Five Steps to Better Handwriting

    Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

    Get a great grasp

    Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index (食指) and middle fingers.

    Let the lines be your guide

    Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion (均衡). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

    Slow down

    If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

    Lower the pressure (压力)

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games

B. Ask for more advice

C. So "a" should be half the height of a capital "A". 

D. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write. 

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting. 

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the bas e of your thumb.

    "Fire! Fire!" What terrible words to hear when I 1 in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, 2 house —the kind that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, 3 the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of 4.

    I began to run, but as I was still only half awake, 5going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to 6. The floor became 7 under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the 8 for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something 9 and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of 10, and I picked it up to 11 my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor 12 under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.

    13, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and 14. My feet were terribly burned, 15 I got through. As I reached the cold air outside my package of clothes gave a 16. I nearly dropped it in surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed as she saw me and came running 17.

    "My baby! My baby!" she cried. Those people 18 loudly as she took the smoke-blackened package out of my arms. I almost 19 to see who she was—my boss's wife. I had saved her baby, and become a(n) 20!

    The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying "Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming, "which means clean and bright. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Tomb sweeping aims to commemorate family ancestors while going on a spring outing allows everyone the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy the season.

    Traditional customs

    Tomb sweeping. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On this day, the whole family gathers in front of their ancestral tombs. They offer fruit and wine to their ancestors and clean the weeds from around the tomb. Finally, they kowtow and pray, hoping for their ancestors' blessing for the rest of the year.

    Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons for a spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Traditional food

    Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is a mixture of sticky rice powder and green vegetable juice, stuffed with sweetened bean paste, Qingtuan tastes sweet with the fresh fragrance of Aicao, a green spring vegetable, In celebration of Qingming, people from Shaanxi make steamed buns, known as Huamo, made into different shapes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some are for peaceful family life while others represent the wish for health.

    When things go wrong, many people turn to their friends for comfort and support. Are you the kind of person your friends trust to be there for them when they're feeling down? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You might feel awkward or nervous about comforting a sad friend at first, but with a little practice, you won't have to worry about saying the wrong thing or making the situation worse. When one of your friends is upset, help him/her by being there for him/her, finding the right things to say, and avoiding common mistakes.

    ①{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Comfort your friend according to how upset he/she seems to be. If he/she seems to be very troubled, it may take more effort on your part to help him/her. If something is bothering him/her, but he/she isn't too upset, be there for him/her without overreacting.

    ②Find out what's wrong. Before you say anything try to figure out what the problem is. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you try to talk to your friend without knowing the situation first, you could end up with putting your foot in your mouth.

    ③Give your friend a hug. A kind touch will do wonders for your friend, even if you don't know what he/she is upset about. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.You can also pat him/her gently on the shoulder.

    ④Let your friend vent (发泄). If your friend needs to get his/her sadness or anger out, let him/her do. Pay attention and don't interrupt. Encourage him/her to express himself/herself fully.

    ⑤Just listen. Your friend needs someone to listen compassionately to him/her right now, so focus on doing that. Be patient and non-judgmental. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Don't act bored or try to change the subject.

    People often say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's actually quite true.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}After all, making a good first impression is all about making others feel good when spending time with them. The following tips will help you make a positive impression every time.

    Dress appropriately

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That means dressing up or putting on nice, clean, situation-appropriate clothes for social situations. It isn't difficult and it doesn't have to cost you much, either.

    Be aware of your body language

    Words express very little of what you say. Body language can tell someone a lot about your mood and confidence level.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eye contact is an easy way to make others feel comfortable, important and special. Nervous body language can make others uncomfortable and anxious. Try to be aware of your body language when communicating with others.

    Respect the opinions of others

    Not everyone will have the same opinion with you, and friendly disagreements can be a gateway to a great conversation. Respect other people's right to have their own opinion. Respect the opinions of others even if you disagree with them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    People love talking about themselves, but generally, you want to be careful of taking over the conversation. By listening carefully to what others are saying, you are not only making them feel important, but you can gather cues you need to keep the conversation going and bridge to new topics.

A. Be a careful listener.

B. Show an interest in every person you meet.

C. Smile especially when first meeting someone.

D. Make sure you look nice whenever you meet someone new.

E. Meeting new people and starting conversations is often challenging.

F. Others will want to be with you and help you make a good impression.

G. Don't force others to believe what you believe or to see things only as you see them.

Everyone can help to save the world

    We are all environmentalists now. We all know about acid rain and the ozone hole. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As consumers we have the power to make decisions which will contribute to a better world and it is in our power to do what we can to protect the earth.  

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In this way we have the power to influence retailers (零售商) to sell us those so-called "green" products. Therefore, the supermarkets have understood the message and are now trying to improve their environmental image. They are turning to less wasteful and recyclable packaging. The range of "green" products will continue to expand to meet the growing demand. This message has also reached the manufacturers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They have realized that protecting the environment may start as an advertising campaign but in the hands of intelligent people it can become a very profitable business. Besides, we can do more.

    Furthermore, we also know there are other areas where all of us can make a positive contribution to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}There are a number of ways we can do this. For example, we now know how important it is to have our homes well insulated (隔热). We should choose the best energy efficient technology, such as modern light bulbs which can reduce electricity consumption by 80% over the older ones. We must also work hard to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. We all produce tons of rubbish and waste disposal has become a big problem. As an environmentally-conscious consumer we should buy products which do not have so much packaging. Also, we should try to avoid non-returnable goods at all costs. In Scandinavia and Germany, for example, plastic bottles and cans are now returnable goods.  

    In conclusion it is important to emphasize once again the rise of consumer power. We must realize that we are all part of the problem. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. We can all reduce energy consumption at home and so cut the emissions from power systems.

B. For example, when we walk into a supermarket we can choose to buy environmentally friendly products and reject products which damage our planet.

C. There are some other ways to protect the environment.

D. Companies are developing environmentally friendly products that maintain a high quality and a low price.

E. But what are we doing about these problems?

F. Nevertheless we must also realize that we have the responsibility to be part of the solution.

G. Everybody has the duty to contribute to a cleaner world.