Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of substances in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.

    Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old．Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.

    Sharks are important for the world's oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too great. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable. Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The skin of a shark can be used like leather.  In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A.

B. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.

C. Sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them.

D. These powerful senses help sharks find their food.

E. If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels.

F. This is a threat to other forms of life in the ocean.

G. The others give birth to live young.

    “As easy as falling off a log” is often used to describe a job that does not take much effort. You might hear a student say to her friend that her spelling test was “as easy as falling off a log”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. One is “easy as pie”. Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet, juicy pie unless it is a “piece of cake”.

    “Piece of cake” is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you that his new job was a “piece of cake”.

    Another expression is “as easy as shooting fish in a barrel”. It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But, clearly, fish in a barrel would be much easier to shoot than fish in a stream. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes, things that come to us easily, also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression —“easy come, easy go”—that recognizes this. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Easy come, easy go.

    When life itself is easy, when you have no cares or problems, you are on “Easy Street”. Everyone wants to live on that imaginary street.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might urge her husband to “go easy on” their son, because the boy did not mean to damage the car.

Money Matters

    Parents should help their children understand money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So you may start talking about money when your child shows an interest in buying things, candy or toys, for example.

1）The basic function of money

    Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing how people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have. If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员). {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When your child grows a bit older and understands the basic function of money, you can start explaining more complex (复杂的) ways of using money.

2）Money lessons

    Approach money lessons with openness and honesty. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you must say NO to a child's request to spend money, explain, “You have enough toy cars for now.” Or, if the request is for many different things, say, “You have to make a choice between this toy and that toy.”

3）{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Begin at the grocery store(杂货店). Pick out two similar brands（商标） of a product—a name-brand butter and a generic (无商标产品), for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If he chooses the cheaper brand, allow him to buy another one with the money saved. Later, you may explain how the more expensive choice leaves less money for buying others.

A. Talk about how the money bought the thing after you leave the toy store.

B. The value of money

C. The best time to teach a child anything about money is when he shows an interest

D. Permit the child to choose between them

E. Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you

F. Tell your child why he can or can't have certain things

G. Wise decisions

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} People traveled in search of food and shelter or in order to flee from their enemies. Sometimes they were looking for gold or silver in order to become rich. On other occasions they were searching for rich farmland.

    This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for fun. Even in ancient times, some pleasure travel occurred. During a typical season, 700,000 tourists. would crowd into the ancient city of Rome, where animals performed and magicians entertained them. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} International tourist arrivals alone reached as many as 546 million in 1994 and are forecast to rise to 937 million in 2010, according to the World Trade Organization. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Probably the most common reason for traveling is related to our physical well-being. Actually, traveling to sports events is one of the fastest growing types of travel. In our fast developing, modern society where stress has become part of people's life, people can rest and relax by having a change of environment and activities.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} No one seems to doubt that travel broadens the mind. In 18th century Europe, young men would go on a Grand Tour to various countries in order to complete their education. Today the desire to travel to different countries is encouraged by modem mass media. People who travel to other countries can at the same time learn more about their own country and culture.

A. But why do people like traveling so much

B. Throughout history, most travel was not for pleasure

C. So they travel to a lake for a swim or to a park for a hike

D. The improvement in transportation has also encouraged people to travel

E. Wealthy Romans made trips to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games

F. The growth of tourism has become a modern phenomenon experienced by all countries in the world

G. Another important reason for traveling is to satisfy our curiosity about different places and cultures

    Self-esteem means feeling good about yourself. You can do things to feel better about yourself. Here are some tips to raise your self-esteem.

    Be with people who treat you well. Some people act in ways that tear you down. Others lift you up by what they say and do. Learn to tell the difference. Choose friends who help you feel OK about yourself. Find people you can be yourself with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Accept what's not perfect. It's always good to do the best you can. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, you can't feel good about anything less. Accept your best. Let yourself feel good about that. Ask for help if you can't get past a need to be perfect.

    Focus on what goes well. Are you so used to talking about problems that they've all you see? It's easy to get caught up in what's wrong.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, it just makes you feel bad. Next time, catch yourself when you complain about yourself or your day. Find something that goes well instead.

    Give and help. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . Tutor a classmate, help clean up your neighborhood, or walk for a good cause. Help out at home or at school. Make it a habit to be kind and fair. Do things that make you proud of the kind of person you are. When you do things that make a difference your self-esteem will grow.

    Set goals and work toward them. If you want to feel good about yourself, do things that are good for you. Maybe you want to eat a healthier diet, get more fit, or study better.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Then make a plan for how to do it. Stick with your plan. Track your progress.

A. Make a goal

B. Say helpful things to yourself

C. Be that type of friend for others

D. But when you think you need to be perfect

E. But unless you balance it with what's good

F. When you focus on what's good about yourself

G. Giving is one of the best ways to build self-esteem

    Several days ago, a 28-year-old Californian wife and mother of three children died from drinking too much water. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The contest was held by a local radio show and its organizers promised a free Wii video game machine to the contestant who drank the most water.

    It was estimated that the woman who died drank approximately two gallons of water during the contest. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This information is particularly important for parents to pass on to their children. Foolish water-drinking contests are not uncommon among high school and university students, especially while playing cards.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The answer to this question depends on your unique circumstances, including your diet, exercise habits, and environment. If you eat plenty of foods that are naturally rich in water, such as vegetables and fruits, you may not need to drink very much water at all. If you do not use much salt, your need for drinking water goes down even further.

    Regardless of what your diet looks like, if you sweat on a regular basis because of exercise or a warm climate, you will need to supply your body with more water (through foods and/or liquids) than someone who does not sweat regularly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}However, some people don't believe that it is a reliable indicator of how much water you need, as many people suffer with symptoms related to dehydration (脱水) and don't seem to feel a need to drink water on a regular basis.

    The main idea that I wish to share through this article is that it is not wise to drink several glasses of water per day without considering your diet, exercise habits, climate, and sense of thirst. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Remember, don't drink too much water in a short period of time.

A. Then why do we need water in our daily life?

B. It shows us that drinking too much water can be very dangerous.

C. Then how much water should you think to best support your health?

D. Ultimately, the best guidance I can provide on this issue is to follow your sense of thirst.

E. Her body was found in her home shortly after she took part in a water-drinking contest.

F. And when you find yourself in need of water, you can get it from liquids and/or foods.

G. If you ask people if they would like a glass of water, they will almost always realize they are indeed thirsty.