Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of joy because you heard a favorite song playing? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It can help get you out of a bad mood (心情) or stay in a good one, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor at the University of Kansas. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To cheer up, listen to Latin music or anything with a strong beat or a fast speed {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you want to relax after a busy day, music with a slower speed can calm you down.

    Listen to calming music before you start any stressful activities, advises Dr. Clair. "Once you' re in a good state of mind, it' s easier to keep it." You can lower stress at work with music, too, by playing relaxing tunes (曲调).{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"If you listen to them all day long, you' 11 stop noticing them," Dr. Clair explains. Then the music won't have any effect.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"To feel energetic, start with something relaxing, and then gradually increase the speed and beat," says Dr. Clair. For example, first play some nice slow love songs, and then listen to something more energetic. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, just do the opposite.

A. Music can also help you relax and feel active.

B. Try to take advantage of this power of music.

C. But only play them when you really need them.

D. Loud and fast music can fill you with energy.

E. There are different kinds of music around the world.

F. Put on your favorite song, but only if it is one that can lift your spirits.

G. You can change your mood by changing from one kind of music to another.

How to improve your perseverance（毅力）

    If you're familiar with the story of the hare and the tortoise, you know that the tortoise proved that perseverance is much more important than speed. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, but fewer people have the patience and perseverance of the tortoise. Here are some tips that can help you to improve your perseverance.

    Set goals（确定目标）and write them down.

    If you don't know what you want to accomplish（完成）, it's hard to persevere until you do. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, instead of making many projects（项目）that may upset you

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, and cross each step off the list as you complete it.

    If you want to master the ability to cook German dishes, you'll need to read cookbooks, study the recipes（食谱）, buy ingredients（食料）and practice making the dishes. Write down all these steps and remove each step as you go.

    Make a list of the rewards（回报）related to any project to encourage yourself to persevere.

    When you want to lose 40 pounds, it may seem like a difficult goal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You can lower your blood sugar or fit into your favorite pair of jeans. Keep those rewards in mind to encourage yourself to stick to your diet and exercise program.

    Imagine your success.

    Take time each day to sit back, relax and picture the life you'll lead once you've reached your goal.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Read them over several times a day to encourage yourself to keep going.

A. Like the hare, many people start off strong

B. And you should focus on every step carefully

C. You can't lose weight only by going on a diet

D. Make a list of the steps needed to reach your goal

E. But there are big rewards for doing so

F. Choose one or two goals that are most important to you and work toward those

G. Or you can write out a paragraph or two about how reaching your goal will change your life

    The running of the bulls is a nine-day traditional Spanish festival in honor of Saint Fermin in Pamplona. Every year, at midday on July 6th, the Mayor of Pamplona shoots a rocket. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The participants are usually dressed in white and wear red neckchiefs and belts. They open champagne mostly used for sprinkling（撒）other people.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It starts every day at eight in the morning and the runners run, sometimes wildly, sometimes less. As a sign that the run has begun they shoot the first rocket. Then they shoot the second one when the bulls are out in the streets. Six bulls which are trying to attack the participants from behind run down the 900-meter-long street to the bullring(斗牛场) with a lot of spectators. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} All of the six bulls are going to be killed at the bullfight in the stadium. The bullfight in the stadium begins at half past six in the afternoon. First, there comes the first bull. There is also a person called "picador". {#blank#}4{#/blank#} That makes the bull very wild and it starts to run all over the stadium. Later when the bull is tired, there comes another person—-a "matador" who kills it with an arrow. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At the end of the celebration, another rocket is shot as a sign that the bullfight is finished.

A. It makes the bull very nervous.

B. It is one of the greatest events in the city.

C. This is a sign that the celebration has started.

D. The same thing happens with the other five bulls.

E. The main event is the running of the bulls.

F. The participants can get hurt or even killed.

G. He waves a red cloth in front of the bull.

Five steps to make a difference to the oceans

    The oceans are being seriously polluted now. Plastics are harming the marine (海产的) life. Carbon pollution is warming the oceans and increasing their acidity(酸度). Waters are being overfished. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some steps we can take to help make a difference.

    ⒈Bring our own bags. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Try carrying a reusable bag at all times, including while traveling, and bringing our own things to work to avoid relying on plastic items.

    ⒉Talk about it now. We should carry that conversation into public places. Talk to our friends and family about why the ocean is important and why we take steps to help it, and challenge them to do the same.

    ⒊{#blank#}3{#/blank#} A good way to make a difference is to organize a garbage cleanup now. Whether it's an inland cleanup or one near the coast, plan one in our community.

    ⒋Throw away our cars. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When we hang out, we should reduce our carbon footprint, which may help slow global warming and ocean acidification as well as conserve energy

    ⒌Recycle, obviously. Experts say recycling is an obvious action to take. Check on what can be recycled in our community, and make sure you're separating out your plastic.

    In summary, think about it more and act on it more. The more someone thinks about plastics and plastics pollution, the environment and the consequences of our actions, the more likely they are to act on it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Plan a cleanup.

B. Choose public transportation over driving our cars.

C. Driving cars is not a good way to protect the oceans.

D. However, experts say there's still hope to make a difference.

E. However, marine life plays a very important role in the oceans.

F. If everyone can contribute to the oceans, the oceans will be well preserved.

G. Whenever we put something, we should bring our own bag, but not a plastic one.

How to Plan a Holiday Trip

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whether it's to grandma's house, a family reunion or simply a holiday getaway, these yearly road trips can often be the source of dread and stress. The thought of being trapped in the car with restless children or the possibility of car trouble along the way is enough to make anyone consider staying home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Plan out the route for your car trip. If you're planning on driving to your holiday destination, a little planning can help make your trip easy and uneventful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remember, it's likely that you won't be the only person on the road during the holidays, and traffic is always a factor. Alternate routes or shortcuts can help reduce time spent in traffic jams and get you to your destination sooner. This information can also come in handy in case of road construction or other situations that might block your primary route.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Although traveling by air can be quick and convenient, it can also be much more expensive. Start planning your trip early to take advantage of advance purchase discounts and avoid sold out flights. Many airlines become extremely busy during the holidays so booking in advance can also help ensure that you get the flights that you want. High traffic destinations such as New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta can be extremely crowded during the holidays. If you have the option, consider booking your flight to a nearby airport and renting a car for the short drive to your destination.

    Consider your luggage needs. If you're traveling by car, the issue of luggage is only important with regards to the amount of room needed. Before you begin packing, think about how many people will be in your vehicle and how much room they will need to travel comfortably. This could affect the number of bags that you can take along. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Not only is the possibility of lost luggage an issue, but most airlines now charge extra for checked baggage.

    For a family of four, carrying a few bags each could result in several hundred dollars worth of baggage fees during your trip. Try to pack as lightly as possible.

A. As an alternative to driving or flying, check into the possibility of traveling by train.

B. Plan your trip to avoid peak travel times.

C. Luckily, with a little planning, these situations can be avoided.

D. Book airline tickets.

E. Each year, millions of people load up the family car and set out on a holiday trip,

F. For traveling by air, the number of bags that you take is a much bigger concern.

G. Consider your starting point and desired destination, and investigate several possible routes.

Maybe in the near future, driverless cars may become common on the roads. Driverless cars have already been test-driven thousands of miles. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For instance, it helps reduce the number of accidents and traffic jams.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}That is because there are many issues that must be solved before the widespread use of them. One problem is that a driverless car cannot predict problems far down the road like a driver can. The driverless cars react to an emergency only when it actually occurs. For instance, a driver starts to slow down when he sees a child riding her skateboard directly into the road 0.2 km away. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Driverless cars are not suitable for extreme weather conditions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They don't predict or "feel" that the roads have become icy like an experienced driver would. For instance, when a road is icy, a human driver would step on the brakes more gently than when the roads are clean and dry.

Another issue is that driverless cars have maps programmed into their memory, but these maps aren't always updated and accurate. New roads are built, and old roads are closed down. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Perhaps one day, driverless cars will be everywhere, but we are not ready for that just yet.

A. The safety problems have almost been addressed.

B. However, they are not yet available for the public.

C. Many advantages can be associated to the driverless cars.

D. Driverless vehicles also have trouble adjusting to new roads.

E. They may become confused by fog, heavy rain, or heavy snow.

F. Due to this, a driverless car may get passenger to the wrong destination.

G. But the driverless car only takes action when the child is in its immediate path.