Crossroads International

    How does crossroads work?

    Crosswords is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn't want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare agencies in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Who do we help?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can't get the job done without backup, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse (仓库) is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, cupboards to dining sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight (货运), we ask transport companies to donate their services{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Even our full-time staff work on a voluntary basis.

    What can you do?

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the categories, some of the time.

A. What do we need?

B. How do we operate?

C. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource.

D. Nobody in our organization receives a salary.

E. One resource that we are always in need of is people.

F. welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets.

G. All volunteer work is done at our warehouse.

    The new school year is coming and you have to go back to school. This marks the end of much freedom during the winter time. Adjusting your sleep habits to once again fit your school schedules may seem like a burden.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even if you have not yet get a detailed schedule of classes, you should at least find out the start time of your first class. You should get the rest of the information as soon as possible in order to decide how to adjust your schedule and sleep habits. By finding out when you starts, you will know when to wake up or when you will have some spare time.

    Begin the sleep adjustment for your school schedule as early as possible.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} But if you feel you will need some extra time to adjust, start earlier. Set your alarm clock to decide when you should wake up and when you should go to bed. When the alarm sounds for sleep, end whatever activities you are involved in and go to bed.

    Tire yourself out. If you have got used to going to sleep very late, it will be helpful to tire yourself out.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This may be a good time to add some exercise to your routine that will enable you to be worn out at bedtime.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} These may differ from person to person, but they usually prevent you from completing your goal of going to sleep on schedule. These include bright lights or the flickering light of a computer. Ensure that your bed and the temperature of your room are comfortable and that you have comfortable pillows and blankets.

A. Relax before you go to bed.

B. Review and revise your schedule.

C. Starting a few days early will be enough.

D. However, it will actually help you become more adaptable.

E. It is difficult to be comfortable and to sleep on a full stomach.

F. Remove distractions to ensure that you are able to sleep comfortably.

G. Your body will be less likely to be restless at bedtime if you are actually exhausted.

    Different weather makes people feel different. It influences (影响) health, intelligence (智力) and feelings.
    In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.

    The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ (智商) of a group students were very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Very hot weather, on the other hand (另一方面), can make it lower. Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).

    Weather also has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel unhappy during cold weather. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They even don't like to outdoor activities.

    Low air pressure (气压) may make people forgetful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a "good weather" for work and health. People feel best at a temperature of about 18 centigrade (摄氏度).

    Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．It may be the weather's problem.

B．Warm weather can have a bad effect on health.

C．The wind can help people have higher intelligence.

D．But fat people may have a hard time in hot weather.

E．People may have higher intelligence when low air pressure comes.

F．People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days.

G．People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.

    As we all know, the spine (脊柱）stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains your spine cord (脊髓) a massive collection of nerves conveying electric signals from the rest of your body to your brain.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Maintaining good posture is one of the most important things you can do to keep your spine healthy. Proper posture means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural curves. Posture comes into play even when you are asleep. Sleeping on your side puts less stress on your spine than most other positions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Especially if you work at a desk most of the day, it's important to get up and stretch regularly.

     {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Stretch can help the muscles around your spine relax and allow bones to shift into better arrangement. Strength exercises like push-ups (俯卧撑）can also help by strengthening the muscles around your spine. However, don't overdo the exercise, as repeated movements can strain the muscles around your spine.Finally, your diet affects the health of your spine because many vitamins arc necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, vitamins B and D are essential to keep bones healthy, so you may want to consider taking a supplement (补充). {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, so it is also helpful to do some of exercise outside.

    Many of the actions necessary to keep your spine healthy are identical to those used to preserve your health in other ways. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. It can be hard on your back to stay still for too long

B. So protect your back, the rest of the body will benefit

C. However, the latter can also be absorbed from sunlight

D. Doing yoga to protect your spine is also a necessary step

E. Exercise is also an important factor in your spine's health

F. Try the following exercises to keep your spine more flexible

G .So, to have a healthy spine, you should take the following factors into account

    The history of writing instruments, with which humans have recorded and conveyed thoughts and feelings, is the history of civilization itself. This is how we know about our ancestors and their life.

    The handy sharpened-stone was adapted into the first writing instrument. Around 24 000 BC, the cave man started drawing pictures with the stone onto the walls of his cave. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Walls at the Apollo site in Namibia are believed to be the oldest rock paintings to date.

    Before paper came along, people used clay or wax tablets on which they wrote with sharp objects such as metal sticks or bones. Around 6000 years ago, the Egyptians invented the first paperlike material called papyrus. The word "paper" actually comes from the word "papyrus".

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Bones or metal sticks were no longer useful as the papyrus could not be scratched. So the Egyptians created a reed-pen perfect for the papyrus. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And thus, ancient Egyptians transformed bamboo stems (茎) into an early form of a fountain pen.

    Another writing instrument that remained active in history for a long period was the quill (鹅毛) pen. Introduced around 700 AD, the quill was a pen made from a bird feather. Goose feathers were most common. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For making fine line drawings, crow feathers were the best.

    When writers had better inks and paper and handwriting had developed into both an art form and an everyday occurrence, man's inventive nature once again turned to improving the writing instrument. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Now something was needed to write upon the papyrus.

B. The papyrus became the most popular material at that time.

C. Swan feathers were of a high quality, being rare and most expensive.

D. Bamboo stems were better and much more expensive than goose feathers.

E. This led to the development of the modem fountain pen in the 19th century.

F. These were mostly the stems of grasses, especially from the bamboo plant.

G. These drawings showed events in daily life like the planting of crops or hunting victories.