Once there was a very poor villager.He found it difficult even to support his family. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He walked about in the streets, but he did not get a job.One day, he met a rich businessman, who gave him the job of cleaning the office.The villager began his work and he even started reading and writing in his spare time.

    One day，the businessman saw that the villager was writing something.He said，“You can also read and write！Your handwriting is very good.”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The villager began to do this job as best as he could.

    Later，the businessman learnt that the villager was good at accounting, and he made him his shop accountant(会计)．The other accountants were very jealous of the villager's abilities.They told the businessman that the villager had a small room where he hid the money stolen from him. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    One day，they had their chance.They saw the villager going into “that” room. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When they came back and opened the door, there was nothing in that room except an ordinary box.

    The villager was ordered to open the box with his own hands.And there was only a pair of dirty shoes and some old clothes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}At the same time, he was so angry with the jealous accountants that he fired (解雇) them at once.The villager was made the only accountant for his office.

A．He came to a big city hoping to find a job.

B．They closed the door behind him and ran to the businessman.

C．So the businessman decided to give the villager a good lesson.

D．Seeing this, the businessman was moved by what he had seen.

E．So the villager was given the work of writing business letters for him.

F．The villager wished that some kind people might give him a good job.

G．But the businessman refused to believe them unless he had seen it with his own eyes.

    Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.

    Allow them to study in blocks of time，such as for half an hour with a five-minute break in the middle. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ideal(理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.

    Never allow your children to study in front of the television，as that will encourage passive activity. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you've set up a good study time for little learners，set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.

A．Pick a place where your children can study properly.B．Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.

C．Finally，spend time with your kids when they're studying.

D．Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement，too.

E．Instead，use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.

F．Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.

G．One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

A Competitive Sport

    Cheerleading

    Over the years, cheerleading has taken two primary forms: game-time cheerleading and competitive cheerleading. Game-time cheerleaders' main goal is to entertain the crowd and lead them with team cheers, which should not be considered a sport. However, competitive cheerleading is more than a form of entertainment. It is really a competitive sport.

    Competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activity. The majority of the teams require a certain level of tumbling (翻腾运动) ability. It's a very common thing for gymnasts, so it's easy for them to go into competitive cheerleading. Usually these cheerleaders integrate lots of their gymnastics experience including their jumps, tumbling, and overall energy. They also perform lifts and throws. This is where the “fliers” are thrown in the air, held by “bases” in different positions that require strength and working with other teammates.

    Competitive cheerleading is also an activity that is governed by rules under which a winner can be declared. It is awarded points for technique, creativity and sharpness. Usually the more difficult the action is, the better the score is. That's why cheerleaders are trying to experience great difficulty in their performance.

    Besides, there is also a strict rule of time. The whole performance has to be completed in less than three minutes and fifteen seconds, during which the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area. Any performance beyond the limit of time is invalid.

    Another reason for the fact that competitive cheerleading is one of the hardest sports is that it has more reported injuries. According to some research, competitive cheerleading is the number one cause of serious sports injuries to women. Emergency room visits for it are five times the number than for any other sport, partially because cheerleaders don't use protective equipment. Smiling cheerleaders are thrown into the air and move down into the arms of the teammates, which may easily cause injuries. Generally, these injuries affect all areas of the body, including wrists, shoulders, ankles, head, and neck.

    There can be no doubt that competitive cheerleading is a sport with professional skills. Hopefully, it will appear in the Olympics since cheerleaders are just as athletic and physically fit as those involved in the more accepted sports. It should be noted that it is a team sport and even the smallest mistake made by one teammate can bring the score of the entire team down. So without working together to achieve the goal, first place is out of reach.

Bank holidays! We all love them!

    A bank holiday is an English term for a public holiday. During the day banks and offices are closed and a lot of people have a day off work. In the UK, people only get eight bank holidays in one year. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    People in Colombia are much luckier. There are twenty bank holidays for the whole country in one year! And there can be even more, depending on which region(地区) you live in. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As in the UK, most of the bank holidays in Colombia exist for religious reasons.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} One such example is Independence Day on 20 July every year. This is just like Bastille Day in France on 14 July. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is in memory of the day that Christopher Columbus, first reached America in the year 1492.

    Bank holidays are very important for western people. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They may also choose to stay at home to relax and forget about work.

A. Bank holidays are different in Colombia.

B. During the holidays, they often travel with their families.

C. This is because different regions have their own holidays.

D. And at least five of those are around Christmas time and Easter.

E. Every country on the continent of America celebrates Columbus Day.

F. Another historical bank holiday in Colombia is Columbus Day on 12 October.

G. However, some bank holidays in Colombia came into being for historical reasons.

    Research shows that some orchestral(管弦乐的) instruments are in a danger of dying out.YouGov research, asked by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) to find the most popular instruments among schoolchildren, has revealed the increasing popularity of the ukulele(尤克里里琴), with one in eight expressing a desire to learn, making it the highest ranked instrument behind the typical rock-band grouping of the guitar, piano, keyboards, drums and bass guitar.

    But younger generations' interest in"more complex instruments"is decreasing, with the three least popular being the French horn, the double bass and the trombone.

    James Williams, managing director of the RPO, believed the changes reflect the increasing pressure schools are under to provide music education, and went on to say that more needs to be done to interest secondary school students in the wider range of instruments. His concern was for the composition(构成) of future orchestras if the trend towards instruments like rock-band grouping were allowed to continue. But there may be yet another death, one that few would be quick to sorrow over：the recorder(竖笛).

    Cheap, convenient, easy to learn, and suitable for individual and group performances, the recorder was once the go-to instrument for children's early musical education.But in many schools it has been replaced by the ukulele, which, for teachers, offers many of the same benefits with none of the lasting damage to hearing. Plus, from a student's viewpoint: you can play Metallica on one.

    Not all hope is lost for the cream-colored, 10-pound Yamaha recorder with a long history, however. About 13% of girls and 4% boys surveyed by YouGov said they wanted to learn the recorder.Surprisingly high! Unlikely as it may be, these children's interest in the recorder must be encouraged.

    Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language，such as English?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Be patient.

    You do not have to understand everything all at once.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}We can learn from our mistakes.

Practice your English.

    For example, write in a journal every day. You will get used to writing in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks, you will see that your writing is improving.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You can practice with your classmates outside class. Gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you believe that you can learn, you will learn.

Keep a record of your language learning.

    After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult，but you tried to understand it.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

     It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements(成就). You will enjoy learning English, and you will have more confidence in yourself.

A. Write these achievements in your diary.

B. Besides, you must speak English every day.

C. Writing a letter is an unavoidable part in your life.

D. There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.

E. Share your achievement with your parents and friends.

F. Feel confident(有自信心的) about learning English.

G. It is natural for you to make mistakes when you learn something new.