How to improve your vocabulary

    Vocabulary is a key part of learning a new language. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Maybe you can't learn a hundred new words a day, but you can learn one or two a day, totaling thousands of new words over the years. Here are some tips for building up your vocabulary.

    Make a plan to learn new words. If you want to improve your vocabulary more quickly, you have to make at least a small promise. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Make you vocabulary practical（实用的）. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, learn more of your trade language—- the words that are commonly used in your business or hobby or vocation(职业). Find better, fresher, clearer words to express what your friends are talking about.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} As you read, if you come across a new word that you don't understand. Don't miss it. Take the time to look it up in a dictionary. Write it down and use it later.

    When you learn a word, use it immediately and frequently. Put your new word into conversation with as many different people as you can. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Use it in sentences. Write it on a card and practice it while waiting for red lights.

A. Repeat it to yourself.

B. They're highly reusable

C. Start learning where you are.

D. Decide to learn one new word every day or two.

E. When you're writing something, use a dictionary frequently

F. Start by learning the words that can express what's most important to you.

G. The more you read, the more words you'll see, and the more you'll understand.

    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.

    You don't need to travel far away to write a travel diary.Your writing can start with a family vacation or a weekend get away.All you need is a destination or a place of departure（出发）!

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Your trip journal can begin before your trip has started.Use your journal to start planning the things you want to do.It can be a cool restaurant where you want to eat,a hike you want to go on or different sights you want to see.

    Write about what you imagine it will be.Sometimes when you travel,your destination is wildly different from what you expected.Maybe you expected the local food to be bad and it turned out to be delicious.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Maybe you thought you would not be comfortable with the climate while you adapted to it.Whatever,tr)r to write it down before you arrive.It will be interesting to compare these predictions to what you have actually experienced.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.It is always easier to remember things when they are fresh in your brain,but it may be diluted（淡化）with time going by.So try to write as much as you can during traveling every day if you can.Your journals don't have to be long,but letting them express your feelings is the most important or exciting.

    Add pictures to your journal.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Combining pictures with your first-hand accounts of what they represent,or what happened when they were taken,will make for（有助于）a better travel journal.

    Write about your trip after you leave.It is important to reflect on your travels,so you can have a new understanding.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Ask a parent for help.

B.Use your journal to plan your trip.

C.Get prepared for your travel journal.

D.Write as much as you can during your trip.

E.Maybe you imagined the town to be smaller than it actually is.

F.This is also a great way to learn about yourself and other people you have travelled with.

G Even though your journal is meant for writing,pictures are still worth a thousand words.

    In our hyper-technological age, the way we interact with others face-to-face tells others how well we work with others, as well as our ability to maintain good interpersonal relations.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are five job interview mistakes that millennials (千禧一代)often make, so you can be sure not to make them too.

    Overusing the word “Like”

    Even though we all have problems with inserting the word into our everyday speech, giving our every other word with“like”has implications millennials may not even be aware of.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Forgetting to put your phone on silent

    If your phone constantly pings and makes other noises during your interview, the person you're talking to will not be impressed. You are a generation that always has a phone in hand.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Dressing inappropriately

    Although work attire now tends more toward casual than a three-piece business suit, it's still incredibly unprofessional to show up in clothing that's clearly not suitable for the office.

    Talking too proudly

    In a generation that values the individual above anything else, it can feel almost like second nature to talk too much about oneself.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    A preliminary Google search regarding the company you want to work for takes no more than 5 minutes, but the knowledge goes a long way. Even though we live in an age of extreme connectivity and Internet knowledge overload, don't forget to brush up on your facts before meeting up with your interviewer.

A. Not doing the research.

B. Forgetting the knowledge.

C. This makes the job interview especially critical.

D. Talking too much is a disadvantage, sometimes.

E. It can make us appear like we're guessing ourselves, not confident.

F. Remember to find the balance between saying too little and saying too much.

G. Not taking seconds to make sure it won't disturb others is a sure sign of carelessness.

    Make sure your estate(财产) plan keeps up with life changes

    Few things are as important as estate planning. If you don't handle your business while you're alive, the ramifications(影响) can run deep and wide long after you're gone.

    Estate planning may seem discouraging because it deals with issues of aging. Or maybe you think estate planning is only something folks like Bill Gates do. It's for everybody. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here's how.

    What's an estate plan? Think of estate planning as a set of legal documents that spell out who gets your possession when you die, who you want to make medical decisions, who should make financial decisions on your behalf, and more. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    This is not a one-shot deal. It's great that you finally got your will done, have your medical directives in place, and gave someone power of attorney. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Life is changing. Your documents should keep pace with change.

    “Remember to update beneficiaries on life insurance policies after the first spouse(配偶) dies,” says Martin Levine, chief financial officer for 4Thought Financial Group in Syosset.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Get help. This is one time when DIY probably isn't a good idea. Talk to a financial adviser, preferably one with expertise in estate planning.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't assume that establishing joint tenancy (sharing ownership in personal property, such as a home) or joint ownership over financial accounts is enough to protect your assets.

A. Make no assumptions.

B. But, you're hardly finished.

C. Decide to do it, and to avoid unexpected consequences.

D. It is difficult to choose a right heir before your death unless they are your closest ones.

E. Ideally, it will make things easier for your heirs(后继人) at a time when they most need it.

F. Finding a reliable agency to deal with your possessions is a wise choice when planning estate.

G. The birth of a child and divorce are other life events that will require updating estate planning documents.

How to stay focused in class

    Being relaxed during class is a bad habit, and it is also bad to your grade. Focusing in class not only proves to teachers that you are a capable student but also shows that you have the ability to control yourself, which will be very important.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} No matter how much you want to sit with your friends during the class, try your best to avoid them. Talking with friends around you is not going to give you the focus in class. This will get you into trouble.

    Look at teacher and make eye contact. Your teacher is not just standing up there talking.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Show the teacher that he or she has your full attention by looking them in the eye. This person should have your full attention at all times during class.

Take notes. By taking notes, you'll be able to "get into" the lesson. Write down key points as your teacher speaks. And listen to the key phrases such as "This is important" "This is the main idea" "This will be the test" etc.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Get involved in class discussions. This is a wonderful way to become a more focused, successful student. When a teacher asks a question, offer to answer it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This shows the teacher that you are listening carefully during the class.

    Ask a question.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This really shows your teacher that you want to be better, and can recognize the things you are having difficulty with. Chances are that someone else in the class has the same question （and was too afraid to ask!）. They'll be relieved, and so will you.

A. Avoid sitting with friends.

B. This can help you listen more attentively.

C. If he or she ask for an opinion, share your own.

D. Talking with friends makes you lose interest in class.

E. He or she is trying to give you an acceptable education.

F. The more quickly you answer, the more attention you pay.

G. If you don't understand something, never be afraid to ask.