I feel very excited at the thought that in another week I'll be with you again on holiday.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My host and my fellow-students are all very nice to me, but as they say in England, “There's no place like home”, and I think you will feel this above all at Christmas time.

    I'm leaving here early on Thursday, the 23^rd, and I'll be arriving in Paris on Friday morning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Please meet me at the station. In some of my earlier letters I have told you all about the other students here. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  Because he has no friends in England except me. He is a very nice boy. I know you will like him and I feel sure he will enjoy Christmas with us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Please let me know soon if that's all right. I've got some Christmas presents for you all, but I'm not going to tell you what they are, so it will be a surprise.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I hope you are all keeping well. See that father always puts on his big coat when he goes out so that he will not catch a cold. We don't want him ill for Christmas.

A. I will have him spend Christmas with us.

B. But I haven't invited him yet.

C. I enjoy my stay in England very much indeed.

D. How are you all at home?

E. So I'll be home about lunch time.

F. Well, I want to ask my Canadian friend, Jan, to come and spend Christmas.

G. Things at home are much better than things in other places.

    Does this situation seem familiar to you？Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, and you are speaking quite fluently.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com.The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.

    Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated(受阻) by limited understanding.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Here is some of the advice I give my students：

    Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

    Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.

    Do not translate everything into your native language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't concentrate on details before you have understood the main ideas.

    Listen to something you enjoy.

    I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn't understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Firstly, translating creates a barrier between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that even if I didn't pay much attention I could usually understand what the speaker had said.

A．Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts.

B．But listening is a problem for most of the beginners.

C．But you can't follow a native English speaker at all!

D.  However, after several weeks, I got used to the new environment in Germany.

E．So, what you need to do is to find listening resources.

F．What should you do?

G．Listen for the general idea of the conversation.

    If you'd love to be more eco-friendly but don't know where to begin, start with a few small changes.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Adjust your thermostat（恒温器）to save on heating and cooling costs.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}In summer, set your thermostat to 78 ℉when you're at home and raise the temperature when you're away. In winter, turn your thermostat to 68 ℉ and lower it by 5°-10° when you're sleeping or out of your house. To stay warm in winter, put on a sweater or another layer instead of turning up the thermostat.

    Turn off lights and unplug power strips that you're not using. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Some devices can still use energy even when they're turned off. So, turn off the power strips at night to completely cut off energy use. If you need to leave your computer or TV on, try setting it to sleep mode.

    Make your taps and toilets low-flow. Cut back on water waste by installing flow restrictor(节流装置) inside your taps and installing a low-flow shower head in your bathroom. This can save 3 to 4 gallons of water for every minute. If you're replacing a toilet, look for a low-flow one to save thousands of gallons of water a year.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Adjust your washing machine to use cold water instead of warm. Since more energy is spent drying the clothes, skip the machine and hang your washed clothes on a clothesline. If you don't have space for a clothesline or can't hang clothes outside, set up a clothes drying rack that you can use inside. Try running your clothes through an extra spin cycle to remove even more water from the clothes. This will make them dry quicker.

    Have you ever used any language learning apps? If you want to learn a language and speak it right away, modernize your learning style and adopt an app. It doesn't cost much, but it's worth a lot. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Learn anywhere and anytime

Personally, I love to review my vocabulary quietly in my bed before sleep using a language learning app. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Of course, it's also possible to learn a language with a book, but it's so much more entertaining when you are using a language learning app!

    Never waste time again

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. More often than not, we will get really annoyed or even stressed when time is wasted. However, when using a language learning app, time seems to go by quickly. We can take the opportunity to review and play a little while we have to wait around.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Have you ever taken up a course at night? I have, but I found it hard to complete it because there were many restrictions. I was required to attend classes twice a week on a fixed schedule. But when we study on our own with a language learning app, we can study at our own pace.

    Save your money

    Most language schools haven't evolved to meet the needs of modem society. And that's before we've even begun to talk about the price, which is often quite unaffordable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. But the benefits are huge, offering you the freedom and independence to learn at very little expense.

A. Quicken your progress

B. Work without restrictions

C. Mobile apps can handle complex applications

D. Learning with the help of an app doesn't cost much at all

E. When I travel, I also use it to listen to some podcasts (播客)

F. We all have the experience of waiting for an appointment or a bus

G. Here are some benefits of language learning apps used on smart phones

How to Cultivate Confidence?

    When faced with a big challenge where potential failure seems to appear at every corner maybe you'll hear this advice: "Be more confident." {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Take the belief that you are valuable, worthwhile, and capable, also known as self-esteem. Confidence turns thoughts into action. It comes from the genes you are born with, the way people get used to treating you as well as the choices you make. While it isn't possible to completely separate these three factors, the personal choices we make obviously play a major role in confidence development. As a result, by keeping in mind certain practical tips, we do actually have the power to cultivate our own confidence.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you're looking for a long-term change, consider the way you think about your abilities and talents. Do you think they are fixed at birth, or that they can be developed? These beliefs mater because they can influence how you act in the face of setbacks, if you have a fixed mindset, meaning that your talents are locked in pace, you might give up, assuming you've discovered something you're not good at. But if you have a growth mindset, and think your abilities can improve, a challenge will become an opportunity to learn and grow. Neuroscience(神经学)supports the Jatter. The connections in your brain do get stronger and grow with study and practice.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Practicing failure is a must. Failure happens.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} J.K. Rowling was rejected by twelve different publishers before one picked up Harry Potter. The Wright Brothers built on history's failed attempts at flight before designing a successful airplane. Studies show that those who fail regularly and keep trying anyway are better equipped to respond to challenges in a constructive way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}So, think of a challenge you want to take on, realize it's not going to be easy, accept that you'll make mistakes, and be kind to yourself when you do. You'll feel the excitement, knowing that whatever the result, you'll have gained greater knowledge and understanding.

A. But what is confidence?

B. So can confidence be easily cultivated?

C. Everyone is possible to encounter failure.

D. Being a talented person is quite necessary.

E. They learn to try different strategies and persevere.

F. Believing in your abilities to improve is the first step.

G. It also turns out that people with a growth mindset are better at dealing with challenges.

    My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, "work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society". What a piece of good advice this is!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?