Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-minute excitement of flying wrapping paper. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.

1 Know the person

    The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows that you really know the person well, and you really care about him. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

2 Donate in their name

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone's name this holiday season.

3 Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.

    Family heirlooms(传家宝) may be another good gift option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing — money — to the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.

4 Provide chances for participation

    If there's a golden rule of gifts, though, it's this: {#blank#}5{#/blank#} People who receive experiential gifts, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the gift giver than people who received material gifts.

A. Give experiences rather than objects.

B. But it doesn't have to be that way.

C. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.

D. That is always beyond their expectation.

E. That means catering to another's pleasure.

F. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift to.

G. The new and store-bought is not always best.

    Scientists often see the first ten years of a child's life as the “window of opportunity”.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}And studies show that the following activities can benefit their brain greatly.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Free playtime has always been an important part of “being a kid”, but it is also important to a child's development. “Free play” not only helps kids develop different skills, it also helps them develop into happy healthy adults in the future.

Read with kids

    Reading has long been known to improve children's intelligence.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For parents who don't have much time, just surrounding your kids with books goes a long way too.

Put kids to bed early

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Preschool children should get at least eleven hours of sleep and kids up to age 12 should try to get at least ten hours of sleep.

Learn a second language

    Early studies in this field have shown that bilingual （双语的）kids can perform better under pressure. Young children can learn new languages with nearly perfect fluency （流利）and pronunciation.

Praise good effort not intelligence

    Your kids may be smart but you should mainly praise the effort they put into tasks. Kids, who are praised on intelligence, often feel it is a fixed quality, and mistakes or failures badly hurt their self-confidence. Kids who are praised on effort often focus more on learning.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Play some helpful games

B. Give them enough playtime

C. And they are not afraid to fail and try again

D. Kids still need time away from the TV to do homework

E. Kids who read often develop earlier writing and number skills as well

F. Everything at this time is very important to the development of a person's brain

G. Studies show that kids with regular bedtimes are better at languages, math and reading

    Do you ever feel like you read something over and over but you just can't seem to remember it?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, we all have to do it at some point for work or for school. Here are a few steps that will help us study more effectively and remember the information.

    1）Set a goal.

    Before you even start reading, it is important to set a goal. What do you hope you can learn by reading the material? What key points will you be required to know at a later date?{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If not, you should pay mare attention to the information you are looking for.

    2）Do the following things.

    First you need to notice the title above each section. That will tell you what the section is about.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph slowly and carefully and re-read them if you have to.

    3）Familiarize yourself with the material.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So for a job, you might search online for something similar to what you are reading. For students, school websites are useful or another textbook may be able to explain words in a way that is easier to understand,

    4）Review the material

    After you have read and understood the material, review it a few times a day,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Studies have shown that on average it takes several (anywhere from 3 to 8) times reading and reviewing a material before it becomes part of your permanent memory.

A. It can be very helpful to refer to extra material.

B. It can be hard to read something and keep it in mind.

C. It is easier to remember concepts when you rewrite them.

D. Also, topic sentences are valuable sources of information.

E. If everything is important, you wilt have to work a little harder.

F. This will help you understand it better and remember the information.

G. This doesn't change the fact that it can still be very difficult to remember things.

    We often carry a lot of things when we're traveling.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}On long ones we carry things like passports, visas, etc. Though traveling can be fun, we're likely to misplace these things and even lose them because of the excitement of the journey or being too busy or tired. So how can we carry valuable things safely while traveling?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Place most of it in a wallet and put the wallet in your main suitcase or bag with a lock-and-key system. Don't open it until you reach your destination (目的地). Guess how much money you'll need on the journey, and place this money in a different wallet and carry this in your pocket.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Next, instead of wearing your jewelry, you can carry your jewelry at the bottom of your suitcase or bag.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many people think that since the purse is always going to be in their hands, it'll remain safe. But other things like tickets, phone numbers, keys, etc., are all going to go in there. So you're often going to open your purse for something or the other. What if you just drop it?

    Then remember to hook (钩住) the keys. You get those really nice key chains these days that come with a big dog-hook.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Use one of these to carry your keys. This way, you won't leave the keys in a restaurant or any other place.

    Hope all the above tips for traveling will help you.

A. So you'll know what to bring.

B. It's a kind of vacation, but without your parents.

C. Spend money from this wallet till you get to your destination.

D. Firstly, distribute (分开) your money if you're traveling alone.

E. You can hook the key chain to your jeans or your handbag.

F. On short trips we take things like money, jewelry (首饰), house keys, etc.

G. Don't carry it in your purse, just in case somebody is quick in stealing your purse.

    For the rest of March, a disease will sweep across the US. It will keep kids home from school.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Employees will suddenly lose their ability to concentrate.

    The disease, known as "March Madness", refers to the yearly 65 – team US men's college basketball tournament (锦标赛). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Teams compete against each other in a single – elimination (单局淘汰) tournament that eventually crowns a national champion.

    Nearly 20 million Americans will find themselves prisoners of basketball festival madness. The fun comes partly from guessing the winners for every game. Friends compete against friends. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Colleagues against bosses.

    Big – name schools are usually favored to advance into the tournament. But each year there are dark horses from little – known universities.

    This adds to the madness. Watching a team from a school with 3,000 students beat a team from a school with 30,000, for many Americans, is an exciting experience. Two years ago, the little – known George Mason University was one of the final four teams. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    College basketball players are not paid, so the game is more about making a name for their university and themselves.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}About $ 4 billion will be spent gambling (赌) on the event. According to Media Life magazine, the event will bring in $ 500 million in advertising income this year, topping the post – season income of every US professional league, including that of the NBA.

A. Husbands against wives.

B. The players will go all out for the games.

C. But that doesn't mean money isn't involved.

D. College students will ignore piles of homework.

E. People are willing to spend more money on watching it.

F. It begins on March 15 and lasts through the beginning of April.

G. Many people had never even heard of the university before the tournament.

    If you travel, you will leave a carbon footprint in your wake. You can't help it. But eco-friendly travel practices can lighten the harm on Mother Earth. Green travel is not a passing trend but a lifestyle choice. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Choosing a green destination

    No destination is a Green Giant. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. However, some countries and cities show a deep commitment to Earth-friendly policies and practices. When researching a vacation spot, look for places that naturally embrace the green lifestyle.

    Choosing green transportation

    What makes Mother Earth proud? Seeing you use your own power to get around. Many adventure tour operators arrange cycling, hiking and walking holidays. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The greenest rides typically run on electric power. Switzerland is taking the lead with its hybrid buses and trains powered by hydroelectricity; Japan is running close behind.

    Choosing a green hotel

    Once you are at your destination, if you can get the hotel right, you can make the greatest impact. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Look for a fact sheet online, or call the front desk. You can also search for hotels approved by respected certification programs, such as Green Key and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    The Earth-friendly choices are numerous: You can sail, bike, kayak, bike, swim, bird-watch and play I-spy-a-monkey in a tree. Visit a local food market, and don't forget to bring a reusable bag for purchases. You can also lend a hand during your holiday. The green movement has changed from how to preserve and protect to how to use less and do good when you're there.

A. Choosing green travel

B. Choosing green activities

C. Next in line are trains and buses

D. They all make environmental missteps

E. Most major chains operate in-house green program

F. If you plan to drive, consider a fuel-efficient vehicle

G. Follow the tips and watch your footprints turn greener