Hi Grace,

    How's it going? Sorry I haven't emailed for a while, but I had so much to do!

    I had told you about my decision to take up a sport. I knew I wasn't fit and I wanted to get some exercise. But that wasn't the only reason that I decided to do a sport. Students who play sports do better at school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Exercise also helps learning and memory.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} First, I tried soccer. I had played a bit of soccer before and I thought it wouldn't be too bad. I knew I couldn't run for very long without feeling tired. On the first day, I was able to run for the first ten minutes, but then I was so tired that I couldn't even kick the ball!

    Then, I tried volleyball. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I was able to run for the first twenty minutes and I wasn't the slowest runner in the team! After a few weeks, I could run faster and longer. I was doing better and feeling better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Maybe I'm not a team sport person after all!

    Finally, I tried Kung fu. It's a great sport that exercise the body and the mind. You learn to follow instructions carefully and do what you are asked to do. This is the right sport for me! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I feel so confident that I even showed some moves to the class last week! Can you believe it?

I hope you're OK! Write and let me know what you've been doing!

    Bye for now!

                                                                                                                                                                               Kristie

A. I got very excited about soccer.

B. But I couldn't decide on a sport.

C. Running helps me to keep fit.

D. Things were a bit better this time.

E. Then I found volleyball terribly boring.

F. They are more confident and less stressed.

G. I practice twice a week and I haven't missed a class.

    If you plan to go abroad for your further education,first you should read something about the custom of the country.For example,in the United States,it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning.If you telephone him early in the day,while he is shaving or having breakfast,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.The same meaning is attached to telephone calls made after 11:00 p.m.If someone receives a call during sleeping hours,he assumes it's a matter of life or death.So{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    In social life,time plays a very important part.In the U.S.A. guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.In other areas of the world,it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.Thus,misunderstandings arise between people from cultures that treat time differently.Being punctual is valued highly in American life,for example.If people are not punctual,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.In the U.S. no one would think of keeping a business associate waiting for an hour,it would be too impolite.A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology.

A.they will not be trusted

B.But it is not true in all countries

C.Different races understand it differently

D.the time chosen for the call communicates its importance

E.they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible

F.The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world

G.the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention

    Traveling for business or pleasure can easily damage your health. It's easy to fail into the trap of high caloric meals and little exercise.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Keep a dictionary on hand

    If you are traveling somewhere with a different language, pack a dictionary and keep it close to help you negotiate(商议)the menu and make healthy food choices.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Look up the words that you don't understand to help you learn about cooking methods and ingredients(材料)so that you can choose healthy food.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The more you can research before your trip, the easier it will be to keep a healthy lifestyle while traveling. To stay on track with your food, try to find a nearby grocery store or healthy food store, look up a couple of well rated restaurants that offer some healthy choices, and try to stay somewhere with a fridge or kitchen.

    Walk every day.

    Exploring your destination(目的地)on foot is an amazing way to take some exercise while traveling. Walk through the nature to enjoy its beautiful scenery, listen to the sound of nature and take some wonderful pictures.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Rent a bike.

    Cover more ground while burning calories by renting a bike. Many major cities have bike-sharing programs, or you could contact a local bike store to ask about bike rentals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you have an open schedule, you could even research bike tours, which are a great way to cover a long distance in a short period of time.

A. Avoid junk food and deep fried food.

B. Research the food and store some upon arrival.

C. Take a bike map of the city, research day trips and get exploring.

D. If you are exercising while traveling, make sure to take in extra water.

E. Here are some healthy travel tips which will keep you in good health.

F. You can't avoid deep fried food if you don't know that they're in there!

G. This is also a great way to find hidden attractions that aren't in the travel guides.

    "Fire! Fire!" What terrible words to hear when I 1 in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, 2 house —the kind that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, 3 the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of 4.

    I began to run, but as I was still only half awake, 5going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to 6. The floor became 7 under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the 8 for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something 9 and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of 10, and I picked it up to 11 my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor 12 under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.

    13, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and 14. My feet were terribly burned, 15 I got through. As I reached the cold air outside my package of clothes gave a 16. I nearly dropped it in surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed as she saw me and came running 17.

    "My baby! My baby!" she cried. Those people 18 loudly as she took the smoke-blackened package out of my arms. I almost 19 to see who she was—my boss's wife. I had saved her baby, and become a(n) 20!

    Do you have a hobby? Something you look forward to spending your time with? Something you love to do?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Or making model airplanes. Sketching. Or making useful things out of waste material. It could be a musical instrument that you love playing. Or singing and dancing.

    There are many things that a hobby can give you, apart from an enjoyable time. Sashay was a shy boy but through his interest in model airplanes he learned the value of sticking to a task until it was finished. His model airplane club brought him to get into touch with similar souls.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Having a hobby helps you relax and get away from the routines of school.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You really need this well deserved one, too! It gives you focus, self dependence, confidence and builds your personality. This is an opportunity to lose yourself in an enjoyable activity, away from the pressure of school, so at the end of it, you feel relaxed and yet, mentally charged.

    Your hobby defines you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And it also shows you what you are good at, and how far you can go, when you apply yourself.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For a hobby is: Happiness: something which you look forward to doing. Opportunity: to nurture and develop your special and unique skills and celebrate them. Believe in yourself: makes you understand your strong advantages and improves your confidence. Best in you: brings out your best—for in each one of us there is a best that is only ours. YOU gives you a unique character, and makes you YOU!

A. So go ahead and develop a hobby.

B. It gives you a break.

C. It proves your ability.

D. Hobbies show your character.

E. It shows your special skills.

F. It could be collecting something.

G. He learned to make friends for the first time.

    Why is setting goals important? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.

    Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there surely without any wasted time of wrong turns. The other driver has no goal, or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people usually just let life happen by accident. Goals aren't difficult to set and they aren't difficult to reach. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

A. Winners in life set goals and follow them through.  

B. Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it.

C. It's up to you to find out what your goals really are.

D. It's difficult for a driver to reach his destination without a map.

E. By setting goals you are taking control of your life.

F. Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life.

G. Because everybody should have a goal in his mind.