You've just hiccupped (打嗝) for the tenth time since you finished dinner. Wonder{#blank#}1{#/blank#}these funny noises are coming from? The part {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(blame) is your diaphragm, the muscle at the bottom of your chest. All hiccups start here.

    The diaphragm almost always {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(work) perfectly--it pulls down when you breathe in to help pull air into the lungs {#blank#}4{#/blank#}it moves up when you breathe out to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes upset, and when {#blank#}5{#/blank#}happens, it pushes up in an irregular way, making your breath come out differently {#blank#}6{#/blank#}how it normally does. When this irregular breath hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup. Things {#blank#}7{#/blank#}bother the diaphragm include eating too quickly or too much, stomachaches or feeling nervous.

    If you want to know {#blank#}8{#/blank#}to get rid of hiccups, here are some “cures”.{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (breathe) into a paper bag is one method some people use. Others think taking a mouthful of water is the way to become hiccup-free. Sugar under your tongue might also drive away the hiccups. And maybe the most famous {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(treat), having someone scare you, also helps beat the hiccups.

    In Canada and the United States, people invite friends over for a meal, a party or just for coffee and conversation.

    Here are kinds of things people say when they invite someone to their homes:

    "Would you like{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(come) over for dinner this Saturday night?" "Hey. We {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(have) a party on Friday. Can you come?"

    To reply to an invitation(邀请), either say thank you and accept, or say you're sorry and give {#blank#}3{#/blank#} excuse. "Thanks, I'd love to. What time would you like me to come?" or "Oh, sorry. I have a ticke{#blank#}4{#/blank#}a movie."

    Sometimes, however, people use words {#blank#}5{#/blank#} sound like invitations but which are not real invitations. For example, “Please come over for a drink sometime." "Why not get together for a party sometime?" "Why don't you come over and see us sometime soon?"

    They are really just polite ways of {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(end) a conversation. They are not real invitations because they don't mention(提到；谈到) a certain time or date. They just show that the person is trying to be{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(friend). To reply to {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(expression) like these, people just say "Sure, that would be great!” or "OK. Yes, thanks."

    So next time when you hear such sounds like an invitation, listen{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(careful). Is it a real invitation {#blank#}10{#/blank#} is the person just being polite?

    If you only got six hours' shut eye last night, there is no need {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (lose) sleep over it.

    Scientists say that though it is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (wide) believed that we need eight hours of sleep a night, six to seven hours is the natural amount.

    Advising short-sleepers to rest easy, the US researchers say, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (have) important implications (暗示，含义) for the idea that we need to take sleeping pills because sleep has been reduced from {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (it) natural level by the widespread use of electricity, TV, the Internet and so on.

    The lead author of a study, Ghandi, said: "There's the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (expect) that we should all be sleeping for eight or nine hours a night, and if we took away modern technology, we would be sleeping more. But now, for the first time, we are showing that's not {#blank#}6{#/blank#} truth."

    Most of those {#blank#}7{#/blank#} were studied slept for less than seven hours a night, with the average amount just six hours and 25 minutes. This is much less than the eight hours often {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (recommend) in western societies.

    Despite this, the people studied were in good health, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} lower rates of obesity (肥胖症), better blood pressure and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (healthy) hearts than people in industrialised societies. They were also fitter.

Why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)?

Centuries ago, most people earned their living {#blank#}1{#/blank#} farming. The ox was used to help plow, cultivate and carry heavy goods.

The ox has long had a significant place in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers frequently {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(describe) the ox in literature. In the Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, the animal was mentioned in 9 out of the 305 {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(piece).

The ox is considered a symbol of diligence and earnestness in Chinese culture. To this day, the phrase "the spirit of ox" still refers to conquering anything{#blank#}4{#/blank#}may present itself as an obstacle. The spirit is highly praised and many people follow {#blank#}5{#/blank#}as their work ethic. When someone achieves a great {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (accomplish) through hard work, people often use "niu", {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(mean) "awesome", to describe him or her.

Oxen seldom bully the weak or fear the strong. They work hard and make sacrifices. This is reflected in the poem Self-mockery{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (write) by Lu Xun, which praises the ox's attitude of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (serve) without complaining.

So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (rely) and loyal.