Ireland now has one of the best education systems in the world. Class sizes are small, exam results are good and most children are happy to stay at school after the minimum(最低的) leaving age of sixteen. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For years, Ireland had one of the most complicated(复杂的) education systems in the world. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Classes were large and the teaching was very traditional. As in many countries, teachers used to hit the children if they made mistakes. Fortunately, the punishment was not allowed in 1982.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} As a result, there were schools for the rich and schools for the poor. Boys and girls went to different schools. Nowadays, most schools are free and only about half the schools are either for girls or boys. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Girls do better than boys in their exams; more girls go to university and most teachers are women.

    At the end of secondary school, students take their final exams. Compulsory(必修的)subjects are maths, Irish and English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some of these, like business organization, help to prepare them for the world of work. This is very different from the past when Latin and Greek used to be the most important subjects.

A. In many ways, education is now a woman's world.

B. Parents used to pay for their children's education.

C. In addition, they must choose two or three extra subjects.

D. Public schools in Ireland are not run by the government.

E. It is easy to forget that the picture used to be very different.

F. Here, children do not learn any subjects but some basic skills.

G. There were many different kinds of school, but most of them had a lot in common.

    How did you learn how to ride your bike? Someone probably gave you a few lessons and then you practiced a lot.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} No one is born to know how to study. You need to learn a few study skills and then practice them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do you have trouble paying attention in class? Are you sitting next to a loud person? Is it hard to see the board? Make sure you're sitting in a good seat that lets you pay attention. Tell your teacher or parents about any problems that are preventing you from paying attention and taking good notes.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.Waiting until Thursday night to study for Friday's test will make a homework night no fun! It also makes it hard to do your best. We're all guilty of putting things off sometimes. One of the best ways to make sure that doesn't happen is to plan ahead.

    Break it up! When there's a lot to study, it can help to break things into chunks(大块). Let's say you have a test on 20 spelling words. Instead of thinking about all of the words at once, try breaking them down into a five-word chunks and working on one or two different chunks each night.

    Ask for help. You can't study effectively if you don't understand the material.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can check yourself by reading through your notes. Does it all make sense? If not, ask your teacher to go over it with you.

    Get a good night's sleep. So the test is tomorrow and you've followed your study plan—but suddenly you can't remember anything, not even 2+2! Don't worry. Your brain needs time to digest(消化) all the information you've given it. Try to get a good night's sleep.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Plan ahead for tests and projects.

B. Study regularly instead of just the night before.

C. You can learn how to study in much the same way.

D. You'll be surprised by what comes back to you in the morning.

E. If you're studying math or science, do some practice problems.

F. Be sure to ask your teacher for help if you're confused about something.

G. Good studying starts in class.

    With 17 million residents and 23 million bicycles, the Netherlands already has more bikes than people.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    The Dutch government recently announced that it will invest $ 390 million in cycling infrastructure to get 200, 000 more people commuting(通勤)by bike in three years time. Fifteen routes will be developed into “cyclist freeways”, 25, 000 bike parking spaces will be created and more than 60 bike storage facilities will be upgraded.

    “{#blank#}2{#/blank#},”says Stientje van Veldhoven, state secretary for that department, who is spearheading the project.

    It's not that people aren't already cycling in the Netherlands. In 2016, over a quarter of all trips made by Dutch residents were by bike. But only 25％of those trips were work—related, compared to 37％which were made for leisure. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    According to van Veldhoven, more than 50％of people in the Netherlands live less than 15 kilometers from work, and more than half of commuters car trips are under 7.5 kilometers long—a distance that “can easily be covered by bike, ”she says.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The Netherlands currently rewards commuting cyclists with tax credits of $0.22 per kilometer. Companies and employees would agree on the distance of a person's cycling route.

    However, this is currently a little—known benefit not supported by many employers, according to the infrastructure ministry. That's something the government is hoping to change by better promoting the scheme and getting more companies on board. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The government is urging employers to provide better facilities for commuting cyclists, such as showers at the office, according to the ministry.

A. The rest were for school, shopping, or other activities

B. To get people to ditch their cars, money is being laid on the table

C. Now, it wants to get even more cyclists on the roads—and will pay people to do it

D. Today the Netherlands is known for its cycling culture, but that hasn't always been the case

E. My ambition is to ensure that people can easily get to work or school, or visit family and friends

F. The Netherlands is now one of the few countries that takes cycling seriously as a mode of transportation

G. There are already 11 major employers in the Netherlands committing to measures such as financing employees' bikes

How to enjoy school

    School is a great place where you are always occupied in expanding your knowledge and further improving yourself. But School doesn't have to be a prison.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Learn some concrete strategies to help you enjoy your school life, making friends and keeping it fun.

    Cheer yourself up each day. You could wake up each morning with a bad attitude and each Corning will turn into a bad day. Or you could listen to some energetic tunes, eat a breakfast to your taste and make your school day pleasant. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If it makes you happier and more comfortable with your environment, try decorating your schoolbags, notebook, locker, and other supplies necessary' for school. Use stickers, colorful pens or other stuff to make your school things a little more fun to carry around with you.

    Join an afterschool club. It's a great way to make friends by joining a formal club or group at your school. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Check out the options offered at your school and consider joining one that lines up with your hobbies.

    Avoid distractions. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But it also risks getting you into trouble, and forcing you to fall behind when you're not paying attention. It may not seem like it, but the best way to enjoy the lessons is to listen more closely, not find ways to distract yourself.

A. Purchase things to make you feel happy.

B. Personalize your school belongings.

C. It might seem fun hiding an iPhone in your sweatshirt at school.

D. For instance, you could join the music lovers or chess players.

E. If you decide that your day will be fun, it likely will be.

F. Join a club that you have little interest in to meet someone you might not meet normally.

G. Whether you find school difficult, boring, or stressful, you can try to make it easier.

    The best way to set yourself up for success is to make sure that your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

    Make your goals specific.

    You need to give yourself a concrete goal so you know exactly what you're working toward. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Who will be involved in helping you reach your goal? What exact goal do you want to accomplish? Be very specific. When will you start and when will you reach your goal?

    Make your goals measurable.

    Now that you have some of the specifics of your goal nailed down, it's time to look at how you will measure your progress. After all, if you don't have any way to measure your goal, how will you know when you've reached it? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some examples of measurable goals might be pounds lost, a positive change in blood work numbers, or fitness minutes accumulated.

    Make your goals attainable.

    It's good to think big. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A goal that's attainable for you is one that you believe you can reach and have all the support, equipment, knowledge and resources needed to put your goals into action.

    Make your goals relevant.

    You need to make sure that you're choosing a goal that fits you and your lifestyle. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Pick something that is meaningful and relevant to you and you'll set yourself up for success.

    Make your goals timely.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise, it will be difficult to know how to pace yourself to reach it. Every goal should have a date, which will help you stay on track. In addition, set up a few mini-deadlines to keep you on track to reaching your big-picture goal.

    You might think that simple things like saying hello and goodbye are the same in every culture. Think again!

    Shaking hands to say hello or goodbye was a Western custom (风俗) at first. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Traditionally, the Chinese custom for greeting was to hold one's hands together and nod their head a little.

    Japanese people greet each other by bowing (鞠躬). When greeting an older or more important person, it is usual to bow lower and for longer. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But only men did it.

    People in European countries such as Italy often greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks (脸颊). Even men greet each other like this. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Eskimos, a group of people living in the very cold northern areas of North America, greet each other by lightly rubbing (摩擦) their noses together. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Often, Eskimos only leave their eyes and noses uncovered. And the rest of their bodies are covered with warm clothing and their hands with gloves.

    When you're not sure what the customs are in a new country, there's one greeting that is the same all over the world: a smile. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}