Sleep is something we all do. But some people need to sleep more than others. Babies sleep most of the time. Children in school sleep about ten to twelve hours a night. Most adults sleep only seven or eight hours.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}All parts of our bodies have to rest after they work.. Our arms need a rest after we lift heavy thing, When we run fast, our legs work hard. They get tired. We have to rest them. Our brains workhard, too.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} We can sit quite still and rest our arms andlegs. But our brains aren't resting. They go right on thinking as long as weare awake.

      Our brains slow down a bit when we sleep and dream.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Instead of thinking wide-awake thoughts, our brains make up dreams. Some dreams are very pleasing. Some are not. Most of thetime we forget them when we wake up.

      Scientists have tried to find out what would happen if people were not allowed to sleep. They asked some people not to go to bed. The people stayed up all night and all the next day. They stayed up the next night too,and the day after. They played games, but they made mistakes. They forgot things.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The people grew rude and mean. They became angry with their friends. Finally they were too tired to stand up. When they sat down, they fell asleep.

Scientists have found that if people are not allowed to sleep and to dream, they act in an unusual way.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But we do know that we need it to stay well. So tonight have a goodsleep. Lie down under the covers. Shut your eyes. Let your thoughts wander.Soon you'll stop thinking. You'll be asleep.

A. It was hard for their tired brains to work.

B. When we are awake, they help us pay attention to the worldaround us

C. But babies, children, and adults—all of us need to haveour sleep

D. Good sleep helps to improve one's memory

E. No one knows why sleep is so good for us

F. But even as we sleep our brains are doing some work

G. Of course you will have a good sleep

     Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} .

    Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly.

    First of all, good talkers ask questions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . One well-known businesswoman says, “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question，but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers .This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.

    Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you're saying goodbye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I've really enjoyed meeting you.” {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life.

A. Real listening at least means some things.

B. You can become a popular person.

C. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question.

D. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

E. If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret.

F. It's polite to listen to others with a smile.

G. These people have something in common.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} People traveled in search of food and shelter or in order to flee from their enemies. Sometimes they were looking for gold or silver in order to become rich. On other occasions they were searching for rich farmland.

    This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for fun. Even in ancient times, some pleasure travel occurred. During a typical season, 700,000 tourists. would crowd into the ancient city of Rome, where animals performed and magicians entertained them. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} International tourist arrivals alone reached as many as 546 million in 1994 and are forecast to rise to 937 million in 2010, according to the World Trade Organization. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Probably the most common reason for traveling is related to our physical well-being. Actually, traveling to sports events is one of the fastest growing types of travel. In our fast developing, modern society where stress has become part of people's life, people can rest and relax by having a change of environment and activities.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} No one seems to doubt that travel broadens the mind. In 18th century Europe, young men would go on a Grand Tour to various countries in order to complete their education. Today the desire to travel to different countries is encouraged by modem mass media. People who travel to other countries can at the same time learn more about their own country and culture.

A. But why do people like traveling so much

B. Throughout history, most travel was not for pleasure

C. So they travel to a lake for a swim or to a park for a hike

D. The improvement in transportation has also encouraged people to travel

E. Wealthy Romans made trips to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games

F. The growth of tourism has become a modern phenomenon experienced by all countries in the world

G. Another important reason for traveling is to satisfy our curiosity about different places and cultures

Simple ways to improve your written English

    Lots of people think it is really difficult to improve their written English. Don't worry, here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.

    Increase your vocabulary(词汇)

    To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That's not just being able to know lots of words-it means actually being able to use them correctly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words appropriately.

    Tip: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Learning shouldn't be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.

    Improve your grammar

    Grammar is very important because it improves the quality(质量)of your writing.

    Tip: {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The first time, look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the particular grammar point you are studying at the moment.

    Just do it!

    The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions(版本)of each text. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Read widely and often.

B. Know much about your readers.

C. Always check your writing twice.

D. Remember, practice makes perfect!

E. Choose books or articles that interest you.

F. Use simple languages and shorter sentences to show your ideas.

G. Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists.

A small robot may help children who are recovering from a long-term illness in the hospital or at home. These children may feel isolated(分离的) from their friends and classmates. However, there is a piece of good news for them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} —Through the robot, the children can hear their teachers and friends.

Anyone who has had a long-term illness knows that recovering at home can be lonely. This can be especially true of children. They may feel left out. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This isn't good for their recovery. They need friends. But their friends can't come to play with them because they have to attend school. Now the robot can be their friend. The robot is called AVl. AVl goes to school for a child who is unable to leave home while recovering from a long-term illness. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They carry the robot between classes and put the robot on the child's desk.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The founders of No Isolation are Karen Dolva and Marius Aabel. Dolva explains how the robot AVl works. She says from home the child uses a phone to start the robot. Then they use the phone to control the robot's movements. At school, the robot becomes the eyes, ears and voice of the child.

The best part is that students can take part in classroom activities from wherever they are recovering -- whether at home or on the hospital bed. The robot is equipped with speakers, microphones and cameras, which makes communicating easier. It means they can communicate with their teachers and classmates easily. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. So they won't feel left out at all.

B. They just want to recover quickly.

C. As a result, they can get really sad.

D. The robot can take their place at school.

E. And the child's school friends must help.

F. So who invented the good "friend" for children?

G. A Norwegian company called No Isolation created the robot.

Maybe in the near future, driverless cars may become common on the roads. Driverless cars have already been test-driven thousands of miles. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For instance, it helps reduce the number of accidents and traffic jams.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}That is because there are many issues that must be solved before the widespread use of them. One problem is that a driverless car cannot predict problems far down the road like a driver can. The driverless cars react to an emergency only when it actually occurs. For instance, a driver starts to slow down when he sees a child riding her skateboard directly into the road 0.2 km away. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Driverless cars are not suitable for extreme weather conditions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They don't predict or "feel" that the roads have become icy like an experienced driver would. For instance, when a road is icy, a human driver would step on the brakes more gently than when the roads are clean and dry.

Another issue is that driverless cars have maps programmed into their memory, but these maps aren't always updated and accurate. New roads are built, and old roads are closed down. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Perhaps one day, driverless cars will be everywhere, but we are not ready for that just yet.

A. The safety problems have almost been addressed.

B. However, they are not yet available for the public.

C. Many advantages can be associated to the driverless cars.

D. Driverless vehicles also have trouble adjusting to new roads.

E. They may become confused by fog, heavy rain, or heavy snow.

F. Due to this, a driverless car may get passenger to the wrong destination.

G. But the driverless car only takes action when the child is in its immediate path.