How you calm yourself before giving a speech? Both modern research and centuries of experience from experienced（有经验的）public speakers suggest some practical（实用的）advice.

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Know to whom you'll be speaking, and learn as much about your audience（听众） as you can. The more you can expect the kind of reaction your listeners will have to your speech, the more comfortable you'll be in delivering your message. Be audience-centered rather than speaker-centered.

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    You will feel less nervous if you talk about something you are familiar with or have some personal experience of. Your comfort with the subject of the speech will be reflected in your delivery.

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    The better prepared you are, the less anxiety（焦虑）you will experience. Being prepared means that you have researched your topic and practiced your speech several times before you deliver it.

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    You are likely to feel the most nervous during the opening moments of your speech. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a clear plan for how you will start your speech. Being familiar with your introduction（介绍）will help you feel more comfortable about the entire speech. If you know how you will end your speech, you will have a safe harbor in case you lose your place. If you need to end your speech ahead of time, a well-delivered conclusion can permit you to make a graceful exit.

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    One of the symptoms(症状) of nervousness is a change in your breathing and heart rates. Nervous speakers tend to take short, shallow breaths. To help break the anxiety—reduce breathing pattern, consider taking a few slow deep breaths before you rise to speak.

A. Know your introduction and your conclusion(总结).

B. Channel（引导） your nervous energy.

C. Know your audience.

D. Use deep-breathing techniques.

E. Be prepared.

F. Select（选择）an suitable topic.

G. To talk with your friends before giving a speech.

    Color is fundamental in home design-something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, color is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

    Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.They're the little spots of color like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colorful sofa, small color choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

    Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

    The large color decision in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a color

D. Small color choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

    Many of us deal with mental health challenges on a daily basis. Being fed a steady diet of destructive world events only serves to make that harder, So I've decided to share a few strategies to avoid being completely broken down by the newsfeed right now.

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    You'll find it easier to make this mental mindshift if you make a conscious effort to boost your level of positive emotion by doing things you enjoy and spending time with people you love. Positive emotions leave the door open to possibility while negative emotions keep the door shut.

    Recognize that there's a difference between being absorbed and being informed

    Sure, you want to be aware of what's happening in the world, but that doesn't mean that you have to be absorbed into your Twitter or Facebook and aim for a balanced media diet.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Move toward the good, too.

    Look for opportunities to take action

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But by carrying through on sort of positive action, however small (writing a letter, making a donation, attending a face-to-face get-together in your town), you'll feel good. And that will help to stop what can otherwise quickly change into negative feelings of anxiety and sadness.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Reach out-don't break down Inward

    Connect with other caring citizens who share your concern about what's happening in our country and our world. Talk to other people you know who may be going through an especially difficult time right now.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Finally, reach out for other types of support if you feel like you're really struggling.

A. It doesn't have to be something huge.

B. Say no sometimes.

C. Hold your sense of optimism.

D. Let them know that you will be there to support them and that you care.

E. Feeling powerless fuels anxiety, taking action brings it down.

F. Don't just focus on the really bad news.

G. Doing good deeds can also relax social anxiety.

    Ready to take a gap year? A "Gap Year" is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows：

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    Although you don't have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.

    Face challenges and have fun

    A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn't always easy, but it is an important part of growing up.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Save money and improve your college admission chances

    There's a common thought that gap years are only for rich students, but it's not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation. Who do you think the admission officer will choose?

A. Learn about the world and yourself

B. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.

C. Check out your gap year choices before making the right decision.

D. It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills.

E. Imagine an admission officer trying to admit only one between two students.

F. More students than ever before are taking a gap year before going to university.

G. Clear learning goals can keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.

    For a bird, to fly hundreds or thousands of miles each spring and fall is a difficult and dangerous journey, one that not all birds can survive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is more than one single reason for different birds to migrate(迁徙), but it all comes down to survival.

    Birds are migrating for a meal.

    For all birds, one of the main driving forces behind migration is food. If all birds were to stay in the same places year-round, food there would become not enough. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But as the food supplies decrease in the fall, they return to the southern areas.

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    Over millions of years, birds have developed different migration patterns, times and destinations. This helps birds take advantage of a wide variety of suitable conditions to raise their young, which increases the survival chances of the young birds.

    Birds are migrating because of climate changes.

    Changes in climate can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic for example, when temperatures begin to fall. They need warmer habitats. Similarly, the hottest regions can be an unpleasant environment for raising young birds. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Birds are migrating because of predators.

    Habitats that have rich food sources also attract a greater number of predators who may kill birds. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Many birds even migrate to specialized habitats that are nearly inaccessible to predators, such as coastal cliffs or rocky offshore islands.

A．So why do birds migrate?

B．Birds are migrating for their young.

C．So how do young birds migrate?

D．Birds are migrating because of diseases.

E. It is beneficial to lay eggs further north in cooler areas.

F. Birds that migrate to different habitats can avoid being eaten by predators.

G. As food sources are rich in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate from south to those areas.

    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.