How to Manage Your Phone's Data Use

    Smart phones give you access to a wealth of information and media, but most networks put a limit on the amount of data you can use each month. A typical phone contract includes a data allowance of between 500MB and 10GB per month. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You see, your usage can mount up surprisingly quickly – watching a film on the phone is about 700MB in SD, an hour of streaming TV is around 500MB or 60-140MB for the same of radio, chatting on Skype for an hour is around 40MB. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If possible, wait until you can connect to free Wi-Fi before using your phone's data features.

    When you are on the road, use your car's GPS, not your phone, to find the way. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But maps are preloaded in a GPS, making this free to use.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many of these are funded by ads that pop up on your screen. Every ad has to download through your network, using up your data allowance.

    If you regularly need to use a lot of data on your phone, consider a data-compressing(压缩) app, such as Onavo(www.onavo.com). {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So you use less of your monthly allowance. You may have to subscribe to such compression services, so you'll need to weigh up whether it's worth the cost.

    Snow falls in the Earth's extreme North and South throughout the year. However, the heaviest snowfalls have been reported in the mountains of other areas during winter. Snow is even known to fall near the Equator (赤道), but only on the highest mountains.

    Snow contains much less water than rain, but much of the water the world uses comes from snow. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the western United States, mountain snow provides up to seventy-five percent of all surface water supplies.

    Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from winter weather. Fresh snow is made largely of air trapped among the snow crystals (晶体). Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is limited. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The surface of the snow takes in, or absorbs, sound waves. As snow grows older or if there have been strong winds, it can become hard and flat. Then, the snow's surface will help to send back sound waves.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Many people die in traffic accidents on roads covered with snow and ice or from being seriously stuck in the winter storm. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    People may not be able to avoid living in areas where it snows often. However, they can avoid becoming victims of snowstorms. People should stop driving and stay at home until the storm has passed. People living in these areas should carry emergency supplies in their vehicle. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. These include food, emergency medical supplies, and extra clothing to stay warm and dry.

B. Snow also influences the movement of sound waves.

C. Melting snow provides water for rivers, electric power stations and agricultural crops.

D. Mountain snowfall is heavier than that in the South and the North Poles.

E. In many places, streets were blocked; houses fell down and supplies were short.

F. Others die from heart attacks caused by too much physical activity out in the cold.

G. Snow may be beautiful, but it can be deadly.

    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.

    Are you preparing any gifts for your friends now? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, but choosing a proper gift can be a big headache, because it takes a lot of time and effort to think of the right gift for someone. Before you finish your list, keep these dos and don'ts in mind:

    Do put thought into your gift.

    If you like something, that doesn't mean that your friend is going to like it, too. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Don't get him/her an ordinary gift, and reflect back on your previous conversations to see if he/ she talked about a certain gift he/she had been wanting to get.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Make sure the gift you're buying is appropriate for the person. For example, if you're buying a friend a gift, remember not to overspend or personalize it too much. Take a moment to think about how your relationship is with the person before getting him/her something.

    Do get a gift receipt (收据)

    If you're purchasing something for your friend, make sure you ask the salesperson to include a gift receipt. It's just a polite gesture, and you know your money won't go to waste.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Don't leave the price tag (标签) on.

    Make sure you don't leave the price tag on the gift and that you're giving a gift receipt and not the original bill.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, and it's not important for him/her to know anyway.

A. Don't buy an inappropriate gift

B. Don't be afraid of spending money

C. Giving gifts has forever been so pleasant

D. Take some time to really think about what he/she likes

E. If your friend doesn't like the gift, he/she can just exchange it

F. Giving someone you care about a very special gift can be tough

G. It's not proper to let your friend know how much you spent on the gift

    Homework is a major part of going to school: It's your teachers' way of evaluating(评价) how much you understand of what's going on in class.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Luckily, you can do a few things to make homework less work.

    Be sure you understand the homework.

    Write your homework down in your notebook or day planner if you need to.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class than to struggle to remember later that night!

    Use any extra time in school.

    Many schools have study halls that are specifically designed to allow students to study. It's tempting(诱惑) to hang out with friends during study periods or unstructured(松散的) time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Take a break.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without stretching or relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15 minute break every hour is a good idea for most people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you don't finish your homework during school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day, and then budget your time. Most high school students have between 1 and 3 hours of homework a night. If it's a heavy homework day and you've got an assignment in every subject, you'll need to devote more time to homework. It's a good idea to come up with some kind of homework schedule, especially if you are involved in sports or activities or have an after school job.

A. Make a homework schedule.

B. Settle down to do homework.

C. And it helps digest important concepts.

D. Most people's attention spans (跨度) aren't very long.

E. Don't be afraid to ask questions about what's unknown.

F. Once your homework is done, you can check over it if you have extra time.

G. But the more work you can get done in school, the less you'll have to do that night.

The Science of Risk-Seeking

    Sometimes we decide that a little unnecessary danger is worth it because when we weigh the risk and the reward, the risk seems worth taking. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some of us enjoy activities that would surprise and scare the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may have to do with how our brains work?

    The reason why any of us take any risks al all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, or exploring. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As the quality of risk-taking was passed from one generation to the next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a tolerance for risk.

    So why aren't we all jumping out of airplanes then? Well, even 200,000 years ago, too much risk-taking could get one killed. A few daring survived, though, along with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans developed a range of character types that still exists today. So maybe you love car racing, or maybe you hate it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    No matter where you are on the risk-seeking range, scientists say that your willingness to take risks increases during your teenage years. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} To help you do that, your brain increases your hunger for new experiences. New experiences often mean taking some risks, so your brain raises your tolerance for risk as well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For the risk-seekers a part of the brain related to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us, a part of the brain related to fear becomes active.

    As experts continue to study the science of risk-seeking, we'll continue to hit the mountains, the waves or the shallow end of the pool.

A. It all depends on your character.

B. Those are the risks you should jump to take.

C. Being better at those things meant a greater chance of survival.

D. Thus, these well-equipped people survived because they were the fittest.

E. This is when you start to move away from your family and into the bigger world.

F. However, we are not all using the same reference standard to weigh risks and rewards.

G. New brain research suggests our brains work differently when we face a nervous situation.