The beginning of a new year finds many people making New Year's resolutions. Though they are easy to make, few people stay true to them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} , it's a new year and many want to turn over a {#blank#}2{#/blank#} leaf.
If you're one of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , you'll be more successful if you make SMART goals! Each goal should be:
Specific. Don't say you want to lose some {#blank#}4{#/blank#} , read more or exercise. Decide how much weight to lose, how many books to read, or how many times a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} to exercise.
Measurable(可衡量的). Weigh yourself daily, count the number of books you read {#blank#}6{#/blank#} , and make notes of how many times you exercise each week.
Attainable(可达成的). Don't set impossible goals. For example, don't make promise to lose 10 kilograms in a week. Or if you have just {#blank#}7{#/blank#} running, realize you won't be running a long-distance race in a month.
Relevant(相关的). If you love history, you probably {#blank#}8{#/blank#} read eight books a month about science. You won't stick with it if the subject isn't {#blank#}9{#/blank#} .
Timely. Set deadlines. How long will you {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to read a book?A new year is about starting over— so start now!

    One day, Alex, I and a group of other children had a game of football on {#blank#}1{#/blank#}way to school. One of the older {#blank#}2{#/blank#} pushed me and I fell over and tore (扯破) my jeans that I had to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} home to change. I arrived very late for school that day. I thought I'd get into trouble about it, but nothing {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. After class, the teacher talked about it with me and told me to be {#blank#}5{#/blank#} in the future. I asked how he knew about it. He said, "Alex told me what had happened." That afternoon I walked home with Alex and thanked him. I knew he was a true friend. 

    Next time you're in a public place, take a look around you. And {#blank#}1{#/blank#} how many people are using their phones. I can tell you now that it is probably more than half, whether you're on a bus, in a car 6 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  simply walking down the street.

    I'm not saying that I am not an example of this, but it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} mazes (使惊愕) me how people can spend so much time on their phones without {#blank#}4{#/blank#} to others. Has it gone too far?

     Recently, my smart phone broke and had to be  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} off for repair for a week or so. I had to use a really old, basic phone just to keep me in touch with my family and {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. All I could do on this phone was to send text messages, make calls and play one game. And I loved it. I loved being {#blank#}7{#/blank#} from the Internet, and I really didn't mind not having updates (更新) about what my friends were doing. It allowed {#blank#}8{#/blank#} to spend more time enjoying my time in London and watching the people {#blank#}9{#/blank#}  me and really see what was going on.

     However, I knew that as soon as I got my smart phone back I would be one of those {#blank#}10{#/blank#} once again. Perhaps I should just go back to using the basic phone and forget I ever got my smart phone back.

    In Chinese culture, it is believed that people who have fair(浅色的)skin(皮肤)are more beautiful. In western culture, however, the opposite is true—many westerners think tanned skin is prettier. It {#blank#}1{#/blank#} that different cultures have different ideas of what they think is beautiful.

    These cultural meanings of beauty, however, are no {#blank#}2{#/blank#} important. As more and more people travel overseas, ideas about beauty are being shared among cultures. The Internet has also made it easier for people to share different types of beauty {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people are always posting pictures on social media. With the help of the Internet, people's views about beauty are always {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. People are now able to {#blank#}5{#/blank#} borrow ideas from other cultures to help them stand out. So what new fashions can we expect to see in the future?

Katie: How was the welcome party for foreign students last night？

John: Great! I made some new friends. But a funny thing {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

Katie: What？

John: I met a Japanese boy{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sato, and as soon as held out my hand, he bowed.

Katie: That's how people in Japan are expected to greet each other. It's {#blank#}3{#/blank#} if you don't bow.

John: I didn't know that. So I just stood there with my hand out. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, I returned the bow.

Katie: I remember when I first met Marie last year, I did the same thing. I held out my hand and to my surprise, she kissed me on both {#blank#}5{#/blank#}of my face!

John: I wouldn't mind that!

Katie: Very funny. Later I found out French people are supposed to kiss when they see each other.

    One million copies of the seven comic strips describing Mandela's life were published in South Africa. That was a part of events celebrating his birthday on July 18.

    South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela became a comic strip hero at once. "This project aims at encouraging young people to read," his{#blank#}1{#/blank#}foundation (基金会) said.

    "We express the{#blank#}2{#/blank#}and the values of Mr Mandela through comics," added John Samuel, chief executive(决策者) of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, "Comics are a very useful way of bringing young people into reading.”

    "Comics,{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, are a very powerful way to introduce literature(文学)，various aspects of reading to young people. And this is our purpose here," he told a news conference.

    Some people{#blank#}4{#/blank#}that Mr Mandela should not be a comic figure. "It would take a lot more than comics to demean his stature (贬低他的声望)," said Samuel.