On my first job as sports editor for the Montpelier Leader Enterprise (MLE), I didn't get a lot of fan mail, so my attention was caught by a letter on my desk one morning.

    When I opened it, I read: “Sweet piece of writing on the Tigers. Keep up the good work.” It was signed by Don Wolfe, the sports editor Because I was a teenager (being paid the grand total of 15 cents a column inch), his words could not have been more inspiring, I kept the letter in my desk drawer until it got old. Whenever I doubted I had the right stuff to a writer,I would reread Don's note and walk on air again.

    Later, when I got to know him, I learned that Don made a habit of writing a quick, encouraging note to people in all walks of life, “When I make others feel good about themselves, ” he told me, “I feel good, too.”

    Over the years, I've tried to copy Don and write uplifting words. In a world too often cold and unresponsive, such notes bring warmth.

    Why are positive note writer in such short supply? My guess is that many who shy away from the practice are too self-conscious. They are afraid they will be misunderstood. Thus it may cause troubles and problems. And it sounds insincere on the phone, Also, writing takes time；it is far easier to pick up the phone.

    The drawback of phone calls, of course, is that they do not last. A note attaches more importance to our well-wishing. It is a matter of record, and our words can be read more than savored (回味) and treasured, and they bring strength and love to us.

    Today I sent a warm letter to my old boss. I don't know if it will make his day, but it made mine. As my friend Don Wolfe said, “Making others feel good about themselves also make me feel good too. ”

    Winter is a really fun time of the year—it's great to have snowball fights and build snowmen{#blank#}1{#/blank#} When it's cold outside and you're not prepared, you can feel uncomfortable. Lucky for you, learning how to stay safe is not difficult.

    ●{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wearing thick clothes is the best way to stay warm in the cold. Depending on where you live and how cold it is, some kids may need more clothes, some less.

    ●Take that hat. You maybe wear a large overcoat and ready to go, but are you forgetting something?{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You'll stay much warmer with a hat than without one—tons of body heat escapes right from your head.

    ●Drink up. Sounds like advice for hot weather, not cold weather, right?{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you're outside in the cold and breathing hard, your body loses a lot of water through your breath. And the best way to get that water back is to drink up!

    ●Take it easy. Sometimes if you're out having fun, it's easy to forget to pay attention to your body. But if your body temperature drops even 4 or 5 degrees while you're out side, it can make you feel terrible{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And if you ever feel weak, those are signs that you have to take it easy indoors for a while.

A.Love those clothes.

B.Have a snowball fight.

C. Pull a hat onto your head.

D. That's why you need to be careful with your body s signals.

E. Well, the truth is that it's good advice for both kinds of weather.

F. but you have to know how to be safe while you're out having fun.

G. You can stay outside as long as possible to fully enjoy your snow days.

How to become a professional athlete?

    Everyone wants to be a superstar athlete. However, there is a lot of competition to make it. So if you want to be a professional athlete, you have to know all the tricks of the trade to rise up above the rest.

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

    To play your sport better than anyone else, you have to practice your skills with lots of repetition. For example, you have to shoot 100 free throws every day for basketball.

    Make steady improvements

    If you are a baseball pitcher (投手) and your fastball is stuck at about 60 miles per hour, change it up! Try to walk your first step a little bit longer, bring in your elbow a little bit tighter, or try to reach higher when you're following through{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Quality coaches

    Have you ever noticed that a lot of kids with parents who are professional athletes will often become professional athletes in the same sport? They have access to a professional athlete's tips and tricks{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You should try to find coaches or professional athletes that are willing to answer your questions.

Diet of champions

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you can change your diet to a healthy one, you're going to be stronger.

    Friends and enemies

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By having great teammates or competitors, it pushes you to try harder and that always results in getting better.

A. Practice makes perfect

B. Better late than never

C. The big secret to advancing your skills above anyone else is to improve.

D.The biggest thing that most kids often ignore is their diet.

E.Surrounding yourself with quality teammates and competitors is the best way to get better.

F. These little improvements are things that will help you advance your skills.

G.But don't get discouraged if you don't have parents who were professional athletes.

    Hobbies let you explore interests outside your work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are plenty of options available to you. How can you choose the hobby that suits you from these options? Here are some tips.

    Look at what interests you. And examine what takes up your spare time, when you have it. Do you enjoy reading books? Maybe you want to try your hand at writing them. Do you like a cool beer at the end of the day? Maybe your hobby could be trying to make beer at home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Think about what you value most. What qualities do you think important? Do you value wisdom or courage? Do you admire artistic expression? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, maybe you could volunteer at a library as a hobby because you value education, or maybe you could take up painting because you admire people who can express themselves with art.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Certain hobbies require certain skill sets. If you don't have much patience, then maybe hand sewing isn't something you'd enjoy. However, if you love building things, maybe you should consider a hobby like building furniture.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Ask your friends and family what you seem to talk about the most. Now, think about what it is about that subject that you enjoy so much and determine how it can be turned into a hobby.

A. Help others to choose a hobby.

B. Examine your skills and personality.

C. Turn what you already love into a hobby.

D. Decide whether you're interested in one thing.

E. Think about the topics you go on endlessly about.

F. They let you be creative and try all kinds of new things.

G. Let those qualities guide you when you're choosing a hobby.

    The word “pub” is short for public house. There are around 60,000 pubs in the U.K. One of the oldest pubs, Fighting Cocks in St. Albans, Herts, is located in a building that dates back to the eleventh century.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} People talk, eat, drink, meet their friends and relax there. Pubs often have tow bars, one usually quieter than the other, and many have a garden where people can sit in summer.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Groups of friends normally buy “rounds” of drinks.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}It is sometimes difficult to get served when pubs are busy: the bar staff will usually try and serve those who have been waiting the longest at the bar first.

    Most pubs offer a complete range of beers, local and imported, with German, Belgian and French beers being in demand.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}As a matter of fact, pubs sell soft drinks, too.

    The legal age to purchase alcohol is 18 in the U.K.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But they must be with an adult and the adult orders it.

    It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who already appears drunk. Fourteen-year-olds may enter a pub unaccompanied by adults if they order a meal. Children may enter a pub with their parents until 9 p.m., which lets families enjoy reasonably priced pub meals together. And it also allows pubs to play their traditional roles as community centers. Customs in British pubs differ from those in American bars. In most pubs in the U.K., you must go to the bar to order drinks and food and pay for your purchases immediately.

A. Most people might think pubs are places where people simply drink alcohol.

B. The person whose turn it is will buy drinks for all the members of the group.

C. People aged 16 and 17, with the license's permission, may have only one glass of wine during a meal.

D. In the salon bar the atmosphere is quieter and there are fewer people.

E. Children can go into pub gardens with their parents.

F. Pubs are an important part of British life.

G. British people like drinking beers in pubs.