{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Fans used to be crazy about a specific film, but now the public tends to base its consumption(消费) on the interest of celebrity attached to any given product. Besides, fashion magazines have almost abandoned the practice of putting models on the cover because they don't sell nearly as well as famous faces.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Celebrity clothing lines aren't a completely new phenomenon, but in the past they were typically aimed at the ordinary consumers, and limited to a few TV actresses{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The most successful start-ups have been those by celebrities with specific personal style. As celebrities become more and more experienced at the market, they expand their production scale rapidly, covering almost all the products of daily life.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}No matter how famous the product's origin is, if it fails to impress consumers with its own qualities, it begins to resemble an exercise in self-promotional marketing. And once the initial(最初的) attention dies down, consumer interest might fade, loyalty(忠诚) returning to tried-and-true labels.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The pop-cultural circle might be bigger than ever, but its rate of turnover has speeded up as well. Each misstep threatens to reduce a celebrity's shelf life, and the same newspaper or magazine that once brought him fame has no problem picking him to pieces when the opportunity appears. Still, the ego's(自我的) potential for expansion is limitless. Having already achieved great wealth and public recognition, many celebrities see fashion as the next frontier to be conquered. As the saying goes, success and failure always go hand in hand. Their success as designers might last only a short time, but fashion-like celebrity-has always been temporary.

A. Today, celebrities face even more severe embarrassment

B. It is the celebrity effect, rather than the quality of the products that appeals to the consumers

C. Celebrity has become one of the most important representatives of popular culture

D. The public's taste of fashion is not always constant and easy to predict

E. Today they're started by first-class stars whose products enjoy equal fame with some world top brands

F. However, for every success story, there's a related warning tale of a celebrity who overvalued his consumer appeal

G. As a result, celebrities have realized their unbelievably powerful market potential, moving from advertising for others' products to developing their own

What Teenagers Can Do To Earn More Respect

    As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition (过渡) into adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits(品质) are not yet accepted as a way of life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.

    Contribute to the household

    At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All chores(琐事) that you do help to reduce the load of the person who did them before. Now that you're old enough and capable, why shouldn't you contribute to the household? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be responsible

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or more involved chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfill your responsibilities on time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.

    Solve more of your own problem without asking for help

    Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The “easy way” is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help. Seek help only after you have made an honest effort to solve your own problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you become a good problem solver, you increase your value to the community.

A. Everyone has certain responsibilities.

B. By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.

C. The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.

D. This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.

E. It will make your life more pleasant.

F. Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline.

G. When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.

How to Become Best Friends with Your Dormmates

    You have never shared a room with anyone and now you are scared and confused. But do you know that student years are one of the most exciting and memorable? When I was a student I met lots of great people and my best friend as well. Sharing a room with absolutely unknown person might be challenging at first, but it will be a priceless experience in your life. Check out several tips on how to become best friends you're your dormmates.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    This is the essential rule of any good relationship. Make a list of the things that are/aren't allowed to both of you and stick to it. Decide on the studying time, cleaning and visiting hours. Not only will it make your routine easier, but can also help to avoid misunderstandings and quarrels. It's important to talk about male guests and overnight visitors. If needed, you may set some rules for your visitors. When I was a student, our room was frequently full of friends and visitors, but I tried not to turn it into the social center.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    You will escape many fights if you start talking about the problem once you feel it's necessary. When you accumulate the little things, they grow bigger and chances are you will say a lot of unpleasant things you don't really mean. Your dormmates simply cannot know or notice some things. That's why negotiations are always the right thing to consider. My dormmate was always forgetting to take away her wet towel from the dresser and it was just unbearable. When she performed the same thing for several times, I explained that it was a bit irritating and an annoying bad habit. That's it.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Common memories and experience are the right things that pull people together. You are newcomers and you have no idea about the territory of the campus. So why not explore the campus together? Generally speaking, any activity you can share will be of advantage. You can become workout buddies or you may turn out to be the fans of the same band.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    I really appreciate togetherness and I was always a good mixer, but sometimes even such an easy going person like me needs some personal space and me-time. You spend every minute together and you need to take a break once in a while. It's absolutely okay. Discuss this question with your dormmates well in advance so that you won't have any problems during the school year.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    This tip will help you to get along with the dormmate and will help you go far in life as well. Your dormmates may be from other countries with different traditions, religion and views. Be careful with the stereotypes and prejudgment, your ideas about the subject may be superficial and incorrect. Most probably your overseas dormmates will need some help during the period of adaptation to the new surrounding and life style. Sharing a room with an international student is a unique chance to learn another culture and language. Don't miss it!

A. Discuss the issues at once.

B. Accept the need of private space.

C. Agree on some basic rules.

D. Respect and accept cultural differences.

E. Explore together.

F. Get to know each other better.

G. Share your cleaning work together

    What happens when you want to go from one place to another, but there's water in the way？That's the problem people faced for hundreds of years in the area that is now New York City. In the city, there is a natural canal called the Narrows, separating Brooklyn on one side from Staten Island on the other.

    But the Narrows isn't really so narrow. The water is almost a mile wide, and it's more than 100 feet deep. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When they wanted to talk to each other, they climbed into their boats and sailed across.

    By the late 1800s, circumstances had changed dramatically. Population growth meant there were now many people needing to travel between Staten Island and Brooklyn for work. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Between 1888 and 1920 there were two major efforts to build a train tunnel to connect the areas. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Proposals to build a connecting bridge made during the 1910s also ended in failure due to opposition from the US Navy.

    Finally, after World War II, there were so many people living in New York City that leaders decided Brooklyn and Staten Island needed a direct connection. Since tunnels were too expensive, they decided to build a bridge. The design selected had two separate roadways stacked on top of each other. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Construction, which took five years, was completed in 1964 and cost $320 million. Today about 190,000 cars and trucks cross the bridge every day.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But in the case of the Narrows, figuring out a good solution took hundreds of years.

A. Sometimes getting from one place to another is easy.

B. Both were quickly abandoned however due to the high costs involved.

C. Neither road was large enough to satisfy the existing transport demands.

D. It was anticipated that the new train system would help the areas grow even faster.

E. Taking a boat every time was very slow, expensive and, in bad weather, unreliable.

F. Both would hang in the air from thick steel cables, supported by two giant steel towers.

G. For a long time that wasn't a problem, because only a few people lived in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

    The art of growing dwarf(矮小的)trees, or "bonsai"(盆栽)as their Japanese planters call them, is increasing in popularity in the United States. Growing bonsai can make a fascinating hobby for anyone who enjoys plants and creating beautiful effects with them.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In growing bonsai, in fact, one must be careful in choosing the type of tree, as the growing conditions are unusual.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Varieties of pines with small needles and hardwood trunks are especially suitable.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is necessary because the major growth of bonsai is kept confined(被限制) to the tree's trunk and leaves, not its root system-a process quite unlike what is done with other plants.

    Another thing the bonsai-grower must do is to trim(修整)the roots and branches of the tree periodically (定期地). Unless this is done, the plants will not have the proper proportions(比例) and will look unnatural.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The last thing one must do is to be careful to keep the tree well-watered. Because bonsai are grown in smaller-than-usual containers, they often need more water than ordinary houseplants do.

    As can be seen from the above, the art of bonsai-growing is one which requires a certain amount of time and effort.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Imagine having such a tree in your living room and passing it down through several generations of your family. That is exactly what bonsai-growing is all about: establishing a tradition of beauty which lasts for years and years and is a symbol of the beauties of the natural world.

A. Then one must be careful in choosing the size of the container.

B. How can we meet the goal of making such a kind of art?

C. Why do so many people take a fancy to the art of bonsai-growing.

D. But one must get well prepared before starting bonsai-growing.

E. The satisfactions that growing bonsai brings can be great, however.

F. The ideal for bonsai plants are trees just like normal trees in everything but size.

G. Not all species of trees can be made into bonsai.

Life getting you down? Learn to bounce back

    "That which does not kill us makes us stronger.＂ Nietzsche said. There are a number of ways that can get us through tough times, help us to bounce back and make us happier. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Find something you can control.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But taking small, positive steps in any area of our life can have a ripple effect, enabling us to move forward in the problem area.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    As a species, we tend to focus on what's wrong rather than what's right. But we can benefit a lot from paying attention to what's going right. Psychologists have shown consciously focusing on these good things helps to increase our experience of positive emotions.

    Check your thinking.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Leading psychologist Martin Seligman found that the way we interpret the causes of everyday setbacks can have a significant impact on our ability to cope and our physical health. He also showed we can learn more resilient(有弹性的) thinking styles.

    Distract yourself.

    When we are immersed in a problem, it is hard to think creatively about ways to deal with it. It often helps to take time out from the things you are worrying about.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Not only does this give us a break from what we're doing and our worries, it's also great for our minds.

A. Always do something that is right.

B. It's true that there are lots of things we can't control.

C. An effective way of taking time out is exercise.

D. Next time you are feeling stressed or stuck, give them a try.

E. Focus on what's right.

F. Next time something goes wrong for you, pause for a moment.

G. The way we think can destroy our own resilience.