Birthdays are strange things. The more you have, the more you try and pretend they don't matter, and the more {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . I'm not really sure why they think so. It's true that you are getting older, but as {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , “Who isn't getting older every day?” The problem may be that a birthday reminds people of all the things {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , but have not. I certainly understand that feeling, though I think {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that I most want to do — a kind of personal re-ordering (重新排序) of the to-do list. What makes you depressed(郁闷) on your birthday is that you realize your re-ordered to-do list is exactly the same as it was last year. That makes you feel{#blank#}5{#/blank#} , and not been anywhere. I have not had that experience this year. I look back at where I was last year and find things have changed since then.

① {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  When a teacher assigns(布置) a lot of homework, Domenica Roman draws up a timetable, dividing the assignment into small parts. "It's like eating a steak(牛排)," she says. "You chew it one bite at a time."

② {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  One student put a vocabulary list in the bathroom. He learned a new word every day while brushing his teeth. Another student used the time to remember biology terms while practicing running.

③{#blank#}3{#/blank#}   In high school, McCray ran track, played football and was in the band and orchestra. "I was so busy that I couldn't waste time looking for a pencil or missing paper. I kept everything right where I could put my hands on it," he says.

④ {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  In an international class, Asian-Americans, on average, scored higher than other students. The teacher found that the Asian-Americans discussed homework problems together, tried different ways to work out the problems and explained their solutions to one another.

⑤ {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Christi is an excellent student at the University of California. If her math teacher assigns five problems, she does ten. If the history teacher assigns eight pages of reading, she reads twelve. "Part of learning is practicing," she says. "And the more you practice, the more you learn."

    [1]Once, when there was a famine（饥荒）, a rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town, and said to them, “In this basket there is a loaf（面包）for each of you. Take it, and come back to me every day at this hour for more.”

    [2]The hungry children gathered eagerly about the basket, and fought over the bread because each wanted the largest loaf. At last they went away without even ______ the good baker.

    [3]Gretchen, a poorly dressed little girl, did not fight or struggle with the other children, but stood quietly in the distance（远处）, When the badly behaved children had left. Gretchen took the smallest loaf, which was all that was left in the basket. She kissed the baker's hand and went home.

    [4]第二天，孩子们表现得像以前一样糟糕。Gretchen got a loaf almost half the size of the one she got the first day. When she came home, her mother cut the loaf open. Many new shining pieces of silver fell out of it.

    [5]Her mother was very worried and said, “Take the money back to the baker at once. The silver must have fallen into the dough by accident. By quick, Gretchen!”

    [6]When the little girl gave the rich man her mother's message, he said, “It was no mistake, I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to reward（奖赏）you. Always be as content（满足）,peaceable, and thankful as you now are. Go home now, and tell your mother that the money is yours to keep.”

Dear Mary,

    Please take these things to Alice: her CD player and CD case, schoolbag, sunglasses, baseball cap, keys and alarm clock. Her CD player and her CD case are on the table in the bedroom. She needs them for tomorrow. Her schoolbag is under her bed. The sunglasses are on the desk in the living room. Her baseball cap is on her bed. Her keys are on the table in the kitchen. The alarm clock is on the table in her room.

Mom

Being happy

    One thing is for sure that money cannot always make a person happy. What can make you happy?

    Some people seem to be born happy. Nothing seems to get them down. They can always see the best of every situation and they seem to smile their way through life. Some people seem to have everything going well but they still do not seem to be happy. No matter what kind of person you are, you can do something to build happiness into your life.

    Listening to music

    Music can be a great way to make you feel happy. You can listen to it, or even take up playing an instrument.

    Keeping pets

    You may not have a pet of your own, but pets are so good at making people happy. Pets help people feel happy by being lovely, needing to be looked after, and maybe needing exercise, which is good for you, too.

    Staying fit and healthy

    Try to keep fit and healthy by exercising every day. There are lots of things that you can do to keep your body feeling fit. The great thing about exercise is that it releases chemicals called serotonin(复合胺) into your brain and these chemicals make you feel happy！

    Being kind and smiling at others

    Often it is the small thing that makes people happy. Try to be kind and smile at people. You will help them to feel happy and will build happiness for yourself.

I went to Grand Canyon (大峡谷) National Park in July 2012 for the first time and I knew I wanted to work there as a park ranger（管理员）. Park rangers protect the park's animals, plants, land, buildings, and people.

Now, as a park ranger for Grand Canyon National Park, I share the science, history and beauty of this park with thousands of visitors from around the world.

National parks are like outdoor museums. Park rangers have all kinds of jobs, depending on where they work and what they studied during college. I teach school field trips（实地考察）, work at visitor centers and help people stay safe during their visit.

My favorite part of my job is showing children their first look at the Grand Canyon during school field trips. Children are often amazed at the canyon's size and colors. Sometimes, they think it looks like a painting.

Being a park ranger requires a lot of energy. I walk several miles and talk with hundreds of people each day. Park rangers must enjoy working with people and speaking in front of groups. Nearly 5 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park every year.

Park rangers must also be prepared for any situation. Recently, I broke a traffic jam(堵塞). It was caused by a huge elk（麋鹿）standing in the road. Elks can become dangerous when they get scared, so I asked visitors to stop their cars and take pictures from far away. Believe it or not, I also help protect people from monkeys. It is not allowed to feed animals in national parks. But sometimes, visitors try to feed monkeys.