Fun doesn't have to be expensive

    Everyone likes to have fun, but not everyone has much money to spend. Here are some free or cheap ways to enjoy yourself.

    Go outside

    Going outside in good weather can be a lot of fun if you don't want to stay at home. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you live in a city, you can go window-shopping. Or you can explore an old part of town and admire the buildings.

    Try a hobby

    While you're out, take pictures of things you find. Planning and taking pictures can make you aware of the beauty all around you. Photographic equipment can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You probably already own a camera or a cell phone that can take pictures. Other creative hobbies can also be done with basic materials. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Find an event

    Libraries often hold free public events. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And while you're there, borrow a book or movie for free. Museums and universities also hold free events.

    If you can't find a free event, you can volunteer at an event that requires tickets. People who organize concerts and plays need help.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Sometimes they reward volunteers with free tickets.

    Meet a friend

    Relationships are often the best things in life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, invite a friend for a walk, an event or a time working on your hobby. Hosting doesn't have to be difficult. If your friend comes in the afternoon, you don't have to serve a meal. You can sit and talk, play board games or card games or watch a movie together.

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B. Stop by one to find out what's going on.

C. Hike or bicycle with a friend on a nearby path or in a park.

D. Whatever you do, find a friend to share it with.

E. It's a good idea to stay at home to watch a movie.

F. You can set up or take down chairs or greet visitors.

G. Drawing and writing require nothing more than a pencil and paper.

    What is a big dream? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Or, is a big dream something that provides only entertainment? Children dream big dreams, but there are three barriers to realizing dreams. They often kill them before they ever have a chance to grow.

The Self

    Immediately following the birth of a big dream, a negative self-talk takes over and gives all the reasons why it cannot happen. This inside voice is the ego (自我). It's there for protecting and should be listened to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most people are influenced by the inside voice. That's why only a handful of people make their dream come true.

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    Family and friends are a lot like the ego. They want to protect those they love, so they will often list all the reasons why the big dreams won't come true. Sometimes, family and friends destroy dreams of those they love most, out of their own fear of being left behind.

The World

    If one gets past the first two barriers, one has to face the world.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In the past, big dreamers were locked up and sometimes even killed when they were shown to the world. Fortunately, in most of the world today, big dreamers just get laughed at.

    The way to realize a big dream is with confidence and action. When children have confidence and then take action, they will be ready to accept any failure. The truth is that every great dreamer whose dreams have never seen the light of success knows failure well.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Family and Friends.

B. How big Dreams Die.

C. Does a big dream show one's future?

D. They simply fail until they succeed.

E. it is the last and the most terrible barrier.

F. Sometimes it is right, but more often it is wrong.

G. And their big dream is to be a rock star or a famous artist.

    If you are like most international students, you are probably pretty comfortable reading and writing in English. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Below are some tips to help you to improve your conversational skills.

    Make friends with American students. Many international students end up making friends with a lot of—or only—other international students.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hanging out with natives not only naturally pushes you to improve your spoken English, but also helps you pick up cultural and social information.

    Learn from American friends. Tell your American friends that you are trying to improve your listening and speaking skills, and would like them to help you. If you pronounce a word incorrectly, or misuse an idiom, you ask them to guide you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Increase your knowledge. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have been exposed to topics that are likely to be discussed in conversation, you have a much better chance of understanding people when they talk, and of being able to express yourself well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you have to explain something to someone, you have a strong motivation to pronounce everything as well as you can, and find other ways to explain yourself. Finally, this becomes a good habit. Many people have asked me how I learned to speak English fluently, and I owe most of it to my years of being a math teacher in college for years.

A. It is bad for them to do that.

B. You will make progress this way.

C. If possible, become a teacher at your school.

D. It's a win-win opportunity for international students.

E. Keep up with news and watch popular shows and movies.

F. Explaining everything in a different way counts.

G. You may have trouble in listening and speaking in the language, however.

    Warren Harding was the 29^th President of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} One was a successful international conference (会议).

    After World War One, Britain, Japan and the United States expanded their navies (海军). They built bigger and bigger ships. Many members of the United States Congress worried about the cost. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They asked President Harding to organize a conference to discuss these issues.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} President Harding invited representatives from the major naval powers of the time--Britain, Japan, France and Italy. He also invited representatives from countries with interests in Asia and Europe--China, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands. He did not invite the new Soviet leaders in Russia.

    Mr Harding's Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes, spoke. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} He proposed that the world's strongest nations should stop building warships for ten years. He also proposed that Britain, Japan, and the United States should destroy some ships to make their navies smaller immediately.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It involved the misuse of underground oil owned by the federal government. Warren Harding was an honest man. But he did not have a strong mind of his own. He was easily influenced. And he often accepted bad advice. He explained the problem with these words, “I listen to one side, and they seem right. Then I listen to the other side, and they seem just as right. I know that somewhere there is a man who knows the truth. But I do not know where to find him.”

A. He is remembered mostly for two events.

B. The conference was not a complete success.

C. They also worried about increased political tension (紧张) in Asia.

D. The conference was held in Washington in November, 1921.

E. President Harding appointed several men of great ability to his cabinet (内阁).

F. He offered the conference a detailed plan to reduce the size of the world's major navies.

G. The second thing for which President Harding is remembered is the Teapot Dome scandal (丑闻).

    Test anxiety can be a real problem if you're so stressed out over a test that you can't get past the nervousness to focus on the test questions and do your best work. Feeling ready to meet the challenge can keep test anxiety at a manageable level.

    Be prepared. Some students think that going to class is all it takes to do well on tests. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You will find your test anxiety eases when toy start to study more regularly. The reason is that the more you know the material, the more confident you'; feel. Having confidence going into a test means you expect to do well.

    Watch what you're thinking. If expecting to do well on a test can help you relax, what about if you expect you won't do well? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They can contribute to your anxiety. If you find yourself having these thoughts, replace them with positive ones. Not unrealistic positive messages, of course, but ones that are practical and true.

    Accept mistakes. Another thing you can do is to learn to keep mistakes in view-especially if you are a perfectionist or you tend to be hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, and you may have heard teachers refer to mistakes as learning opportunities. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If sitting for a test gets you so stressed out that your mind goes blank and causes you to miss answers that you know, then your level of test anxiety probably needs some attention. Your teacher or your school guidance counselor（顾问）can be good people to talk to.

    Take care of yourself. For some people, this might mean learning a simple breathing exercise. Practise breathing exercise regularly when you feel stressed. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you can calm yourself down and get centered.

A. Ask for help.

B. Learn to praise yourself.

C. This helps your body receive a signal to relax.

D. But good study habits and skills are more important.

E. So it's time to regard small failures as valuable experiences.

F. Then you will become more interested in asking questions.

G. You may send yourself some negative messages about the test.

    If you need to prove who you are in China, you will usually need to use an ID card. It shows your name, date of birth, address, nationality, photo and ID number. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    On April 17, Alipay introduces its first electronic ID card. The card is an electronic version of real ID card and is recognized by Ministry of Public Security. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Users can simply select "Web ID" in the app and follow the instructions.

    The electronic ID card can now be used in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Fuzhou. People in these three cities can use the card to check into hotels, buy train tickets and do other tasks {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    About 4 million people will be able to use the service within the next year. "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Even if they forget their ID cards, they can still get things done. Since the process is simplified, it also makes things easier for government offices and companies," Tang Feifan, mayor of Suzhou, told Zhangjie online.

It's safe to use Alipay's new service, in case you are worried that someone might steal your identity. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Then, you have to pass both a fingerprint and facial recognition scan before you can use the electronic ID card.

A. This gives people another choice.

B. The safety of the electronic ID card is the main concern.

C. They don't have to show their standard ID card anymore.

D. But not all people have welcomed the electronic ID card.

E. But now, you can prove your identity using your smartphone.

F. It's quite easy to get an electronic ID card by using the Alipay app.

G. First, you must unlock your phone, and enter your Alipay password.