Fun doesn't have to be expensive

    Everyone likes to have fun, but not everyone has much money to spend. Here are some free or cheap ways to enjoy yourself.

    Go outside

    Going outside in good weather can be a lot of fun if you don't want to stay at home. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you live in a city, you can go window-shopping. Or you can explore an old part of town and admire the buildings.

    Try a hobby

    While you're out, take pictures of things you find. Planning and taking pictures can make you aware of the beauty all around you. Photographic equipment can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You probably already own a camera or a cell phone that can take pictures. Other creative hobbies can also be done with basic materials. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Find an event

    Libraries often hold free public events. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And while you're there, borrow a book or movie for free. Museums and universities also hold free events.

    If you can't find a free event, you can volunteer at an event that requires tickets. People who organize concerts and plays need help.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Sometimes they reward volunteers with free tickets.

    Meet a friend

    Relationships are often the best things in life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, invite a friend for a walk, an event or a time working on your hobby. Hosting doesn't have to be difficult. If your friend comes in the afternoon, you don't have to serve a meal. You can sit and talk, play board games or card games or watch a movie together.

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B. Stop by one to find out what's going on.

C. Hike or bicycle with a friend on a nearby path or in a park.

D. Whatever you do, find a friend to share it with.

E. It's a good idea to stay at home to watch a movie.

F. You can set up or take down chairs or greet visitors.

G. Drawing and writing require nothing more than a pencil and paper.

    If you think your vocabulary is weak, a little effort every day over six to nine months can go a long way in improving it. Here are some tips for increasing your vocabulary.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You may be comfortable reading a particular part of the newspaper but make an effort to read different articles on every page. The editorial (社论的) page is highly recommended not only for vocabulary but also for structuring and presenting thoughts.

    Make it a habit to read a new book every week. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You can consider becoming a member of the local library. Make a list of new words and look up their meanings in the dictionary.

    Watch English movies and television shows. It's an interesting way to enrich your vocabulary. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Use vocabulary cards. Vocabulary cards are used by students who are trying to learn many words in a short time. You can make your own cards by writing the word on one side and the meaning on the other side of a piece of paper. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Use the Internet. The Internet is an unlimited resource for reading material.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You will come across plenty of material to read. The Internet will also introduce you to new words. Be sure to look them up in a dictionary.

A. Read the newspaper every day.

B. Everyone has his own way of choosing books.

C. Vocabulary is important for you to learn English well.

D. Pick up a topic you like and search for articles about it.

E. Besides, by doing this you can learn the correct pronunciation as well.

F. Flash cards are a convenient tool to use to learn new words in your free time.

G. It is not surprising that those who read a lot of books develop good vocabulary.

    China has been the birthplace of many of the world's greatest inventions. It was, for example, the first country to produce paper money. Before the invention of paper money and coins, people used many different kinds of things for buying and selling. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This exchange of goods and services for other goods and services is called bartering（物物交换）.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In 1200 BC, people in China began to use shells as money. Usually the shells used as money were very small. This made it easier for people to carry money over long distances, and allowed for trade to develop between different parts of the country.

    In the years which followed this invention, many other countries around the world began to do the same. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The next development was in 1000 BC, when China started making bronze and copper shells. It wasn't long before the Chinese made round coins out of metal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} By 500 BC, metal coins had begun to appear in countries like Persia and Greece, and later in the Roman Empire.

    About 1000 years later, leather was used as money in China, and in 806 AD, the first paper banknotes were produced by the Chinese people. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. As time went by, trade between countries increased.

B. People also began collecting foreign coins as souvenirs.

C. They also used tiny shells as money for buying and selling.

D. It was still many years before paper money appeared in Europe.

E. However, as economies developed, such exchanges became impractical.

F. During that time, for example, buying a chicken might cost several potatoes.

G. The very first coins often had holes in them so that people could tie them together.

    No one likes to fail. Whether it's at work, at home, or in another area of your life, failure is painful and it can also be costly in terms of time, money, or both.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you never suffer a failure, then you're probably not pushing yourself to your full potential. The following are some tips on how to pick yourself up after you've failed.

    Remember that other people fail too. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They'll tell you about that great new contract(合同) they signed, not the deal that failed eventually though they worked on it for months. But failure is normal, and lots of people fail time and time again before meeting with success.

Remind yourself of your past successes. Failing doesn't mean that you're worthless, or that you'll never achieve the things you want.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Maybe you had high marks last term, or you lost weight, or you learned to play a musical instrument. You might want to write down a list of successes—things that you've accomplished over the past few years, whether big or small. If you ever lack confidence, you can go back and read over that list.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Your past successes are important, but so are your past failures. You've made mistakes before, and you've survived them. Perhaps you did badly in an exam, or lost your temper and had to apologize. It's not fun to think about the times when things went wrong, but by acknowledging your failures, you can remind yourself that today is no different. Just as you recovered in the past, you can recover from your recent failure too.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Whatever goes wrong, you're probably facing some sort of decision. Don't rush into making a hasty decision, but do look for a forward path. That might require some deep thinking.

A. Make a decision.

B. Limit the damage caused.

C. Remind yourself of your past failures.

D. However, failure is a normal part of life.

E. Get some advice and support from others.

F. Most people don't talk openly about their failures.

G. Think of all the times in the past when you've succeeded.

    For a bird, to fly hundreds or thousands of miles each spring and fall is a difficult and dangerous journey, one that not all birds can survive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is more than one single reason for different birds to migrate(迁徙), but it all comes down to survival.

    Birds are migrating for a meal.

    For all birds, one of the main driving forces behind migration is food. If all birds were to stay in the same places year-round, food there would become not enough. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But as the food supplies decrease in the fall, they return to the southern areas.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Over millions of years, birds have developed different migration patterns, times and destinations. This helps birds take advantage of a wide variety of suitable conditions to raise their young, which increases the survival chances of the young birds.

    Birds are migrating because of climate changes.

    Changes in climate can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic for example, when temperatures begin to fall. They need warmer habitats. Similarly, the hottest regions can be an unpleasant environment for raising young birds. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Birds are migrating because of predators.

    Habitats that have rich food sources also attract a greater number of predators who may kill birds. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Many birds even migrate to specialized habitats that are nearly inaccessible to predators, such as coastal cliffs or rocky offshore islands.

A．So why do birds migrate?

B．Birds are migrating for their young.

C．So how do young birds migrate?

D．Birds are migrating because of diseases.

E. It is beneficial to lay eggs further north in cooler areas.

F. Birds that migrate to different habitats can avoid being eaten by predators.

G. As food sources are rich in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate from south to those areas.

    Have you ever been bored and decided to check social media, only to find out that your best friend is at Disneyland, that one of your classmates is eating delicious pizza at your favorite pizza store, and that one of your soccer teammates is climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Have you ever had that feeling that others are experiencing things and enjoying life more than you are? Oh, man! You're missing out!{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Researchers call that feeling the fear of missing out or FoMO.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's so easy today to see what your friends are doing from the social media. Unluckily, we only have so much time in the day and only so much money to spend on food or entertainment. It would be impossible for us to enjoy all the same activities we see others take part in on social media.

    Rather than realizing this basic truth, though, we usually let FoMO lead us to compare our lives with those of others on social media. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Why? We know all the sides of our lives— both good and bad, but all we see on social media are the picture-perfect moments others share.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}FoMO makes us check social media more frequently, leading to addiction and a negative cycle that can be hard to break. Researchers have found that social media and FoMO can cause serious negative results, including feeling of depression, loneliness and boredom.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Researchers advise that we stop looking to social media for happiness. Instead, we should focus our attention on our real lives, including the people around us and all the things we're grateful for.

A. Have you ever experienced FoMO?

B. At least that's what you might think.

C. This certainly leaves us feeling dissatisfied.

D. So how do we break the cycle and avoid FoMO?

E. Over 75% of young people report feeling FoMO from time to time.

F. As famous Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy".

G. If you let FoMO control you, the only thing you'll really be missing out on is your own life.