Every student will {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (face) with the question when he or she {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (pass) the College Entrance Examinations: Should we choose a good major（专业） or a good university first?

    Some students preper to consider majors first so that they can learn {#blank#}3{#/blank#} they are interested in. It will also make {#blank#}4{#/blank#} possible for them to take their favourite jobs in the future. However, those who think {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (different) believe that the environment is important to one's {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (develop) and that graduates from leading universities are often more likely {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  (find) a good job.

    In my opinion, the best choice is a good major at a good university. If we cannot obtain {#blank#}8{#/blank#}, the first thing to consider is a good major, because no matter {#blank#}9{#/blank#} we study, we can still achieve a lot in {#blank#}10{#/blank#} certain field if we try our best.

    Xuexiang Village, formerly known as a forestry farm, has been transformed into a booming tourist resort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (locate) at the southern foot of Changbai Mountain, it has much snow. The snow here starts falling in October and begins to melt in April. A unique scene is the “snow mushrooms”, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} are formed after snow falls onto wood piles. Together with log cabins, pine trees and snowy mountains, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} place looks like a fairy tale world. Several decades ago, people {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (come) here as loggers. Years of excessive logging resulted {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a resource-shortage problem. After the natural forest protection project {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (launch) in 1999, the forestry farm stopped logging and started to make good use of the snow to develop the tourism industry. Amateur photographers first promoted the beautiful scenery, then, with the help of the internet, it {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (gradual) became famous and tourists began coming. {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (sense) the new opportunities, loggers started to open family hotels and restaurants. Nearly 80 {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (family) are now involved in tourism business. “My family can make 200,000-300,000 yuan each year, which {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (able) us to live a much better life”, said Fan, a used-to-be logger.

    Is there such a thing as being “over-protective”?

    I can honestly say that my answer{#blank#}1{#/blank#}that question has changed dramatically（戏剧性地）since I became a parent.

    Before the birth of my daughter,I taught at a private school,often{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(view) my students as over-protected, worrying{#blank#}3{#/blank#}would happen to them when they went on to middle schools.

    Some did fine,and some did not.Some needed constant pats on the back,words of encouragement and extra support,which I{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(happy) gave.Others{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(satisfy) with themselves,needing little or no interaction（互动）with their teacher.{#blank#}6{#/blank#}for the most part,graduates would go on for higher schooling.

    I'd always taken it for granted{#blank#}7{#/blank#}their parents were over-protective,for they were the ones that still walked their{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(five) graders into the classroom and met them at the school gate.

    Admittedly,I laughed at those parents,thinking their children would never learn to be{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(dependent) if they didn't let go just a little.Then I had my own daughter. The moment I looked at her little face,I knew I'd do everything in my power{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(protect) her and make sure she always felt safe!

    Nowadays, it is common{#blank#}1{#/blank#} more and more high school students open their own microblogs on the Internet. For one thing, it can provide a colorful platform to show their talent. For another, it is a useful way{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (release) their pressure. And all these make it more and more popular with high school students. But many parents and teachers hold a different view. They think that managing one's microblog will take a lot of time and energy，{#blank#}3{#/blank#} should be used to study.

    In my view, I am greatly in favor{#blank#}4{#/blank#} this activity. Today the Internet is playing {#blank#}5{#/blank#} important role in our life. Therefore, as high school students of the Information Age, we need to learn to make use of this{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (value) tool to communicate and display ourselves. What's more, opening and organizing microblogs need various abilities such as writing, designing, being skillful at computer and so on. Only if we master those abilities can we make a successful microblog. As a result, we improve ourselves while{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (organize) our micro blogs.

    In fact, the microblog {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(oneself) is of little harm. It is your attitude towards it that{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (matter). We should take the{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(advantage) and avoid some bad effects.

    In 1969, Armstrong {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(successful) set foot on the Moon. This was {#blank#}2{#/blank#} first time anyone had walked on the surface of another world. More astronauts（宇航员）reached the Moon later, but nobody {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(visit) it since 1972. Do you think it's time we went back?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(explore) of the Moon did continue after the astronauts left, but by robots instead {#blank#}5{#/blank#} people. Satellites have helped us learn more about our neighbour and shown that there {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(be) even more exploring to do, but astronauts would be needed!

    The problem is that sending humans to the Moon is very expensive. Even with all the new technology since Armstrong's time, it would cost so much for people {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(return) to the Moon.

    ESA (European Space Agency) wants to change that. ESA's idea isn't just to make the spaceships {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(they), but also to work with businesses here on Earth. ESA also wants to help businesses on Earth develop tools and technology {#blank#}9{#/blank#} will allow people to live on the Moon. If we can use resources（资源）on the Moon, then journeys there will be much {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(cheap). For example, what if we could get to water hidden deep within Moon rocks?

Meet Alexa, Your Digital Roommate

    Who is Alexa? She is a digital assistant that is part of the voice-activated Echo Dot "smart speaker" produced by Amazon. This year Saint Louis University in Missouri has placed one of the speakers in every dorm room {#blank#}1{#/blank#} its campus. Students can ask the virtual assistant anything from "When are the football teams playing?" to "What's the square root of 1440?"

    SLU student Brendan McGuire said: "Instead of searching on the Internet while I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (tap) away at my computer, I can just ask Alexa: Hey Alexa, ask SLU what's the molecular(分子的)weight of water? And I can have the answer without {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(interrupt) my process." That's exactly {#blank#}4{#/blank#} school officials had in mind when they decided to provide the smart speakers free of charge for students.

    "The students we attract {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (drive) to achieve success in and out of the classroom," David Hakanson, SLU's vice president, said. "Every minute we can save our students from having to search for the information online is another minute {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (commit) to their education."

    Saint Louis University is the first in the U.S. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (include) an Echo Dot smart speaker in every campus living space. Other colleges have also found ways to offer the technology to students. This year Northeastern University in Boston installed 60 speakers in public places {#blank#}8{#/blank#} students could get answers to common questions.

    At Arizona State University, engineering students living in the brand-new residence hall have the option of adding an Amazon Echo Dot to their rooms. "Our focus is putting this technology into the hands of our students in a way{#blank#}9{#/blank#} will build an ecosystem. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} supports voice technologies throughout the ASU campus," said Heredia, a director at ASU.