Maybe you are an average student. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how.

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes; look at the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover them after you have tried these.

    A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat，and experts said it's time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.

    “We've put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep，”said Fred Turek，a physician at Northwestern University.

    Monday's study from Eastern Virgnia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index－a measure of weight based on height increased.

    “Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights，”it said.In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.

    “Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies.Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients，”the study said.

    “Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary，as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index，”it added.

    “We caution that this study does not set up a cause­and­effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness，but investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”

    The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.

    In an interview，Turek said some studies have shown the lack of sleep causes declines in an appetiteholding back protein hormone，and increases in another hormone that cause a longing for food.“In addition neuropathies(神经疗法)in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap(部分重叠)，”he said.

    “Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic(流行病)levels in the United States，”it added，“leading to a variety of health problems.”

    Fashion, a term that applies to clothing, hairstyle, footwear, furniture and so on, is like a wind and is changing rapidly. From school-going kids to working professionals, everyday wants to look their best. Fashion is promoted mostly by TV advertisements and celebrities. Many people defined their fashion statement as comfort. They wear whatever makes them feel comfortable. Of course you need to consider the occasion too. You can't wear a jogging suit and go for a wedding and similarly you won't wear a skirt to go jogging.

    Nowadays, fashion has become a common language for people all over the world, it helps to connect people internationally, because it travels from one city to another. Sometimes, fashion can be an inspiration for many to discover their hidden potential, and it persuades individuals to attend fashion schools and make something out of their career. In other words, fashion inspires some people to expand their knowledge and creativity to turn their hobby into a career. And therefore, fashion offers employment opportunities to those who dream about being a part of the fashion industry.

    Additionally, following your own fashion statement makes you a more independent thinker. If you think you have the ability to carry the attire(服装),then it fills you up with a great deal of confidence. It also helps you to make new friends easily. If you share the same interest as other people, then connecting with them won't be difficult. You will have a common thing to base your decisions on.

    However, there are also negative impacts of fashion. For example, today some students focus more and more on fashion than on their studies. They want to know everything about fashion, but little about their school or college activities. There are other problems, too. People experimenting with their hair or skin often forget about the allergies(过敏)they may have to face when using cosmetic(美容的)products. Being fashion-conscious can even make you anxious and depressed if you don't feel you are dressed up to the mark. Worse still, fashion can do harm to our environment through the procedure and ingredients used to produce fashionable products. Often, animal fur is used in jackets and fur coats. A large number of birds are killed, and experiments are done on animals to check if the products would be allergic to humans.

    On a concluding note, fashion will not be harmful to our society if we learn to create a balance between our studies and interests. There is no harm in being fashionable, but don't let it interfere with your way of life and career.

    Last week the electricity in my flat went out. I had just got home from work and was happily making my tea, when all a sudden I was surrounded by complete darkness. I tried to fix it but failed. I had to wait for an electrician to come in the morning{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I sat down to eat my half-cooked dinner. And then I wasn't really sure what to do. My typical evening is spent watching the TV and looking through social media{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So for me it was an early night. And I couldn't help but think, do we rely too much on electricity? That night, losing our electricity felt like losing a basic necessity. As basic as running water{#blank#}3{#/blank#}I use electricity all the time, even when it's not really necessary.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It contributes to global warming. It is harming our environment and we need to do what we can to stop it. Not only that, but if we continue to use the same large amount of energy we will soon run out.

    So, shouldn't we start preparing for it now? Cutting back on our use of electricity would make losing it easier, and also save energy resources so that they could last for longer{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And if everyone does the same, we can make a big difference.

A. Tonight this wasn't possible.

B. Obviously, we can't survive without it.

C. Our over-use of electricity is a big problem.

D. This left me a whole night without any electricity.

E. Electricity brings us convenience and trouble.

F. But really, we've grown to take electricity for granted.

G. I know for sure that I could cut down on my use of electricity.

    At the age of forty­five, my usually well­ordered life became full of changes. After twenty­two years of working in a bank, a plan to use less staff led to the unemployment of over one hundred people. Unluckily, I was one of them.

    My once secure future became uncertain. However, I was not a single parent, so the family did not depend only on my income and my husband can support the family. My motto has always been, "Change is good; change is progress", but when it affected my livelihood, I had to change it. "Accept change and make the most of it." From the beginning, I chose to look at this matter not as bad luck, but as a welcome chance. I refused to become sorry; instead, I actively planned to do something new and different.

    Having a positive attitude made all the difference in the way I pursued the future. First, I decided to return to college and graduate many years later than I should have. Doing this at my age took more than a little courage. Not being a graduate had never held me back in my career in the bank, but now it's a personal goal I longed to achieve. With a lot of determination, I went to evening classes and became an adult student. In the class, I became more and more confident. During this time, I realized that no matter what life throws in our way, nothing can hinder our personal growth.

    The second thing I did to improve my inner self was to reevaluate my past life. It used to be filled with endless, and sometimes meaningless events. But now, my heart and life are completely around people I care for.

    The loss of my job led to some positive changes in my life. Revisiting the past made room for the future. I realize that I have accepted the change, and am making the most of it.