Whether you're a child, teenager, young adult or are middle-aged, respect for your parents is an important value. Your parents are the people who raised you, devoting time, energy and money to your development.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}No matter your age, there are 5 ways to show respect.

    ● Respect their belongings.

    One important way to show respect is to show regard for the things important to your parents. For younger children, this may mean not touching jewelry or other valuable things. For grown children, respect may mean returning a borrowed tool in good condition and on time. Lack of respect for a parent's belongings is a violation of personal boundaries.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}And never borrow things without asking first. 

    ● Punctuality .

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Therefore, always be on time. For teenagers, showing up on time means coming home by curfew（宵禁）.Adult children should show up on time for family dinners or events, or to pick a parent up for a medical appointment. Call if you're going to be late because parents worry about children, no matter their age.

    ● {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special days is a sign that you honor your parents. Make plans to take them to lunch or dinner or bake a cake or cookies. Most parents don't expect expensive gifts, but a handmade gift is always appreciated .A phone call from a grown child who lives too far for a visit is a welcome sign of respect.

    ● Be kind.

    Kind words and affection are simple ways to show respect. Tell your parents you love them. Listen and allow your parents to speak without interruption. Show a sincere interest in what your parents have to say. Be patient with your parents and don't rush them. Never talk back or be rude or disrespectful. Acknowledge your parents' achievements.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lots of people stress out about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The “stress hormones" that your body produces at times like these can actually help you focus.

    But when worry and stress about performing get to be too much, these hormones give people that “red alert(紧急状态)” feeling—the one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, or get butterflies in your stomach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be prepared. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Rehearse(排练) as much as you can and practice in front of others at every opportunity. Most of all, think positively. Tell yourself “I'll be OK" or “I can do this" even if you are not 100% sure of it

    Look after yourself. Before big performances it's easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Exercise can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.

    Find out what the experts do. You can find books, DVDs, and online information about how to give your best when you perform, depending on what type of performance you're preparing for {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or ask the cast of your school play or your drama or music teacher how they beat stage fright. And if your parents or grandparents ever performed, they may have their own secrets to share.

    Best Way to Save Money

    Although the best way to save money can vary from person to person, depending on age, family size and other characteristics, there are still some easy things that all shoppers can do to keep more money in their bank accounts.

    Avoid impulse (冲动的) purchases.

    When you shop, a best way to save money is to have a plan in mind to help you avoid impulse purchases.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And you only carry the exact amount of cash that you will need for your planned purchase. Some shoppers agree to discuss any purchases over a certain dollar amount with their spouses (配偶) first.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Sometimes the best way to save money in the long term is to spend a little more money right now.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A high-quality pair of shoes will last longer than a bargain pair and prevent foot pain. Leaner (瘦的) cuts of meat and organic produce provide health benefits for your family.

    Buy secondhand.

    Check classified ads, thrift stores and garage sales for used clothing, toys, furniture, and much more available at a part of their original cost.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} And there members offer unwanted items for free to anyone willing to pick them up.

    Borrow instead of buy.

    If you're only going to use something once, try to borrow it instead of spending your money on it. Borrow a tool from your neighbor.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Check out the resources at your local library. You'll also be reducing disorder in your home.

A. Make things by yourself .

B. Exchange books with a friend.

C. Know when to pay for quality.

D. Refuse to buy things you can't use.

E. For instance, you might leave your credit cards at home.

F. A good piece of furniture can stay in the family for decades.

G. For the most secondhand savings, check out groups like Freecycle.

Can zoos ever be animal-friendly?

    The topic of our last class discussion was “How can zoos provide animals with a good life?” Everyone believed it was impossible for zoos to give animals a caring environment. Our teacher suggested that visiting a modern zoo might give us a new point of view.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In our discussion, many people said that zoos were full of smelly cages with unhappy animals living in. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, however, was set in an attractive, open environment. Trees and flowers had been planted around the park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    At school, some people accused（指责）zoos of exploiting（剥削）animals for money but at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Before I visited Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I wasn't sure about the rights and wrongs of zoos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel that, although zoos can't provide the freedom of the wild, they can be animal-friendly by giving animals a safe and caring environment. As long as they do this well, to my mind they make a good contribution（贡献）to animal health. They also play an important part in educating us about wildlife. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the bus back to school, we all agreed that what we liked most was the zoo's environment and we would recommend（推荐）it for next year's group.

A. It is difficult for the zoo to raise animals.

B. More and more animals enjoy their wild homes.

C. I think lots of my friends changed their minds, too.

D. Most of the money is used to improve conditions at the zoo.

E. I went to the zoo and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

F. In my opinion, the animals, rather than seeming upset, were pleased.

G. It was difficult to say how a zoo could really make up for animals' loss of freedom.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

    We all want to succeed, whether it is in losing weight or learning the guitar. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. Why does one person succeed while another person fails? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Identify your core values.

    Finding your core values is in line with creating inner motivation.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Pick a handful of things and write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day, and reflect on whether you are honouring those values through your work.

    ⒉Pick a goal and focus on it.

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your core values. Focus is key here. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never complete your projects because they will take far too long.

    ⒊Set a deadline for success.

    Set a date for success. Identify when you hope to achieve your goal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. Many people give up far too early. Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and move on.

A．The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

B．Make the right decision.

C．I have made a list of four habits to help you set goals and achieve them.

D．Stick to your goal.

E．Keep it realistic, while not giving you too much time.

F．Sit and reflect on what you value most.

G．Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.

    College is a time to study hard and go to class. But a new survey finds that US students spend more time, working paid jobs than studying. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many students finish school deep in debt.

    Work vs. School

    Researchers surveyed 1,507 students ages 18 to 34. All were presently admitted to college or graduate school. Results showed that 85 percent of students worked while in college. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That was more than twice the time they spent in the library. It was almost two hours more than they spent in class. And it was 1.4 hours more than they spent studying at home.

    Deep in Debt

    People in the US spend more on college students than almost every other country in the world. The cost of college is at an all-time high. So is the level of student loan (贷款) debt. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is even worse for younger adults with entry-level jobs. US students also build up personal debt while in school. They spend an average(平均)of $4,321 to pay back that debt.

    Students Bear the Burden(重担)

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} American parents pay for an average of $17,314 of college costs. Students spend almost $100,000. Almost 75 percent of US parents use their day-to-day earnings to help pay for their children's schooling.

    Very Worried

    Students reported feeling very worried about their finances. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Young ladies felt more stress(压力)than young men. They pay more for student loan debt.

A. US colleges cost a lot to attend.

B. US college students spend more time studying.

C. Researchers also surveyed almost 10,500 parents.

D. They spent about 4.2 hours a day working paid jobs.

E. Students are responsible for paying back more of their debt.

F. Student loans are the second-largest source of US family debt.

G. Six in ten students said they worried "frequently" or "all the time".