London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

   {#blank#}2{#/blank#}First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.

    Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been “filled with thousands of gleaming (发光的) machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they would not charge for the first day as a “gesture of goodwill”. Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards.”

A. So how does it work?

B. How do you like it?

C. However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday.

D. Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty.

E. However, the London Mayor is confident of the scheme.

F. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.

G. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion(拥挤) in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre.

    Taking a math test can be pretty stressful. Even if you know the material, you can still get the problem wrong. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Therefore you'll improve your grades, as well as your math skills.

    Write it out

    You can also check a math problem by writing everything out on paper. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Writing out math problems reduces your chances of missing anything to the lowest possible level, which is a common cause of incorrect answers.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Make sure your answers work by doing the opposite procedure of what your problem calls for, including the answer you got the first time around. In other words, you would use the opposite of this addition problem—subtraction (减法)—to determine whether your answer is the correct one.

    Plug in（代入）

    You may find that a variable isn't good enough or have a problem where you have to solve for a variable (变量). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This is the only real way to assure yourself that the answer you've found is correct.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If the result of a problem seems to make no sense, it indicates that the answer is incorrect. For example, if you get an answer in the millions and you know it should be in the thousands, you've likely misplaced a point. Go back through the work on your paper to make sure all of your formulas and calculations are correct. If everything looks okay, do the problem again and compare the result of the second try to what you've got on the first try.

A. Do the opposite.

B. Correct the answers.

C. Plug the variable in the equation (方程) to check it out.

D. Knowing how to go through your math test and checking your work can save you from handing in a test full of mistakes.

E. It also helps you to figure out everything after you have already finished the test.

F. Check for a reasonable answer

G. This helps you to know what information you have and what information you need to solve.

    We often describe spring as a time of rebirth, renewal and awakening. However, when the weather turns warm, many of us suffer from spring fever Are we actually sick when we have spring fever? Originally, yes,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} When the weather turned warm, some people developed sore throats, headaches, or stuffy noses. The definition of “spring fever” slowly changed in the early 1800s, Now people come to use the term to mean a sudden increase of romantic feelings. Elvis Presley describes this feeling in the song “Spring Fever.” “Spring fever, comes to everyone. Spring fever, it's tune for fun. There's no doubt now, love is everywhere. Get up, get out, spring is everywhere.” These days, we use “spring fever to describe a restless feeling after the long, cold days of winter. But the word “spring” is not just a season.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Imagine that you are resting on the couch when suddenly you see a mouse run across the floor. You spring into action! You jump from the couch and run after the mouse! But you miss,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Audit works! But when you tell your roommate that you caught a mouse in a trap, tears spring to her eyes. You feel bad and awfully sorry, but she really should have told you about her pet mouse Charlie! After all, your apartment doesn't allow pets.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You say to her, “You can't just spring that on me! I'll need time to find another roommate!” But then you think that maybe it's for the best. Every time you see her, you feel guilty about Charlie, her pet mouse.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} She always expects you to compensate her for her loss of the mouse: she wants you to spring for lunch, spring for movie tickets, and sometimes even spring for groceries. When you spring for something, you pay for someone else.

    These expressions are really cool, aren't they? Next time, you can say to a friend, “I have spring fever. Let's leave early and go to an outdoor cafe, I'll spring for coffee.”

A. Things art conning to life in spring!

B. Your roommate turns her back on you.

C. It is also a verb that means something happening or appearing quickly.

D. Spring fever used to refer to an Actual illness.

E. Then unexpectedly, your roommate is moving out tomorrow.

F. That night you spring a trap with some cheese in it

G. Even so, she constantly annoys you.

Boosting(促进) your Brain Power

    Who hasn't wished that they were just a little smarter? Maybe you're in school and just want to get a better grade on a test. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some ways you can go about boosting your brainpower.

    Sleep is one of the easiest things to do, yet one of the ones that most of us don't do. We live in a busy age and often it seems that we don't have enough time to get everything done. So many of us sacrifice our hours of sleep to accomplish our daily tasks. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Read a book. Being smarter is not only about thinking but knowledge plays a big part in it, too. Reading helps your brain stay active.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think of it as exercise for the brain.

    Try turning off that television set and going for a walk. A walk will stimulate your body and relax your mind. Just as watching too much TV can hurt your body, it also causes your brain to slow down as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to teach it to someone else. There is nothing like trying to break something down into simpler terms for others to help you understand it better than you did before.

    Work on a puzzle. It can be anything from the newspaper crossword or the new Sudoku puzzle. Puzzles help you use your brain to figure out the answers.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your brain needs exercise just like your body does to be able to function in top form.

    So go out there and boost your brainpower, your mind will thank you.

A. The more you read, the more you know, and the smarter you will be.

B. By writing about things you know, it helps you to understand them better.

C. Crossword puzzles also have the added benefit of increasing your vocabulary and knowledge.

D. Maybe you want to show your boss that you are good enough to get a promotion.

E. Giving your body the rest it needs every night can boost your ability to function at your best the next day.

F. Skipping meals can make it harder for you to think and perform at your best.

G. Learn something new and then teach someone else how to do it.

    "The calm before the storm" is a very familiar expression. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become calm and the winds would drop.

    But why is it often so calm before a storm? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} According to US website HowStuffWorks a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and damp air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as "fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car."

    Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. A good judgement is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.

    However, due to the complexity of storm system, calm doesn't always go first. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general good result. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cooking and look for a job where you can improve these skills.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You may have learned how to get to work on time and get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a certain industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You may be all thumbs when you deal with tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry for it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This does not have direct value for future job hunting.

B. These may show strengths that you can use in your work.

C. Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.

D. Having a part-time job is a good way to find out your weak points.

E. Instead, you should recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

F. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.

G. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it.