Ways to Save Money While Traveling

    Who doesn't like to save money when possible? Traveling can be expensive, but with the right strategy you can bring down the cost. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Look for free activities. If you do a little research, you'll see there are often lots of free activities in the area. Look at community calendars to see what is going on in town while you are there. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Museums often have a "pay what you can" day once a week and sometimes have discounted admission after a certain time of the day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Although some people might not like to cook while on vacation. I don't mind making breakfast in my room. I love having a cup of coffee, but room service can be very expensive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A microwave and fridge will also be helpful for reheating leftovers.

    Shop at farmers' markets and local stores. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Also, shopping at local stores allows you to taste the local cuisine without having to pay the price of a restaurant.

    Buy some local fish and cook it up at your condo(公寓).

    What are your tips for saving money while traveling？

A. Rent an apartment instead of having to get two rooms.

B. Book a room with a refrigerator, microwave or kitchen area.

C. Try these tips on your next vacation and your wallet will thank you.

D. I try to never eat at attractions because they tend to raise the price.

E. Do a self-guided walking tour to make yourself familiar with your destination.

F. I'd rather eat in the room for breakfast and lunch and then splurge (挥霍) on a delicious dinner.

G. Farmers' markets often lower the price of their food towards the end of the day.

    Want to know how to be a confident friend-finder? We can help, with four easy steps.

    Step 1. Change your mental state.

    It's easy to get so freaked out（不安的）about being in a new situation that you start throwing off don't-come-near-me signals. And guess what? It worked. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Instead, change your attitude with some positive thinking. Tell yourself: “It'll be great to get to know someone new”, or “I can't wait to hear what these girls have to say.”

    Step 2. Remember, the eyes have it.

    The first place we look at when we're uncomfortable is the floor. No one can tell if we're embarrassed. We can't tell if anyone is looking at us. Whoa! {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Holding your head up and making eye contact is a bold（大胆的）move． It's confident and friendly.

    Step 3.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Does starting a communication bring on an attack of shyness? Try adding a good question to your friend-finding tools. Strong opening questions usually begin with “what” or “how” words that get people talking. Typically, our first instinct (本能) is to ask a “can” or a “do” question, like “Can I borrow a pencil?” or “ Do you know where the bathroom is? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Asking “what” or “how” questions gets you more information to respond to. Try something like “Hi. I really like that flower. How did you draw it?” or “Hi. I'm new. What's the least scary lunch option in the cafeteria?”

    Step 4. Practice, practice, practice.

    Making new friends is a skill. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But the more you practice, the more relaxed and natural. You'll feel, and the easier it will get. So flash that smile, offer some welcoming words, and soon you'll be hanging out with your newest friends!

A. People don't come near you.

B. All you need is one question.

C. Listen closely to their answers.

D. Not a good way to meet people.

E. The thought of meeting people makes you excited.

F. But that only gets you short answers. Like “Yeah” or “Down the hall”.

G. Like art, music, or sports, it takes practice to feel truly confident of it.

Public Speaking

    Public speaking can be defined as the act of making a speech in front of a group of listeners.

    The types of public speaking are deliberately structured with three general purposes: to inform, to persuade and to entertain. An informative speech has a purpose to inform, or give knowledge to its audience.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For persuasive speech, the speaker would try to change the mindset, perception, or behavior of the audience for their own good. Thus, the speaker needs to look for common ground with the audience and try to relate to what they might agree on. The last type is a ceremonial speech. It tends to be less formal and more personal than the other types of speeches. No matter how well you know the person you are giving speech about, try not to say bad things about them, even if it is meant to be a joke.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sparing some time to practice will help build confidence and help determine how long the presentation will last. Aside from it, knowing who the audience will be is quite necessary. Try to get as much information as possible regarding this particular area related to the audience. Knowing the “battlefield” in advance will give the speakers a huge advantage.

    Language is the main aspect a speaker needs to pay attention to while giving a speech.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A speaker needs to choose their words carefully and make it clear to the audience what they mean. Often, when given a speech, the audience look up to the speaker to give them something new and useful.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Language and delivery alone will not be sufficient if the speaker does not have the body language. The movement and gesture of a speaker also affect the audience. While closing the speech or presentation, speakers can restate their main points, just to remind the audience of the important things that have been said.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It needs to be used clearly.

B. These speeches mark special occasions.

C. The important thing to watch about is not to put in too much information.

D. The key of perfecting anything is through practice, including public speaking.

E. They can also end it with a special message and encourage the audience to ask questions.

F. Knowing how public speaking is done is a key part in understanding the importance of it.

G. Thus, the speaker needs to know how to deliver their speech to fulfill the audience's expectation.

    Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}At that time the Beatles entered the world of music from Liverpool.

After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}They held large concerts and performed at clubs. They became the hottest thing on the pop music scene in England. They began as a modestly successful musician group and ended the year as show business legends（传说）. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were named composers of the year.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They were not sure how the Americans would react to the new type of music. Beatlemania hit New York on February 7, 1964. Hundreds of fans jammed the airport to greet them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The concert was broadcast live and attracted the largest one night audience in the history of television up to that time. The Beatles were described as a British invasion（入侵）by local and nationwide newspapers at that time. Their victory in America was still remembered as a major turning point in the history of rock and roll. Thanks to the Beatles, a lot of opportunities were opened up to new faces on the market. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964.

B. Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time.

C. Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s.

D. However, their songs changed the lives of generations to come.

E. Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles.

F. They appeared in the films A Hard Day's Night（1964）and Help！（1965）.

G. They performed their first concert in America at CBS television's 53rd street studio.

How to Find Something You Like to Do

    Finding something you enjoy doing can improve the quality of your life and reduce your stress levels.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can also help you make friends or even provide a purpose in your life. Then how can you find something you like to do?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some hobbies, such as albums and gardening, can take up a lot of time. Other hobbies, such as video games or reading, can be done at your own pace and do not require any extended time.

    Research the hobby or activity you would like to get involved in. Find out how much time and money you will need to devote to starting and continuing the activity. For example, some sports—related interests might require special equipment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Your local library or phone book should also have information on hobbies and activities in your area.

    Talk with other people who are involved in some of the activities you are interested in.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Ask if you could tag along (跟随) to a meeting or spend some time with this person while he is involved in his hobby to see if it is something you would enjoy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Challenge yourself to try a new activity you are interested in for a week or so. Allow yourself to learn about the hobby and determine whether you will enjoy the activity or not.

A. Think about how a hobby benefits you.

B. A hobby can connect you with other people.

C. Take a chance on a hobby and see how it turns out.

D. Think about how much free time you can devote to a hobby.

E. You can find information about hobbies and interests on Find My Hobby's website.

F. You can get first—hand knowledge by interviewing someone about a particular hobby.

G. It takes a long time and energy to decide whether a particular hobby is right for you.

Top Poetry Writing Tips

Tip 1: Poetry involves work, rest and play.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It involves hard work, especially in the early stage when you are deciding on the overall form and tone of the poem, and getting the bones of it onto the page. But writing poetry should be a playful activity, too. Have fun playing around with the language, the ideas and the music inside the poem.

Tip 2: Poetry requires both words and silence.

Poetry has been defined as "the best words in their best order". Choose your words carefully for their sounds and meaning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Just as the white space on the page is needed to shape the pattern of words, so the thoughts that are left unsaid, the pauses and the quiet hints, will add something extra to your poem. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you have created enough solid stepping stones in words and thoughts, then the reader will follow you to the end of the poem.

Tip 3: {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Poets often turn to writing a poem when they experience a strong emotion and have the need to express it. The reading of other people's poetry can also give comfort or a sense that you are not alone in how you are feeling. But be careful not to write your poem with abstract emotions and don't tell your readers how to think or feel.

Tip 4: Writing poetry can be difficult to start and hard to let go.

It is often difficult to know how to start a poem, but the trick is to recognise the beginnings of them, in everyday life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They can start from remembering a funny conversation that you've overheard at the bus stop, yesterday's nightmare, a secret you've been told, or an interesting postcard that you have noticed in a shop. If you catch yourself thinking about something for more than a minute or two, that's when you reach for a pen and some paper and start jotting down(匆匆记下) thoughts, words and phrases.

A. But poetry is also about silence.

B. Writing a good poem rarely comes easily.

C. Don't be afraid of the gaps that you leave.

D. Poetry needs an emotion and a control of it.

E. Poetry sets the scene for readers to step into.

F. Poems don't have to come from exciting events.

G. You must write your feelings and views with passion.