In the age of the keyboard,some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out.

    Steve Graham, a literacy professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has been hearing about the death of handwriting for the past fifteen years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He said, "If the results of a survey we have published this year are accurate,it is being taught by about ninety percent of teachers in grades one to three."

    Ninety percent of teachers also say their are required to teach handwriting. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Professor Graham says one study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}others teach it for sixty to seventy minutes a day.

    Many adults remember learning that way—by copying letters over and over again. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead ,they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Teachers commonly report that about one-fourth of their students have poor handwriting.Some people might think handwriting is not important anymore because of computers and voice recognition（辨认）programs.

A.After all,that is why we write.

B.Nowadays teachers pay more and more attention to their students' writing.

C.So is it still being taught?

D.But who cares if people know how to write well?

E.But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it.

F.Today's thinking is that short periods of practice are better.

G.He says some teachers teach handwriting for ten or fifteen minutes a day.

    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

    No personal success, achievement, or goal, can be realized without self-discipline.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. To possess it is to make the decisions, take the actions, and carry out your plan regardless of the obstacles, discomfort, or difficulties, that may come your way.

    How to develop self-discipline? We'll explore it together.

    Start with baby steps. No process takes place overnight.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there.

     Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges, so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those situations. Remove the temptations and surround yourself with encouraging items such as motivating slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve.

    Make certain behaviors a routine. Once you have decided what's important to you and which goals to strive for, establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}They can put you in a negative frame of mind and hinder（阻碍）your self-discipline. A poor attitude can also be a bad habit.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Michael Jordan has always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much from his willingness to work hard at this craft, as it did his craft, as it did his talent. It was his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best basketball players ever. If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the rest of us.

A. What is self-discipline?

B. Engage in sports activities.

C. Get inspiration from those you admire.

D. You can begin by learning about yourself?

E. If you try to do too much at once, you could injure yourself and have a seatback.

F. Meanwhile, get rid of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be.

G. It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals until they are accomplished.

    Different weather makes people feel different. It influences (影响) health, intelligence (智力) and feelings.
    In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.

    The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ (智商) of a group students were very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Very hot weather, on the other hand (另一方面), can make it lower. Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).

    Weather also has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel unhappy during cold weather. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They even don't like to outdoor activities.

    Low air pressure (气压) may make people forgetful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a "good weather" for work and health. People feel best at a temperature of about 18 centigrade (摄氏度).

    Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．It may be the weather's problem.

B．Warm weather can have a bad effect on health.

C．The wind can help people have higher intelligence.

D．But fat people may have a hard time in hot weather.

E．People may have higher intelligence when low air pressure comes.

F．People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days.

G．People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.

    Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.

    ※ Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.

    ※Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    ※When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don't allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.

    ※{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.

    ※{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously (下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.

    ※Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.

    ※Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

How the Elderly Are Treated Around the World

    How cultures view and treat their elderly is closely linked to their most prized values and qualities. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the US and UK, Protestantism (新教) is at play. Western cultures tend to be youth-centric, stressing qualities like independence. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It ties a person's value to his or her ability to work – something that becomes weaker in old age. As their health becomes worse, the elderly in these cultures often move to old people's homes and nursing homes.

    In France, parents are protected by law. It is difficult to imagine an Elderly Rights Law being a focus in the laws of many Western cultures. France did, however, pass a similar law in 2004. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} One was a group of official statistics showing France had the highest rate of pensioner suicides in Europe, and the other was the aftermath of a heat wave that killed 15,000 people, most of whom were elderly and had been dead for weeks before they were found.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Native American cultures traditionally accept death as a fact of life. In many Native American areas, elders are respected for their wisdom and life experiences. Within Native American families, it's common for the elders to be expected to pass down their learning to younger members of the family.

    The way to care for Chinese elders is changing. Chinese families traditionally view respect for one's elders as the highest virtue, according to the Confucian tradition. Adult children are generally expected to care for their parents in their old age. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Nursing homes are beginning to become a more socially acceptable option for elderly care.

A. However, this tradition is beginning to break down due to rising lifetime and an aging population.

B. In the African-American area, death is seen as an opportunity to celebrate life.

C. Here's what we can learn from other cultures about treating the elderly.

D. But China faces the unique problem of tending to an increasingly elderly population.

E. Native American elders pass down their knowledge.

F. It was only passed following two disturbing events, though.

G. This relates back to the Protestant work rules.