Snow falls in the Earth's extreme North and South throughout the year. However, the heaviest snowfalls have been reported in the mountains of other areas during winter. Snow is even known to fall near the Equator (赤道), but only on the highest mountains.

    Snow contains much less water than rain, but much of the water the world uses comes from snow. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the western United States, mountain snow provides up to seventy-five percent of all surface water supplies.

    Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from winter weather. Fresh snow is made largely of air trapped among the snow crystals (晶体). Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is limited. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The surface of the snow takes in, or absorbs, sound waves. As snow grows older or if there have been strong winds, it can become hard and flat. Then, the snow's surface will help to send back sound waves.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Many people die in traffic accidents on roads covered with snow and ice or from being seriously stuck in the winter storm. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    People may not be able to avoid living in areas where it snows often. However, they can avoid becoming victims of snowstorms. People should stop driving and stay at home until the storm has passed. People living in these areas should carry emergency supplies in their vehicle. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. These include food, emergency medical supplies, and extra clothing to stay warm and dry.

B. Snow also influences the movement of sound waves.

C. Melting snow provides water for rivers, electric power stations and agricultural crops.

D. Mountain snowfall is heavier than that in the South and the North Poles.

E. In many places, streets were blocked; houses fell down and supplies were short.

F. Others die from heart attacks caused by too much physical activity out in the cold.

G. Snow may be beautiful, but it can be deadly.

How to Be Confident

    We are all human and have weaknesses. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren't what you wish they were, that doesn't have to stop you from being confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    *Make a list of special talents you have, or things you do that are good—morally（道德上） or otherwise. It doesn't have to be a specific skill；it can be an approach or an attitude that you hold through life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you very patient with people? Do you always see the humorous side of things? Are you always there for your friends?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you feel strongly about something, speak loudly and clearly and make eye contact with people. People will judge you all the time, and usually they'll misjudge you anyway, so why bother trying to live up to their opinions at all?

    *Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don't abuse your body, don't overload it, and don't deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don't obsess(沉迷). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Those things are only band-aids(权宜之计） and make-up. Confidence comes from within. In order to be confident, you must value yourself and understand that your well-being is important.

    *Improve your posture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't drop your shoulders. Make sure that your back is straight, your shoulders are square, and your chest sticks out slightly (but stay loose, otherwise you'll appear stubborn （固执的）and nervous). Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.

    One morning last week I looked out of my study window and saw that it was a fine day. No, it was a wonderful day: the sun shone down from a sky without even a single cloud. But later that day, hard at work at my desk, I heard a loud noise on the roof. Turning to the window, I saw that the sky was now the color of charcoal. Two minutes later the rain poured, making rivers of water.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's extremely variable. Go ahead with your picnic in the local park by all means, but don't suppose that because the sun is shining now, it will be when you open your pack of sandwiches.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The weather in Britain is not always bad.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is one of the biggest reasons why the British talk so often about the weather. Wherever there are strangers standing or sitting close together, and talk can not be avoided. The conversation focuses on the weather: “Yes, the weather has been good, hasn't it?” or “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

    The unexpected change of the weather is something that every British can agree on.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even those with different opinions on everything else in the world, such as the argument in the UK about membership of the European Union, can talk about the weather without leading to a quarrel.

A. It is just changeable.

B. That makes it a safe topic of conversation.

C. You'd better take an umbrella, just in case.

D. What shocking weather we've been having!

E. Strangers will choose to talk about the weather to break the ice.

F. This story will give you some idea about weather in Britain.

G. Are you going for a picnic?

    Culture means any human behavior that is learned in human society. All of the meaningful parts of a culture are passed on to different generations through tradition or social learning. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Culture exists in agricultural as well as industrialized societies.

    Culture is necessary for the survival and existence of human beings as human beings. Practically everything humans know, think, value, feel, and do is learned through taking part in a sociocultural system.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Here is one of the cases of children growing up apart from human society. In the province of Midnapore in India, the director of a children's home was told by local villagers that there were “ghosts” in the forest. Upon looking into the case, the director found that two children, one about eight years old and the other about six years old, appeared to have been living with a pack of wolves in the forest {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In his diary, the director describes his first view of Kamala (as the older child was named) and Amala (the name given to the younger child):

    Kamal was a terrible-looking being, the head, a big ball of something covering the shoulders.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Their eyes were bright and sharp, unlike human eyes. They were very fond of raw meat and raw milk. Gradually, as they got stronger, they began going on all fours, and afterwards began to run on all fours, just like squirrels.

    Children learn human language in the same way they learn other kinds of human behavior—by taking part in a cultural community.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. From this viewpoint, all human groups have a culture.

B. Close at its heels there came another terrible creature exactly like the first, but smaller in size.

C. Human beings can only develop human abilities by the local people.

D. This statement is well supported by some well-written cases.

E. These children were the ghosts described by the local people.

F. Culture refers only to the high art and classical music of a particular society.

G. They learn a certain human language as well as certain kinds of human behavior through their membership in a certain cultural community.

The Things That Keep Us From Succeeding

    We have always been told not to fear failure because it is essential to success. So we should embrace failure or at least the possibility of failure.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. If you're not reaching the kind of success you imagine, one or more of the following things might well be true of you, too.

    NO.1: You don't have a goal. A lot of time we find ourselves struggling through a day-to-day routine that isn't getting us anywhere because we don't know where we want to go. Sometimes we had goals when we set ourselves on a particular path, but we've changed along the way and those goal s are no longer that important.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, figuring out what your goals are is important.

    NO.2: You don't have a vision. Setting goals is important but isn't enough to drive you to the finish line; it's important, too, to be able to imagine yourself as the achiever of your goals. If goal s are the end result of a journey, your vision is the fuel to get you there.

    NO.3: You don't have a plan. If goals are your destination and a vision is your fuel，your plan is the map to get you there.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The world is full of people with goals they have never accomplished because they didn't have a plan—don't be one of them.

    NO.4: You're too certain or not certain enough. Too much certainty creates inflexibility. If you're sure that your plan is correct, and refuse to accept the possibility of error, you may well find yourself stuck when an unexpected change comes about. However strong your plan and however sure you are of your goals, make room for periodic reassessment.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If you refuse to take a step because you aren't positive that it will move you towards success, you won't make any better progress than if you had no goals at a11.Keep your eyes open and be willing to change, but have faith in yourself, too.

    NO.5: {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Often we close ourselves off from other people not because we're afraid that they will influence us but that we will influence them. We are afraid that our brilliant ideas will be taken up by someone else and no longer be solely ours. So we avoid sharing our passions, and spend our energy jealously guarding our "secret" rather than simply moving forward. In the end，we turn our passions into burdens that are difficult to carry instead of a joy.

A. Whatever the case

B. Whatever the cause

C. You worry about being copied

D. You don't learn from your mistakes

E. At the same time, too little certainty will fail you

F. However, fear isn't the only thing that keeps us from succeeding

G. Without it, you have no idea what immediate steps to take to achieve your goals

    Have you ever realised how much one moment of locking eyes can mean？As one of the best attributes(属性)of human expression, eyes can show a million different emotions in just one look.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}So it's easy to answer why it's good to practise eye contact in your life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}From talking to your teacher to thanking someone, eye contact shows you see the person as important. Therefore, respect will be received if you pay strong attention through your eyes.

    Looking the person in the eyes shows interest. If you like someone, why not look him in the eyes when you're talking to him？{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In order to put the most effort into showing the interest, look the person in the eye and smile.

    You can convey appreciation quite easily with eye.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}People are able to recognise how you feel. It's a good way to make a good impression on people and show your thanks with sincerity.

    Sometimes eye contact can be all you need to have someone understand what you mean.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's possible to guess what someone's thinking based on his eyes and how he looks on you.

A. Eye contact shows respect.

B. Good eye contact is different from glaring.

C. Even one glance can tell you a lot about a person's character.

D. Open your eyes, because you never know who might be watching.

E. Give a meaningful look into their eye while you're thanking people.

F. Looking away from him is unfriendly, especially if the person is trying to get your attention.

G. If you're trying to get a point across, eye contact can be an important way to express yourself.