When it comes to benefits of volunteering, a lot of people think it's all about the warm feelings after helping someone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, volunteering...

1）Teaches you new skills

    From helping make websites to teaching kids languages, to arranging events for charity, volunteering can really be almost anything.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} And through overcoming these you learn and start to master completely new skills.

2）Can be relevant work experience

    Something that seems to stop many is that experience often seems to be a prerequisite (必备条件) for some jobs.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} There's many a journalist that gets his or her start through volunteering for a college or university paper, and that's not at all the only profession this applies to.

3）Can be therapeutic (治疗的)

    One of my close friends has completely transformed since she started working for disabled kids.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It allows you to see the world and other people from a whole different point of view, which in turn can make you grateful for what you already have and see your own personal value.

4）Helps you expand your network

    One of the great things for volunteering is that you meet a wide variety of people.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Sometimes it's very convenient to have a broad network.

A. Volunteering helps you grow as a person.

B. As it turns out, that's far from the only benefit.

C. Volunteering can actually help you get the experience you need.

D. Volunteering helps you look outside yourself and your problems.

E. It's a way to prove that you've not just been sitting and doing nothing.

F. That means when you get involved in voluntary work, you will face many challenges.

G. You're getting to know people involved in many different walks in life that you wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

    Traveling is a very enjoyable experience as it provides an opportunity to see new things.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following article discusses the advantages of traveling.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} People all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, and traveling alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are to you.

    As the saying goes, you never know what you have until you lose it.Another great benefit is the relaxation you get.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}When you come back you feel energetic and you are happy to be back to your daily routine.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They will create a bond that nothing can erase no matter what happens to the friendship. You can create photo albums and when you feel nostalgic (怀旧的) you can experience the trips again by looking at your pictures.

    It's never been this cheap to travel. With increasing oil prices, the cheap travel era might be coming to an end.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}With the Internet and all the new technology, you can plan your trip exactly the way you want it. You can choose your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do.

A. It's nice to enjoy a stress-free time.

B.Traveling gives you the opportunity to disconnect from your regular life.

C. When traveling with friends or family it creates memories of a lifetime.

D. Going on a trip means that you are most likely going to spend time outside.

E. Discovering different values and ways to get by in life is really interesting.

F. However, there are still many budget airlines fighting for your dollar right now.

G. There are many benefits other than enjoying yourself that can be realized when you travel.

    People have always wanted to know what the future will look like. Then, how can we know what the future will look like?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The world has changed a lot in the past 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago, such as food, sleep, the feeling of being appreciated and loved.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}No. In addition, generally speaking, the inventions for the last 150 years have been a human effort for freedom and communication, to be able to get in control of the time and world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years.

    But why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons: first we need to start to think about what kind of future we'd like for ourselves and to pass on the next generation{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    How about the virtual worlds? It might be possible in the future to experience the sand between your toes, and hear the waves, just lying in your bed at home.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}So, even if a great invention is there for an affordable price, it'll never take the place of the common experience if it's not real.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}What we'll see in the next 50 years is the transition from an oil-dependent society to a new society. Here there'll be new medicine, continued exploration of space, challenges in the climate change, and new inventions that make life a little easier.

A. So what will the future look like then?

B. Will this change in the next 150 years?

C. Predicting the future can help us in many ways.

D. However, you'll never get the feeling of being there.

E. Well, to understand the future, you must know the past.

F. However, no matter how real the experience will feel, it doesn't happen for real.

G. Then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future.

How to Be Grateful

    Has your mother or best friend told you that you're an ungrateful person? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Do you keep thinking about the things you don't have, instead of being thankful for what you do have? If so, then you need to work on being a more grateful person.

    ⒈{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This isn't a religious(宗教的) thing. You don't have to hold off on noting everything you're thankful for until Thanksgiving. Every Sunday, get a notebook and sit outside for fifteen minutes while making a list of all of the things you're thankful for.

    ⒉Be grateful for your friendships. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You may come to think that your friends are kind and they're just there, like the couch in your living room. If you take your friends for granted for too long, then they will slowly make their way out of your life.

    ⒊Be grateful to your family. Your family is another thing you should be grateful to.  Your parents might have even been the people who tell you that you should be more grateful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't let a day go by without telling your family how much you love them.

    ⒋{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Throughout history, imagine how many people have contributed to where you are now. Realizing that you couldn't be what you are now if it weren't for all of these people is an important step in being a grateful person.

A. Make a gratitude list every Sunday.

B. Friendships are very important in our life.

C. Be grateful for all of the good deeds done for your benefit.

D. Many people are guilty of taking their friends for granted.

E. Keep everything that you are grateful for in mind every day.

F. So, take the time to tell your family how much they mean to you.

G. Do you feel unable to appreciate the beauty, nature, and love that are all around you?

They Just Can't Help It

    My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy — the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that feature computers and sport.

    You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case. A new study carried out at Cambridge University shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has also been observed that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people's feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People whose jobs are in the construction industries are almost male. Math and engineering, which require high levels of systems-thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines. Why do men and women have the difference? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have a better ability to multitask than men. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.

    Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.

A. Generally speaking, there are clear differences.

B. Their preference for building systems may change over time.

C. You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.

D. They will consider many sources of information at the same time.

E. It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.

F. That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.

G. Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.

Go fly a kite

    Learning how to fly a kite is simple and flying kites can be a fun form of exercise.

    Of course, the first thing you need is a kite and a ball of string (线). {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Then wait for a windy day.

    When the perfect day arrives, find an open space, such as field. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Before flying your kite, find out which way the wind is blowing. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To begin flying your kite, stand with your back to the wind and hold the kite up so the wind can catch it. If the day is not very windy, you may need to get your kite started by running.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} At the same time, walk backwards a few steps to keep the string tight. Now that your kite is up in the air, you can decide how long to fly it and how high you want it to go.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Slowly wind up (卷起) the string. Try not to pull your kite in too fast or it may crash (坠落).

    Flying kite is a great way to spend a windy afternoon. If you follow these steps carefully, you will have something more fun to do than sitting inside and watching TV. So on the next windy day, get up off the sofa. Go fly a kite!

A. You can do this by throwing grass into the air.

B. Finally, you will need to bring your kite down.

C. You can buy your kite and string at a toy shop.

D. Follow the instructions to put your kite together.

E. Nothing beats seeing a kite sail high into the clouds.

F. Don't fly your kite near trees because it can get caught.

G. Once the wind catches your kite, let out more string so it can climb higher.