When people travel abroad(国外), they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is a homestay.

    I am living with an old English couple, in the west of London. They have a clean four-bedroom house. This is a new house. It has two bathrooms and a garden with many beautiful flowers. I have a bedroom of my own.

    There are some shopping centres and a restaurant next to the house, and the house is close to an underground station. It takes about 30 minutes to take an underground to the centre of London.

    I think a homestay may be a good choice for you if it is your first time to visit abroad. The local people are friendly and ready to help. If you want to celebrate the holidays with them, you will get to know more about their culture and customs.

    Do you know Chen Yixun? He is a great singer from Hong Kong. He has a lot of beautiful songs, so many people love him. This year Chen Yixun gives concerts (演唱会) in some cities in China. And on November 7 the concert is in Jiaxing.

    Chen Yixun wants to give great concerts, and he does a lot of work for that. First, he practises singing every day. And he always drinks warm water. There are also dances at the concerts, so he needs to practice dancing, too. It's a hard job. Then, he also needs to do exercise like running and swimming. He has to be healthy and strong for the concerts.

    “I have a busy life, but I love it. I enjoy singing and I wish to give great shows to people,” says Chen Yixun. Wish him good luck!

    Some people are afraid of answering the telephone call. Here are some tips to help you when you are answering the call.

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    Listening to someone speaking in a second language over the telephone can be very challenging because you cannot see the person you are trying to hear. You may not realize that your pronunciation isn't clear. So pay special attention to your pronunciation and speak as slowly as possible.

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    Don't pretend to understand everything you hear over the telephone. Don't be afraid to remind the person to slow down more than once.

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    Ask another student to practice talking on the phone with you. Try to talk for at least fifteen minutes. The most important thing about practicing telephone English is that you are not able to see others' mouths.

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    There are many ways to get free telephone English practice. After business hours, you can call and listen to recorded messages. Write down what you hear the first time, and then call back and check if your notes are right.

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    Many speakers make the mistake of being too direct on the telephone. Sometimes just one word such as could or may is necessary in order to sound polite. Take the time to learn how to answer the phone in a polite manner.

    It's normal for you to feel shy and nervous when you are in the new environment. It's natural to feel nervous, or shy in front of others at times. If you think you are too shy and want to be a little more active, try the following advice.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is no need to hide it. When people get to know you are a shy person, they may understand you better. It will also help you feel easier in talks.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you smile, people will think you're friendly and want to talk with you. Remember that all people have feelings and most people will stay away from an angry-looking face.

You shouldn't keep quiet at a party all the time. If you find it hard to start a talk, you can say something nice about people around you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It must be very helpful for you to start a talk! And after you begin to talk to someone or smile at someone for the first time, remember to say "I did it!" to yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Think about more ways to enjoy the party and have fun. Don't waste time worrying about your look or whether all people like you or not.

    If you keep trying the advice, you may not be shy in the new environment one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴Cindy likes drawing(画画) very much. She can draw nice pictures. She always reads books about artists(艺术家).

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Peter likes watching NBA games. He also knows a lot about tennis stars and basketball stars.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶Mary studies in a junior school. She can't always get good grades(成绩)，but she can cook(烹任) well. She wants to be a cook(厨师).

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷John is a 12-year-old boy. He likes singing and dancing very much and he also does well in playing the piano.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸Jeff thinks playing games is very interesting. Sometimes games can help him study well.