change constantly, rising and falling.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} But it's partly to blame for intense emotions, surprising reactions, and mood swings.

    Because of the way your brain develops, it is somewhat ruled by emotions now and through your teen years. As a result, growing up can seem like an emotional roller coaster! {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Take care of yourself. If you eat right, sleep enough, and get good exercise, your brain will be much more able to deal with the stress.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you feel your moods swinging or you're upset, or confused, some quiet time will allow you to gather your thoughts and get calmer.

    Practice relaxing your body and deep breathing when you wake up and when you go to bed.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Plus, when stuff happens during the day, you'll be able to calm yourself quickly with a deep breath or two before you react. Your body is changing.

A．Find a peaceful time to relax.

B．But the truth is, it happens to every teen.

C．Work out regularly to keep physically fit.

D．This changing is needed for your body's development.

E．It will help you fall asleep—and start the morning right.

F．Here are a few things you can do to make the ride smoother.

G．Usually, these feelings settle down when you realize what is going on.

    The jobs of the future have not yet been invented. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

    ⒈Curiosity

    Your children need to be deeply curious. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ask kids, "What ingredients（配料）can we add to make these pancakes even better next time?" and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

    ⒉Creativity

    True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

    ⒊Interpersonal Skills

    Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what's going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "Why do you think she's crying?" "Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face? If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?"

    ⒋Self-expression

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas-music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A. Encourage kids to cook with you.

B. And we can't forget science education.

C. We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways.

D. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don't yet exist?

E. Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill.

F. We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories.

G. Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.

    Florence Nightingale was named after her birthplace, Florence, Italy. When she was almost a year old, she returned with her family to England.

    Florence often helped her mother deliver(运送) food to the poor and sick.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Her family was shocked because nursing was not a respected profession.

    But Florence was determined. She studied books on medicine. Later, she visited hospitals in France, Germany and Ireland and learned everything she could.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

In 1854, Britain was at war with Russia. Florence went to the British hospital in Scutari (now Üsküdar in Istanbul) and she was shocked. The hospital left men lying on the floor, and rats were running everywhere.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many soldiers died before receiving help.

    The doctors wouldn't listen to Florence because they didn't like the idea of women in army hospitals—until one day 500 unexpected casualties(伤亡者) arrived. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Florence made changes, making sure the men were washed and their injuries were cared for. Every night she would check the patients with her lamp.

    When she returned home after the war, a fund had been set up in her honor. Many of the soldiers she had nursed had made contributions(捐款).Now she could set up the Nightingale Training School in London.

    After years of hard work, Florence Nightingale saw cleaner and more cheerful hospitals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} All of this was because of the "lady with the lamp".

A.Nursing became an honored profession.

B.There was no running water and no heat.

C.She knew she had much to learn about nursing.

D.Florence saw the soldiers' health had improved.

E.As she grew older, she decided to become a nurse.

F.They soon realized that Florence knew what she was doing.

G.Upon returning home, she was an expert on hospital management.

Little Habits Make a Big Difference

    Everything around us is changing at amazing speed, it seems ̶ but some things will always remain the same. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some of our daily habits have the power to always give us happiness and lead us toward success. Here are some little habits that can make a big difference:

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Many studies have linked early rising with success. An early morning wake-up carries benefits including better planning and anticipation (预料) of problems, and more time to do the things that make you happy.

    Happiness comes to those who are curious.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} As long as you live, there will always be something to learn, and as long as you follow your heart and your passions, you won't miss out on learning.

    Believe in yourself and all that you are.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Confidence is the key to success—the thing that lets you look at the past without regret, stay grounded in the present, and prepare for the future without fear.

    A day well spent gets you a good night sleep.

    Enough sleep makes you feel healthier and happier, and it's more than lifting up your mood or removing exhaustion. Adequate sleep is a key part of your health and inner happiness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    It doesn't take a huge effort to make a significant change in your life—using one or two tiny habits may be all you need. Get started today and you'll soon be experiencing the rewards.