How to Care for Your Ears?

    Ears not only let us hear, but they also play a role in maintaining our balance, which is vital to our ability to function in daily life. Yet, we ignore them. We can't even see our ears, except in a mirror. We take it for granted what they do for us day in and day out—until we notice something wrong, such as when an earache strikes or when we start having to ask people to repeat what they say.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ◆Clean your ear with a washcloth—covered finger only.

     Never put anything inside your ear canal, including cotton swabs(药签).{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ◆Leave earwax（耳垢）alone.

    Wax is your ear's way of eliminating（消除）anything foreign that gets into the ear canal.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you find you have too much earwax, use a few drops of earwax remover in the canal. After a few minutes, wash the ear with warm water.

    ◆Avoid noisy places.

    Rock concerts and construction sites are just a few places that frequently have noise levels that can damage hearing. Any place where you have to shout to be heard should be avoided.

    ◆{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be careful not to play MP3 too loud, especially if using earphone.

    ◆Be careful with illness and medications.

    Respiratory（呼吸的）illnesses should be treated to avoid their spread to the ears. Certain medications can damage hearing, so follow the directions carefully before taking them.

    See your doctor if you suffer from sudden hearing loss or hear noises in your head.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Turn the volume(音量) down.

B. Avoid using earphones while listening to MP3.

C. In such case, go to see a doctor as soon as possible.

D. This article will show you how to care for your ears.

E. Most people don't need to clean wax out of their ears.

F. Your ear canal is very narrow and a swab can damage it.

G. These can be symptoms of a serious illness which needs to be treated.

    Life is short. It may feel as if it takes forever sometimes, but the reality is that you live, and a short time later, you die. It happens so quickly that many people don't even realize they had a life until it's already over.

    ⒈{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    If you don't believe in yourself, nobody will. Success starts in your mind, and if all you're doing is putting yourself down and predicting failure, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy(预言){#blank#}2{#/blank#}instead of not believing yourself. Not only will you be happier and more successful, you'll also spread it to everyone around you.

    ⒉Stop Being Lazy

    Lazy people are annoying—it's like pulling teeth and getting them to do anything. If I can't do something as simple as going to the movies with you without wasting an hour convincing you to get your lazy butt (臀部) out of bed, I'd rather go alone. People have enough trouble motivating themselves{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⒊Stop Wasting Time

    I've said it before. And I'll say it again{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't waste your time on unproductive things. If you want to explore the World's dark corners, that's great. I still associate with people who have not-so-kosher(没有固定工作的) careers, but I don't hang out with those people at the expense of my own short- and long-term goals.

    ⒋Stop Being Wasteful

    You don't finish your meals, and throw away food instead. You leave the faucet running when you brush your teeth,

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You drive to places you could easily walk to, burning gasoline (a non-renewable resource). You are wasteful, and it needs to stop.

A. Think positively

B. wasting is a shame

C. Stop Being Selfish

D. Stop Doubting Yourself

E. pouring precious clean water down

F. Time is the most valuable resource we have

G. don't make your friends and family waste their energy motivating you as well

    Do you know what a big dream is? Does a big dream show one's future? Or, is a big dream something that provides only entertainment? Children dream big dreams, but there are three barriers to realizing dreams{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

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 voice inside of people is the ego（自我）.It's there for protecting and should be listened to. Sometimes it is right, but more often it is wrong{#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's why only a handful of people make their dream come true

Family and friends

    Family and friends are a lot the ego.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 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 those left behind.

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    If one gets past the first two barriers, one has to face the world. It is the last and the most terrible barrier. 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 {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When children feel confident and then try their best, 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. They simply fail until they succeed

A. The world

B. The future

C. Most people are influenced by it

D. They want to protect those they love

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

F. They often kill them before they ever have a chance to grow

G. The way to realize a big dream is with confidence and action

    Does this situation seem familiar to you？Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, and you are speaking quite fluently.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com.The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.

    Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated(受阻) by limited understanding.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Here is some of the advice I give my students：

    Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

    Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.

    Do not translate everything into your native language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't concentrate on details before you have understood the main ideas.

    Listen to something you enjoy.

    I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn't understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Firstly, translating creates a barrier between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that even if I didn't pay much attention I could usually understand what the speaker had said.

A．Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts.

B．But listening is a problem for most of the beginners.

C．But you can't follow a native English speaker at all!

D.  However, after several weeks, I got used to the new environment in Germany.

E．So, what you need to do is to find listening resources.

F．What should you do?

G．Listen for the general idea of the conversation.

    Why Stand in Line on Black Friday?

    Standing in line is a pain. At the post office. At the box office. At a restaurant.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The first spot outside some Best Buy stores is usually claimed (认领) weeks in advance, often by a person in a tent. Shoppers at Walmart will print out maps of the store, with circles around their primary targets.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    "These queues are quite different than the usual annoying ones we come across day to day at the ATM or in the subway," said Richard Larson, a professor at MIT who has spent years studying line behavior. "Once a year," he said, "the lines are exciting. They're the kind you might tell your grandchildren about."{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Billie LeClere, 45, was first in line on Thursday at Walmart in Manchester, Iowa. She said she was a regular Black Friday shopper. But this year, she came with a specific purpose: to get a good deal on a new TV. She and her husband had recently separated, and he had taken the old TV earlier that day. "The marriage died, not the TV," she said.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} "It's going to be nice to have something that's newer-and it's mine, not his."

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The following are two of the typical results. The "gotta have it" atmosphere makes people more anxious. Sometimes the behaviour of the queue turns violent. Therefore，lines test patience，personal space especially on Black Friday, when the crowds can be overwhelming (势不可挡的).

A. Shoppers are excited to buy gifts.

B. But on Black Friday, it's an experience.

C. Moreover, the crowds are queuing for good deals.

D. Many families are queuing to chat with each other.

E. The experience gave her a sense of accomplishment.

F. They are trying to turn the experience into an adventure.

G. The behaviour of people in lines has inspired decades of research.

    A lot of parents help their kids do homework and study for school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    A photographer in India's Bihar state took a photo of dozens of parents risking their lives to help their 10th-graders cheat on tests. The parents climbed the walls of a four-story school to throw cheat sheets through the window for their children.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} About 600 students were expelled (开除) from the school. And police have detained (拘留) more than 1, 000 people connected with the scandal (丑闻).

    The tests the Bihar students were taking are called board exams. These exams help determine who will be considered the top students in each class. India's best university will take only students with a 95 percent score or better. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Students who make it into India's top universities have a much better chance of getting well-paid jobs. They can help their families by becoming doctors or engineers. Many of the students who don't pursue (追求) these kinds of careers have a much more difficult time making money.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} About 30 percent of its citizens are considered poor. In many parts of the country, a family of five might struggle to survive on as little as $80 a month. For students who do well, the exams can be a life-changing event for their families.

    Few believe the Bihar incident will stop people from cheating on exams. Many students think that because others are cheating, they also have to cheat to keep up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Officials believe that new laws and policies will help only so much. To stop cheating, they say, people need to change their attitudes toward it.