Any car accident is frightening, but an accident in which your vehicle is thrown into the water, with you trapped inside, is absolutely terrifying. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, most deaths result from panic, without a plan or understanding what is happening to the car in the water. By adopting a brace (支撑) position, acting decisively and getting out fast, you can save yourself from a sinking vehicle.

    Brace yourself for impact (撞击力). As soon as you're aware that you're going off the road and into a body of water, adopt a brace position. The impact could set off the airbag system in your vehicle, so you should place both hands on the steering wheel in the "ten and two" position.

    Undo your seatbelt. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Untie the children, starting with the oldest first. Forget the cell phone call. Your car isn't going to wait for you to make the call.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Leave the door alone at this stage and concentrate on the window. A car's electrical system should work for up to three minutes in water, so try the method of opening it electronically first. Many people don't think about the window as an escape option either because of panic or misinformation about doors and sinking.

    Break the window. If you aren't able to open the window, or it only opens halfway, you'll need to break it with an object or your foot. It may feel counter-intuitive (有悖常理的) to let water into the car. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Escape when the car has equalized. If it has reached the dramatic stage where the car cabin has been filled with water and it has become balanced, you must move quickly and effectively to ensure your survival. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} While there is still air in the car, take slow, deep breaths and focus on what you're doing.

A. Open the window as soon as you hit the water.

B. Surviving a sinking car is not as difficult as you think.

C. It takes 60 to 120 seconds for a car to fill up with water usually.

D. Such accidents are particularly dangerous to the risk of drowning.

E. In conclusion, if you know what to do in the water, you will be safe.

F. This is the first thing to attend to, yet it often gets forgotten in the panic.

G. But the sooner the window is open, the sooner you can escape directly through it.

    How to Become an Activist （活动家）

    Activists are people who see the need for change and devote their time to doing something about it.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you are interested in it you can do so.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This could be anything from a student club to a national organization （like the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Organizers Alliance）. Most activist organizations offer different levels of involvement, so you can do whatever you feel most comfortable with, whether that means attending meetings and demonstrations or just donating a little money when you can.

    Volunteer your time. One of the best ways to make a difference is to volunteer your time. Reach out to organizations in your community that do work for your cause, and ask how you can help.

    Donate money or supplies.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you can't afford to donate money to an organization that supports your cause, you may be able to donate other things they need, like clothing or canned food.

    Reach out to family and friends. Tell your family and friends about your cause, and invite them to get involved. If they are interested, share literature about your cause or just talk to them about what you have learned.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Promote your cause on social media. You can use social media to help keep your friends and followers informed about the causes you support.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Also, you can invite your friends to attend events or donate to fundraisers for your cause.

A. Take classes on issues related to your cause.

B. Join an organization that supports your cause.

C. They are driven by passion and a vision for a better future.

D. If you do volunteer work, invite them to volunteer with you.

E. Most activists or charitable organizations need resources to do their work.

F. Post useful articles and write about what you are doing to stay involved.

G. If you can't reach out to them in person, then try connecting to people online.

    Over time, habits of negative thinking about ourselves can lower self-esteem (自尊). So if you want to feel better about yourself, try some of these things:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Are you so used to focusing on your problems that they're all you see? Next time you find yourself trapped in problems or disappointment with yourself or your day, find something positive to deal with it. Each day, write down three good things about yourself, or three things that went smoothly that day because of your action or effort.

    Aim for effort rather than perfection. Some people get held back by their own pressure to be perfect. They lose out because they don't try. Usually, you may think, “I won't audition (试镜) for the play because I probably won't get the lead.”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Remind yourself that everyone is good at different things.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Thinking more like this: “She's a great basketball player — but the truth is, I'm a better musician than athlete. Still, I'll keep playing because I enjoy it.” It helps you accept yourself and make the best of the situation.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't be afraid to voice them. If someone disagrees, it's not a judgment on your worth or your intelligence. That person just sees things differently from you.

    Set goals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Then make a plan for how to do it. Stick with your plan, and keep track of your progress.

A. Focus on what goes well for you.

B. Take pride in your opinions and ideas.

C. Think about what you'd like to achieve.

D. It's certain that the role will go to someone else.

E. Recognize what you can change and what you can't.

F. Train your inner voice to remind you of what you are accomplishing.

G. Cheer on others for their success and keep in mind what you do well.

    Swim-with-dolphins

    Humans have always been fascinated by dolphins and there has been a long history of association between the two.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The “swim-with-dolphins” tourist industry is becoming more popular every year. The chance to see dolphins in the wild is often a lifetime dream for many people and tour operators are always on the lookout to give their tourist swimmers the best experience they can. After all, it can cost a large amount of money to have this kind of holiday experience. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Research has shown that while dolphins can move away if they do not want to interact with human swimmers, they do not like it at all if the swimmers slip into the water directly on top of them or if humans are in their path of travel. However, if swimmers enter the water to one side of them, the dolphins do not avoid the swimmers to the same extent.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    In all cases, the dolphins seem to have become more sensitive to the presence of the swimmers. For dolphins, swimming with humans is not necessarily a high priority(优先权). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is a new and unusual experience for them.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The advice is that dolphins should be given adequate periods of time throughout the day when they are not exposed to tourism. Humans' lifelong dreams of swimming with dolphins in the wild have severely affected them, leaving not enough time for them to rest and take care of their own babies.

    If we are to enjoy these remarkable animals and not just use them for our entertainment, then we must carefully monitor the “swim-with-dolphins” industry worldwide.

A. They cannot fulfill their lifelong dreams.

B. This possibly seems like less threatening behavior to them.

C. In the long term there could be harmful effects on the dolphin's well-being.

D. It is frequently asked whether “swim-with-dolphins” tourism should be stopped.

E. So tour operators try to place eager swimmers as near as possible to the dolphins.

F. Over time this has turned into a worldwide tourist activity--swimming with dolphins.

G. In fact, only some baby dolphins will be relatively willing to participate in the interaction.

    In your life, sometimes you may be asked to speak in front of a large group of people. Although it sounds a little scary, even those with stage fright can speak successfully to the group with adequate preparation.

    Practice your speech before the big day. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If possible, practice the speech in front of a friend or family member to get used to saying it to real people. If you feel you must have note cards, limit the amount to about three cards. This will force you to keep your speech concise and help you keep your eyes focused on your audience.

    Remember why you've been invited to speak. If you're battling fear over speaking to a large group of people, keep your mind on the fact that you were selected for this important role. The speech organizers must have seen something valuable in you or your expertise. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Remember that fear of public speaking is very common. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most of the people in the audience would be feeling the same fear and stress that you do in your position. Knowing this may make you feel better.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} What you say should be tailored to why you're there and who you're speaking to in order to avoid sounding general. If speaking to a charity group, mention the good work certain specific individuals have done for the cause. If speaking at a business conference, briefly state why you want to help these people.

    Keep eye contact with the crowd. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Pick one person in each section and look at him while you're speaking. After each important point in your speech, switch your focus to another section. When you focus only on one person at a time, the size of the crowd isn't as frightening.

A. A good memory is really helpful.

B. Show appreciation to your audience.

C. Mention your audience in your speech.

D. The more you have it memorized, the better.

E. In fact, it's normal to feel nervous or stressed out before a big speech.

    Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.

    “I adore dancing,” says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. “I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.” Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. “Teaching dance is wonderful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's great to watch them. For many of them, it's a way of meeting people and having a social life.”

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}“I can tell you about one young couple,” says Bridges. “They're learning to do traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

    So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, “Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I'm alive.”

A. So why do we dance?

B. Dance in the U.S. is everywhere.

C. If you like dancing outdoors, come to America.

D. My older students say it makes them feel young.

E. I keep practicing even when I'm extremely tired.

F. Dancing seems to change their feeling completely.

G. They stayed up all night long singing and dancing.