Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

Walk Out of the Comfort Zone and Try New Things

For most high school students, free periods are useless. From what I have seen, few do homework, instead many are on their phones 

and talking, making it impossible for those who actually want to do work to complete any. As a senior next year, I think extra periods should be used to take optional subjects.

Our school offers many classes. Now is the time to experiment in different fields of study. We will never know if we are interested or 

talented in a subject if we don't try it.

In my 8th grade, I was told that I had to take an art class as a graduation requirement; so in the 9th grade I took Studio and Art. One 

of the projects was to build a clay pot, but I built mine incorrectly, so it broke in the kiln 

(窑). I found out that I have no artistic ability at all, and now I know for sure that I do not want to be an artist. However, the class was

 one of my favorites that year. I was able to try new activities and test my ability.

Walk out of our comfort zone and try new things! College is when we should focus on a specific major, but high school is when we

 have to figure it out.

Half of all college students change their major at some point. By doing that hundreds of dollars are wasted on classes that they would 

have never needed to take. So use our extra periods to find out what we want to do in college. The classes we choose can impact us in

 future. Taking optional subjects will enrich our mind. It will also show colleges we are diverse students.

    A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat，and experts said it's time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.

    “We've put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep，”said Fred Turek，a physician at Northwestern University.

    Monday's study from Eastern Virgnia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index－a measure of weight based on height increased.

    “Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights，”it said.In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.

    “Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies.Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients，”the study said.

    “Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary，as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index，”it added.

    “We caution that this study does not set up a cause­and­effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness，but investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”

    The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.

    In an interview，Turek said some studies have shown the lack of sleep causes declines in an appetiteholding back protein hormone，and increases in another hormone that cause a longing for food.“In addition neuropathies(神经疗法)in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap(部分重叠)，”he said.

    “Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic(流行病)levels in the United States，”it added，“leading to a variety of health problems.”

    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. ”

    Good learners can inspire students or anybody to learn well. Here are some characteristics of good learners.

    Good learners are curious. They wonder about all sorts of things, often about knowledge beyond their areas of expertise(专长){#blank#}1{#/blank#} Finding out about something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment, but their curiosity is addictive.

    Good learners don't give up easily. A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrives after effort{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They try to search out new information. They read, analyze, and evaluate the information they've found. Then they study more and work at what they don't understand.

    Good learners know that a lot of learning isn't fun. The journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Others need a tiresome attention to detail, and still others need periods of intense mental focus. Your backs hurt, your arms and legs get tired, and your coffee gets cold.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much they know about anything. They are pulled around by questions—the ones they still can't answer, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them like day follows night with the answers bringing daylight.

    Good learners share what they've learned. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they've learned{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Good learners can also explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they've learned with others.

A. Good learners stay positive.

B. They write about it, and talk about it.

C. They love the discovery part of learning.

D. Good learners never run out of questions.

E. Some knowledge can broaden our views.

F. Good learners are willing to put in the time.

G. Some learning tasks require boring repetition.

    Have you ever kept your eyes groundward while otherwise presenting yourself well at a job interview? People who do often wonder why they fail to get the job despite having made full preparations and taken into consideration every possible interview question. To a large degree, the problem is not about your verbal preparation but rather your body language at an interview, Preparing your body language for an interview is crucial (至关重要的)，because it has various meanings in different cultures.

    And how does the language of gestures vary between Chinese and Western society? Instead of examining the theory, let's focus on handshake, the most practical gesture that easily escapes our attention. Patti Wood once said, “Most of the hiring decisions are made in the first 10 seconds of an interview.” The way you shake the interviewer's hand could create the first impression you make. A weak handshake implies lack of confidence. But is it wise to use a powerful handshake? It depends. This would not be a problem if you were shaking hands with a Westerner as they appreciate a firm handshake. But for Asian people a gentler handshake is better, as an over-powerful grip might seem offensive.

    Hand gestures are another major difference. Western prospective employers are likely to appreciate interviewees who use their hands expressively, and to assume that those who keep their hands hidden are either distrustful or lacking in confidence. The opposite applies in Asia. Be sure, therefore, to keep your hand gestures to a minimum at interviews with local companies in China.

    There are, apart from these two differences, other elements of body language that could ruin your interview wherever you are. You should make eye contact with your interviewer. That doesn't mean you should glare directly into the interviewer's eyes. The best point of focus would be a little lower than the middle point. Secondly, you shouldn't touch your nose, lips or forehead. This tells the interviewer that you are either extremely nervous or lying. Lastly, never jiggle (抖动)your legs or fold your arms. Leg jiggling delivers clearly the message that you feel uneasy and want to escape as quickly as possible. Likewise, crossing your arms implies that you are either defensive or bored.

    A research entitled “Non-Verbal Clues in Job Interviews” found that interviewers spotted a high connection between motivation, social skills and employment. Job seekers hence communicate their motivation and social skills through their body language. This crucial factor determines your fate in any job interview, which is why I cannot overemphasize (过分强调)the significance of body language and gestures. If you now recall your last failed interview, perhaps it is easier to understand why you didn't get the job.