A hobby is an inverstment of time. It also can be an investment of money and commitment. Many people choose to developing more than one type of hobby. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When it comes to choosing the hobby, consider the following factors.

    Hobbies are usually an activity of some sort that brings out a certain skill that you have. When you have a talent like painting or woodworking, it can be easy to determine which hobby suits your skill. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Skill can be developed and challenged as you go along. It is not a necessary requirement. A hobby is fitting because you love it, not because you're a professional at it.

    Some people particularly enjoy taking part in hobbies that they can do in a group with others. It can be a lot more fun to become a member of a hobby group than to sit alone in your basement. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's important to share interests and network with other hobby enthusiasts that do what you do.

    Hobbies are generally an activity that you undertake because of the joy it brings you. Of course many people have discovered the joy that also comes with a hobby that earns you a living. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Just make sure you make the choice that fits your lifestyle and personal preference.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But most of the skilled hobbies like art, building or writing have a series of lessons or tutorials that you can take to further your skills. In some cases it's a really good idea to take lessons, especially if you are clueless as to where or how to begin. Step by step books for most hobbies can often be found in bookstores as well.

A. However, hobbies don't have to be skill related.

B. Most hobbies can easily be done within your own home, at your leisure.

C. Look one up or start your own.

D. Read hobby books to learn more about your chosen hobby!

E. Make a list of things that you enjoy or don't know about.

F. It can be a necessary part of selecting the hobby that is right for you.

G. Whether it's full time, part time or not at all, you must decide whether your hobby applies to you

    When it comes to the benefit of volunteering, a lot of people think it s all about the warm feeling after helping someone{#blank#}1{#/blank#} As is known, charity work requires a wide variety of people to do a wide variety of things for everything to work. It means that there are some surprising benefits for volunteers. For example, volunteering:

    Teaches you new skills.

    From helping making websites to teaching immigrant kids your native language, or to arranging events for charity, volunteering can really be almost anything. It means that when you get involved in charity work, a lot of the time you will face challenges{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Can teach you what truly matters.

    It's a great way to find new perspectives(角度) on life. When you've been at it for a while, you just might find yourself re-evaluating your advantages{#blank#}3{#/blank#} One of my friends went from wanting to be a lawyer to discovering a true passion for teaching

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Maybe it is not surprising, but what might surprise you is how genuine these friends are. Some of my long-term friends are people I've met through volunteering. I'm not that kind of guy that makes friends purely for connections, but sometimes it's very convenient to have a broad network.

    Summed up in one line: volunteering helps you grow{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You meet a wide variety of people who don't have a lot in common with. You learn to get along with people involved in many different walks in life. You learn to know what you are to do. So if you've ever considered volunteering, what are you waiting for?

A. You might even decide on a completely new path to take in life.

B. Helps you make new friends

C. As it turns out, that's far from the only benefit.

D. Volunteering helps you look outside yourself and your problems.

E. Through overcoming the challenges, you learn completely new skills.

F. Not only as a person, but it helps you develop your skill as well.

G. Can help improve social skills

Not all English is the same

    To many learners of English, it's easy to think that all native speakers have no trouble communicating with one another.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Well, it turns out that being a native English speaker from one country doesn't mean that you're able to perfectly understand a native English speaker from another country, and vice versa (反之亦然)

    Take the UK and the US for example.

    As a Briton, I grew up hearing American accents alongside British ones – on TV shows, movies and in songs.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} and how they would eat “cookies” instead of “biscuits”.  And it took me a while to figure out that the “trunk” (n. 后备箱) of a car is what us Britons call its “boot”.

    The confusion didn't stop at just vocabulary –{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, when talking about shopping malls, Americans pronounce it “mawl” instead of “mal”. And for some reason that's hard for Britons to understand, Americans remove the “H” sound from “herb”, pronouncing it “erb”.

    These small differences may not change much in a day-to-day conversation between a Briton and an American.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Recently, for example, an American friend told me that she liked my pants. “You can see them?” I asked, shocked. Pants means “underpants” to most British people, which explains my horror.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In the US, for example, a “bum” is a homeless person, while the same word in the UK is used to describe one's backside（n.臀部）.

    And, more amusingly, “trump” was only ever really used as a verb in the UK – meaning “to pass gas” – until the US' current president came into the spotlight.

But as long as you can speak one version of English, it's easy enough to understand any other – and any confusion just makes your day more interesting.

A. English is changing as it spreads around the world.

B. After all, English is English, isn't it?

C. I soon noticed how Americans would put “gas” in their cars instead of “petrol” .

D. However, confusion can still happen every now and then.

E. There are different words that mean the difficult thing.

F. Some words can even be offensive (adj.无礼的) without you realizing it.

G. I discovered that many words are even pronounced differently.

How to Keep a Healthy and Strong Relationship

    Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on having a healthy and possibly long-term relationship.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Do not hide things from them and do not lie. Don't be afraid to say things that aren't very flattering about yourself. Getting them to trust you is the most important element in any relationship. If there's no trust, there's nothing there. So please be honest and they'll learn to open up to you.

    Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn't just simply treating her or him nicely. There's a lot more about it. You have to learn to adjust to their liking. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't just think about yourself; think about what your partner needs as well.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Always be willing to help them and give them honesty and positivity at the same time. Make them feel you are someone they can really count on and build a future with. This is an important step in a relationship. Your partner has to be able to count on you when needed.

    Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them and joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it's the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Make sure the communication is good. This goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it's something that upsets you. Instead of screaming, talk to them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It's important to communicate with them. Don't keep it bottled up.

    You may have heard that some plants and animals are endangered. What does that mean exactly?

    Endangered means there are very few of that kind still alive. Someday they might become extinct. You may wonder what people can do to help them.

    Plant trees

    As the date of Earth Day roughly coincides with U.S.Arbor Day, planting trees is a popular Earth Day activity. Trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean pollution, secure soil in place to prevent erosion, and provide homes for many birds, insects and other animals.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. And plant them in your garden or on nature strips where plants are usually grown. Restoring the local plant life will help attract native bird life, pollinators and local mammals.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Why not welcome these nonhuman neighbors into your yard？ Here is how to do it. Instead of mowing the entire yard, leave a few sections unmoved.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Provide a source of water, like a bird bath or a small pond. Don't try to get rid of snakes, lizards, frogs, moles, squirrels, and the other creatures, many of which are beneficial.

    Clean up litter in your community

    Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean­up day.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Welcome animals into your yard

B. Choose flowers that are native to your area.

C. One way is to protect the animals' or plants' habitats

D. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects will find this inviting

E. It's a wonderful community project that you can do as an individual or with a group

F. So planting trees is a long ­lasting act you can do to celebrate Earth Day

G. Encourage people to respect wild spaces by not damaging animal habitats, littering, and dumpling in the water.

    For college graduates, it is of vital importance to write application letters well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It should state clearly the job you want, and should tell what you have done. It should be simple, human, personal and brief without leaving out any necessary facts. In writing a letter of application, keep in mind that the things a possible employer is most likely to want to know about are your qualifications, your achievements and your aims.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If the first few sentences fail to win the reader's attention, the rest of the letter may not be continued at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer not to your own needs or desires. For example, instead of beginning with "I saw your advertisement in today's newspaper", you might say "I have made a careful study of your advertising during the past six months "or" I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives use your product and why they like it."

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now applying. College graduates looking for their first positions often ask what they can provide in a letter and what if employers want experience  which, naturally, no beginner has.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter, Make a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That makes it easier for a possible employer to get in touch with you.

A. Try to avoid writing in general

B. Don't be afraid of being a new hand

C. Here are a few suggestions for you to prepare yourself better for your interview

D. An excellent idea is to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter

E. The purpose of a letter of application is to help you to"sell"yourself

F. The answer is that everything you have ever done is experience

G. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important