In order to achieve big things in your life, you must be willing to think big.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you've busy working toward bringing your goals to life, you also feel happier in your journey. Follow these steps to make your goals a reality.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Where do you see yourself in a year, five years or ten? Do you see yourself with a family, children, a good job and a college degree in ten years? Try to think as far ahead as you can. Pay attention to every detail, and let your dreams come to life in your mind, showing you what matters most to you.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Write down everything you imagine.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} write down the most important achievements that you want to center on and the details about each. What matters most to you? Once you have a list of goals in mind, work out a plan. How will you achieve these goals? Divide your goals into achievable steps.

    Start achieving goals today. Put your plans into action today. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Move forward every day, even if you are only taking a small step at a time.

    When you can picture what your desired life is like, you can better decide the goals you need to set and achieve. All it takes are small steps toward your desired future, and you can achieve the life you want.

A. Center on what you want to achieve.

B. Close your eyes and imagine your future.

C. Take a small step toward the future each day.

D. You should dream big and try to make your goals happen.

E. It's okay to change your dream sand goals based on your needs.

F. Use as much detail as you can when writing down what you remember.

G. Think about where you want to be in the future and how you want to get there.

    Oral English, also known as spoken English, is the form of English that is used when people are speaking to one another . Students who are learning English as a second language often feel uncomfortable using oral English because they fear that they will not be understood. It is important that a person who is learning to speak English practice using the language.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Listening is important to learning spoken English.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pay attention to conversations that happen around you while you are shopping . Watch the news every evening while you have supper .Part of learning spoken English is in understanding how English words are formed . Watch the mouths and tongues of native English speakers carefully.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Notice how the lips form certain sounds. Imitate （ 模仿）what you see .
       Rent movies over the weekend. Try to follow the story line of comedy shows.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Not having to respond in English lets you concentrate on simply understanding what is being said. Understanding how English is used in conversation will help you to better communicate in the language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}When you are reading, pay more attention to the correct pronunciation of the words you are reading rather than comprehension of each word. Read easy books that were written for children. Reading simple books takes away the frustration of sounding out hard words.

A. Read out loud for twenty to thirty minutes every day .

B. Listen to English radio while getting ready in the morning .

C. Observe how much the mouth is opened to say certain words .

D. Find a friend or teacher who is willing to help you learn English .

E. Repeat the conversations several times to increase your speaking speed .

F. Watching TV shows and movies allows you to hear English used in conversation .

G. The more a person practices his or her skills , the more easily speaking English will become .

    Ancient Rome was one of the world's most powerful empires more than 2,000 years ago. The Romans' Ideas about roads, laws, government and buildings still influence us today. Italy is shaped like a boot.

    The Colosseum (角斗场)in Rome was built during the time of the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is a popular tourist attraction today.

    Italy is well-known for its designers, who create cars, handbags, clothes, shoes and other items that are in demand for their style and fine workmanship.

    Today, the economy of Italy is stronger than in the past. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Today, manufacturing and tourism are the main sources of income. There are some big companies, but Italy has many smaller companies, too. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The southern part does not offer as many manufacturing jobs, so it is not as prosperous.

    Italy is a member of the European Union, a group of countries that join together for better trade. The currency, or money, they use is called the “euro”.

    Food and eating good meals are important to Italians. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Popular foods include pasta, risotto, minestrone and pizza. McDonald's is also popular there.

    Many families still eat their main meal in the middle of the day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Families spend a lot of time together.

A. The family is very important to the Italian way of life.

B. The country used to depend on agriculture.

C. Mountains cover about three-fourths of the country.

D. It could seat about 50,000 people, who went to see fights between animals and people.

E. While there are some supermarkets, many people shop at small, neighborhood markets.

F. Italy has several islands off the coast.

G. The northern part of the country is the main manufacturing center.

    Happiness doesn't mean being joyful or laughing all day long. Although happiness should be defined by each of us for ourselves, a general understanding of it could be having more good moments and memories than bad ones and having an overall feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on and you will know the answer.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Many of us have the impression that we're not allowed to be happy and that we don't deserve it. Well, we all deserve to be happy, no matter what others say or even what we believe. So allow yourself to be happy.

    Smile even if you don't feel like it. Yes, smile as often as you can. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you're alone, smile for at least 3 minutes and our brain will take it as a real smile and will start producing feel-good hormones(荷尔蒙) and other chemicals.

    Enjoy the now. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Worrying about the future will not make you any more ready for whatever it is that finally happens. Choose the now and make an effort to live it.

    Count your blessings. Take a piece of paper and something you like to drink and sit comfortably maybe with some nice music in the background. Then write a list of every blessing in your life. Start with the smallest ones: I'm alive... to the biggest ones you can feel. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you're done, leave the list on the table. Read it every morning during breakfast for a week.

A. Don't leave anything out.

B. Give yourself permission.

C. If you are with people, they'll feel warmer.

D. Be brave and imaginative with your words.

E. So, how can we have more happy moments?

F. Feeling bad about the past will not change it a bit.

G. Why not say something loving to one person today?

The power of work stress

    Many experts believe that stress can strengthen you or tear you down. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The followings are suggested to perform better under pressure.

Give stress a good name.

    Why hate work stress—it's a sign that our career is advancing. Think of a heavy work load as an exciting opportunity to push yourself. Don't complain about it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

Alternate(交替) tasks.

    Spending an entire day or week on a single project increases your anxiety without improving your productivity. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You need to create your working patterns to recharge. Every 60 to 90 minutes, take a break from your primary activity and do something different for 15 minutes.

Refuel.

    Tend to skip meals and pull late nights when you feel the heat at work? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Get six to eight hours of sleep, and go to bed at the same hour every night. Avoid big meals but have high-carbon, low-fat snacks every few hours.

Overcome your fears.

   {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Often, your stress comes from worrying rather than from the work assignment or problems you're dealing with. Write down the fears in detail and methodically address each one.

A. Both could lead to burnout.

B. In fact, you may lose focus.

C. Instead, greet it with optimism.

D. In most cases, you can choose.

E. Or rather, it is the basis of success.

F. Keep work and rest in a proper balance.

G. Pressure doesn't get you down, but fear does.

    It is believed that raisins (葡萄干) were discovered in the Middle East, where they were treasured. Any food that wouldn't spoil in the hot sun was very valuable. Prehistoric drawings in France show that raisins have been enjoyed in southern Europe for thousands of years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In 1000 B.C. the Jews paid their taxes with raisins. Two jars of raisins in ancient Rome could buy one slave boy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    In North America, the original mistake of leaving grapes to wither (枯萎) on the vine was not the only time raisins accidentally became popular. In the 1870s many people were growing grapes in California. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most Americans had never heard of raisins at that time. In September, 1873 a severe heat wave struck the area. Before the growers could pick all their grapes, they withered on the vine. The grapes were lost. One grower took the dried grapes to a grocer in San Francisco. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The new accidental raisins grew into a major industry in California. Today almost all the raisins eaten in the United States are grown in California. California produces a third of the world's raisins.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Raisins also provide potassium, magnesium, calcium and certain B vitamins. Without added preservatives (防腐剂), raisins will stay fresh, delicious and nutritious if kept in a cool place. Raisins are tiny, portable and above all delicious.

A. They have been used for necklaces and as religious symbols.

B. Raisins are children's favorite snacks.

C. The grapes were either eaten as fresh fruit or were made into wine.

D. The grocer was unwilling to buy the dried grapes.

E. Raisins are high in iron, which is important to children's growing bodies.

F. Roman doctors believed raisins could cure anything from mushroom poisoning to old age.

G. The grocer's customers discovered that raisins made a delicious treat.