Summer is the perfect time to gather with friends and share good food. You may want to set a pretty table and create a welcoming atmosphere, but without spending weeks preparing for the big night. Follow these steps for a stylish summer party.

    Choose a color plan

    The season itself can inspire the color plan, such as nature-inspired hues like ocean blues and grassy greens. One item may also inspire the rest of the party, such as these napkins{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Use cotton for table cloth

    Instead of searching for just the right table cloth, head to your local cotton store where the options are endless{#blank#}2{#/blank#} No problem! Use pinking shears(花齿剪)to cut your table cloth and napkins to size.

    Bring the inside out

    Summer design tips often include the saying, “Bring the Outside In.” Well, for outdoor summer entertaining, bring the inside out! Get outside for your summer gathering{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Create a welcoming environment by brining décor items inside your home out to your event.

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    No summer party is complete without greenery. Choosing an all-green for your centerpieces provides the casual feel of summer. Grocery store Eucalyptus sprigs create the perfect summer centerpiece, but something form your yrd works just as well!

    Create simple and stylish place cards

    Place cards make you guests feel welcome, but you do not want to spend all day making complex name labels! Instead, choose a thick paper that fits your color plan. Cut a 4-inch square and fold it in half{#blank#}5{#/blank#} .

Now the table is set, the lounge is ready, and all that's left for you to do is enjoy your guests!

A. Does it look beautiful after designing

B. Use green plants instead of flowers

C. Don't have time or know how to sew

D. Write each person's name in gold paint pen

E. Go to a nearby store to buy some green plants

F. Once you make a decision, begin gathering your items

G. There is something magical about entertaining out in nature

Plan a Budget-Friendly Summer Vacation

    It's never too early to start thinking about your summer vacation. Deciding where to go and what attractions to see can actually be a fun and exciting part of the experience—particularly when you find ways to save your travel dollar. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Rethink your “summer vacation”.

    If your summer vacation window is wide open, why not skip July and August? The flights and accommodations are about 25% cheaper in the spring or early fall. If you must travel during the busy season, you can still save by being flexible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Flying out on a Tuesday instead of a Friday could save you a bit of money, and flying in the afternoon will likely be cheaper than a morning flight.

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    It's always in your best interest to book your summer vacation early. If you plan on flying to your destination, for example, it will be much easier to find seats on your preferred flights if you book in March than if you were to wait until the last minute. The same applies to hotels, where prices are based on supply and demand.

    Use the right websites.

    There are a lot of websites competing for your travel dollar. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, when you make five reservations with Booking.com, you can have access to their “Genius Program” which gives you 10% off as well as early check-in and late check-out.

    Consider a tour.

    With so many places to see and things to do, planning a trip can wear you out quickly. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Seasoned tour operators, such as Trafalgar, take the stress out of travel so all you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself. More importantly, a guided vacation represents a significant saving.

Third-Culture Kids

    Did you grow up in one culture, your parents came from another, and you are now living in a totally different country? If so, then you are a third-culture kid!

    The term “third-culture kid” (or TCK) was coined in the 1960s by Dr. Ruth. She first came across this phenomenon when she researched North American children living in India. Caught between two cultures, they form their very own. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} About 90 percent of them have a university degree, while 40 percent pursue a postgraduate or doctor degree. They usually benefit from their intercultural experience, which helps them to grow into successful academics and professionals.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In fact many hardships may arise from this phenomenon. A third-culture kid may not be able to adapt themselves completely to their new surroundings as expected. Instead, they may always remain an outsider in different host cultures. Max, for example, experienced this fundamental feeling of strangeness throughout his life as a third-culture kid.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} While this can be a way to create a network of friends all around the world, it can be difficult for a third-culture kid like Max to maintain close friendships and relationships.

    For a third-culture kid, it is often easier to move to a new foreign country than to return to their “home” country. After living in Australia and South Korea for many years, Louis finally returned to Turkey as a teenager. But she felt out of place when she returned to the country where she was born. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She did not share the same values as her friends' even years after going back home.

    While a third-culture kid must let go of their identity as foreigner when he/she returns, the home country can prove to be more foreign than anything he/she came across before. The peer group they face does not match the idealized image children have of “home”.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    As a part of the growing “culture”, TCKs may find it a great challenge for them to feel at home in many places.

A. Yet being a third-culture kid is not always easy.

B. In general, they often reach excellent academic results.

C. This often makes it hard for them to form their own identity.

D. However, their parents can help them see the opportunities of a mobile lifestyle.

E. Their experience abroad helps them to gain a better understanding of cultural differences.

F. Unlike other teens of her age, she didn't know anything about current TV shows or fashion trends.

G. Additionally, making new friends and saying goodbye to old ones will at some point become routine for a third-culture kid.

    Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective (选择性的）process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

A. Use words, not complete sentences.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. You must write your notes on separate paper.

D. As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记),like symbols..

E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

    Zoey admits it was a little sad saying goodbye to her fish. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Zoey's class at Hawthorne Elementary School spent most of the school year raising the fish from time they were nothing more than little eggs with eyes.

    The program the Hawthorne kids took part in is called" Trout in the classroom". {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The kids at Wilson Middle School in Fishersville took part in the project, too.

    "I got to feed them every morning and watch them grow up," said seventh-grader Lauren Clayton. We have to protect them, or some of the fish could go extinct." Lauren was right. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But later, pollution, overfishing and loss of natural habitat have pushed some species to the danger of extinction.

    Thanks to the kids in the program, trout are being reintroduced into rivers and streams across the country. And by doing that, the kids are helping to restore there local ecosystems—the natural balance that existed before human disturbed it,

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Because the fish are in their classrooms, the kids are responsible for making sure there is cool, clean water, proper food and proper living conditions in the tanks.

    By the middle of May, they were "as big as a finger." That is, they are old enough to be released into Oneida Creek." Remember to swim back here to meet us and eat the food we bring little trout". {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Sports performance can be influenced by many different things. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    There are many physical factors(因素)that play a part in sports performance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The natural talent and strength of the players will make a difference. Also, it is important to get enough sleep before you are in a sports event. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eating good meals is also important. When you are hungry, you cannot perform the same. You might be thinking about food when you should be thinking about the game.

    Of course, the more a team or a player practices, the more likely they are to perform well. The same person with the same physical abilities might just become better as he practices.

    Researching your competitor can matter a lot in sports performance. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses can help you adjust how you play to give yourself a better performance against them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you can figure out where to hit the ball in tennis that would confuse your competitor, for example, then this can help you score points.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If someone is very pessimistic about a game, for example, and is sure that he will lose, then he might increase his chances of doing so. If he is very nervous then he might be thinking about that instead of focusing on the game. If he is focused then he might do better, achieving what he didn't even realize he could. His confidence can also affect how the other team views him.

A. It is important to be aware of these factors.

B. It is necessary to get to know your competitor and yourself.

C. Also, there are ways to play something smartly and do better.

D. If you are tired, you may not perform as you normally would. ools1

E. If you have practiced enough to keep fit, you should have a rest.

F. If someone is in good shape, then of course he will perform better.

G. There are many psychological factors that can play a part in how well you perform.