Both men and women are living longer thesedays in industrialized countries. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In general, they can expect to live six or sevenyears more than men. One reason for this is biological.

        One important biological factorthat helps women live longer is the difference in hormones between men and women.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Between the ages of about 12 and 50, women producehormones that are involved in fertility(生育能力). These hormones also have a positive effect on the heart andblood flow. In fact, women are less likely to have high blood pressure or to diefrom heart attacks.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}  Theyhelp the body defend itselfagainst some kinds of infections. This means that women generally get sick lessoften and less seriously than men. The common cold is a good example: women, onaverage, get fewer colds than men.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Scientists are still not exactly sure howinfluence aging, but they believe that they do. Some think that a woman's body cellshave a tendency(向) to age more slowlythan a man's. Others think that a man's body cells have a tendency to age more quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. However, women, on average, live longer.

B.The biological factor plays an important part.

C.Women are also helped by their female genes.

D.The female hormones also protect the body in another way.

E.Recent research seems to support both of these possibilities.

F.Therefore, women are more healthy than men and can live a better life.

G.Hormones are chemicals which are produced by the body to control carious body functions.

    Over time, habits of negative thinking about ourselves can lower self-esteem (自尊). So if you want to feel better about yourself, try some of these things:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Are you so used to focusing on your problems that they're all you see? Next time you find yourself trapped in problems or disappointment with yourself or your day, find something positive to deal with it. Each day, write down three good things about yourself, or three things that went smoothly that day because of your action or effort.

    Aim for effort rather than perfection. Some people get held back by their own pressure to be perfect. They lose out because they don't try. Usually, you may think, “I won't audition (试镜) for the play because I probably won't get the lead.”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Remind yourself that everyone is good at different things.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Thinking more like this: “She's a great basketball player — but the truth is, I'm a better musician than athlete. Still, I'll keep playing because I enjoy it.” It helps you accept yourself and make the best of the situation.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't be afraid to voice them. If someone disagrees, it's not a judgment on your worth or your intelligence. That person just sees things differently from you.

    Set goals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Then make a plan for how to do it. Stick with your plan, and keep track of your progress.

A. Focus on what goes well for you.

B. Take pride in your opinions and ideas.

C. Think about what you'd like to achieve.

D. It's certain that the role will go to someone else.

E. Recognize what you can change and what you can't.

F. Train your inner voice to remind you of what you are accomplishing.

G. Cheer on others for their success and keep in mind what you do well.

Values for Americans

    One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new hatchet. When his father asked him about it, George said, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.” Instead of punishment, George received praise for telling the truth.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But Americans still believe that “honesty is the best policy.”

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle finally won because he did not give up. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” At last, the train was over the top of the hill.

    Compassion(怜悯) may be the queen of American virtues. The story of “The Good Samaritan” from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need,

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In fall 1992, people in Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane. The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them.

A. The traveler had been beaten and robbed.

B. Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance (坚持不懈).

C. As a matter of fact, it is these virtues that help the country develop.

D. Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle.

E. There used to be a high and steep hill.

F. Sometimes American honesty—being open and direct—can hurt people.

G. Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill,

    Do arithmetic problems 15 through 25. State the different forms of the verbs on page 50 of your French workbook. Read pages 12 through 20 of the Shakespeare play, and don't forget to fill in the missing chemical symbols on the worksheet.

    Sound like a list of your homework for the next few nights—or maybe even just for tonight? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's your teachers' way of evaluating how much you understand what's going on in class. And it helps strengthen important concepts.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's inviting to start with the easy things to get them out of the way. However, you'll have the most energy and focus when you begin, so it's best to use this mental power on the subjects that are most challenging. Later, when you're more tired, you can focus on the simpler things. If you get stuck on a problem, try to figure it out as well as you can—but don't spend too much time on it because this can mess up your homework schedule for the rest of the night. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But don't pick someone whom you'll be up all night chatting with, or you'll never get it done!

    Most people's attention spans(一段时间) aren't very long, so take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Once your homework is done, you can check over it if you have extra time. Be sure to put it safely away in your backpack—there's nothing worse than having a completed assignment that you can't find the next morning or that gets ruined by a careless brother or sister. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Now you're free to hang out.

A. In conclusion, no one is expected to stay long, and people have very different learning styles.

B. But if you're really concentrating, wait until it's a good time to stop.

C. If you need to, ask an adult for help or call or email a classmate for advice.

D. Luckily, you can do a few things to do less homework.

E. When you start your homework, deal with the hardest tasks first.

F. And no teacher still believes that “chewed by the dog” line—even when it's true!

G. Homework is a major part of going to school.

How to Survive Being Stuck in a Lift

    Being stuck in a lift, also known as an elevator, can sometimes be scary, especially if you are a fan of those kinds of movies which have a lot of elevator tragedies. You may think being stuck in an elevator in real life is not like in the movies.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Remain calm and do not panic! You may have heard of this a lot of times and it is true that panicking will do you no good. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Press each of the floor buttons one by one. Then, try the “doors open” button. If none of the buttons works, the lift is broken, and you need to let someone know about it.

    See if your phone has any reception or Internet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you have WiFi connection, contact a family member or friend. Don't forget to tell them what the address is of the building and possibly which elevator you are stuck in. If your phone is not available, the following tips can help you.

    Look through the gap between the doors of the lift. If you can see light between the doors, the lift has stopped near a floor, and you should be able to shout for help and be released. Do not try to force the doors open yourself. If you can't see light between the doors, the lift has stopped between floors, and no one will be able to let you out if you scream for help. Look for an emergency telephone. If there is no telephone, press the alarm button repeatedly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you have waited for more than half an hour and nobody has come to get you out, shout and bang the inside walls of the lift. If no one is responding to you, then you'll have to accept that you will be in the lift overnight. If this happens, make yourself as comfortable as possible to save your energy. By morning, the building should be full again. You can try to get some help then.

A. It will cause you not to be able to think clearly.

B. Check the time.

C. Eventually, someone should hear you and get help.

D. Here are some tips to help you survive.

E. However, it is still a vital thing to know how to survive if it ever happens to you.

F. Use your watch.

G. If you do have reception, call emergency services.

    While it is important to maintain good habits, it is equally important to learn how to break bad habits if you want to achieve success in life. Here are some tips to get you started.

    The first step in breaking bad habits is to identify them. Only after identifying them can you decide to do something about them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, you may ask yourself: Is the habit holding me back from achieving my goal? Does the habit make me feel good or bad?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then you may listen to the things that people say about you. Are people saying the same negative things about you? It's easy to become defensive when someone says something about us we don't like, and let's face it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Once you have identified your bad habits, it's time to break them. First, you should introduce something new and meaningful in your life to replace the bad habit. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you hung around at the bars after work, replace it by going to the gym instead. Or if you sat and watched TV for hours, you may work on a task that needs to be done.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Write down the efforts you make to change them, and also the results of your actions. And write down how you feel when you successfully change one of your bad habits. If you can read and reflect on how you feel about the progress you've made, it may motivate you to continue to work on changing other things.