Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States and Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes which will give them a head start in life.        {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.

    Parents can see that their children's skills differ. Some children are very skilled in some areas while poor in others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills that they need to be confident, happy and clever.

    Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework. Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully step by step. The result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and lots of self-confidence.

    Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to repair them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And that is more important.

A. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.

B. The more cost in education, the better the result will be.

C. Cooking requires patience and time.

D. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today's children are badly off for self-respect and self-confidence.

E. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is.

F. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind.

G. Thus, the more the children use the computer, the better the result will be.

    Experts are always advocating the health benefits of biking. And while the barrier to entry is low-pretty much all you need to know to start cycling is how to ride a bike itself-people often ask me if I have any tips for beginner bikers.

    Below, a few things I've learned along the way that help make for a safer and more joyful ride:

    Follow the rules of the road. Brake at yellow lights, stop for pedestrians and maintain a solid distance from cars.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Therefore, never fly through stop signs, approach too close to the front vehicles or shout at cars.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}A British doctor recently made headlines when he claimed that wearing a bike helmet is actually more dangerous than traveling without one, but most research suggests otherwise. A full 98 percent of bike commuters （上班族）own a helmet, so you'll be in good company, anyway.

    Make a playlist. Laws against riding with headphones vary from state to state, and it's never proper to listen to music in more than one ear. But cruising around to a soundtrack can be an amazing feeling, so consider buying a wireless speaker you can fix on your frame.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Know your rights. If you do end up getting into a collision, stay on the scene until the police come.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Cyclists are too often taken advantage of in bad situations, especially if their injuries don't seem to be apparent.

    Find some friends. As great as it can be to bike alone, zipping down the street in a big group is an equally satisfying experience.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various bicycle trips are often organized, which provides opportunities to develop friendship among bikers.

A.Be sure to get a helmet.

B.It's necessary you give them an accurate report of the incident.

C.Most cities have enough resources for the cycling community.

D.Most of us will feel it obviously safer to ride on a bike than in a car.

E.Then put together a list of your favorite tunes and get ready to enjoy them.

F.Pushing to the limit not only gives bikers a bad reputation, but also a great danger.

G.It' s comforting to know that whatever I need is nothing more than a bike ride away.

    Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.

    "I adore dancing," says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. "I can't imagine doing anything else with my life." Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. "Teaching dance is wonderful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's great to watch them. For many of them, it's a way of meeting people and having a social life."

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}"I can tell you about one young couple," says Bridges. "They're learning to do traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, "Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I'm alive."

    What is the secret of writing a good letter? Here are two main ones. Don't try to be fancy. Don't try to impress your reader. You will be successful if you follow these seven Cs.

    Clear. Use short, direct sentences.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Talk as if the reader were right there with you .Above all, don't use an introduction.

    Correct,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Don't guess, even for spelling. Refer to your dictionary. If you need to, check a reference book too. Use them as much as you need to.

    Complete. Don't scatter your points.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is good organization too.

    Courteous. Be friendly rather than overly casual. Present your information nicely even if you are complaining about something. In all letters, treat others as you want them to treat you.

    Concise. Make each point as clearly and briefly as you can.

    Conversational. This is really the secret of good writing,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Such a letter has a natural, friendly tone. Let your personality come through naturally.

    Considerate.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Write about what you believe the reader needs or wants to know. Try to be helpful. This will build good feeling toward you.

    The seven Cs are about writing letters. But how about school papers? Use the seven Cs. Write as if you are talking to your teacher or professor. You'll be surprised. You'll almost instantly become a good writer. And you might even enjoy writing from now on.

A. Just talk to the person.

B. Finish one point completely before going on to the next.

C. Include long sentences in your letter.

D. Make them easy to understand.

E. Writing should not be taken too seriously.

F. Make sure what you say is correct.

G. Think of the readers' point of view as you write.

Four Tips for High School Graduates

    Over three­million high school students are graduating this spring in the United States. Many of them will head to university in the fall. The transition (过渡) from high school to college is a major one, and successful adjustment to college has lifelong influences.

    Maybe you are about to make this transition yourself or have children who are about to leave the nest. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you know someone who is making this transition or know parents guiding their soon­to­be adult kids through this time, please take a moment to share this collection of research­based tips with them.

    Be open to making new friends as soon as you set foot on campus. Even during orientation (迎新会)! {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your success in college depends, in part, on surrounding yourself with others who can support you and help you have fun.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Successful adjustment is about reaching out for help when you need it. This means trying to find the answers on your own first, but then contacting those who can help you when you can't. That is what they are there for!

    Lean on your family. Family support can give you comfort when classes get hard or you are stressed about finals. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Strong support from family is linked to lower loneliness and depression during the first year of college and higher academic adjustment including motivation and concentration.

    Be confident. Feeling anxiety about communicating with fellows, professors, and speaking up in class is associated with lower adaptation during the transition to college. One of the best ways to increase your communication confidence is to practice! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This list is for you.

B. The more you speak up in class, the easier it becomes.

C. Don't be afraid to talk to your professors or teaching assistants.

D. Joining clubs is also linked to feelings of belonging at college.

E. Your professors and teaching assistants want to see you succeed in their classes.

F. Almost everyone is in the same boat as you are, hoping to make friends quickly.

G. Family members can give you advice and help you solve problems if you need help.

True happiness in life starts with being happy with ourselves and who we are. That starts from having high self-confidence. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You need to work at it by confirming yourself that you're a great person, capable of great things. If you think you could benefit from this, follow these suggestions in order to improve your self-confidence.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} While you don't need to shout it out loud, it is important to pat yourself on the back once in a while. Think of all you've achieved or learned and you'll realize that you've come a long way. Reminding yourself of all your abilities and accomplishments will definitely improve your self-confidence.

Find something you're good at. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And sometimes all this takes is a few minutes doing something that you are an expert in. The small rewards and praise you get from doing this task will do wonders to improve your self -confidence. It could be something as simple as organizing a messy closet, or challenging a friend to chess.

Accept yourself. Regardless of how successful you may be, there will always be someone more successful than you. See the difference between being the best and being great. Learn to appreciate who you are and what you have to offer and don't let anyone else's success play on your self-confidence. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Keep learning. If you feel like you aren't knowledgeable about something, it may bring down your self-confidence. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It's great for your brain, but also great for conversation. Your friends will be amazed with your knowledge and their praise will improve your self-confidence.

A. Praise yourself.

B. Keep putting pressure on yourself.

C. Good self-confidence doesn't happen by chance.

D. Those who aim for perfection are nearly always disappointed.

E. It's good to remind yourself of your skills, talents and abilities.

F. You can overcome this by continuously teaching yourself new things.

G. Focus on what you have earned and your self-confidence will increase.