Do you ever wonder if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing with your life?What if you have potential talents that could lead you to a new path and change everything for the better?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following tips will help you discover your potential strength.

    ●Do what you love.

    One sure way to get yourself moving in the right direction is to do more of the things that make you feel good.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}That might lead to writing a book or a movie or a career in writing.If baking treats for friends and neighbors gives you great pleasure,take it one step further.Upgrade your packaging and look into selling your goodies at a local market.

    ●Complete some assessment activities.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}While none of them is perfect,each of them can help you realize the types of your strengths.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's not always easy to self-identify what we're good at.So go and ask your friends what they think your strengths are.You might be surprised at what they have to say.Are you creative,organized,or socially outgoing?Sometimes your friends are more aware of your strengths than you.

    ●Find a guide.

    If you have an idea of where your potential strengths lie,it may help to find a person who has achieved success in a related area.Chances are that your guide would be happy to share tips and motivations to help you.Use this relationship to get hands-on experience.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Ask the owner of a shop you admire if you can work part time or volunteer in order to learn the business and see if it suits you.

A. Ask your friends.

B. Turn to your teachers for help.

C. Stop wondering and start doing.

D. If you love to write, start blog now.

E. Setting a goal helps you identify a potential strength.

F. There are many free self-evaluation tools on the Internet.

G. Do you think you might want to open a bookstore or cafe?

    One morning last week I looked out of my study window and saw that it was a fine day. No, it was a wonderful day: the sun shone down from a sky without even a single cloud. But later that day, hard at work at my desk, I heard a loud noise on the roof. Turning to the window, I saw that the sky was now the color of charcoal. Two minutes later the rain poured, making rivers of water.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's extremely variable. Go ahead with your picnic in the local park by all means, but don't suppose that because the sun is shining now, it will be when you open your pack of sandwiches.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The weather in Britain is not always bad.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is one of the biggest reasons why the British talk so often about the weather. Wherever there are strangers standing or sitting close together, and talk can not be avoided. The conversation focuses on the weather: “Yes, the weather has been good, hasn't it?” or “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

    The unexpected change of the weather is something that every British can agree on.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even those with different opinions on everything else in the world, such as the argument in the UK about membership of the European Union, can talk about the weather without leading to a quarrel.

A. It is just changeable.

B. That makes it a safe topic of conversation.

C. You'd better take an umbrella, just in case.

D. What shocking weather we've been having!

E. Strangers will choose to talk about the weather to break the ice.

F. This story will give you some idea about weather in Britain.

G. Are you going for a picnic?

                                                      Homesickness at college

    The thought of college life is quite exciting for students as they taste independence for the first time at college. Their hard work and effort paid off after all. Though college life brings lots of dreams and expectations for students, most of them soon start feeling homesick.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But change is a part of life and dealing with change helps us to grow. In the same way, homesickness at college is a brief experience which goes away once students start adjusting in their new environment.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some students may turn to alcohol and drugs. So it is important that students who experience homesickness at college know about how to deal with it. Students should understand that rather than constantly thinking of their hometown, it is better to see it as a challenge and try to defeat it . Though it is not a difficult task, the time that will take each person to deal with home-

sickness at college will be different according to their attitude and personality.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Youcan do that, too.

    Remember overcoming homesickness is accepting what you are experiencing. Many students think that being homesick is childish and undeveloped feeling and try to cover it up by acting cool or showing that they are very busy.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Besides, even their classmates will be going through the same emotions and feelings. Instead of trying to make them understand that they are totally fine after shifting to the new school, going through their emotions and thoughts about life at home for a day or two will be a better choice.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Homesickness helps students build up a better understanding of life.

B. Homesickness leads to dangerous results if not solved properly.

C. But they don't realize that homesickness is common to people of all ages.

D. You may miss your parents as you leave home for the first time.

E. This is an important part in the process of beating homesickness.

F. The main reason for the development of such a feeling is change.

G. Believe this is a possible achievement that everyone can achieve.

    Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective(选择性的) process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand (速记).When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Otherwise (否则), you may not be able to read your notes later.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

D. Use words, not complete sentences.

E. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

F. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

G. You must write your notes on separate paper.

    If you can't lay your hands on items you need because they're buried under piles of junk, if you're constantly moving items from one pile to a new temporary pile, if you find yourself thinking, “can't throw this away. {#blank#}1{#/blank#},” you're probably a clutter（杂七杂八的东西）victim. If you're ready to de-clutter, then we have a few simple tips.

    ⒈Choose a nice day and take the room contents outside. Psychologically it's easier to sort and let go if you're one step removed. It's also less likely that the clutter will make it back inside. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Classify them as dump（丢弃）, donate and keep. Be realistic: if the item in question hasn't been used for over a year it is unlikely you will ever use it. Deal with the dump and donate piles. Do this before anything comes back into the house. It's much harder to mess up your good work if the stuff is physically gone.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Make sure there is one temporary box to house items which really belong in another room.

    As each room is sorted, those items can be replaced, and other misplaced items can be housed there while the de-cluttering process continues.

    ⒊Replace everything that remains. Keep small items in clear plastic boxes and store them in cupboards.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It will make you think twice about acquiring something if you know something else must go.

    ⒋Once a week, take two bags and go through your home. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. When you've finished, throw the rubbish away and replace the misplaced items.

    Follow these small steps and you too can de-clutter your life.

A.     Sometimes, it's good to let go

B.     Sort everything into three piles

C.     It might come in useful one day

D.    Stick with that particular room until it's finished

E.     Place the remaining items in clearly labeled boxes

F.     One bag is for rubbish, the other for items in the wrong place

G.    When you're done, stick to a “one thing in, one thing out” rule

    You may have heard that some plants and animals are endangered. What does that mean exactly?

    Endangered means there are very few of that kind still alive. Someday they might become extinct. You may wonder what people can do to help them.

    Plant trees

    As the date of Earth Day roughly coincides with U.S.Arbor Day, planting trees is a popular Earth Day activity. Trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean pollution, secure soil in place to prevent erosion, and provide homes for many birds, insects and other animals.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. And plant them in your garden or on nature strips where plants are usually grown. Restoring the local plant life will help attract native bird life, pollinators and local mammals.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Why not welcome these nonhuman neighbors into your yard？ Here is how to do it. Instead of mowing the entire yard, leave a few sections unmoved.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Provide a source of water, like a bird bath or a small pond. Don't try to get rid of snakes, lizards, frogs, moles, squirrels, and the other creatures, many of which are beneficial.

    Clean up litter in your community

    Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean­up day.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Welcome animals into your yard

B. Choose flowers that are native to your area.

C. One way is to protect the animals' or plants' habitats

D. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects will find this inviting

E. It's a wonderful community project that you can do as an individual or with a group

F. So planting trees is a long ­lasting act you can do to celebrate Earth Day

G. Encourage people to respect wild spaces by not damaging animal habitats, littering, and dumpling in the water.