Listening to others requires entering actively and imaginatively into the situation and trying to understand a frame of reference different from your own, and yet so many of us don't listen properly as we should. Listening means more than just sitting silently while someone else talks.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Here are some ways to become a better listener.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Make sure you actually hear fully what your friend is saying, and you can't cut your friend off verbally carelessly. While you might intend to help move the conversation along your friend might feel as if what he has said needs to be continually talked over or sounds anything but interesting.

    Nod to encourage the conversation along. A better option to let your friend know you're interested in what he says is just to nod along from time to time. Sometimes you nod along but then start thinking about something unrelated to what he could say.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Turn out background noise. If you're easily distracted by laughter, glasses clinking, children crying, you might need to work extra hard to focus only on your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't hesitate to tell them that the background noises are getting in the way. If you can't focus, try moving to another area.

    Don't text or look at your phone!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} For you see, when you're sitting in front of someone, he is the most important person in your world at that moment.

A. Stop the speaker whenever you have a question.

B. Practice silence when someone else is talking.

C. If necessary, ask your friend to repeat himself.

D. Whoever is calling or texting can wait until you're done with your conversation.

E. It means trying to see the problem the way the speaker sees it.

F. In this case, try to push away your thoughts until you're absorbed in what your friend is saying.

G Remembering ideas from previous conversations proves that your attention is kept and encourages your friend to continue.

    Right now you are reading English. That means that you are using your brain in a very active way. Reading is a very active process. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you read a text, you have to do some or all of these:

    Imagine a scene in your head

    Understand clearly what the writer is trying to say

    Agree or disagree with the writer

    There are also many advantages associated with reading, including:

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    You will usually meet with new words when you read. If there are too many new words for you, then the level is too high and you should read something simpler. But if there are, say, a maximum of five new words per page, you will learn this vocabulary easily. You may not even need to use a pocket dictionary because you can guess the meaning from the rest of the text. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    A model for writing

    When you read, it gives you a good example for writing. Texts that you read show you structures and expressions that you can use when you write.

    Seeing “correctly structured” English

    When people write, they usually use “correct” English with a proper grammatical structure. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So, by reading you see and learn grammatical English naturally.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    You can read as fast or as slowly as you like. You can read ten pages in 30 minutes, or take one hour to explore just one page. It doesn't matter. The choice is yours. You can not easily do this when speaking or listening. This is one of the big advantages of reading because different people work at different speeds.

A. Working at your own speed

B. Learning vocabulary in context (语境)

C. This is not always true when people speak

D. Focusing on exactly what you want to learn

E. you should write down unknown vocabulary in whole sentences

F. Not only do you learn new words, but you see them being used naturally

G. It is true that the writer does a lot of work, but the reader also has to work hard

    Most people think that good looks and being smart will give you advantage in life. The first is God-given. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In this article we explore some different ways to become smarter.

    Go to college, and get an education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It means that you will have been exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you will have learned how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.

    Read books and educational magazines. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Educational magazines such as Discovery or National Geographic are a wealth of knowledge that you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something where you can learn such as the History Channel, Discovery etc.

    Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It does not seem like much, but adding 52 new words to your vocabulary will really make you appear much smarter. Subscribing to vocabulary.com is a good start. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way you are actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this. They hear an outrageous(骇人的) claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your quest for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.

A. That is my exact point.

B. And unluckily most of us are not good-looking.

C. You will have a new word sent to your e-mail address daily.

D. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.

E. The programs actually provide you with information you can use.

F. College does not necessarily mean you will be smarter, just educated.

G. Do not repeat everything people tell you until you know that it is true.

    The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying "Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming, "which means clean and bright. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Tomb sweeping aims to commemorate family ancestors while going on a spring outing allows everyone the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy the season.

    Traditional customs

    Tomb sweeping. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On this day, the whole family gathers in front of their ancestral tombs. They offer fruit and wine to their ancestors and clean the weeds from around the tomb. Finally, they kowtow and pray, hoping for their ancestors' blessing for the rest of the year.

    Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons for a spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Traditional food

    Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is a mixture of sticky rice powder and green vegetable juice, stuffed with sweetened bean paste, Qingtuan tastes sweet with the fresh fragrance of Aicao, a green spring vegetable, In celebration of Qingming, people from Shaanxi make steamed buns, known as Huamo, made into different shapes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some are for peaceful family life while others represent the wish for health.

    Have you ever been bored and decided to check social media, only to find out that your best friend is at Disneyland, that one of your classmates is eating delicious pizza at your favorite pizza store, and that one of your soccer teammates is climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Have you ever had that feeling that others are experiencing things and enjoying life more than you are? Oh, man! You're missing out!{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Researchers call that feeling the fear of missing out or FoMO.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's so easy today to see what your friends are doing from the social media. Unluckily, we only have so much time in the day and only so much money to spend on food or entertainment. It would be impossible for us to enjoy all the same activities we see others take part in on social media.

    Rather than realizing this basic truth, though, we usually let FoMO lead us to compare our lives with those of others on social media. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Why? We know all the sides of our lives— both good and bad, but all we see on social media are the picture-perfect moments others share.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}FoMO makes us check social media more frequently, leading to addiction and a negative cycle that can be hard to break. Researchers have found that social media and FoMO can cause serious negative results, including feeling of depression, loneliness and boredom.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Researchers advise that we stop looking to social media for happiness. Instead, we should focus our attention on our real lives, including the people around us and all the things we're grateful for.

A. Have you ever experienced FoMO?

B. At least that's what you might think.

C. This certainly leaves us feeling dissatisfied.

D. So how do we break the cycle and avoid FoMO?

E. Over 75% of young people report feeling FoMO from time to time.

F. As famous Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy".

G. If you let FoMO control you, the only thing you'll really be missing out on is your own life.

    Earthquakes are among the most destructive (破坏性的)natural disasters. It can strike without warning. The earthquake safety tips below will increase your chances of surviving an earthquake.

    If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk or a strong table. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You can also get to a corner formed by two walls with your arms over your head. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, or hanging objects.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't take shelter under a tree, street lights, electric poles or tall buildings. Run to open spaces and move away from the nearby buildings to avoid anything falling on you. Remember that most of the people who die in earthquakes are killed by falling buildings, broken glass and flying objects.

    If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You should also avoid stopping on or under bridges. Stay in your car.

    If you are in the event of getting trapped in ruins during an earthquake, don't panic. Instead, cover your mouth with a piece of clothing. Use your cellphone to call for help if possible. Don't shout. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dust. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be prepared for aftershocks. They can happen in the first hours after the earthquake. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Therefore, if you are not in a safe place after the first shock, you should move quickly but carefully to a safer place.

A. Try to move about or kick up dust.

B. This can protect you from falling objects.

C. If you are outdoors, move to the nearby buildings.

D. However, sometimes they even happen months later.

E. Avoid stopping under power lines, trees and large signs.

F. If you happen to be outside during an earthquake, move to an open area.

G. Try to gain the attention of the rescuers by tapping on a nearby wall or pipe.