I used to be a thin little kid who was always the shortest and sickest in my class. I wasn't very athletically involved during my childhood.

    When I entered middle school, a lot of my friends were signing up for the school's sports teams. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}On the first day of tryouts(选拔赛) for the soccer team, the coach told us to run laps for warm-up. As I struggled to keep up with the team, I found myself falling farther behind until I was the last one to finish. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I was disappointed, but at the same time, I knew I had to do something about my health and fitness. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People thought I was crazy because I ran a slow 11-mintue mile in the gym class, but I was determined to get into shape and improve my mile time.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It was a lot of running for me, but I kept on practicing day after day. As the seasons progressed, I found that I could run longer and faster.

    Eighth grade soon rolled around and I was feeling really confident about trying out for another sports meet. Instead of attempting soccer a second time, I decided to give field hockey a try. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This time, I was well prepared. After a week of tryouts, I was ecstatic (狂喜的) to see that my name made it on the list.

    I was inspired, and I learned an important lesson: Once you do get into shape, don't stop or give up!

A. Again, the coach instructed us to run a lot of laps.

B. After tryouts were over, my name never made it on the list.

C. I made a big decision to sign up for the track and field team.

D. Being in shape helped me feel energetic, flexible, and strong.

E. Fortunately, I wasn't the only slow runner trying to get into shape.

F. The first day of practice was one of the hardest workouts I've ever had.

G. One of my friends convinced me to try out for the soccer team with her and I agreed.

Common public speaking problems

    The use of “I feel”, “I think” and “maybe”

    In the question-and –answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like “I feel”, “I hear”, “maybe” and “perhaps”. These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence. Instead of the empty-sounding “I guess”, using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Don't stick to the same tone. It can be boring. Try to mix it up. For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles tighter. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . you're responsible for your words. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish. So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy(盗版), started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

A. Try mixing more than one style.

B. Improving your communication skill.

C. Using only one speaking style

D. It's important to involve your audience.

E. Public speaking is different from personal conversations.

F. The key is to work out what question is being asked

G. To the judges and audience, this lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable.

    Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?”

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad（少年）offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If the lad had gone home to ponder（考虑） his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well.  Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And within a year this person had become general manager of the company.

A. This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B. People find jobs in a variety of ways.

C. It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers

D. Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E. But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F. He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G. It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

    Everyone knows that fish is good for health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But it seems that many people don't cook fish at home. Americans eat only about fifteen pounds of fish per person per year, but we eat twice as much fish in restaurants as at home. Buying, storing, and cooking fish isn't difficult{#blank#}2{#/blank#} This text is about how to buy and cook fish in an easy way.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Fresh fish should smell sweet: you should feel that you're standing at the ocean's edge. Any fishy or strong smell means the fish isn't fresh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you have bought a fish and arrive home, you'd better store the fish in the refrigerator if you don't cook it immediately, but fresh fish should be stored in your fridge for only a day or two. Frozen fish isn't as tasty as the fresh one.

    There are many common methods used to cook fish. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} First, lean it and season it with your choice of spices(调料). Put the whole fish on a plate and steam it in a steam pot for 8 to 10 minutes if it weighs about one pound. (A larger one will take more time.) Then, it's ready to serve.

A. Do not buy it.

B. The easiest is to steam it.

C. This is how you can do it.

D. It just requires a little knowledge.

E. The fish will go bad within hours.

F. When buying fish, you should first smell it.

G. The fats in fish are thought to help prevent heart disease.

    Whether you use a GPS device (设备) in your car or Google Maps on your smartphone, few of us travel anymore without digital help. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For one thing, GPS isn't as accurate as you might think. What's more, science is beginning to discover that people who rely only on navigational technologies may have a poor sense of place during travel.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They soon become outdated as cities change, requiring users to continually purchase updated versions. They're also easily damaged from exposure to water, poor weather conditions and other physical forces.

    However, paper maps still offer a few advantages that technologies can't. For example, studying a map allows you to get a full view of where you're going, including the roads, forests, towns, historic sites, rivers and mountains you'll come across along the way. Many older maps are wonderful, offering a lovely feast for the eyes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Research by Toru Ishikawa and colleagues at the University of Tokyo found that GPS users spent 30％ more time looking at their device than those who used a paper map. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead they tended to stare at their screens and follow directions, never gaining a full view of where they were going.

    Therefore, go ahead and use your GPS, but also carry a paper map as a handy backup. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Also it could even be a life-saver!

    After entering high school, you must wonder how to study well. Here are some good skills for you.

    Go to class. If you want to do well at school, going to class is the first step in studying well. If you miss classes, you will miss what the teacher thinks is important. As a result, you'll miss what is the most likely to end up on the test. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Take good notes. Try not to write down everything. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Write down unfamiliar terms. After class, review your notes as soon as possible. You can fill in details that you missed and review the material while it is still fresh on your mind.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are struggling in class, talk to your teacher. He or she may be able to give you more help before or after class. Most teachers have little sympathy(同情)for students who just become worried about failing during the last few weeks of the grading period.

    Take part in class discussions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Asking questions and having eye contact with your teachers and classmates can increase your participation(参与)and your focus during the class discussion. If the material is difficult, you'd better read it before class. This helps you make your point clear in class.

    Form study group. Get students together who want to do well in class. Make sure that everyone is familiar with the material because you do not want to spend time re-teaching material to people who do not understand it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Sometimes group sessions(上课时间)can become chatting sessions.

A. But be careful!

B. Don't be late for your class.

C. Talk to your teacher if you need help.

D. You should write down all the new terms.

E. So if you want to study well, go to every class.

F. All you need is to put down the main points in your own words.

G. In order to learn more in class, it is helpful to take part in class discussions.