Jessica: What are you doing now?

Susan: I {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (listen) to the news.

Jessica: Is there anything urgent? If not, I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (real) want to have a talk with you.

Susan: No, there isn't. What's wrong?

Jessica: I think your grandma is {#blank#}3{#/blank#} nice person, but I can't help {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (think) that she doesn't like me.

Susan: Oh, she likes you. She is just old-fashioned and has her own way of doing things.

Jessica: But every time I clean the kitchen, she comes in {#blank#}5{#/blank#} me and cleans it again. Then she complains that the house is not tidy. I can't deal with this.

Susan: Just let her do it and ignore (忽视) her. She thinks if you don't get on your hands and knees {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (clean) the floor, the floor won't be clean.

Jessica: What a silly thing to say! What's a mop (拖把) for? And what's wrong with my cooking?

Susan: Nothing. I love your cooking.

Jessica: Then why does she complain about it? This morning she suggested that I {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (go) to cooking school to learn {#blank#}8{#/blank#} to cook.

Susan: Jessica, just ignore her. She only wants to make sure {#blank#}9{#/blank#} we can take care of ourselves.

Jessica: Don't we?

Susan: Yes, we do. I'm sorry that she makes you suffer {#blank#}10{#/blank#} stress, but I wish you'd learn to get along with her. Remember, she's an elder.

Jessica: Don't worry. When things get tense (紧张的), I just remind myself that she's your grandma, and I keep my temper (脾气) under control and my mouth shut.

    Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you'll have to stand up and say – problem, I don't want you in my life.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children – the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in different shapes and colors and feelings.

    But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.

    Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Talking helps you move on and let go.

    Write your problems. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you write down your problems, you are setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life.

    Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family，you should still have faith. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there're another one million people whose problems are huger than yours. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.

    Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.

A. When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it?

B. But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you.

C. Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with.

D. We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack.

E. Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born.

F. With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.

G. Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can't I?

How to Discover Your Talent

    Talent tends to refer to that inborn skill that everyone seems to be born with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It's good to try and identify and practice that skill.

    Revisit your childhood. A good way to figure out where your talents lie is to go back to your childhood. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. This is often the time when you had plans that weren't limited by what people tend to think of as 'reality'.

    Consider what it is you do when you lose track of time. One of the chief things you can do is focus on what you love to do so much that you have a tendency to forget everything else for a while. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. You might have to research a bit deeper into the things you enjoy to discover what makes you feel satisfied.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Sometimes, when you're having difficulty seeing clearly, it's good to get an outside opinion. Your friends and family members know you well and they should be able to offer you some insights into the areas they think you're talented in.

    Try new things. Especially if you're not sure what your talents might be, you should get out and try new things. This way you're more likely to hit on what it is that you're really good at and that really makes you happy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. In your quest for your own talent you should look into the talents of other people.

A. Consider what you loved to do as a child

B. Ask others for better advice

C. You can use your talents in the service of kindness

D. Focus on the areas that you're less talented in

E. Not all talents are going to be super obvious

F. Observe and enjoy the talents of other people

G. It's true that having a talent can help you in life

    If you need to interview someone for an article but you have never interviewed before, it can be frightening. Here are some tips for preparing for and conducting a successful interview.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If the person is a known author or speaker, take the time to read or listened to his/her work, or at least get familiar with his/her most recent or most important work. If the interview will cover events, review whatever is known publicly about those events.

    Prepare a recording device(录音设备). You can use your phone or an audio recorder. In this way you needn't struggle to write things down. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And this will make it easier to include direct quotes when you start writing.

    Remember to make it a conversation rather than a list of questions. Prepared questions are just a guideline. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can also try to ask your interviewee about his/her personal thoughts and reactions to events and people they deal with.

    Appropriate feedback(反馈) is also important. Feel free to say words that show you are listening, like "yeah" and "Mmmm". {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can also give more facial feedback like smiling.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If the interviewee changes suddenly from one line of thought to another, lead them back to the area you are focusing on. Guide the interview but don't keep interrupting with many questions.

A. Politely ask if you can interview them.

B. Do your homework before you pick up the phone.

C. Then you can focus all your attention on the interview.

D. Consider how all the questions can be asked in a short time.

E. Nodding your head can be an encouragement to the interviewee.

F. In order to get the information you need, you should guide the interview.

G. You can try to ask questions based on what they have said to you in previous responses.

    If you are thinking about studying in foreign countries, you may already know that there are a great number of colleges and universities from which to choose. How do you find the one that's right for you? Here are some tips to help you with your college search:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Make sure you understand your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Give yourself an honest self-examination to check what kind of college you like and where you would like to stay.

    Collect Information.

    Collect as much Information as possible, from and about colleges. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Use the college search programs to research and sort for colleges that meet your personal requirements.

    Visit college campuses.

    It can be very helpful to experience the first-hand campus culture of any college you are considering. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, there are other options that can help you get a feel for the academic and cultural environment. Many schools offer virtual campus tourists on their websites.

    Talk with the students about their experiences.

    Make the students tell you stories about their experiences. Try to imagine yourself in the stories they are telling. Don't settle for "this is a great place — you'd love it here." Find out why.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Take an honest look at affordability.

    Some private colleges carry a price of $60,000 (or more）per year. Ask your parents what they can or are willing to spend. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, you had better know if there will be financial limitations on your college selections.

A. Know yourself

B. If you are not able to travel

C. Give yourself any examination

D. Before you fall in love with a school

E. After you decide which school to go to

F. It is easy to find and won't cost anything

G. Their reasons for loving it may not match with yours.

Dear Boris,

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}After I had spent a week with my English family, I slowly began to understand their English a little better. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Students in my group are from different cities of Britain and their dialects are different too! Some of their accents are quite strong and they also have their own words and expressions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Before I came to England I had thought that fish and chips were eaten every day. That's quite wrong! I get rather annoyed now when I hear all the foolish words about typical English food. I had expected to see "London fog". Do you remember our texts about it? We had no idea that most of this "thick fog" disappeared many years ago when people stopped using coal in their homes. But the idea to speak about weather was very helpful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}On the other hand, habits are different. People tell me what is typical British here in London is not always typical in Wales or Scotland. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But what is ordinary for all British is that they follow traditions(传统). Probably Britain has more living signs of its past than many other countries. And people have always been proud of having ancient (古老的) buildings in capitals, big cities and the countryside. I will tell you more about Britain in my other letters. Love from Britain.

A. The weather in London is really changeable.

B. I have difficulty in understanding my classmates.

C. Thanks for your nice letter.

D. The family I live with are friendly.

E. It's very different from what I learned at school.

F. Local habits and traditions are not the same as what we knew.

G. But it's not the language that's different and surprising.