Each of us must communicate with others in this world. Sometimes communication is easy and your behavior is in harmony with (与……协调一致) others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  There are times when you are completely misunderstood. Therefore, it is really necessary to follow the tips below to increase your communication skills.

    Nod your head.

    People can think far faster than you can talk. If you want someone to agree with you, nod your head slightly up and down. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    Be respectful of space.

Everyone needs some space. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most people are not close talkers. Standing too close during conversations makes some people want to get away. Keep this in mind, especially if you've eaten garlic for lunch.

    Smile.

    Smiling will not only make you feel better, but also make whomever you are speaking with feel better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  This takes practice, but the benefits of learning how to eye smile can produce communication candy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

    When you first meet someone, be sure to look directly into his eyes with a smile when shaking his hand. There is nothing worse than receiving a careless handshake from someone. Handshakes can tell you a lot about people.

A. Smile with your eyes.

B. Shake hands correctly.

C. However, this is not always right.

D. If you don't have anything good to say, say nothing.2

E. Don't stand too close to someone that you are speaking with.

F. There are many ways that we can improve our communication skills.

G. This body language will encourage whomever you are speaking with to agree with you.

    The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It lifts the curtain of spring. After that everything turns green and full of energy and people clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer.

    ⒈Flying a kite.

    Spring is the best season for kite-flying. As a traditional folk activity, it has a history of more than 2, 000 years.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It also has the effect of promoting blood circulation and speeding up metabolism(新陈代谢).

    ⒉Wearing fabric swallows.

    Wearing fabric swallows is a custom in some regions in Shaanxi. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The custom originated during the Tang Dynasty (618—907). The swallow is a harbinger(预兆) of spring and a symbol of prosperity and happiness.

    ⒊Making a Spring Ox.

    Skilled artists build the frame of an ox out of bamboo strips and the legs with wood. Then they paste(粘贴) some paper and paint onto it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is said that if more red and yellow paper is used, then there will be a good harvest that year.

    ⒋{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    People in China began holding a special ceremony on the first day of the Start of Spring about 3, 000 years ago. They made sacrifices to Gou Mang, the God of Spring, who is in charge of agriculture. By the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911), welcoming spring had become an important folk activity.

A. Welcoming spring.

B. The image of an ox is complete.

C. At that time, there were eight solar terms.

D. The Start of Spring is the first solar term of the year.

E. Flying a kite can help build one's health and prevent diseases.

F. It is said that the egg can be set upright on the first day of the Start of Spring.

G. People like to wear a swallow made of colorful silk on their chests on Start of Spring.

    You may ride on your bicycle in a rush to get to school every morning.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You may also watch taxis crawl their way through traffic jams.

    No matter where you are, all big cities around the world have traffic jams these days. But although they all have their problems, many cities also have a type of transport (交通) that has become a cultural icon (圣像).

    In London, to avoid the traffic above ground, people use the "underground",also called the"tube".{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It brings a lot of convenience to its own residents and visitors and it is the pride of many Londoners. With 12 lines and 275 stations across the city, the tube, is normally the quickest and easiest way of getting around London. In London, you are never far from a tube station.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They serve as a quick and easy way of getting across Manhattan, where the subway doesn't take you everywhere. Stopping a cab is easy; just stick out your arm like you do in any city. But, with over 12,000 yellow cabs in the Big Apple, they also cause traffic jams.

    Since 1873 when the first cable car started public service, the slow and noisy vehicle has been a symbol of San Francisco. Although once damaged by a serious earthquake and challenged by cars, it is never caught in traffic jams and provides better views than the subway. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    But there are no such symbols in Los Angeles. If you visit you'd better rent a car. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It can take hours to get across town by bus. The subway covers just a small part of the city center. The light rail line only runs between the Long Beach hotel area and the city center. That's why Angelenos love their private cars more than any other people in the world.

A. No wonder it's always the first choice for commuters and tourists there.

B. You may fight to get a bit of space on a bus or on the subway.

C. The city has the oldest and most complicated underground railway system in the world.

D. The city's public transportation is terrible.

E. At this time every day, bike rides will be the most reliable means of transportation.

F. New York is famous for its yellow cabs.

G. There will always be one for you to every corner, fast and no worry.

    It should come as no surprise that the more stressed parents are at work, the greater the burden on their family is. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} After all, the more time parents spend working, the less time and energy they have to plan and prepare healthful meals. Previously, most studies have focused on the role of working mothers while fathers were ignored. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It adds a new wrinkle to the relationship between work stress and family nutrition. Mom's work related stress is still a central factor in how well families eat because they typically do most of the food shopping and cooking. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The study finds that when mom or dad experience high levels of work related stress, their families are eating one-and-a-half fewer family meals per week, and the parents themselves report eating fewer fruits and vegetables, more fast food, and are less likely to eat breakfast regularly.

    It's worth noting that the study looks mainly at low income families who belong to ethnic or minority groups. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But the implications are wide-ranging.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Teaching kids, especially teenagers, to help with grocery shopping and to cook actual meals, instead of just putting a frozen pizza in the microwave, could be an important piece of the puzzle in helping families improve their eating habits.

A. But dad's work related stress has a large impact, too.

B. As to family nutrition, the entire family plays a role, even kids.

C. Yet, the kid's stress may affect the families' nutrition, too.

D. So the findings don't necessarily apply directly to other types of families.

E. It's also probably not a surprise that this can negatively affect a family's nutrition.

F. Now, a study looks at the family as a whole and at the role of fathers in particular.

G. It is parents who give their kids a good model to develop a good eating habit.

    With busy schedules and limited hours of daylight, some runners find their only me to run is in the darkness of early morning or evening.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But if you have to run at night or in the early morning, make sure to follow these guidelines. Choose a Well-lit Route.

    It might not be your favourite route to run, but the most well-lit route is your first choice. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} and you'll always be able to see the road and avoid potential hazards.

    •Always Run Against Traffic

    It's easier to avoid cars if you can see them coming. Avoid busy roads and those with no shoulders or sidewalks.

    Run With a Friend

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If possible, try to never run alone. If you're running alone, let someone know the route you're running and approximately how long you will be out.

    •Watch Out for Bikes and Runners

    Even if you're running on a path or in a park with no cars, always be aware of other runners and cyclists. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This advice applies to running in both daylight and darkness.

    •Put Away Your Music

    Make sure you leave your radio, MP3 player, or iPad at home. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You can't hear oncoming cars, cyclists yelling to move, dogs, or any other potential threat.

A. Oncoming cars see you better

B. There's strength and safety in numbers

C. Running in daylight is always a safer choice

D. A headlamp is also an essential item for runners

E. Before you stop or turn around, make sure your path is clear

F. Cutting off your sense of hearing leaves you at a disadvantage

G. Put your driver's license in your pocket or wear an ID tag on your shoe

    A new urban sport, parkour, is hitting the streets. It has evolved from obstacle course training into a fitness option for young people. In parkour, the outside world is the gym! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The goal of parkour is a direct route from one place to another. You meet an obstacle, you overcome it.

    Mark Toorock, who teaches the techniques of parkour at his fitness gym, says that parkour is a method to train the body and mind using obstacles as the medium. He says that this new sport is demanding and takes years to master. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But Toorock, who used to be a martial arts expert, says that everyone can benefit from learning the basic skills involved in parkour like running, jumping and crawling (爬行). These are the things that humans used to have to do all the time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The original idea of parkour was to return to running and jumping as basic elements in moving from one place to another.

    Georges Hebert, a French navy officer, was so impressed by the effortless athleticism of African tribes that he devised a training method based on running, climbing, jumping, balancing and throwing. The word parkour comes from parcours de combatant, the French term for a military obstacle course. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dr Kenneth Kao explains that the sport of parkour is not extreme – it is the environment which is extreme and dangerous. Being outside, jumping off railings and flipping over park benches can be quite frightening, so parkour courses in gyms concentrate on practicing all the individual moves to make everything easier. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, that is not real parkour because it's indoors with a fixed obstacle. The goal for everyone is to go outdoors.

A. Gyms provide thick floor matting (垫子) for rolling and rubberized boxes for jumping over.

B. The bridges, buildings and railings (栏杆) of each and every city are the equipment.

C. Every action in parkour is natural, so everyone must have the ability to move in this way.

D. Parkour was introduced into china in recent years and has gained popularity.

E. But today, due to modern transport, these basic skills are no longer used on a regular basis.

F. The French word for people who participate in the sport is traceurs or traceuses.

G. Beginners should realize that they won't be jumping over buildings any time soon!