Dear editor,

    Several days ago, I heard that a dear friend of mine had killed herself. I was deep in sorrow by the sudden news. I can't keep calm any longer.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Life is so precious. If we can slip into death in an impulsive (冲动的) moment, what use in all our efforts and hopes? Our families, our ambitions, everything is thrown into total darkness. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of. young people. Reasons may vary from person to person, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    First, today's young people are morally weak. They hunger for success but can not face failure; they are eager to be understood but afraid of opening their hearts to others. They live in a wide world, from east to west, ancient to present, but their hearts beat in a narrow desert, closed tight, unable to communicate, Each becomes an isolated fortress(孤堡), lonely, and weak.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} As a young teacher, she was devoted to her work but was disappointed with her students' occasional failures. She fell in love with a colleague but he deserted her. With no friends, disappointed at. work and in love, death seemed to her the only remaining choice and she took it.

    Another reason for the weakness of today's youth, in my opinion, comes from society's pressures. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}On the other hand, society refuses to accept that children sometimes do fail. But failure is more important because it can teach the young how to win next time.

    What can we do to save the desperate young?

A. I'm always thinking about life and death

B. yet I think they share something in common

C. The young are forced to try too hard to succeed

D. My friend is a good example of that

E. And death allows no time for regret

F. people love success and are afraid of failure

G. failure is the mother of success

    You probably think that you are already efficient and skilled in what you are doing, and perhaps you are right.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Improvement is indeed very important because it keeps you longing for success, and it is what prevents you from tiring. So, make the best of who you are, and use these practical tips.

    Spare a few minutes a day to learn new things.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You may consider reading blogs, magazines, or trade journals that can enrich your know ledge about your field. No matter what you do, though, make sure it is something beneficial to your professional growth.

    Learn to pay close attention to detail. It is a fact that once people have become accustomed to their regular tasks, they rarely check the details about certain aspects in their job.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Get inspired and start working on your disadvantages. You should be able to pay more attention to your performance in the job, and find ways to improve yourself. If you find yourself quite emotional or stressed out, then may be what you need is an inspiration.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}By doing so, you can continue improvement and eventually become much better at this task.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}This step may seem very simple, yet it can get quite challenging to find people who are excellent and have a good reputation in your company. Once you have found these inspiring people, you should try to cooperate with them more often and complete a project that could do wonders to your organization and your personal growth.

A. Give yourself a break,

B. However, you may not be the best you can possibly be.

C. Be with the right people and always try to improve yourself.

D. If so, you're not living the abundant life that God intends for you to live.

E. You may consider looking at great work and performance for some inspiration.

F. It is important that you devote plenty of your time to learning and researching.

G. Unfortunately, this may lead to misunderstanding and negative consequences.

Tips for Upcoming Senior Two

    People often describe Senior Two as a year with "much more homework, more frequent exams and more fierce competitions". {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Manage your time carefully and make full use of it.

    Try to study not hard but efficiently. Make a to-do-list for your time after school. Don't just spend quite a long time on only one subject.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Remember to take breaks when you feel exhausted.

    ⒉Treat Competition in Class in a right way.

   Don't treat your classmates as potential(潜在的)enemies. Competition cannot be avoided, but everyone wants to study and live in a friendly environment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}By helping others solve problems, you inspire others, enrich your own knowledge and gain lasting friendship.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Don't let your former rankings limit you. What really matters is how you treat exams and ranking. Forget the class ranking or grade rankings, but compete with yourself. In a while, you will see yourself climbing in scores and rankings.

    All in all, the coming new school year is sure to be full of challenges. Too much worry only adds to your difficulties in your development. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Wish you the best of luck in the new academic year!

A. Instead, divide the hours into small periods for different subjects

B. Learn for yourself, not for others.

C. If you keep my advice in mind, you will achieve a lot and lead a happy life.

D. Have a right attitude towards your rankings.

E. Good time management skills are very important.

F. So when they turned to you for help, just share your wisdom immediately.

G. When you prepare for the battle, some advice from me may be of help.

How old is “old”?

    How old is “old”? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span(长度) increased to 45. In 1950, 70-year-olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70-year-old is looking forward to many more active years.

    So, how old is old? The answer is one you've heard many times, from all sorts of people. “You are as old (or young) as you feel!” The calendar(日历) simply tells you how many years you have lived. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Once an unknown author wrote,“ {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by giving up their goals.”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City commission for the Aging, said, “It upsets me when people say, 'Gee, you look young for your age!' What does that mean? Is there some model that you're supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80.”

There are many wrong ideas about aging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Here are some of the more common ones. For example, most older people are in poor health, or older people are unable to change.

A. Old is a point of view.

B. It's extremely terrible to be grown old.

C. The answer has changed over the years.

D. Your body tells you how well you've lived.

E. Older people are stubborn, unable to change.

F. Youth is not a time of life but it is a state of mind.

G. These ideas stereotype (固化) people on the basis of age.

    There are some children who love to fly and then there are the kids who are afraid of the unknown. The following tips may help you if you want to travel with your children by plane.

    ●{#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you tell the child he will soon be flying on an airplane and leave it at that, his imagination can turn to fear. Instead, tell him how wonderful it is to fly.

    ●Don't tell children about the dangers of flying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And you can promise him that the plane will not crash.

    ●Read a book to your children. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Reading may also make your children fall asleep.

    ●Bring a comfort thing that your child enjoys. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be sure to bring that blanket along as it will provide a safety net for the child. Having this blanket along may also help him fall asleep. Bring a safe electronic device that shows movies or supports video games, and offers children puzzles.

    ●Bring snacks. Children are picky eaters and may not like the food being offered. Three to five hours can be a long time on an airplane without food. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When they are upset, it is easier to let fear of the unknown take control.

My first career had been related to audiology (听力学)—one that allowed me to work part time while tending my growing family. But when my children grew up and left home, I found myself longing to be outside, not in a soundproof room in the hospital.

    So I began attending classes at the local university, hoping that might lead me to a new career. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "What gave you pleasure as a child?" the counselor (顾问) asked. I thought for a while before responding, "Playing outside in the woods." Our discussion eventually led to a second master's degree, this one in zoology, and the job as a naturalist at a state park. I was 44 years old. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But as I climbed the career ladder, my time in the field disappeared. I was chained to a computer screen. In the back of my mind, the career counselor's question sounded again. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Shortly thereafter, an opportunity presented itself: a 4-month field research project at a university in the Netherlands. I found that field research allowed me to play in the woods again, but with a new purpose.

    At the end of the project, I was invited to participate in the "sandwich" Ph.D. program, in which students do research in their home country while receiving support and instruction in the Netherlands. I was 60 years old. I didn't think that earning a Ph. D. would further my career. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Still, my colleagues raised their eyebrows. "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}" they asked, "It is all about the journey," I responded.

A. What gave you pleasure as a child?

B. I also went to see a career counselor.

C. What do you intend to do with a Ph.D.?

D. But I wanted to follow my new passion.

E. But when it was no longer right, I changed direction.

F. Can you believe you're actually getting paid to have this much fun?

G. And I was delighted to once again experience the joy of being outdoors.