Looking back on the first twenty years of my life, I feel grateful to have been so healthy and happy. I'm happy due to many key factors. They include my physical health, healthy finances and my family's happiness.

    Health comes first for me, because without health everything else is meaningless. Imagine starting a career without good health. Imagine achieving anything without good health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Good health is not enough to be happy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Money obviously pays for the basic necessities of life—food, housing, clothing, etc. —but it is also necessary for other reasons. Money guarantees we always get good medical treatment when we fall ill. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Family is another important factor in having a happy life because it provides the love, joy, and support that everyone needs. I love my family with all my heart. I get pleasure from their pleasure. I suffer when they suffer.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}They give me advice when I have misunderstandings with my friends. More importantly, they are always there to share everything with me.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} As long as I stay healthy, work hard to earn enough money and share both good times and bad times with my family, I will always be the happiest girl in the world.

A. My family help me get through pressures and difficulties.

B. Clearly, good health is much more important than any other aspect of one's life.

C. Besides, we can use money to improve our life.

D. We still need money in today's society.

E. Sometimes the amount of money we have is determined by our happiness.

F. These three factors are all I need in this world.

G. Having good health and healthy finances, we can turn our attention to the happiness of our family.

You must have written your research paper, your personal essay, your book review—-whatever your school class requires. You think you have provided good information in the needed number of words.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But is it really done? Many teachers and professional writers believe that writing is revision.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Revision of writing is a necessary skill for students. The classroom is a good place to practice patience, concentration and listening. There are rewards with spending time with your thoughts and really taking time to compose your ideas in an orderly and reasonable way. You should put away your paper after you have written a first version, or draft. Wait several hours, maybe overnight, before working on it more.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Not only are you refreshed, but you're looking at things through different eyes. That's what revision literally means—to see again through different eyes.

Following a four-step process may help you with your paper. The first step in the process is invention. It includes forming many questions about your subject. It is called “question-storming”.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Then comes the revision period. Take your time to read what you've written, to think about it, and maybe to re-shape it based on what you see now, as a kind of new person looking at it with a reader's eyeglasses rather than a writer's. The fourth step is called “publication”.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In a sense, anytime you turn it over to another person, that's publication.

    Probably, the process takes away some of the tension of writing. And worry about the quality of your writing often disappears when you share that writing.

    Radar is an electronic device that detects planes, ships, coastlines, landmarks, and even storm clouds. The name radar comes from the first letters of the words radio direction and ranging. As the human eye uses light waves to see, radar “sees” with radio waves. Without radar, planes could not land safely in bad weather and ships could not move safely in thick fog{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the 1800s it was discovered that radio waves could be reflected from objects. But scientists did not make great advances in radar research until the 1930s, when the world was threatened by war{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has been used widely in almost every conflict since then.

    Echoes make it possible for radar to work. When a beam of radio waves is sent out, it strikes on an object and returns an echo. This echo is picked up by radar and recorded on a screen similar to television screen. On the screen an observer sees a flash, or a blip, that shows the direction and distance of the object.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Airport control towers use radar to guide planes in for safe landings. Almost all large ships depend on radar to prevent collisions with icebergs or other ships{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Weather forecasters “see” the size, direction, and speed of storms on radar screens. Astronomers can even use radar to measure accurately the distance to the moon. Thus, the device has generated major advancements.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Huge radar antennas have been installed all over the United States. They guard us against possible enemy attacks. We have ballistic—missiles (战略导弹)warning systems that can alert us to attacks when missiles are more than 1,000 miles away. Other radar systems warn us against enemy aircraft and even spying space satellites.

A. Police track speeders in radar-equipped cars.

B. These measurements are now highly accurate.

C. The device can be used in a wide range of fields.

D. It is therefore especially valuable to shippers and travelers.

E. During World War II many countries used radar effectively.

F. Today radar is used by commercial airliners and weather forecasters.

G. Strengthening national defense is one of radar's most important functions.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Home can be a great place for children to study. It's important to provide a workspace of their own where they can read books or just write a letter to their friends.

Location(位置)

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Kitchen and dining room are not so well suited for regular study, since books and pens get in the way of the day-to-day uses of those areas. Set up a place where a child can settle in and leave papers and pens at band without having to clear everything away each night. For a child that likes being alone, set aside a corner of his bedroom, but keep it separate from things like games, music and other hobbies not related to studying.

Keeping Things in Order

    Parents should encourage their child to spread out, but to leave it neat and orderly when he isn't using his workspace. Ownership is very important for self-respect{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The workplace should be personal, but not another part of the playroom.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Encourage the whole family to help build a supportive environment that children need for success in school. Give them a good example of how to deal with problems, how to manage time and get things done in the right way.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Study will be more enjoyable and effective when supported by the whole family.

A. Attitude Is Everything

B. Bring Organization into Your Home

C. Here are several ways to choose a location

D. Building a Good Home Learning Environment

E. Hold a can-do attitude and your child will follow your example

F. Setting up a space in a common area of your home can be a good idea for children

G. A child who learns to organize his spare will carry organization into every corner of his life

Cold weather is good for you

    With winter approaching, people begin to complain about cold weather. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There's plenty to love about cold weather. And there's plenty of evidence that cooler temperatures can be part of a healthy life.

    First, cooler temperatures can help you lose weight. It can also help you sleep better.  You might feel uncomfortable at first if you cool your bedroom down. But if you, for example, switch your bedroom temperature from 72 down to 62 degrees gradually over a few weeks, your body will adjust. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I have long kept my winter house temperature at 62 degrees. How did I find that number7 Well, I experimented on myself about eight years ago. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I started at 66 and turned it down one degree every few days until 60. I found when the temperature was colder than 62, I couldn't focus. But 62 was perfect. Another benefit for me was that it also kept me clear-headed while working at home.

    Interestingly, science also says 62 degrees is the magic number for brainwork. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It said 62 degrees was the temperature at which the schoolboy subjects of the study functioned perfect. And while we're speaking of work and school, other research shows that people study better when the weather outside is "bad".

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But according to a Harvard Health Letter from 2010, proper cold temperatures could be good for skin because it trains blood vessels in the skin to be responsive. So, rosy cheeks! There's no reason to be afraid of winter weather. Hug it and you, too, can enjoy the season.

A. I recently read a 1972 study.

B. And you'll save money on energy costs as well.

C. Many people like to use cold water to wash their face.

D. At that time, I worked at home and liked warm temperature.

E. Most of us think cold weather leads to dry skin and wrinkling.

F. The reason was that I hated spending money on heating bills.

G. But if you're active and healthy, it doesn't have to be a negative thing.

    Reading books can be a great way to pick up new vocabulary, see grammar in action and develop your understanding of a language. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For beginners, I would recommend starting with something short and simple. Avoid the classics, for they often use very old English words and can involve complex themes. Children's books are a great place to start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Dr Seuss writes his books in thyme and they are all very funny. Starting with something like this means you are more likely to finish the book and want to read more.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The book isn't too long and if you've seen the film it may be easier to follow. If you like reading about historical events, Anne Holm's I am David is a good read.

    If you're not quite ready to read a full book, why not try Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or, try a very short book like one from Roger Hargeaves's Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Although they are intended for young children, they are a good way to pick up some more basic vocabulary.

    My final piece of advice would be to read something that interests you. Look at the short summary of the book on the back cover and see if it looks like something that you would enjoy. Think about the type that is in your own language and find one of that type in English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Dr Seuss's books are guaranteed to make you laugh.

B. The key to success is choosing the right book for you.

C. Reading can bring you a lot of fun as well as knowledge.

D. For more advanced learners, you could try the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

E. This way, you're more likely to enjoy reading, rather than see it as a headache.

F. How much you can understand a book depends on your vocabulary.

G. This book contains lots of short stories, based on fairy tales, all written in thyme.