Pronunciation Tips

           These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program.

★ {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For example, “threw” and “through”, although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical（相同的）letters or letter clusters（字母组合） in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the “ough” in “though” and “through” represents a different sound in each word.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

★ Imagine a sound in your mindbefore you say it.

    Try to visualize（想象)）thepositioning of your mouth and face.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

★ Listen to and try to imitate thePronunciation Power instructor.

    In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation（语调） of the instructor's voice and patterns of emphasis.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}．

★ The English language has manydifferent dialects, and words can be pronounced differently.

    It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.

★ Finally, the Pronunciation Powerprogram is a tool to help you.

    But you must practice what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Use the program to exercise yourmouth a little bit each day.

a. Read these words over and over againand try to learn them by heart.

b. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.

c. Learn to practice what you hear, notwhat you see.

d. So you should force yourself to dowhat you really don't like to do.

e. Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling!

f. It is like going to the gym andexercising your body.

g. Think about how you are going to make the sound.

    We've all heard about the power of our attitude, and it's our attitude that determines how much we succeed in life.

    All the things that you have been through, all the people you have met and interacted with can have an impact on your attitude. If you think that all these factors have molded you into a person with a poor attitude towards life, there is no need to worry.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

1).Identify and understand what you want to change.

    The first step towards change is clearly understanding what needs to be changed.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}When it comes to changing your attitude, you need to do an honest and in-depth self-evaluation so you could point out exactly which of your traits need to be improved or totally changed.

2).{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Find someone who has the kind of attitude that you want to have, and let his or her life give you inspiration and encouragement to move beyond your temporary failures in your journey towards becoming a better person.

3). Choose the right company.

    As they say, “Bad company corrupts good character.” You don't expect yourself to be able to change if you go on surrounding yourself with people who possess all the negative traits that you want to change. Consider befriending new people, especially those who are optimistic and have a healthy attitude towards life.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

4). Believe that you are able to change.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you don't believe in yourself or believe that you or your life can change, it just won't happen—you will either never start, or give up quickly that you won't have even given yourself the opportunity to succeed.

A. Your effort to change will be easier with these people as friends.

B. Setting clear goals is the key to success in any endeavor.

C. The greatest obstacle is our inability to trust in what we can do.

D. Look for a role model.

E. Think about how your attitude change will affect your life.

F. There is always an opportunity for change.

G. Fix your mind on the things that would come as a result of your attitude change.

    Curiosity is at the heart of lifelong learning. It not only gives children an advantage in school, but today's business leaders agree that it's also at the heart of successful organizations.

    Psychologists view curiosity as a life force, vital to happiness, intellectual growth, and well-being.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It points students toward the knowledge, skills, relationships, and experiences that they need to live full and productive lives.

⒈ {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Often, the temptation（诱惑）is to benefit students when their curiosity leads to a desired outcome or good grade. But it's more important to notice and strengthen curiosity when you see it in action. When you praise students by describing how their questions and explorations are contributing to their own or classroom learning, you let them know that they are valued for their motivation, regardless of the grade they achieve.

⒉Teach students how to ask quality questions.

    Quality questions are vital for curiosity; Google, is great at finding answers but doesn't motivate the formation of questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}An excellent book for understanding the art of questioning is A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger.

⒊Spread the curiosity around.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Curiosity is influential in groups working toward a real-world common goal, helping to inspire questions and new ideas.

⒋Explore a variety of cultures and societies.

    How is one culture or society uniquely different from another one? Encourage students to explore their genetic or emotional links to other cultures. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Every week for the past thirty years, I have hosted a Sunday dinner in my home. People, including total strangers, call or e-mail to book a spot. I hold the salon in my studio. The first fifty people who call may come-twice that many when the weather is nice and we can overflow into the garden.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Last week it was a philosophy student from Lisbon, and next week a dear friend from London will cook.

    People from all corners of the world come to break bread together，to meet to talk， and often to become friends. All ages, nationalities, races, and professions gather here, and since there is no organized seating, the opportunity for connecting couldn't be better. I love the randomness (随意).

    I have a good memory so each week I make a point to remember everyone's name on the guest list and where they're from so I can introduce them to one another. If I had my way, I would introduce everyone in the whole world to one another.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Many travelers go to see things like the Tower of London, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and so on. I travel to see friends， even-or especially-those I've never met.

    In the late 1980s, I edited a series of guidebooks to different countries.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Instead, each book contained about a thousand biographies of people who would be willing to welcome travelers in their cities. Hundreds of friendships evolved from these encounters, including including marriages and babies.

    The same can be said for my salon. At a recent dinner a six-year-old girl from Bosnia spent the entire evening glued to an eight-year-old boy from Estonia. Their parents were surprised, and pleased, by this immediate friendship.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Most of them speak English, at least as a second language. Recently a dinner featured a typical mix: a beautiful painter from Norway, a truck driver from Arizona, a newspaper editor from Sydney and students from all over.

    It is unnecessary to understand others; one must, at the very least, simply tolerate others.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}No one can ever really understand anyone else, but you can love them or at least accept them.

    I am a world citizen. All human history is mine. My roots cover the earth. We should know each other. Okay, now come and dine.

A. I believe in introducing people to people.

B. People are the most important thing in my life.

C. There were no sights to see, no shops or museums to visit.

D. Tolerance can lead to respect and, finally, to love.

E. After all, our lives are all connected.

F. Every Sunday a different friend prepares a feast.

G. There is always a collection of people throughout the world.

    Training for a marathon (马拉松) requires careful preparation and steady, gradual increases in the length of the runs. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, buy the best-fitting running shoes you can find. No one can say which brand will work best for you or feel best on your feet, so you have to rely on your experience and on the feel of each pair as you shop. When you have found shoes that seem right, walk in them for a few days to double-check the fit. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. As always, you should stretch (伸展) at least ten minutes before each run to prevent injuries.

    During the first week, do not think about distance, but run five minutes longer each day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, it is wise to take a day off to rest. But during the next week, set a goal of at least a mile and a half per run. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. After two weeks, start timing yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Depending on the kind of race you plan to enter, you can set up a timetable for the remaining weeks before the race.

A. After six days

B. For a good marathon runner

C. Before you begin your training

D. With each day, increase the distance by a half mile

E. If they still feel good, you can begin running in them

F. Time spent for preparation raises the quality of training

G. Now you are ready to figure out a goal of improving distance and time

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.