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 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.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical exercise, and has a healthy weight. There are a lot of discussions these days about fit kids.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    1).Eat a variety of foods. You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Taste new foods and old ones you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green vegetables,  are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day-two fruits and three vegetables.

    2).Listen to your body. What does it feel like to be full? When you're eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    And over a period of time, overeating can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

    3).{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games, and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding and swimming.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    These rules aren't magic.

    However, follow them most of the time and you can become a fit kid sooner or later.

A. Limit screen time.

B. If you're a kid who wants to be fit, here are three rules to live by.

C. Drink water and milk.

D. Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly.

E. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable.

F. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs.

G. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time.

Gardening 380 Kilometers above Earth

    Astronauts have to go through physical, psychological, and technical training. They also go through training in how to care for plants. These “astronaut gardeners” share their work and living space with plants.

    Taking seeds and plants along on a trip isn't a new idea. As space trips become longer, it will be necessary to grow food in space. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Because of this, it's not practical to send everything needed for a long journey, only to be used once and thrown away.

    Plants can serve many uses on a space journey. They can provide more fresh things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Also, plants can help to make air quality better because they produce oxygen. They can improve the quality of the air inside the spacecraft—the only air the astronauts can breathe.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Due to the lack of gravity in space, the oxygen that the plants produce stays around the plants. This can actually kill them, so fans are needed to circulate the air. Without gravity, roots don't “know” to grow down, leaves don't “know” to grow up, and water doesn't easily travel up the roots to the leaves. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Besides, soil is too heavy to send to space, and special liquid gels (胶) are used to help plant growth.

    Scientists are also working on the plants themselves. They are trying to make plants grow more rapidly and grow with less water and light in space, and they are looking for ways to make plants more resistant to disease. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Imagine that deserts may one day provide lots of fresh food for local people, saving transportation costs. Similarly, plants that are resistant to disease could provide an important food supply. With the world's population now at seven billion (十亿) people, our astronaut gardeners may help discover ways to feed those billions.

A. Every plant grown in space must have several uses.

B. However, there are challenges with growing plants in space.

C. Such methods may result in improvements back here on Earth.

D. The cost of taking anything into space is about $22,000 per kilogram.

E. Specialized containers are being developed to help the plants grow correctly.

F. Astronauts will welcome the addition of fruits and vegetables to their diet of dry foods.

G. Currently all oxygen is taken aboard in tanks and then caught again so it can be reused.

    Do you want to be at the top of your class？Add these tips to your life and you should be on your way to being a top student!

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I cannot stress enough how important it is to pay attention to what your teacher is teaching you. Take part in class discussions if you have something worthwhile to add. Pay attention during class，especially during lectures.

    Taking notes is important. You don't need to write down every word your teacher says but write down what he/she writes on the board，or any special fact you think you might need for a test.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} This way it will help you learn more effectively by actually thinking about what you are writing.

    Don't skip school. You will missing out on stuff.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}However，you will have more work because you have missed lectures and in-class movies. Also，try not to be late for class. It's most likely that your teachers won't appreciate it and you will get yourself behind.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have an "I don't care about school or this class" attitude，then teachers will be less willing to help you with problems or offer you extra credit(学分).The same goes for lazy attitude. Have a respectful attitude to the teacher and other students. Try not to laugh when other students make a mistake.

    Always ask questions.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you don't understand，ask someone. Read your textbook and notes，and then if that fails，seek help. Ask a teacher，friend，classmate，parent, ect. Get a tutor if you need one.

A. Be prepared.

B. Staying organized will be helpful.

C. Write in your own words.

D. It is true that you could make up the work.

E. Pay attention to everything the teacher says.

F. Keep a good attitude toward things.

G. There is no shame in needing some help.

    Since the 1980s eco-tourism has grown and grown. It is the fastest growing type of tourism.

    If done well, eco-tourism has several advantages. It is kinder to the environment. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This means that more natural habitat is protected and that the resources for building come from sustainable (可持续的) sources. Another advantage is that people in the developed world through eco-tourism get to experience places of great natural importance as well as communicating with local people. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    However, there are some disadvantages of eco-tourism. It is felt by some environmentalists that any human activity will cause disorder in the routine of animals. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Another problem for local people is that they are expected to pose for cameras and dance etc. for money. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The tourists are destroying the culture that they are paying to protect.

    Eco-tourism tries to go to the places far away from other communities. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}There is nothing stopping people taking money from tourists as well as doing environmentally unfriendly activities.

    It seems that the disadvantages often outweigh the advantages of eco-tourism. It might be better to take pictures of animals rather than kill animals, but given the choice the animals would sooner not have people around. It seems whether eco-tourism should be allowed should be judged case-by-case, and that the local people must be considered.

A. These places are often not well policed.

B. People walking through the forest may do much harm.

C. And these activities will also damage the eco-system.

D. It seldom ends people to untouched parts of the world.

E. This is good for both parties: they both can better understand each other.

F. And it encourages developers to consider the natural environment more.

G. It discourages the local people from pursuing their traditional life styles.

Should I live in the city or the suburbs?

    There are three different kinds of areas you can live in: urban, suburban, and rural. You can describe living in a rural area as living out in the sticks or the county. This type of living is seen as idyllic (田园生活的) for those seeking reprieve (暂时缓解) from crowds. Rural areas generally have small, self-sustaining populations.

    Urban living is city living: active nightlife, full of noise, sophisticated public transit system and sometimes small and expensive city apartments. Urban areas tend to be densely (密集地) populated and have more intense traffic and pollution as a result.

    For those seeking an intermediary between urban and rural living, the suburbs might be just the thing. Suburbs are large residential areas away from the core of town yet close enough to the city center.

    Can you afford to live in the city?

    Choosing whether to live in the city or the suburbs is often a matter of budget — where can you afford to live? By and large, living in the city is more expensive than living in the suburbs, though that's not always the case. For instance, in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and a few other cities, suburban living is not always better on your wallet.

    Your lifestyle influences your happiness in the city or suburbs.

    For someone who enjoys five-star restaurants, vibrant (充满活力的) nightlife, and fast-paced living, residing in an urban hub is a dream come true. On the other hand, if you find crowds and tons of noise unbearable, then a large city might feel like purgatory (炼狱).

    Your lifestyle is one of the primary considerations in deciding where you ought to live. If you are into fishing, hiking, and spending time outdoors, then realize that you may have to drive several hours to enjoy your hobbies if you choose city living.

Is your career better suited for the city or suburbs?

    Your career should also strongly influence your choice about whether to live in the city or in the suburbs. For example, if your job is in landscape, you might find it difficult to find work in the city because there is not a high demand for landscape artists. The fact of the matter is that most city homes don't have large yards with grass to cut, and competition for landscaping contracts is probably fierce. Similarly, a business executive (主管) may find that the suburbs do not offer the convenience afforded by city living.

    The debate of whether to live in the suburbs or the city is long lasting and never-ending. When it all boils down to it, it is a matter of preference and budget, so go with your gut (决心) and you'll make the right choice.