My mother is a hard-working and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

    The world is becoming more and more connected, but many people feel lonely in the midst of it. You might not feel lonely right now, but there might be times when you do. Here are some tips on dealing with loneliness:

    Be positive about yourself.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you constantly think of yourself as ugly, mean, or unattractive, then it will be difficult for you to connect with others. You must accept yourself before you can accept others. It's common that you might have some negative qualities. So does everyone else. So in order to get rid of loneliness, you should focus on your positive side and think of yourself in a positive way.

    Have an attitude of gratitude (感恩){#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's easy to focus on the negatives in life, but don't forget that there are also many positives. Remember them and be thankful. What does this have to do with loneliness? Well, if you are grateful, then you will become cheerful{#blank#}3{#/blank#} See the positive side of others. Just as you should see the positive side of yourself, you should also see the positive side of others. Everyone has shortcomings, but everyone also has a positive side.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}That will make you like them and make it easier for you to connect with them.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The more you think about yourself, the more likely it is for you to have a pity party and feel lonely. For example, you might think that nobody likes you or cares about you. So it's important that you shift your attention away from yourself. It can be as simple as smiling at your neighbors or holding a door for a stranger.

A. Join a community group.

B. Do something for others.

C. Negative thoughts can kill you.

D. Instead, try to make more friends.

E. And that will attract people to you.

F. Count your blessings and be grateful for them.

G. So choose to value the positive aspects of them.

Helpful tips for college-bound seniors

    Researching a college is one of the most time-consuming tasks that you'll encounter. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, what classes and facilities the college has to offer, and what sports it offers. After narrowing your choices to a group of colleges, you'll have to start to research these in depth. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He or she may be able to help you find things about the colleges that you could not get yourself.

    Knowing what you want to study is another key to looking for a college. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} By knowing what I want to do, I can then look at colleges that I've been thinking about applying to and narrow my choices down. If a college doesn't have the courses I need, then it's definitely out of the picture.

    Another key thing to look for is the college's testing requirements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some colleges also require an SAT II test in certain areas, for example English or Math. Remember to look at a college's GPA requirements, too. You may find a college where there's everything you want, but your GPA isn't high enough to be considered. In this case you may need to attend a junior college for one or two years.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At this point you may want to have a long discussion with your parents, and find out how much they're willing and able to spend on college. If it isn't enough to cover your full tuition, then you may want to apply for financial aid or a scholarship. And your final option maybe looking for a college that doesn't cost as much.

Tips for Developing Your Artistic Talent

    Everyone has an artistic talent. You might not even know it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. However, in fact, there are a lot of different ways to express your artistic side. You don't necessarily have to be a professional(专业人员). You can enjoy art just for its own value. Check out a few tips for developing artistic skills.

    ⒈Art takes a variety of forms

    Most people think that art can only be found in museums and is only for the elite(精英). You can look around you.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. They may be found in nature, and even in usual advertisements and posters. Just start to look at such sides as line, color, composition and style.

    ⒉Try things out

    If you want to develop your artistic talent, start trying things out.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    ⒊Appreciate

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Almost anything can be used for inspiration. Visit museums and galleries, or look at art books. When you look around you, you develop your artistic appreciation and use it to work on developing your own skills.

    ⒋{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Don't expect to create a masterpiece(杰作)with your first try. There must be mistakes. Many artists spent years studying and perfecting their skill. You might not want to reach their level, but don't feel shy about your work. Even if it's not perfect, it will be. Try out, learn from your mistakes, and improve your skills.

A. Take art classes

B. Don't be afraid to make mistakes

C. You'll find art and beauty are everywhere

D. You might have always thought that you don't have any skills in the arts

E. Another way to develop your artistic talent is to learn how to use your eyes

F. There are many things you can try from painting, costume, dance and singing

G. Discuss the art with other art lovers to see what they think and then form your own opinion

    You only live once, and life is short. It's easy to look at people who are happy and assume that they don't understand your pain. The older you get, the more you realize that happiness takes work. People who smile in public have been through as much as people who cry, scream, etc. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So how can you live life to the fullest? Here are some tips to help you out:

    ●Decide what's important to you. It doesn't matter what it is. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your parents, friends and society in general all have their opinions, but you're the only person who will be around for every moment of your life. Do what makes you happy, and everything else will fall into place.

    ●Ready to take risks. Sometimes, there's danger involved in life, but every reward carries risk with it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}However, if you never take risks, you'll never get anywhere in life. When people look back on their lives, they regret the chances they didn't take more than the ones they did.

    ●Ignore the haters. No matter what you decide to do with your life, there will always be someone around to point out the many ways you will fail. Know that every winner loses, but not every loser wins. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Instead, they keep pushing through failure.

    ● {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your being right about something doesn't mean there aren't other ways to look at it. Listening to ideas you don't agree with or understand keeps your brain active and healthy.

A. Keep an open mind.

B. Speak through your actions.

C. Successful people don't start out successful.

D. Don't do what you think people want you to do.

E. It is true that some actions might have bad results.

F. They just have the courage and strength to smile through it.

G. Think about your past and future, but only focus on the present.

    So how can you hear a lot of English when you're not in an English-speaking country or family? Fortunately, there are many ways of hearing English.

    Listen to English Radio

    You can receive English-language radio in most countries. Two international networks are the BBC and VOA. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Watch English Television

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. The pictures help you understand what is being said, If you don't have access to English-language TV, you may be able to watch TV on the Internet.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    It is now a lot easier to hear English on the Internet. If you're reading this at your computer or mobile device you can probably listen to some English-language radio news right now, without even moving! And of course, you can find endless videos in English on You Tube and similar websites.

    Listen to Songs in English

    Songs in English are everywhere, even on foreign-language radio and TV stations. Listen to them often. But choose one that is not too difficult. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Some pop songs are very unclear and are difficult even for native English speakers to understand fully!

    Get English--speaking Friends

    Try to make friends with English-speaking people so that you can practice your English through conversation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And if you don't have a lot of time to go out and meet people, at least you can chat a little by telephone.

A. Don't worry

B. Listen to English on the Internet

C. This will improve your speaking as well as your listening

D. Many large cities have cinemas that show films in English

E. Both of them have special programs for learners of English

F. TV is an excellent resource for hearing and listening to English

G. That means it should be slow, and with real words sung clearly