If you think your vocabulary is weak, a little effort every day over six to nine months can go a long way in improving it. Here are some tips for increasing your vocabulary.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You may be comfortable reading a particular part of the newspaper but make an effort to read different articles on every page. The editorial (社论的) page is highly recommended not only for vocabulary but also for structuring and presenting thoughts.

    Make it a habit to read a new book every week. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You can consider becoming a member of the local library. Make a list of new words and look up their meanings in the dictionary.

    Watch English movies and television shows. It's an interesting way to enrich your vocabulary. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Use vocabulary cards. Vocabulary cards are used by students who are trying to learn many words in a short time. You can make your own cards by writing the word on one side and the meaning on the other side of a piece of paper. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Use the Internet. The Internet is an unlimited resource for reading material.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You will come across plenty of material to read. The Internet will also introduce you to new words. Be sure to look them up in a dictionary.

    Before you begin studying English, ask yourself one question: “ {#blank#}1{#/blank#} ” Is it because you want to, or because someone else wants you to? Like every decision in life, studying English must be something you want to do. Here are some tips to help you learn English well.

●Set goals.

    If you know why you want to study, setting goals is easy. For example, maybe you want to travel to an English-speaking country. Great! {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Perhaps you have already known many useful phrases, but you want to improve your listening skills and pronunciation. Whatever your goals are, you should write them down,

●{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    How long do you need to study to achieve your goals? This answer is different for every student. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you work 40 hours per week，don't plan on spending another {#blank#}5{#/blank#} hours a week studying English. Start off slow, but study regularly. Use material that is challenging, but not too difficult. Find out what works for you. After you have studied for a few weeks, adjust your study schedule accordingly.

●Make a commitment.

    Learning English requires a lot of motivation. Nobody is going to take your attendance when you aren't in class. If you are sure that you are ready to begin studying, make a commitment.

●Have fun learning English.

    If you aren't having fun learning English, you're not studying the right way! You can be a serious student who has fun at the same time. Make up your own reward program to give yourself encouragement to stay on a task.

A. Make an arrangement.

B. Why do I want to study English?

C. Your goal might be to learn “Survival English”.

D. The important thing is to be realistic and reliable.

E. What is the most effective way of learning English?

F. The things we do best in life are what we enjoy doing.

G. Make every moment of your English learning meaningful.

Time for a Brainstorm

    A brainstorm is a session （会议）where a small group of people come together to solve a problem. People voice spontaneous ideas, sometimes just shouting, and a note-taker writes them all down.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By getting different ideas out there, ideas are said to bounce off each other and even can help solve the problem at hand. Brainstorming is often a group exercise but individuals can also conduct personal brainstorms.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He defined it as using the brain to storm a creative problem and do so in commando (突击队）fashion，with each stormer attacking the same objective. According to him, it was easier to tone down a wild idea than think up a new one. He placed importance on the collection of as many ideas as possible and dismissed scientific thinking.

    Brainstorming has become one of the most popular ways to solve problems and hold discussion in schools and businesses. Many students brainstorm for a group assignment or even for a personal essay.  Sarah Grace, 24, is an Australian marketing analyst and uses brainstorming during all her creative duties.  She thinks brainstorming is the best way to work as a team. The sessions get everyone on the same page，everyone moving together and with a clear understanding about the foundations of an event or idea. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    However, a big problem with brainstorming is creating a mess that leads people further away from a solution. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you don't have a strong moderator or leader of the brainstorm, can go really off track，and people just start discussing something totally different.    
     Brainstorming can sometimes confuse the human brain.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you brainstorm too much and your page is filled up with all the messy links, you can paint yourself into a bit of corner and get trapped with ideas.  You need to move past brainstorming as soon as you have something workable.

A. The ideas can be smart，strange or crazy.

B. It is caused by a lack of direction from a leader.

C. Brainstorming really helps her organize her thoughts.

D. Brainstorming really is the best way to build team spirit.

E. It can open too many doors and not suggest a clear direction.

F. They can be words, phrases, paragraphs and anything that can help answer the question.

G. Brainstorms were popularized in the 1940s by American advertising boss Alex Osborn.

    Final exam time can often be stressful. While some stress can actually be a positive motivator(动力), being too nervous can be problematic, especially if it interferes with your test taking performance. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Deal with your anxiety(焦虑). Try to determine the source of your test anxiety. If it stems from(起源于) a lack of preparation on your part, your anxiety is considered a reasonable response(回复). However, if you believe that you are prepared for the test, but are still nervous, this may be unreasonable. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Prepare for those tests. This is the best way to reduce anxiety. Avoid cramming(临时死记硬背)for a test. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}When studying, try to create questions that could possibly be asked on the test. If it is impossible for you to cover all of the material for the test, choose one part that you know you will be able to cover and present well.

    Change your attitude. Improving your beliefs and attitudes about the test-taking experience can actually help you enjoy studying and may improve your performance. Don't overplay the importance of the grade. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Don't forget about yourself and what you need. This means thinking of yourself as a total person, not just as a test taker. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. You can't bring out your best if you are tired. Do something relaxing when you feel well prepared.

A. Ease your stress.

B. Don't forget the basics.

C. Remind yourself that it is very important.

D. Either way, it can be very helpful to know how to work with their effects.

E. It is not a reflection of your self-worth, nor does it predict your future success.

F. Here's some advice to help make the end-of-the-term experience less stressful.

G. It can produce high levels of anxiety and is not helpful in trying to learn a large amount of material.

Voluntourism — New Trend in Travel

Volunteering to help people in need combined with travelling to faraway places is a new trend in the travel industry. It is called voluntourism. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} On the other side, they volunteer to help others who are not as well off as they are.

    Recent statistics show that in the past few years voluntourism has been one of the fastest-growing areas of tourism. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They work in orphanages (孤儿院), help build schools, assist in hospitals and do farm work in developing countries. Some of them establish lasting bonds with people far away.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Students see it as a gap year after school; others simply want to take some time off from a job and do something else. Then there are these who are bored and merely seek adventures. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They think it is a cheap way of travelling and don't really want to get involved in hard work.

    Not everyone sees voluntourism in a positive way. Critics (评论家) say that if people really want to help those in need there are many opportunities in their own community to do this. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Travel experts also point out that in some cases voluntourists are made use of by organizations that set up the trips.

A. voluntourism has been expanded into many countries.

B. There are many reasons why people engage in voluntourism.

C. However, many voluntourists do not see volunteering as what it is.

D. Besides, volunteers are often not skilled enough in the tasks that they do.

E. More than 1.6 million people around the world are volunteers in other countries.

F. Standard development programs are often sponsored by international organizations.

G. People travel to other places, learn languages and other cultures and gain new experiences.

    There are several different types of fire departments. Some hire full-time paid firefighters and some are run entirely by volunteers. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, a firefighter must go through strict physical and academic training to ensure a strong knowledge of fire safety and the physical strength to handle the tasks required by member of a fire department.

    Joining a fire department requires that both physical and written tests are passed with scores showing a thorough knowledge of fire safety. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    The first step in joining a fire department as a paid firefighter is to submit an application as well as acquire the appropriate training. Usually firefighters must have a high school diploma, and some complete two-or-four-year programs in fire science at community colleges and universities. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, and if a candidate already has connections at a fire department, he may apply for a position straight out of high school.

    Once a candidate applies and is accepted for training at a fire department, he must then complete several weeks of training at the department's training center. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When this is done, the candidate is sent to a fire company for a period of probation (实习). He has to continue training in the new position while being directed by experienced firefighters. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. An application must be submitted to the volunteer fire department, then if the application is accepted, the candidate will take a training program and then be required to pass a physical and written test. Firefighters must also become certified (认证) as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The level of EMT certification is determined by the individual departments.