How to Make Friends

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Indeed, there are many things in life which we alone cannot perform.

     We need friends' help. Friends are people who willingly and readily help us when we are in trouble, and show sympathy for us when we are in misery

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, when we have passed the graduation examination and are looking for a job, we need experienced and reliable friends to guide us and help us on our way. A good friend is also an adviser, because our own points of view towards things may not be always right. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

     Of course, we can make friends everywhere. However, I think the best place is school, where we are among a big number of boys and girls our own age, so it is easy to get to know one another in a short time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

     In order to make friends, we ourselves must be honest, noble-minded and kind-hearted whereby to leave a favorable impression on others since other people observe us the same way as we do.

     At the same time, we should avoid bad friends, because they always do harm to us and moreover, they are dangerous to the people around. Worse still, they destroy our friendship with good friends. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Indeed, seeking acquaintance with bad friends would be a serious mistake

B. A faithful friend is hard to find.

C. Therefore, it is necessary for us to seek advice from friends.

D. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

E. Besides, we can also make friends among the people who work with us in the community.

F. A proverb says “One man is not good enough to live alone in the world.”

G. The benefits of friendship are boundless and sometimes invisible.

    Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist（气象学家） has done some estimates and the results might surprise you.

    Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud—a cumulus cloud(积云). How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. “The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons,” she calculates. “Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful...think of elephants.” Assume（假设） an elephant weighs about six tons, she says, that would mean the water inside a typical cumulus cloud would weigh about one hundred elephants.

    The thought of a hundred elephants' worth of water floating in the sky begs another question—what keeps it up there?

    “First of all, the water isn't in elephant-sized particles(微粒); it's in tiny tiny tiny particles,” explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. “I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations（计算）,” she says.

    So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud—10 times bigger all the way around than the “puffy” cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants.

    Now, come to the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. “What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane,” she explains.

    The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet.

How to improve vocabulary fast

    Your vocabulary refers to the words in a language you are familiar with. We should learn some ways to expand it.

    Read every day.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Choose reading material that is slightly above your level and keep a dictionary with you to look up words you do not know.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.If you do not meet with an unfamiliar word in your daily reading, use your dictionary to search for one.

    Learn the correct definition and pronunciation for each new word. Pronunciation is as important as definition because in order to add a word to your active vocabulary, you must be able to use it in speech.

    Elaborate (详尽阐述) on the meaning of the word. If you have just learned the word “stubborn”, think about the neighbour who will not lend you his car.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Use your new word in speech and in writing. E-mail your sister about how your cat is stubborn about sleeping on your pillow. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.But the more you use it, the more fluent you will become in its use. Soon it will be a regular part of your active vocabulary.

    Tell everyone you are trying to increase your vocabulary. Encourage them to ask you what your latest word is.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    The more you explain the meaning of a word to someone, the more likely you are to remember it.

A. Find a new word every day.

B. The vocabulary can be increased.

C. Your vocabulary contains the words you understand.

D. The more often you read, the faster your vocabulary can grow.

E. Or let them ask for the definition of a new word you have used.

F. Imagine him shaking his head, and think of him as 'stubborn in his refusal.”

G. The first time you use a new word in speech it may seem strange.

    The favorite food in the United States is the hamburger, a kind of round sandwich of cooked beef. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} At fast food restaurants, people order their food, wait a few minutes, and carry it to their tables themselves. People also take their food out of the restaurant and eat it in their cars or in their homes. At some fast food restaurants, people can order their food, pay for it and pick it up without leaving their cars.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most of them sell hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes, which are traditionally popular foods among Americans. In addition, there are many fast food restaurants that serve Chinese food, Mexican food, Italian food, chicken, seafood and ice cream.

    The idea of a fast food restaurant is so popular that nearly every kind of food can be found in one. Fast food restaurants are popular. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    First, they are not formal restaurants. Customers wear any type of dress when they go to a fast food place. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People who are busy do not want to spend time preparing their own food or waiting while someone else prepares it. In fast food restaurants the food is usually ready before the customer even orders it. Finally, most food in a fast food restaurant is not expensive. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, they may not be able to afford a more traditional and more expensive restaurant very often.

A. Second, they are fast.

B. Chinese diets are also welcome.

C. In fact, they reflect American life style.

D. They will go to a good restaurant for important guests.

E. The favorite place to buy a hamburger is a fast food restaurant.

F. Therefore, people can afford to eat at a fast food restaurant often.

G. There are many kinds of fast food restaurants in the United States.

    Does your local high school have a student newspaper? Only 1 in 8 of New York's public high schools has student newspapers – and many of those are published just a few times a year. A few more are online, which can leave out poorer schools.

    Rebecca Dwarka, an 18-year-old senior who works for her student paper said, “Facebook is the new way of finding out what happened. Nobody wants to actually sit down and read a whole article about it. This makes a 'whole article' sound a little like a long sentence in lonely places.”

    I am not nostalgic about high school student newspapers and never worked for mine. I put out what was then called a personal magazine with a group of friends because we wanted to write about peace, war and rock 'n' roll without school officials warning us not to make jokes about the local officials.

    School newspapers are in decline because students now find out what happened on social networking websites. This is a little discouraging because it proves that for millions of Americans, journalism is becoming a do-it-yourself thing. Every citizen can be a reporter.

    When something happens, we look for social media messages. Facebook posts and Tweets have become the means by which citizens and reporters can prove, deny, pass on stories and express opinions without the press' challenging, researching or slowing the message.

    But truly good journalism is a craft, not just a blog post. It requires seeing something carefully and it uses an eye for details to help prove a larger view. And even journalism that conveys an opinion tries to be fair. If school newspapers begin to disappear, I hope there are other ways for students to learn that.

    Are you sometimes stressed? Singing is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It is beneficial mainly in the following three aspects.

    Physical Benefits

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is especially recommended for the elders and those who have some form of disability in their voice. However, it is important to find a capable instructor to employ good singing techniques so as not to further damage vocal cords (声带) or lungs.

    Singing also helps to improve your posture (姿势). Most people think that singing begins and ends with their mouth. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Singing practice will get you used to the proper body position of standing and help you form the good habit of standing straight.

    Emotional Benefits

    Singing helps in reducing your depression and lowering your stress level. When you sing, your body releases chemicals that make you feel happy, easing the tension and helping you to relax. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Social Benefits

    The social benefits of singing are huge. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So people who suffer from stage fright are advised to sing in front of family and friends before a live performance.

    Singing is also very good for improving your communication skills. It is said that singing to babies helps to prepare their brains for language and may lessen the risk of language problems later in life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The time spent in group singing, whether in a choir or at karaoke, creates a deep and lasting bond of friendship.

A. Try to regain your memory by singing.

B. First, it can help build up your confidence greatly.

C. When you sing, you can give your lungs a workout.

D Singing helps you to strengthen your immune system.

E. For adults, singing also enlarges your circle of friends.

F. In fact, the position of each body part affects your voice.

G. So, start to sing your favorite song next time you are feeling upset.