The Advantages of Hobbies

    Hobbies provide entertainment and a chance lo continuously learn something new and develop a skill set. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Hobbies are praised as a key to stress reduction.Becoming lost in the mental concentration or physical action which you are deeply interested in helps you shift focus from the parts of life that are stressful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And in turn you are more peaceful when working on other work.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many people set goals with their hobbies that provide them satisfaction when these goals have been achieved.These goals can be simple,like improving a golf score,writing a certain number of pages for a novel each day or seeing an entire collection of classic films.

    Hobbies provide a sense of community when you meet other people who enjoy similar activities. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} More populated cities typically have numerous clubs or groups for people to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about a particular hobby.Becoming a member of one of these organizations allows greater growth within your hobby,as well as a chance to make new friends.

    Having a hobby can develop a talent that makes a person feel proud and satisfied.For example,a tennis hobby developed at a young age can lead lo a career as a professional athlete one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}For example, writer Vladimir Nabokov also collected butterflies,which allowed him to do better in his chosen fields because he used learned skills from one to improve the other.

A.There are a variety of hobbies.

B.Hobbies provide a sense of achievement.

C.Some hobbies affect other aspects of your life.

D.Focusing on something enjoyable can calm the mind.

E.They also provide many other social and health benefits.

F.Having a hobby increases the chances to interact with like-minded people.

G.Some hobbies containing physical activities offer an enjoyable way to stay healthy.

    When it comes to the Internet, passwords which people often use are under fire.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Research has shown that passwords are not a very good way to protect sensitive information.

    People would use some random characters, numbers and symbols. Furthermore, a unique password would be used for every site or application the user uses. Unfortunately, the more complex they become, the more people are likely to forget their passwords. The longer the passwords are, the more easily forgotten they are.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Google is trying to kill off the password on Android devices by introducing the Trust API, which does what simple passwords cannot. It gives developers a framework for securing their applications using a number of security systems and metrics (指标) on the device. A Trust Score will be generated based on the metrics the device gathers.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The Trust Score will be generated based on both metrics like your device location, face scanning, fingerprint and so on. Taken one at a time, these metrics are not secure. But taken together, these metrics will help define the real “you”.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This summer, Google will be running tests with some banks to see if Trust API meets their needs before rolling out to all developers later this year. It may take another year for apps and popular sites to start using the Trust API.

This is a pretty exciting change. Passwords have been around for long and although the security of systems has been improved, the convenience of systems hasn't been improved much.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Maybe that never-ending conflict between security and convenience will be able to take a break once the Trust system comes out.

A. Google appears to have the best of them.

B. Actually it's been under fire for a long time.

C. People tend to care more about its advantages.

D. Google has already been testing this on the real world.

E. Google has proved that the system is more convenient.

F. Therefore, they use the same password for each application.

G. It'll allow or refuse your application based on your trust score.

                                                                                                                   Social Media

    Social media can be defined (解释) as web-based and mobile media that are used for people to interact, connect and communicate with each other. It often involves the creation and sharing of content (writing, pictures, and video) that people make themselves, mostly through the Internet.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The first type involves people getting together to work on a project, for example, Wikipedia. Blogs and micro-blogs (such as Twitter) are another type of social media. There are other websites like YouTube that allow people to share content such as pictures, articles or videos.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} These sites allow people to stay in touch with friends, make new ones and join communities. Facebook is an example of this type. Many people like to play games on the Internet and, yes, there are social media games as well. These games allow gamers to interact with each other and play with or against other gamers.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The final type of social media is websites like Second Life, where people can create avatars (化身) and use and create objects, as if they were in the real world.

    Social media are different from traditional media. With social media, many individual people in different places create content.

    Another difference is that people who produce content in social media don't need very special skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes only a few minutes to write a twitter post, for example.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But whatever you might think, social media is here to stay.

A. World of Warcraft is a good example.

B. And social media content can be produced much faster.

C. In general, there are six different types of social media.

D. Another type of social media are social networking sites.

E. Some people think social media is good and some think it is bad.

F. In traditional media，people need special skills to produce something.

G. Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today's world

    Did you take part in a camp this summer? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}To choose which camp is best for you, first you must do a bit of research.

    Maybe you've never thought about it before, but every great summer camp has the same main goals — opportunity, challenge and growth.

    Opportunity means you are given a chance to do something special. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, if you are interested in writing, then you can choose to join a journalism camp. You may even have the opportunity to meet famous journalists there.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You must finish the task and succeed in overcoming the challenge. Then you will have a sense of accomplishment. For example, you could take a lifeguard course at some summer camps. If you pass the exam, then you will receive a certificate (证书）to become a real lifeguard.

    This also leads to the third and most important goal of every great summer camp personal growth. It doesn't mean growing taller and stronger or more beautiful. It means seeing yourself improve, learning something new and doing something you didn't know you could do before. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    So in the future, when choosing your next summer camp, remember to ask yourself: Is it a special opportunity? Is it a challenge? Will I grow?

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} These will all happen naturally when you have the right goals at summer camp.

A. Challenge means you are given a task.

B. It also means becoming more confident in yourself.

C. Some camps focus on developing a certain skill or ability.

D. But what about friendship, fun and joy?

E. There are so many summer camps and not all of them are the same.

F. Of course, summer camps aren't all about adventure or study.

G. It also makes you special because other kids don't have the same opportunity.

    Why should you read every day?

    When was the last time you read a book? If you're one of countless people who don't make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out. Reading has many benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below.

    Mental Stimulation

    Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of Alzheimer's and Dementia. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy.

    Wider Knowledge

    Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Stress Reduction

    No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other problems, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And an interesting article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, allowing you to relax.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story— the rest of the world just falls away. Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes before work, and you'll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.

    Tranquility(安宁)

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about a sense of calm, while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders or mental illnesses.

A. Stronger thinking skills.

B. Improved focus and concentration.

C. A well-written novel can transport you to other worlds.

D. Reading a good book can also bring about great inner peace.

E. That's because keeping your brain active prevents it from losing power.

F. Reading books is also important for learning new languages and cultures.

G. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to deal with your future challenges.

    About a year ago, I had a terribly hurtful experience where a close friend spread untruths(谎言) about me. Because I value my friendships so highly, when a friend hurts my feelings, it cuts me deeply. Perhaps it's unfair for me to hold my friends to the same standard I set for myself as a friend.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Be honest with yourself.

    Often times, hurtful behaviour starts off with a small thing that you forgive quickly. You love your friend and believe she'd never hurt you on purpose. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And slowly you realize your friend may not be the person you thought she was when you first met her. Being honest with your own feelings will help you be honest and open with her.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    As the situation unfolded(发展), I learned more about what she'd said and done. Thankfully, my cooler head won, and I realized her actions actually had nothing to do with me. I chose to let the anger go and move on with my life.

    Walk away and don't look back.

    Making the decision to leave a friendship can sometimes feel as hard as deciding to leave your marriage. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But when that hole is open, you will soon realize that your close, real friends will close it quickly. I chose to walk away from a harmful friendship. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Certainly I don't miss the hurt and pain she brought to my heart. It's her loss, really, because I am a good friend.

A. Let the anger go.

B. And I don't regret it for a minute.

C. Expect the same from your friends.

D. But over time, you see a pattern of behaviour.

E. A friend who has been in your life will leave a big hole.

F. Once a friend hurts my feelings or breaks my trust, my heart will be broken.

G. But what do you do when friends go against you to the point where you're so hurt?