There is an English saying:“{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

A. Laughter can make one's life longer.

B. As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh.

C. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which reduce both stress and pain.

D. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet.

E. Although laughter helps cure the disease, doctors still can not put this theory into clinic practice.

F. Laughter is the best medicine.

G. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health

    If you can find a tree which has been cut down，you will see many rings，or circles，on the base of the trunk.By learning to read these rings，you can find out about the tree's life.

    The number of rings tells you how old the tree is.Each year，new wood is formed on the outside of the tree.This new wood is light in color when the tree is growing in spring and summer，and dark in winter when the tree is not growing much.So，if you count the rings of dark­or­light colored wood，you can often find out how old the tree is.

    You can also tell which years have been good years and which years have been bad years.When the light­colored rings are very wide，it means that the tree has been growing quickly that year.If the rings are narrow，it has been growing slowly.If the rings on a tree trunk were greatly magnified，you would be able to see why the rings are light­colored when the tree is growing quickly and dark­colored when the tree is growing slowly.The tree trunk is made up of microscopic tubes，like some pipes，carrying water from the soil，through the trunk，and up to the leaves.They are wide and thin­walled when the tree is growing quickly and they are carrying a lot of water.They are narrow and stuck together when the tree is not growing so quickly.

    When a tree is old，the tubes in the centre of the tree don't carry water.The walls of the tubes have become thick with materials which have stuck along them over the years，forming a kind of wood called“heartwood”．This kind of wood is darker in color than the young，growing wood on the outside of the tree.

    You don't very often see whole tree trunks which have been cut across.But once you learn to read a cross section of the wood，you can see much more in wood which has been used to make boxes，houses and other things.

    In most wood，instead of seeing the trunk cut across，you are seeing it cut along its length.Because you don't see the whole tree，you can't tell how old it is.

Title：{#blank#}1{#/blank#} of a Tree

                                                                  Five Ways to Improve Communication Skills

    Communication is one of the most important skills we can ever learn. It affects everything that we do —whether we're communicating at work to meet deadlines and achieve results, or communicating with friends, family and partners to build strong relationships. Thus communication is very important. Here are five ways to improve your communication skills.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This reflects a real lack of respect. By interrupting someone, what you're basically saying is "I don't care what you're saying—what I have to say is more important".

    Don't finish other people's sentences.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wrong. Research has shown by doing this you are dis-empowering (剥夺权利) the other person because you are taking control of the conversation, so bite your tongue!

Paraphrase.

If you want to show that you have really understood someone, then paraphrasing (解释) is a great tool{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Here's an example: "So Barney, what I'm hearing is that results are the number one objective for you right now and we need to find some fast solutions for you?"

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Focus on active listening instead of passive listening. The difference is that active listening means you engage with and respond to the other person based on what he/she has said, while passive listening is simply the act of listening with no response.

    Maintain eye contact.

    By looking at the other person in the eyes, you are proving that you're interested in what he/she is saving.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. All you do is repeat back to someone what he/she has just said, before you comment yourself.

B. You don't see them interrupting others or leaving off mid conversation.

C. Listen actively.

D. This also keeps you focused (集中) and less distracted (分散).

E. Talk actively.

F. I used to do this a lot thinking I was helpfully finishing people's sentences for them.

G. Never interrupt people.

    Note-taking is a skill that can help you do well in all your school work.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} The following are some tips that might help you take good notes.

    Write down key facts and ignore unimportant details.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some teachers write notes on the blackboard, and that's great. You can copy them in class. Some teachers may not write anything down. You should take notes of the important points said by them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} don't be afraid to ask your teacher to repeat what you miss. Comparing your notes with your classmates' can be good for your learning. It can also help you and your classmates correct some mistakes.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The notes of different subjects should be written in different notebooks so that you can find everything easily when a test comes.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} but in the long run it saves time. If you get into the habit of recopying your notes every evening, you will find that you have got a better understanding of your lessons.

A. Good note-taking takes time.

B. If your teacher speaks too fast.

C. Good note-taking is not just copying.

D. Your teachers might do things differently.

E. Note-taking also needs good organization.

F. Note-taking also needs good memorization.

G. It can also make you feel more confident when you are studying.

Brainstorming for Ideas

    Try blind writing. When trying to get past a writing block or a brainstorming lag, take at least ten minutes to sit down and write. Force yourself to write for the full ten minutes, no matter what comes of it. The act of putting pen to paper will stimulate the part of your mind that generates ideas.

    Make a mind map. Mind mapping is a brainstorming strategy that allows you to map out different tangents of thought to stimulate new ideas. Get a piece of paper, poster board, or whiteboard and write your goal in the center. Write subtopics and related thoughts around the goal, and continue branching out from them to develop your train of thought. For example, a mind map about the environmental goal “Going Green” could branch into subtopics such as “Reducing Waste”, “Eco-travel”, and “Global Warming”.

    Attempt “rolestorming”. For a fresh perspective on a topic，attempt “rolestorming”. Picture yourself as someone else (e.g. a parent, friend, colleague, or partner) and imagine how you would approach a scenario as them. You can extend this brainstorming technique to famous people or historical figures (e.g. Albert Einstein, Bill Gates).

    Try meditation. To open your mind to new ideas, try meditation. Find a peaceful place to sit quietly and focus on the question at hand (e.g. “How can I promote my new business on my limited budget?”). Bring a pen and paper to jot down ideas, and meditate for about 30 minutes, or until a good idea comes to you. To avoid worrying about the time, set an alarm on your phone to signal the 30 minute mark.

    Remove limitations. Remove the limitations that may be hindering your brainstorming progress by approaching the subject as if there were no obstacles. While this process may not yield feasible solutions right away, it will open your mind to possibilities you would not look at otherwise. For instance, when planning a surprise party, you might overlook certain venues because of financial constraints, such as an expensive French restaurant that your friend would love to try. By allowing your mind to go there during brainstorming, you might get the idea to simulate the restaurant and meal for a house party.

    Discuss things in a group. Group brainstorming sessions can allow you to develop your thoughts by feeding off of the ideas of others. If you are working on a group project or collaboration, schedule brainstorming time in a quiet location with no disturbance. If you are working on your own project, ask friends or colleagues if you can bounce ideas off of them and get their input.

    World records can be set even if you are over 100 years old. Robert Marchand was born in 1911 in northern France. He enjoys riding a bicycle, and started cycling seriously when he was in his 60s. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    On Wednesday, a crowd gathered at the Velodrome National, about 30 kilometers outside of Paris. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The record for one hour is held by Britain's Bradley Wiggins, a former Tour de France winner. Wiggins covered 54.5 kilometers in 2015.Evelyn Stevens of the United States holds the women's record. She went almost 48 kilometers in an hour last year. In 2012, Marchand set a record for riders over 100 years old when he traveled almost 27 kilometers in an hour. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Marchand set off on his record attempt as sports lovers cheered and photographers watched. He moved slowly, but steadily, around the cycling track.

    Marchand is relatively small.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When the hour ended, he completed 92 times around the track. That is just over 22.5 kilometers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He did not see his trainers telling him he only had 10 minutes remaining.“ I would have gone faster. I would have posted a better time,” he said. But the news was still good, as he did set a new record for riders 105-years-old or older.

“I'm now waiting for a rival,” he said.

A. Marchand is now 105 years old.

B. Marchand does well in riding a bicycle.

C. They were there to see how far he could travel in one hour.

D. They knew Marchand could travel over 22.5 kilometers.

E. He is only 1.52 meters tall and weighs 52 kilograms.

F. After the event, Marchand said he could have done better.

G.So the question many people asked this week was: “Could he break his own record?”