What do Tom Sawyer and jumping frogs have in common? Stories about both of them were created by one man：Mark Twain. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark Twain was his pen name. When Twain was 4, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, lying on the west bank of the Mississippi. Twain grew up there and was attracted greatly with life along the river - the steamboats, the big wooden boats, and the people who worked on them.

    The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country is one of Twain's best-loved short stories, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of his most famous novels. Both these works are celebrated by events held during National Tom Sawyer Days. There's also a fence-painting competition to see who can paint the fastest. The idea for this competition comes from a scene in Tom Sawyer, in which Tom has been told to paint the fence in front of the house he lives in. It's a beautiful day, and he would rather be doing anything else. As his friends walk by, he persuades them to paint with him for fun, and they all join in the "fun". By the end of the day, the fence has three coats of paint!

    Although the story of Tom Sawyer is not true, it's based on fact. If you go to Hannibal,, you'll see the white fence, which still stands at Twain's boyhood home.

How to Learn A Foreign Language

    Spend the time!

    By far the most important factor（因素） is how much time you spend in learning the language. The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Focus on words and phrases!

    To build up your vocabulary, you'll need lots.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Gradually（渐渐地）you will be able to use them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand. If you keep listening and reading, you will get used to the language.

    Take responsibility for your own learning!

    If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest that you want to listen to and read. Seek out（找出）the words and phrases that you need to understand in your listening and reading.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Discover the language by yourself. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it.

    Relax and enjoy yourself!

    Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, but this will happen on a schedule（计划）that you cannot control. Just make sure you spend enough time with the language.

A. Listen and read every day!

B. You are learning and improving.

C. That is the greatest guarantee（保证）of success.

D. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language.

E. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases.

F. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere.

G. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.

    Final exam time can often be stressful. While some stress can actually be a positive motivator(动力), being too nervous can be problematic, especially if it interferes with your test taking performance. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Deal with your anxiety(焦虑). Try to determine the source of your test anxiety. If it stems from(起源于) a lack of preparation on your part, your anxiety is considered a reasonable response(回复). However, if you believe that you are prepared for the test, but are still nervous, this may be unreasonable. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Prepare for those tests. This is the best way to reduce anxiety. Avoid cramming(临时死记硬背)for a test. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}When studying, try to create questions that could possibly be asked on the test. If it is impossible for you to cover all of the material for the test, choose one part that you know you will be able to cover and present well.

    Change your attitude. Improving your beliefs and attitudes about the test-taking experience can actually help you enjoy studying and may improve your performance. Don't overplay the importance of the grade. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Don't forget about yourself and what you need. This means thinking of yourself as a total person, not just as a test taker. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. You can't bring out your best if you are tired. Do something relaxing when you feel well prepared.

A. Ease your stress.

B. Don't forget the basics.

C. Remind yourself that it is very important.

D. Either way, it can be very helpful to know how to work with their effects.

E. It is not a reflection of your self-worth, nor does it predict your future success.

F. Here's some advice to help make the end-of-the-term experience less stressful.

G. It can produce high levels of anxiety and is not helpful in trying to learn a large amount of material.

    I once complained to my friend Mike, "I often cycle two miles from my house to the town center but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route." He replied, "You mean fortunately." He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided.

    My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to complain as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend. Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationary exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free. I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.

    Problems are there to be faced and overcome. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree. Her activism and writing proved inspirational. She wrote, "The character cannot be developed with ease. Only through experiences of suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."

    One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity. From time to time we all face hardships，problems，accidents and difficulties. Some are of our making but many are no fault of our own. While we cannot choose adversity, we can choose our attitude towards it.

    Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs cut off following a flying accident. He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aviators in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans. He was an inspiration to others during the war. He said, "Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that. That's nonsense. Make up your mind, and you'll never use crutches or a stick, and then have a go at everything. Go to school, and join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible."

    The biographies of great people are full of examples of how they took steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become depressed. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won. Nevertheless, there is still the problem of how you change your attitude towards adversity.

    Much meaning can be conveyed clearly in our eyes, so it is often said that eyes can speak.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} On a bus you may look at a stranger, but not for too long. And if he senses that you are staring at him, he may feel uncomfortable.

    The same is true in our dailylife. If you are stared at for more than necessary, you will look at yourself up and down to see if there is anything wrong with you.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Eyes do speak, right?

    Looking too long at someone may seem to be rude and aggressive. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If a man stares at a woman for more than 10 seconds and refuses to look away from her, his intentions are obvious. He wishes to attract her attention, and let her know that he is admiring her.

    However, when two persons are engaged in a conversation, the speaker will only look into the listener's eyes from time to time to make sure that the listener does pay attention to what the former is speaking. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If a speaker looks at you continuously when speaking as if he's trying to control you, you will feel awkward. A poor liar usually exposes himself by looking too long at the victim. He wrongly believes that looking straight in the eye is a sign of honest communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Actually, eye contact should be made based on a specific relationship and situation.

A. On the contrary, it will give him away.

B. Do you have such a kind of experience?

C. That's what normal eye contact is all about.

D. Actually, continuous eye contact is limited to lovers only.

E. After all, everybody likes to be stared at for quite a long time.

F. But things are different when it comes to staring at the opposite sex.

G. If nothing goes wrong, you will feel annoyed at being stared at that way

Consumer behavior is the study of how people make purchase decisions to satisfy their needs or desires and how their emotional, mental and behavioral responses influence the buying decision. By understanding it, businesses can make their marketing efforts to focus on specific groups, improve brand images, and predict the trends. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Anyway, understanding consumer behavior is vital to any successful marketing strategy.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Among them, marketing campaigns influence purchasing decisions a lot. If done right and regularly, with the right marketing message, they can even persuade consumers to change brands or choose more expensive alternatives.

For expensive products, like houses or cars, economic conditions play a big part. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The consumer's decision — making process is longer for expensive purchases and it can be influenced by more personal factors at the same time.

Consumer behavior can also be influenced by personal factors: likes, dislikes, morals, and values. In industries like fashion or food, personal opinions are especially powerful. Of course, advertisements can influence behavior. However, finally, consumers choices are greatly influenced by their preferences. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Last but not least, our purchasing power plays a significant role in influencing our behavior. Unless you're a billionaire, you'll consider your budget before making a purchase decision. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

However, if you don't have the money for it, you won't buy it.

A. Education levels and social factors can have an impact.

B. Consumer behavior is often influenced by different factors.

C. The product might be excellent and the marketing could be great.

D. This knowledge can also help businesses stay ahead of their competition.

E. Vegetarians, no matter how many hamburger ads they see, won't start eating meat.

F. A positive economic environment can make consumers willing to buy them.

G. A consumer purchases a different product just because he or she wants to seek diversity.