House Sitting

    In many countries of the world people do what is called house sitting. It means that if owners of the house are going away, they want someone to come into their home and look after the house and maybe pets while they are away.

    In Australia, many people travel. After people retire, they might buy a van and travel all over the country. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    So if someone wants to travel or go away for some reason, they might want someone in their home to care for it and keep the gardens tidy. House sitters might have to care for pets. Also, quite a few people have swimming pools in their back yard and they need cleaning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I feel it is a great way of seeing the country, because you go and stay in a new city, get to meet new people, and have time to go sightseeing in a new area.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are websites where you find the advertisements by people who want to travel, and by replying to the advertisement, you can make arrangements to go and look after their home.

    There are some requirements to be a house sitter. You must be a trusted person, so that the home owner knows you will not steal anything. You must be able to go when the house owner wants you to go, so you need lots of free time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You need to be good with pets, able to care for cats and dogs, or other pets they may have.

    Some house sitting jobs are just for a few days or a couple of weeks while the house owners have a short holiday. Sometimes it is for much longer. We have had one house sit for six months, while the home owner travelled to Europe.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you can travel to many different countries and stay there. One of  the important things to get is references from the home owners where you have stayed. A reference is a written letter to say that you are trustworthy and have looked after their home well. You can show these letters to possible house sitting jobs and they know you will do a good job.

A. I have done house sitting many times.

B. Thousands of people do this all the time.

C. It is also possible to do house sitting in other countries.

D. Generally you have many opportunities to get a house sitting job.

E. You must take a little care over what your description says about you.

F. This is an international house sitting service for all city and country areas.

G. You must have a good car, so you can travel to different parts of the country.

    As a father who works outside the home, I recognize that it is easy for me to get caught up in stress at work. Indeed, sometimes it is difficult to turn off my work focus and turn on my family focus so that I can come home and be the loving husband my wife needs and the playful father my kids want. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Good fathers provide stability and strength to the family. As fathers, we do not let the pressures and worries of work get in the way of being there for our kids. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

1）．{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It doesn't need to be a lot of time, but if you are able, have one­on­one time with each of your kids.

2）. Be goofy (滑稽的) with your kids. The more voices you do, the more expressive you are when you play with them, the more they will feel your love and your acceptance of them.

3）. Spend time reading to them. Allow your kids to choose a book and spend time reading some of it to them before bed. The more effort you put into it ,the more they will feel your love. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    As a therapist (临床医学家)  who works with children and their families, I have noticed that the better the relationship that a father has with his child, the more influence that father will have on his child. As fathers work on developing a strong link with their kids through positive interactions, they can have a positive effect on the lives of their children. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Fathers have such an important and irreplaceable role in the family.

B．Sometimes books can help you deal with children.

C．Reading stories is an excellent time for dads to practice voice imitations.

D．Here are some thoughts to help fathers keep their little ones in mind.

E．As a father he must involve hardships in all his life.

F．And the confidence can give their children a great advantage to succeed in the future.

G．Make a plan to spend time each day with your kids.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. When they work ，they usually get paid in money.

    Most of the money today is made of metal or paper. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} One of the first kinds of money was shells.

    Shells were not the only things used as money. In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.

    The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the centre. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Different countries have used different metals and designs for their money. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Sweden and Russia used copper to make their money. Later some countries began to make coins of gold and silver.

    But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.

    Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.

A. The first coins in England were made of tin (锡)．

B. But people used to use all kinds of things as money.

C. No one knows for certain when people began to use money.

D. People strung(串连) them together and carried them from place to place.

E. Money, as we know，is all made of paper.

F. They began to use paper money.

G. Today anyone will accept money in exchange for goods and services.

    I chose to take psychology because one is able to better understand himself, understand others, and learn how people think, so I can use that to my advantage in the business world.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}By learning psychology I will learn how and why I think the way I think. This is important to me because I want to know whether my up-bringing or the genes I possess from my parents influence me.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}I hope to find an answer this year through my studies.

    I also think it is important to be accepting and tolerant of others and their certain beliefs about different matters. Some people like activities and subjects that I may not entirely agree with. It is important to learn why they believe what they do. People are different throughout the world. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I would like to learn what customs, traditions, and ways of thinking are witnessed worldwide and why some are apparent one place but not another.

    My final reason for taking psychology is that I can better understand people from a business standpoint. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Knowing how they think will help in making major marketing and promotional decisions. I hope to learn how people react to certain situations or ads to see what will get them interested.

    I know the effort I put into this course will benefit me later in life. Of course, learning the course may be challenging at times. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. If I had to predict, I would say a mix of both.

B. But there are similarities between them.

C. Psychology is beneficial to my future.

D. Positive psychology has developed rapidly via the Internet.

E. It is vital to know what consumers want and need.

F. I often wonder why I like the items, subjects, and activities that I do.

G. However, what I learn will influence my future decisions and goals.

    With the summer holiday just around the comer, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here are some lips that can help you enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket:

    Travel off-season

    Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and take advantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flight prices increase quickly, and you'll likely spend more of your vacation time standing in line due to the rush of tourists.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Eat like a local

    Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experience something new?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat. This will not just save money, but also provide you with a new and different experience. For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street food or other takeout.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for places that do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Stay with the locals. If you and your family are going to 8tay for a longer period，renting a small apartment is a good choice.

    Choose local transportation

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are always cheaper. If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting a car. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you are moving around a lot.

    Don't hesitate to bargain

    Tourist-heavy places are known for overcharging for just about everything. Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive at these places.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Bargain hard to get the best price.

A. Save on hotels.

B. Surf the Internet while traveling.

C. So it's best to find out when the off-season starts.

D. Therefore, avoid buying anything there.

E. Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travel costs.

F. For this reason, you shouldn't feel ashamed to ask for bargains.

G. As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, since they are expensive.

    If you want to keep fit, please refer to the following:

    Move More

    Make it a daily habit to find ways to move your body. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Climb stairs instead of taking the elevator(电梯); walk your dog; play with your kids. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minutedance class. But that's great when you're up to it. At the same time, move more.

    Give up Smoking

    Ever since 1960 when it was announced that smoking was harmful to health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products. Just recently, we've seen more and more teens smoking. Could it be the Hollywood influence(影响)? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Take care! Warn your children against smoking.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day can help protect against heart disease more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney（肝和肾）disease and cancer.

    Reduce Stress

    Easier said than done. Stress comes in many ways. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like such as walking on the beach or in a park, reading a good book, visiting a friend, listening to relaxing music, and watching a funny movie.

    Protect Yourself from Pollution

    If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Exercise in doors in air conditioning when air quality is good.

A. Avoid Excessive (过量的) Drinking

B. There are many things you can do to move your arms and legs.

C. Think carefully about what you will do.

D. Exercise outside when the smog (雾霾) rating is low.

E. It seems that the stars in every movie smoke cigarettes

F. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

G. Some suggestions given by experts are to do something positive.