Ali is from a Middle Eastern country. He now stays in the USA. He smokes a lot of cigarettes every day. He has smoked for nine years. Ali says, “I tried to quit (放弃) smoking in my hometown, but it was impossible. My parents smoke. My brothers smoke. All my friends smoke. At parties and at meetings, almost all the men smoke. Here in the United States, not as many people smoke.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}”

Many smokers are like Ali: they want to stop smoking.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  They know it can cause cancer and heart disease. But it is difficult for them to give up smoking because cigarettes have a drug in them. The drug is nicotine. People who smoke a lot need nicotine.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The nicotine makes him sick. In a few days, the smoker's body is used to the nicotine, and he feels fine. Later, the smoker needs nicotine to keep feeling fine. Without nicotine, he feels bad.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Many people who quit will soon smoke again. At a party or at work they will decide to smoke “just one” cigarette. Then they will smoke another cigarette, and another. Soon they become smokers again. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. It is very hard to quit smoking.

B. Thus nicotine makes smokers addicted to cigarettes.

C. It will be easier to change the smoking habit here.  

D. But it is said that medicine is needed to stop them from smoking.

E. When a person first begins to smoke, he usually feels terrible.

F. Maybe there is only one easy way to quit smoking: never start.

G. The smokers know that smoking is bad for their health.

    Whether in your life or work, the following things are not the reasons for you to feel embarrassed. It's OK and just move on.

⒈Mistakes while learning

    There will be times when you have people above you(a boss) or even next to you(a coworker) that will get really annoyed with you for“ruining"  something "important".{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Even if you make mistakes and get a punishment, persevere and push on. You do not need to be embarrassed for learning from your mistakes.

⒉Food choices

    People are different and have different taste buds（味蕾）.Whether it is healthy or not, food is a choice and it is part of life.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}  You do not need to be embarrassed for food you do or do not like. Tell them, "It is a personal choice I have made, and I am committed to it.”

⒊Your past

    Allowing positive experiences to define, limit, improve, and outshine（凸显）you may cause you to be caught up in the past and unable to truly live in the present. Whether your history is positive, negative, or somewhere in between, don't hold on to the negative experiences and let it reflect your current behavior，{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

⒋The clean lines of your car／home／workspace

    When everyone gets in the car, you realize your Starbuck bags are still on the floor. So what? Think about it this way: everyone has a "messy" aspect of their life. Maybe their home is completely clean, but the relationship with their spouse（配偶）is messy. Someone's car gets washed once a week, but his/her work life could use some help.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} We don't apologize to others about our personal limitations. By being outwardly embarrassed, it only brings more attention to the fact!

⒌Putting yourself first

    If you find yourself saying no to something or making up lies to get out of it,tell them the truth,  and don't apologize. You will feel much better in the long run if you are honest with them and yourself. If you're not up to a voluntary duty, you don't have to be. You can politely refuse the person's request.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Put yourself first.

A. It is simply a personal choice that people make for their own reasons.

B. It is okay to be selfish from time to time.

C. Errors are bound to happen when you have on your training wheels.

D. Each of them waits for your immediate help.

E. Let bygones(过去的事)  be bygones.

F. Forgetting history means betrayal.

G. No one on Earth lives a perfectly "clean" life in every aspect.

    How parents can help children with reading skills

    Making sure that your children read well can help them perform better in school and increase their confidence in their ability to communicate well. The following ways can be very helpful.

    Have your children read to you.

    Have your children choose their favorite book and sit down to read with you each evening. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It doesn't matter whether that starts after dinner or around the time your children go to sleep.

    Stock (储备) your house with reading materials.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is reported that children who have different kinds of books and magazines to choose from at home actually score higher on standardized tests.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Researchers suggest having your children read signs on the road, menus, game directions, movie listings and other daily things. This will help your children try to understand the importance and applicability (适用性) of being able to read well.

    Pay attention to reading problems.

    See how well your children can sound out words, understand what they have read and use reading context (上下文) to understand the meaning of new words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, you can take them to reading learning centers.

    Use other reading tools. 

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Take games as an example, try to use them as much as you can, since they can make children look forward to and enjoy the process of improving their reading ability.

A. Read wherever it is possible.

B. Take your children to a library.

C. Make reading an important part of each day.

D. Keep some reading materials available in your house.

E. Games, textbooks and books on tape are good choices.

F. If your children have difficulty reading, get them some help.

    Ask fishermen why they fish and you will get a variety of answers. The book and movie ARiverRunsThroughIt tried to answer that question. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    What are mine? Like most fishermen, I love the peace and quietness of most trips. Imagine the still water at your feet, not a ripple(涟漪) on it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And everything around you looks soft. A splash(飞溅的水) breaks the calm, letting you know there is a fish feeding there. You are totally alone with your thoughts, almost as if you were floating in an isolation(隔离) tank.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Trying to make a fish think your lure(诱饵) is its food is not easy. Figuring out where the fish is and why it is there is another part of the challenge. And learning enough about them to consistently catch fish is a challenge most of us don't overcome.

    The pull of the fish you hook and the efforts to land it without losing it are part of the fun. Struggling with a fish on a rod and reel is very interesting. Good fresh food is another reason why many people go fishing. Getting your own food is another basic need that fishing provides.

    Competition has become a big part of fishing. I like it, where a group of people go out and try to catch fish. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is nice when you win, but you try to listen and learn from the winner when you are not on top.

    For many years, I had an irresistible desire to go fishing. I could not wait to get to the waterside and try to show my skills against those fish. I was not happy except when fishing. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, that strong urge is no longer there. Sometimes I miss it.

A.The challenge of being cleverer than fish is part of it.

B.You must have enough patience when fishing beside a river.

C.The truth is that every fisherman has his or her own reasons.

D.The fog is just thick enough so trees disappear in the distance.

E.As I get older, I still enjoy fishing and all the things mentioned here.

F.At the end of the day, you get to compare how many fish you have caught.

G.That part of the fishing experience lasts for only a few minutes each day.

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.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

    Nobody would like to experience failure. We all want to succeed. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Know your values.

    Finding your values is in line with creating motivation. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pick a handful of things and write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

    Pick a goal and focus on it.

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your values. If you want to achieve your goal, focus is the key here. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never finish your projects because they will take far too long.

    Set a time for success.

    Set a date for success. Know when you hope to realize your goal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}By setting a time limit, you are making the process realistic.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don't fall into this trap! Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and go on.

A. Make the right decision.

B. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

C. I have made a list of four habits to help you set goals and realize them.

D. Keep it realistic, while not giving yourself too much time.

E. Don't give up because of failure.

F. Sit and reflect on what you value most.

G. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.