With the summer holiday just around the corner, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here are some tips that can helpyou enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket:

Travel off-season

Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and takeadvantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flightprices increase quickly, and you'll likely spend more of your vacation timestanding in line due to the rush of tourists.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

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      Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for placesthat do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Staywith the locals. If you and your family are going to stay for a longer period,renting a small apartment is a good choice.

Eat like a local

      Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experiencesomething new?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat. Thiswill not just save money, but also provide you with a new and differentexperience. For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street foodor other takeout.

Don't hesitate to bargain

      Tourist- heavy places are known for overcharging for just abouteverything. Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive atthese places. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bargain hard to get the best price.

Choose local transportation

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      Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are alwayscheaper. If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting acar. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you aremoving around a lot.

A. Save on hotels.

B. Surf the Internet while traveling.

C. Therefore, avoid buying anything there.

D. So it's best to find out when the off-season starts.

E. Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travelcosts.

F. For this reason, you shouldn't feel ashamed to ask forbargains.

G .As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, sincethey are expensive.

    How do actors and actresses memorize hundreds of lines? Memorizing lines takes practice and constant repetition. However, there are a few ways to make the memorization process run smoothly and quickly.   

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    For most performers, there is no quicker way of memorizing lines. To learn lines, an actor must recite the play loud over and over again. Most rehearsals(彩排) encourage this by running through the lines or having a ＂read through＂. By the time opening night arrives, most actors have spoken their lines hundreds of times.

Listen to your cast members.

    Sometimes inexperienced actors spend rehearsals looking at fellow performers, waiting patiently to say their next line. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This will help the actor learn his lines better because the context of the dialogue is absorbed.

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    Because there is often not enough rehearsal time, many performers find ways to listen to the play's dialogue during everyday activities. They use a tape recorder or an MP3 player to listen to the lines from each relevant scene. Some actors prefer to record the lines of all the characters, including their own. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Others like recording the lines of fellow cast members, and they leave a blank space so that they can insert their dialogue while listening to the recording.

Think positively and don't panic.

    Most actors will experience stage fright before the opening night. Actors forget lines now and then. When it happens, however, most of the time the audience never notice. If you forget a line in the middle of your performance, don't freeze. Stay in character. Keep the scene going to the best of your ability. If unfortunately you forget a line once, you will probably never forget that line ever again. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Record your lines.

B. Practice makes perfect.

C. Read lines loud and repeat them.

D. Read lines loud and remember them in a short time.

E. Sometimes embarrassment is the toughest method of memorization.

F. Then, they not only listen carefully, but they also speak all of the lines.

G. Instead, they should be listening carefully, responding in character at all times.

    Noticing the signals that people send out with their body language is a very useful social skill.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Fortunately, with a little extra effort, you can learn to read body language, and with enough practice it'll become second nature.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The closer they are, the warmer they are thinking of you. The farther away that someone is, the less they actually care about the situation or person. If you move slightly closer to them, do they move slightly further away? That means they don't want your communication to be any more personal than it already is.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And if they respond by getting even closer to you, they probably really like you or are very comfortable around/by you.

    It is worth noting that personal space is culturally different; keep in mind that what is considered close in one country is far away in another.

    Check their arms.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Though some people just cross their arms as a habit, it may indicate that the person is slightly reserved, nervous or embarrassed about their appearance and trying to cover it, or just trying to hide something on their shirt. If their arms are crossed while their feet are wider apart, this is a position of toughness or authority. If someone rests their arms behind their neck or head, they are open to what is being discussed or just easy-going in general. If their hands are on their hips(双手叉腰), they might be waiting, impatient or just tired.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. If they don't move further away, then they are willing to listen and accept.

B. How to read body language needs to be learned.

C. Some of us can read it naturally and some of us can't at all.

D. If their hands are closed, they may be angry, or nervous.

E. People with crossed arms are closing themselves to social influence.

F. Pay attention to how close someone is to you.

G. Some people tend not to move further away.

    We all have to make decisions all the time, and we have an abundance of choices, ranging from tiny issues to vital ones. Unfortunately, people often find it hard to make decisions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you would like to improve your skill of decision making, here are four suggestions for you.

    Don't expect to have it all.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can't order every delicious dish on the menu. And there will be paths not taken, careers not chosen, to name a few. You can imagine some "what if" situations if you must, but do not let them take up too much space in your brain.

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    It's often good to think through your decisions. But don't overdo it. Research can reach a point where returns begin to reduce, which makes it confusing more than clarifying. Many good decisions can be made based as much on intuition (直觉) as on careful assessment of endless data.

    Don't delay making decisions.

    Yes, there is a time to put off making a decision. Perhaps you need more information. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    Or it's likely that you wait for a less stressful time. Just don't wait so long that the decision is made by your own indecisiveness.

    Don't be hard on yourself.

    You decide to go on a voyage. You choose an expensive liner. Everything should work out just right. Only you didn't expect a bug that ran around on the ship, making you and your family sick for five days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But please remember it is unavoidable sometimes.

A. Don't spend too much time thinking.

B. It is an important source of information.

C. You may regret making such a stupid decision.

D. Don't count on emotion to make decisions.

E. Maybe you wish to consult with your advisor.

F. Decisions force us to close the door on other possibilities.

G. That means the skill of good decision-making counts a lot.

How the Elderly Are Treated Around the World

    How cultures view and treat their elderly is closely linked to their most prized values and qualities. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the US and UK, Protestantism (新教) is at play. Western cultures tend to be youth-centric, stressing qualities like independence. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It ties a person's value to his or her ability to work – something that becomes weaker in old age. As their health becomes worse, the elderly in these cultures often move to old people's homes and nursing homes.

    In France, parents are protected by law. It is difficult to imagine an Elderly Rights Law being a focus in the laws of many Western cultures. France did, however, pass a similar law in 2004. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} One was a group of official statistics showing France had the highest rate of pensioner suicides in Europe, and the other was the aftermath of a heat wave that killed 15,000 people, most of whom were elderly and had been dead for weeks before they were found.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Native American cultures traditionally accept death as a fact of life. In many Native American areas, elders are respected for their wisdom and life experiences. Within Native American families, it's common for the elders to be expected to pass down their learning to younger members of the family.

    The way to care for Chinese elders is changing. Chinese families traditionally view respect for one's elders as the highest virtue, according to the Confucian tradition. Adult children are generally expected to care for their parents in their old age. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Nursing homes are beginning to become a more socially acceptable option for elderly care.

A. However, this tradition is beginning to break down due to rising lifetime and an aging population.

B. In the African-American area, death is seen as an opportunity to celebrate life.

C. Here's what we can learn from other cultures about treating the elderly.

D. But China faces the unique problem of tending to an increasingly elderly population.

E. Native American elders pass down their knowledge.

F. It was only passed following two disturbing events, though.

G. This relates back to the Protestant work rules.

    The key to losing weight is to understand what really motivates you. Have you ever been excited about losing a few pounds? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}And to help you keep your weight under control, you need some strategies.

    Ask questions. When you're researching different dieting products and plans or even talking to a doctor about diets, ask as many questions as you can. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Ask questions like: Do I have to purchase special meals or supplements? Does the program include a part to help me maintain my weight loss?

    Get real.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Don't burden yourself with unrealistic expectations. Remember, large amounts of weight loss are not realistic and are most likely not safe or healthy. Talk with your health care professional to determine a healthy weight goal.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}To maintain your weight, you must balance your intake of calories with the energy you burn. Just 30 minutes of fast walking in most days can take about 10 pounds off your weight each year.

    Weigh yourself weekly. It's important to track your weight on any diet or weight loss plan, but don't get on the scale every day. Weighing daily won't show you the big picture.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Stay balanced.

B. Once a week is fine.

C. Stick with your healthy eating plan.

D. Losing one to two pounds a week is a realistic goal.

E. Being well informed will help you choose the best diet for you.

F. Regular weight check-ins will show you your progress over time.

G. If so, you must find a way to turn that excitement into determination.