Do you know what a big dream is? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Or, is a big dream something that provides only entertainment? Children dream big dreams, but there are three barriers to realizing dreams. They often kill them before they ever have a chance to grow.

The Self

    Immediately following the birth of a big dream, a negative self-talk takes over and gives all the reasons why it cannot happen. This inside voice is the ego（自我）. It's there for protecting and should be listened to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most people are influenced by the inside voice. That's why only a handful of people make their dream come true.

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    Family and friends are a lot like the ego. They want to protect those they love, so they will often list all the reasons why the big dreams won't come true. Sometimes, family and friend destroy dreams of those they love most, out of their own fear of being left behind.

The World

    If one gets past the first two barriers, one has to face the world. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In the past, big dreamers were locked up and sometimes even killed when they were shown to the world. Fortunately, in most of the world today, big dreamers just get laughed at.

    The way to realize a big dream is with confidence and action. When children have confidence and then take action, they will be ready to accept any failure. The truth is that every great dreamer whose dreams have never seen the light of success knows failure well. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. Does a big dream show one's future ?

B. They simply fail until they succeed.

C. How Big Dreams Die

D. It is the last and the most terrible barrier.

E. Family and Friends 

F. Sometimes it is right, but more often it is wrong

G. And their big dream is to be a rock star or a famous artist.

    Do you know Australia? Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of the earth.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well.

    Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers' exhibition. There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers' exhibition.

    After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere are sheep.

A. The people of Australia are very hard-working.

B. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.

C. Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos.

D. Australia is big, but its population is not large.

E. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers.

F. The sky is blue and the water is clean.

G. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves.

    As a member of the “global village”, an international leader should master various skills. One of the primary things international leaders need today is the ability to manage cultural differences. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. So in order to get the best out of any multicultural team, leaders should keep the following tips in mind.

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    Try and communicate with your team face to face as much as you can. Nothing replaces face-to-face communication, as it allows you to read body language, judge levels of understanding, and build relationships.

    Be clear

    Be clear about your own cultural profile（简况）. Only when you are clear about your cultural profile and how it influences your work, your communication style, feelings and actions, can you direct your team. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Build trust

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Make sure you are responsible for your actions and honest in your dealings with others. Do you do what you promise? Breaking your promise will destroy trust and credibility every time.

    State the rules of the game

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The rules of the game have to be discussed and people need to be comfortable with their own roles. The team leader must act as a safe base, so members know who to turn to.

A. Communicate face to face

B. Try not to make mistakes

C. Trust builds over time and with every action

D. There is no need to communicate with your team

E. Rules and roles have to be set and understood by everyone

F. Today's leaders have to work in both international and cross-cultural environments

G. This approach to your own cultural identity can help improve your team's performance

    Both men and women are living longer these days in industrialized countries.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In general, they can expect to live six or seven years more than men. One reason for this is biological. One important biological factor that helps women live longer is the difference in hormones between men and women. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Between the ages of about 12 and 50, women produce hormones that are involved in fertility(生育能力). These hormones also have a positive effect on the heart and blood flow. In fact, women are less likely to have high blood pressure or to die from heart attacks.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They help the body defend itself against some kinds of infections. This means that women generally get sick less often and less seriously than men. The common cold is a good example: women, on average, get fewer colds than men.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Scientists are still not exactly sure how they influence aging, but they believe that they do. Some think that a woman's body cells have a tendency(向) to age more slowly than a man's. Others think that a man's body cells have a tendency to age more quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. However, women, on average, live longer.

B .The biological factor plays an important part.

C. Women are also helped by their female genes.

D. The female hormones also protect the body in another way.

E. Recent research seems to support both of these possibilities.

F. However, women are more healthy than men and can live a better life.

G. Hormones are chemicals which are produced by the body to control carious body functions.

    Self-confidence is defined as a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whether you apply for a promotion in work or sign up for a cooking class, believing in yourself is the key to putting yourself out there. However, not all people are born confident. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Stop comparing yourself to others. Whether you compare how you look to your friends on Facebook or you compare your salary to your friend's income, comparisons aren't healthy. Researchers found that people who compared themselves to others, experienced envy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It can be a terrible cycle. When you notice you are drawing comparisons, remind yourself that doing so isn't helpful. Everyone is running their own race and life isn't a competition.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's hard to feel good about yourself if you're abusing your body. Skimping on sleep, eating an unhealthy diet, and lacking exercise will do harm to your well-being. Studies consistently show physical activity boosts confidence. A 2016 study published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment found that regular physical activity improved participants' body image. And when their body image improved, they felt more confident.

    Embrace (拥抱) self-doubt. Sometimes, people put off doing things—like inviting someone on a date or applying for a promotion—until they feel more confident. But sometimes, the best way to gain confidence is by doing. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare or practice, of course. If you have a big speech coming up, practice in front of your friends and family so you'll gain some confidence. But don't wait until you feel 100 percent confident before you proceed. You might never get there.

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.