Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning Root (词根) Words

    English is called one of the most difficult languages for non-native speakers. One reason is that English has so many rules and almost as many exceptions of those rules. Sometimes, this leaves learners confused (困惑的).{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Not all words can be pronounced by their spelling. And, maybe the worst thing of all is that there are many idioms, or expressions in English.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} That is why there are many funny mistakes resulting from the misuse of idioms.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A root word is the most basic form of a word. Root words can help you to break down large, new words into smaller units to discover their meanings.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} As a result, by learning 20 or 30 root words, you can enlarge your English vocabulary to include hundreds of new words.

    A root can be any part of a word that carries meaning: the beginning, middle or end prefixes (前缀), bases, and suffixes (后缀) are types of roots. The prefix appears at the beginning of a word, the base in the middle and the suffix at the end.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} One simple method is to first look at a base word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build”. The prefix “con-” means “together” or “with”. So, “construct” means “to put things together to build or create something”.

A. Another reason is related to the English pronunciation.

B. You can say we use idioms like they're going out of style.

C. The second difficulty lies in the spelling of the English words.

D. Having a good knowledge of grammar is also useful for English learners.

E. Building vocabulary through root words is quite useful for English learners.

F. Learning just one root word can help you understand several words in English.

G. However, it's comforting to know learning root words can help English learners.

    Ways to Take Care of Your Books

    What do you do to take care of the books in your library? Some collectors(收藏者) refuse to read the books in their collection; so the books remain in good condition. Others buy two copies of a book: they read one and leave the other untouched. However many readers must read their books but they still want to protect. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Avoid Writing.

    You may have been told to write in your books or even to underline words, phrases, and paragraphs. But if you plan to keep the book, add it to your library or even sell it — don't write in the book in ink. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Use a notebook to take notes or use pieces of paper.

    Avoid Food and Drinks.

    Food and drinks are things that may be dangerous to your books. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you need to read while you eat make sure your fingers are clean and dry as you hold the book or turn the pages.

    Take Care.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Don't let it drop to the ground. Don't place your book with the book open, face down. You'd better use a book cover to keep your book in the best condition.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    If you want to take care of your books keep your books on a shelf when you are not reading them. But also take care that the books should be placed in an upright (竖立的) position.

A. Put it on the shelf.

B. Protect it from dust.

C. The ink may damage your book forever.

D. When you handle (握) your book, hold it with care.

E. No one knows exactly how to protect their books.

F. So the best way is to avoid eating or drinking while you read.

G. Here are some tips to keep your books in good condition.

How to Recognize a True Friend

Sometimes it can be hard to recognize a true friend. Hopefully this article will help you recognize which friends are the keepers.

Be able to trust your friends. You should be able to trust true friends and they should return this trust. Do your friends tell you secrets that no one else knows? Ask you for advice? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, if your friends hide things from you and act secretly, then this is a sign that they may not trust you.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Think about it. How comfortable are your friends when they are around you? Are they being themselves around you? Are they acting fake or perhaps hiding something? True friendships can take a while to develop, but if your friends are true they should feel comfortable around you, and vice versa (You with them)

Think about loyalty(忠诚). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are in need of a helping hand, your true friends should be there to offer it to you. True friends don't try to get one another into trouble. A true friend will always be loyal to you and will not reveal secrets.

    Think about nicknames. A lot of true friends love to give each other nicknames！ If your friend is giving you nicknames, then this is a great sign. Think of the nickname your friend has given you, does it suit you well? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Look at how you fight. Nearly all best friends fight. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} True friends will find their way through a fight, no matter what the size is. True friends will remain “faithful” to each other even during a fight. They will not tell each others' secrets, and they still care about each other.

A. Consider comfort.

B. Choose your friends carefully.

C. True friends are always there for one another.

D. Both are sure signs that your friend trusts you.

E. If so, this shows your friend must know you quite well.

F. So if you and your friend have a little argument, don't worry!

G. An inside joke shows that you share a special connection with your friend.

    Lots of people find it hard to get up in the morning, and put the blame on the alarm clock. In fact, the key to easy morning wake-up lies in resetting your body clock. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here's how to make one.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In order to make a change, you need to decide why It's important. Do you want to get up in time to have breakfast with your family, get in some exercise，or just be better prepared for your day! Once you are clear about your reasons, tell your family or roommates about the change you want to make.

    Rethink mornings. Now that you know why you want to wake up, consider re-arranging your morning activities. If you want time to have breakfast with your family, save some time the night before by setting out clothes, shoes, and bags. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's a quarter-hour more you could be sleeping if you bought a coffee maker with a timer.

    Keep your sleep/wake schedule on weekends. If you're tired out by Friday night, sleeping in on Saturday could sound wonderful. But compensating on the weekends actually feeds into your sleepiness the following week, a recent study found. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Keep a record and evaluate it weekly. Keep track of your efforts and write down how you feel. After you've tried a new method for a week, take a look at your record.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} If not, take another look at other methods you could try.

A. Get a sleep specialist.

B. Find the right motivation.

C. A better plan for sleep can help.

D. And consider setting a second alarm.

E. If the steps you take are working, keep it up.

F. Stick to your set bedtime and wake-up time, no matter the day.

G. Reconsider the 15 minutes you spend in line at the cafe to get coffee.

    Movies have documented America for more than one hundred years. Since Thomas Edison introduced the movie camera in 1893  amateur and professional movie-makers have used moving pictures to tell stories and explain the work of business and government. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By preserving these movies, we will save a century of history.

    Unfortunately, movies are not made to last. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Already the losses are high. Only 20% of US feature films from the 1910s to 1920s survive. Of the American features produced before 1950, about half exist. For independently produced works, we have no way of knowing how much has been lost.

    For many libraries and museums, the hardest step in preserving movie collections is getting started. The Movie Preservation Guide is designed for these organizations. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} These institutions have collections of moving pictures but lack information about how to take care of them. The guide contains basic facts for "beginners"—professionals trained in history but unschooled in this technical area.

    The guide grew from user workshops at Duke University. At the sessions, beginners talked with technical experts about what they needed to know to preserve and make available their movie collections. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Following the advice, the guide describes methods for handling and storing moving pictures that are practical for research institutions with limited resources. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The guide has been translated into Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

A. "Keep it simple!" was the advice of the discussions.

B. They'll be damaged within years if not properly stored.

C. These organizations are the first to save American movies.

D. It is organized in chapters and includes case studies and charts.

E. It introduces movie preservation to nonprofit and public institutions.

F. They show how generations of Americans have lived, worked and dreamed.

G. They store the original movies and new ones under cool-and-dry conditions.

    Imagine a child standing on a diving board four feet high and asking himself the question: "Should I jump?" This is what motivation or the lack of it can do. Motivation and goal setting are the two sides of same coin. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Like the child on the diving board, you will stay undecided.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} More than that, how should you stay motivated to achieve the goal? First, you need to evaluate yourself, your values, your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements, your desires, etc. Only then should you set your goals.

    You also need to judge the quality and depth of your motivation. This is quite important, because it is directly related to your commitment. There are times when your heart is not in your work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So, slow down and think what you really want to do at that moment. Clarity(清晰) of thoughts can help you move forward.

    Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives, keeping in mind your beliefs, values and strengths. Remember that goals are flexible. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They also need to be measurable. You must keep these points in mind while setting your goals.

    Your personal circumstances are equally important. For example, you may want to be a pilot but can't become one because your eyesight is not good enough. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}You should reassess your goals, and motivate yourself to set a fresh goal.

    You will surely need to overcome some difficulties, some planned, but most unplanned. You cannot overcome them without ample motivation. Make sure that you plan for these difficulties at the time of setting your goals.

A. This can affect your work.

B. So how should you motivate yourself?

C. However, this should not discourage you.

D. So why should we try to set specific goals?

E. They can change according to circumstances.

F. Motivation is what you need most to do a good job.

G. Without motivation, you can neither set a goal nor reach it.