Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of substances in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.

    Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old．Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.

    Sharks are important for the world's oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too great. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable. Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The skin of a shark can be used like leather.  In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A.

B. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.

C. Sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them.

D. These powerful senses help sharks find their food.

E. If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels.

F. This is a threat to other forms of life in the ocean.

G. The others give birth to live young.

    Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad(少年) offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If the lad had gone home to ponder（考虑）his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.

A．This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B．People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.

C．It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.

D．Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E．But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F．He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G．It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

    Every now and then, you may be struck with a difficult person at work or at home. What are some of the keys to empowering yourself in such situations? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Keep in mind that these are general rules of thumb, and not all of them can apply to your particular situation.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you feel angry or upset with someone, before you say something you might later regret, take a deep breath. This will help you remember that you're in control of your emotions and feelings. Also, if you remain calm, the other person will likely notice and reflect on his or her behavior.

    Put yourself in their shoes. It's important to remember that we all have off days and times in our life when things are trickier. Instead of judging others' behaviors immediately, try to practice empathy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are sensitive to personality differences, you will be better able to handle diverse conflicts.

    Be frank with others. Some people are not very self−aware, so maybe you just need to tell them constructively what the problem is. For instance, if a colleague were making unkind comments, what would you do? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They'll either be apologetic as they didn't realize it was a problem, or they'll make some excuse.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If someone is behaving in a threatening way, either verbally or physically, then regardless of who they are, it's OK to walk away or say that you are going to put the phone down and that you will return when they have calmed down.

A. Keep your cool.

B. Handle aggression wisely and confidently.

C. Adjust your style when you communicate with them.

D. It won't hurt you to take them to one side, and ask them why.

E. You step back and reflect on how you would feel in his or her place.

F. Here are some tried and true methods of handling them quite effectively.

G. It's helpful to remember that most difficult people also have positive qualities.

How to Sleep Better

    If you're having trouble getting good sleep through the night (turning, waking up more than once, for example), this text will tell you what you can do to ensure a peaceful night's sleep.

    ⒈Get up on time. Changing your sleeping time by more than an hour can severely disturb (干扰) your sleep quality. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, if you normally wake up at 6 am on weekdays to get to work, you might go to bed around 10 pm, because that's when you start to feel sleepy, and it's also a good time to ensure 8 hours of sleep. If, on the weekend, you sleep until 9 am, you probably won't be able to fall asleep that night until 1 am.

    ⒉{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wait at least three hours after dinner before going to sleep. Digestion(消化) slows down while asleep, and a full stomach may interrupt(打搅) sleep. Similarly, you should avoid going to bed on an empty stomach, as a completely empty stomach may equally disturb your sleeping patterns(模式).

    ⒊{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Exposure(暴露) to light during the time when you're supposed to be sleeping can disrupt(扰乱) your body's internal clock. Turn your light off, or use a very dim night light. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They include windows, LED clocks, computer lights and cable boxes.

    ⒋Change your sleeping position. You may think that it's impossible to control what position you sleep in since you don't fully understand what you are doing, but it is possible and it can make a big difference. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Try to avoid all sources of light.

B. Keep the room as dark as possible.

C. Make note of unusual circumstances (状况).

D. Be mindful of what you eat or drink before bed.

E. Sleep is considered to be adequate only when there is no daytime sleepiness.

F. In other words, sudden change of sleeping time will affect your “biological(生物的) clock”.

G. If you wake up in the middle of the night, make an effort to have a comfortable position.

Are you interested in losing your body fat to look slimmer(苗条)? This article concentrates on losing fat, not weight or muscle. You will naturally look slimmer, and be and feel more healthy and attractive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Steps

⒈ Doproperexercise.

These are exercises that get your heart rate as high as possible and burn fat. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Doing at least one hour of cardio(有氧运动)every day along with one hour of strength training a few days per week is the best habit. This will make you lose fat faster, combined with muscle exercise and a healthy, low-fat diet.

⒉ {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Eating whole, unprocessed foods is the best way to not take in too much fat. This means eating foods that are in their natural state such as fruit and vegetables. Buy raw foods and cook meat yourself, with plant oil. Protein(蛋白质)helps gain muscles. You can find protein in foods like milk, fish, beef and eggs. Get filled with low calories foods such as vegetables. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

⒊ Watch what you drink.

Don't drink soda, alcohol and fruit juice all the time, since these drinks contain a lot of "empty calories" which will only lead you to put on unnecessary weight. Green tea is good, healthy choice. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Drink one full glass of water every morning when you wake up—it is said to make you lose weight faster.

A. Build muscles.

B. Eat healthily and diet.

C. These exercises include running, jogging, swimming, etc.

D. Read on if you are interested in getting all of these advantages!

E. This will make you eat less fattening food, thus making you slimmer.

F. Before going on a diet, you should consult with your doctor to avoid side effects.

G. Drink two cups of water with each meal to fill you up, avoiding eating too much.

For centuries Antarctica has attracted people from around the world. Explorers sought to travel there. Scientists have studied weather, wildlife, and geology there for decades. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the last few decades, though, scientists have reported that the ice is melting.

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's a difficult question to answer. The loss of ice in Antarctica has not been linear (直线的). That means it isn't a steady decrease. In fact, the rate of melting can vary greatly from year to year. Still, scientists warn that the continent's ice sheet is shrinking.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Climate change is warming the world's oceans and affecting the currents (洋流) of the Earth's oceans. These currents are bringing more warm water to Antarctica than ever recorded.

Today, the planet is warming at a rate that alarms scientists. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The effects of such a rise could cause major problems. It will increase flooding, especially in areas near shores. A large rise in sea level could even make some regions uninhabitable. This could cause millions around the world to become climate refugees (难民).

Can humans stop Antarctica from melting? Probably not — but experts do believe people can slow the process. How can you help? Pay attention to your carbon footprint. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Only changes on a large, global scale (范围) can truly make a difference to Antarctica.

A. How quickly is Antarctica melting?

B. Is human activity contributing to the melting of Antarctica's ice?

C. The ice of Antarctica is the result of thousands of years of snow.

D. West Antarctica is the region most affected by these warm waters.

E. Talk with your family about ways to reduce your use of fossil fuels.

F. If this continues, melting ice could lead to a serious rise in sea level.

G. Experts say the melting of Antarctica's ice sheet is caused by rising temperatures.