I had an experience once which taught me something about the ways people made a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I officiated (主持) at two funerals for two elderly women.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}At the first home, the son of the deceased (已故) woman said, “If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It's my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son said, “If only I had not insisted her going to Florida, she would be alive today.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is my fault.”

    When things don't turn out as we would like them to, we tend to assume that had we done things differently, the story would have had a happier ending. Any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course, for example, keeping mother at home, would have turned out better.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    There seem to be two elements involved in our readiness to feel guilty. The first lies in our belief that the world makes sense—there is a reason for everything that happens.

    The second is the thought that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and calls the rest of the world to its tasks.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely abandon that childish thought that our wishes cause things to happen.

A. That long airplane ride was more than she could take.

B. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?

C. Life and dead is an unsolved mystery.

D. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.

E. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him.

F. Both died a natural death.

G. They believe that they are responsible for what has happened.

New Reasons to Exercise

    It's a cruel reality that exercising is not a reliable way to lose weight and keep it off. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are the benefits of regular exercise.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    A new study had found that just a short period of exercise can help improve the ability to remember things in the hours that follow. The report says, “Exercising four hours after learning a task can help people remember that task in the long term”

    It may keep off depression.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Researchers found that women who exercised regularly reported about 50% fewer depressive signs than women who didn't exercise as much. And the more the women reported exercising, the less likely they were to have signs of depression.

    It can control appetite.(食欲)

    Exercise may be the key to controlling your appetite . A study found that people who exercised for 15 minutes after doing mental work ate 100 fewer calories than people who did mental work and then remained seated. Exercise has the ability to increase available fuel sources in the body that may signal to the brain. “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}I don't need to fill myself with food,” says study author William H. Neumeirer.

    It increases energy.

    In a recent report, men who cycled for 20 minutes experienced a 166% increase in self-reported energy levels, compared with a 15% increase when they sat and did nothing for the same amount of time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.It improves memory.

B.It has mind-body benefits.

C.Here is the energy source I need.

D.We do the work at the office each day.

E.Working out regularly might prevent depression.

F.But that doesn't mean you should give up the effort.

G.If you need a reason to work out, energy increase is a worthwhile one.

                                                                                             Everyday life in Britain

The weather is the most common topic in Britain. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Because in Britain the weather changes a lot. Wind, rain, sun, cloud, snow— they can all happen in Britain.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} At banks, cinemas, shops, bus stops you can always see people in queues. They stand and wait quietly, often for a long time. Each new person stands at the end of the queue—- sometimes in rain, wind or snow. They never complain and they will get quite upset when someone jumps the queue.

    Men always shake hands when they meet.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They shook hands to show that they didn't have a sword(剑). Now shaking hands is a customer most countries. In Britain you don't shake hands with your friends or family members. But you do shake hands when you meet a person for the first time.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And they always send birthday cards or presents. There are also other cards like Christmas cards, good luck cards, congratulations on your new baby cards and get well soon cards. They have everything for every important moment.

    British people are very superstitious (迷信的). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are lucky. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The more leaves you catch the more lucky you will be. On the contrary, never open an umbrella in the house and never break a mirror because they mean seven years of bad luck.

A. Shopping is another common topic in Britain. 

B. Another common thing is Britain is queuing.

C. Hundreds of years ago, soldiers began this custom. 

D. In autumn if you catch falling leaves you are lucky.

E. Why do the British talk about the weather so often?

F. They also pay attention to tiny details like your birthday.

G. Never walk under a ladder, and don't walk past somebody on the stairs.

    Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The Spring Festival is around the corner so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey. Before getting into the recommendations, you need to determine your English reading comprehension level. If you're at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children's book or reading a book that you've read in Chinese translation.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you're at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners (Nobel, Pulitzer) are good options.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}When I pick up a book I like, even though the first few chapters are really hard to get through, I would try to get accustomed to the language the author uses. Generally, after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story.

    Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to find a friend who's interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by U.S. writer Michael Crichton; and if you like horror, U.S. writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Happy reading!

A. If you pick a book which is so challenging, it will be too stressful.

B. The most important thing is to pick a book that you're really interested in.

C. You may also enjoy your reading when hanging out with your family.

D. You should just find a topic or author you're interested in, and the rest will go from there.

E. You can also discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail.

F. Instead, they're a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book.

G. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you're already familiar with the story.

    Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective(选择性的) process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand (速记).When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Otherwise (否则), you may not be able to read your notes later.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

D. Use words, not complete sentences.

E. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

F. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

G. You must write your notes on separate paper.

    After a long day at work, coming home is a breath of fresh air. Home is a comfortable place to sit back and relax. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Below are a number of things we can do to create a healthy home environment that will help to ease the workday stress and promote our physical and mental health.

    Cleaning the house regularly is the first thing we should do. It may seem like a tiring thing to clean but there is a reason for doing so. We can remove dust by cleaning the house. Leaving layers of dust everywhere means that there is a build-up of dust. And where do these layers of dust go?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Making sure the rooms are full of sunlight is also important. We may not realize it but sunlight is an important part of our growth. We all know that sunlight promotes better working conditions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about using a Parans system where sunlight does not reach. This technology gathers the sunlight by using solar panels. It can send out sunlight wherever we are.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Going green will help to remove toxins(毒素)in the air. They also give off oxygen, which can lower stress and improve our moods.

    Along the lines of being green, it can also be vital to think about what things we are bringing into the house. Try to avoid specific plastics that are harmful to health. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They may contain poisonous chemicals that can be breathed in, or simple absorbed through the skin.

A. However, is it as healthy as it can be?

B. Is our home as comfortable as it used to be?

C. Into our lungs.

D. The same thing applies to certain carpets and paint.

E. Besides, it can reduce both stress and high blood pressure.

F. It is also a good idea to add more plants in our house.

G. It is acknowledges that a greener lifestyle is linked to better health.