Learning a second language

    Nowadays, more and more people are learning a second language. So why should we invest time in learning a second language? Is it worth it? What are the benefits of learning a second language? Let us see.

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    If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you to communicate with them better. It may also help you to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chance of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips.

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    Needless to say, being able to speak a foreign language, for example, the Japanese, would benefit you a lot when you are travelling to Japan. Being able to speak the language of the target country will save you a lot of communication trouble and inconvenience. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Education

    If you are a high school student or a college student who is interested in going abroad for further education, then you will, in all possibility, have to learn the language of the country where you wish to move to, for further studies. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

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    Learning a second language can help in broadening one's horizon, it can help in learning about the culture of that particular country and it can pave the way for new interests and hobbies. Not only can you enjoy forms of art and literature connected with the new language, but you can also meet new people, make new friends and develop long-lasting relationships…all on the basis of learning a new language.

    Have you ever heard of homecoming? It's a tradition celebrated every year in the US. At homecoming, a school or university welcomes back former students or alumni(校友).{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It means, “coming home.”

    This is a time when everyone can get together.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}There are events that encourage school spirit all throughout homecoming week, which leads to the big day on Friday.

    A major activity that most students will take part in is choosing the homecoming king and queen.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is a group of boys and girls who represent (代表) school spirit. At the end of the week, students vote for a boy and a girl to be the king and the queen.

    Then it's time for the football game, the main event of homecoming week! {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Almost everyone from school goes to the game: students, parents, teachers, and alumni visitors. If they win, everyone is very happy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Students dress up, and some might even bring a date to go with them. After the dance, homecoming is officially over, and everyone can't wait for next year!

A. The last event is the homecoming dance.

B. That is where the name comes from.

C. Students get to pick who will be on homecoming court early in the week.

D. The tradition began more than 100 years ago in the United States.

E. The football team faces a lot of pressure to do well for the big crowd.

F. Homecoming usually lasts a week and happens in the fall.

G. Homecoming week was not just about fun, but also a chance to try out new things.

    Tired of traditional running? Well, maybe it's time to try using your hands instead. That's what Shaun McCarty and other Australians are doing — running on all fours. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    McCarthy, who comes from Melbourne, Australia, said he's the one behind the term “crunning.” “It's not crawling, it's not running.” he said. “Crunning is a better workout than running. It puts more of an emphasis（着重）on the body than traditional running does. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ”

    McCarthy thinks that he gets much more exhausted after crunning, so he believes it must burn more calories than running.

     {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some believe crunning could result in bad shoulder injuries or broken noses.

    But McCarthy is not worried. Many Melbourne residents have been seen running around on all fours. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, crawling, a much slower version of crunning, has been a favourite activity for many years. According to some people there, the exercise is believed to date back two thousand years to the Han Dynasty.

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then McCarthy advises you to buy some good shoes, hand gloves and most important of all, a face mask!

A. Ready to give crunning a try?

B. As it turns out, they are not the only ones.

C. Crunning seems more difficult than traditional running.

D. It really exercises your legs and shoulders at the same time.

E. It's part of the Internet's latest fitness activities: “Crunning.”

F. However, many are not sure if it is the right exercise for humans.

G. He warns, however, that he can't say whether crunning is potentially harmful.

    Worry problems are everywhere in our daily life. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to handle different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are:

Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence. You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

Analyze the facts

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences(后果) of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

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Unless you take your action, all you face—finding and analyzing—is a waste of energy. How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Accept what can't be avoided. If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: “ It is so; it can't be otherwise.” Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to develop a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Act on that decision

B. It is not an easy job to get facts.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth

D. Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back

F. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case

G. Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry.

Lying awake for hours before falling asleep is a common problem. Even if you can finally fall asleep, taking too long to fall asleep can lead to too few hours of sleep altogether. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So people having trouble falling asleep always wonder how they can sleep well. 

Parents know from experience that gentle music can help babies fall asleep. Science supports this, showing that children of all ages, from babies to elementary school children, sleep better after listening to comfortable music. Fortunately, children aren't the only ones who can benefit from gentle music before bedtime. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Listening to music likely improves sleep for more than one reason. Music can promote sleep directly by affecting your physiology (生理机能). {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Besides, it can also promote sleep by becoming a healthy bedtime habit. Many people can't fall asleep quickly because stressful and worrying thoughts keep them awake at night. By listening to music, the mind has something else to focus on. With time, the practice of listening to music at bedtime becomes more effective as the brain positively associates music with sleep. 

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Studies have looked at many types of music and playlists but there isn't a clear answer about the best music for sleep. What we do know is that researchers have typically used either a self-made playlist or one that has been designed especially with sleep in mind. One of the most important things on how music affects a person's body is their own musical preferences. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For those who don't want to design their own playlist, online music services have stepped in and usually offer playlists for sleep or relaxation.

A．It can guarantee sufficient sleep.

B．It's natural to wonder about the best type of music for sleep.

C．The quality and quantity of our sleep become poor as we age.

D．Listening to music can reduce your stress and inspire positive feelings.

E．This can have a serious effect on a person's quality of life if it continues.

F．People across age groups report better sleep quality after listening to soft music.

G．Useful personal playlists may include relaxing songs that have helped with sleep in the past.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a writer, but the pursuit of dreams was never encouraged — leaving me to write secretly in my room. Life progressed and an interest in interior design surfaced in my teens. However, at my parents' insistence, I enrolled in secretarial school and worked in that area for twenty years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

So I signed up for a two-year interior-decorating course. I crammed two years of work into nine months to ensure that I received my diploma for my fortieth birthday. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

The next step was to get some hands-on experience at a design firm. A visit to a newly opened interiors showroom ushered me into a dream job that opened more opportunities for me than I could have ever imagined. I worked as a decorating consultant at the showroom and I was on my way to creating the career I envisioned.

Opportunity knocked at my door in 1997. I peeked the possibility of writing a decorating column for a woman's magazine. The editor liked the idea and the monthly column debuted in February 1998. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To master the finer skills, I signed up fora freelance (自由撰稿) writing course. Encouraging feedback from tutors gave me the confidence to submit my work for publication on the Internet. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}From around the world, people emailed to say that they identified with my experience to redefine myself and pursue my dream. Some even asked for advice. Soon, this hobby developed into a passion that consumed me. I now write two regular columns and my website is under construction.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I am doing what I love. On my journey, I have learned that it is never too late to pursue and live your dream.

A. I met my self-set deadline with twelve days to spare.

B. The response from readers was unexpected and overpowering.

C. My family tells me that I look younger and seem more energetic.

D. At 39, I felt a growing restlessness and a desire for a more creative life.

E. I realized that I was involved in doing something I dreamed of as a child.

F. Happy marriage with two kids and a job reawakened my teenage interest.

G. I promised to myself I would let nothing prevent me from being a freelance writer.