There are so many expressions in American English that sound pleasant but are not.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When someone says they have to “face the music” , it does not mean they are going to a concert. “Facing the music” means to accept and deal with the punishment of an action.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, “ I can't face another night of camping! It's a cold and rainy”. Or “In life, you must face your fears”. Face used in this way is very common.

    But now, let's go back to facing the music. Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, “Thanks so much for watching my car while I'm away. But please, do not drive it. It is an extremely fast car.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You drive it around town one night. And you lose control of the car and drive it into a stop sign. Bang!

    When your returns you must tell her what you have done and “face the music”{#blank#}4{#/blank#}It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports to her sports car or both.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}To “take your medicine” means to accept the results from something bad you have done. And if someone says, “You made your bed. Now lie in it” they mean you created a bad station and now you will experience the results.

A. But you do not listen.

B. “Face the music ”is a good example.

C. The “music ” here is the result of your actions.

D. American often use the word “face” in this way.

E. Everyone likes to enjoy a concert in the evening.

F. You are very afraid of losing your trust of your friend.

G. There are other American expressions that mean the same thing as “Face the music”.

    Do you usually feel you're working hard but still can't reach your study goals? Here are some quick tips to help you study better.

Study with a partner or in groups

    Rather than living in a cave with your nose in the books all day, grab a friend from your class and study with him.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Step into your teacher's shoes

    Ask yourself “If I were the teacher, what would I put on the test?”You have probably experienced a lot of your teacher's tests and quizzes by now.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Teachers have specific types of information that they want you to learn. The structure is usually the same.

Paint pictures on the paper

    You can build your knowledge structure in the form of pictures. It's harder to remember each piece of a puzzle individually than it is to recall the completed picture.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    A hungry brain is an ineffective one. Your brain needs the proper nutrients to keep it going. Because of this, what you eat and drink also play a huge role in how sharp your brain is. Healthy food provide nutrients to your brain cells to keep them energized.

Take breaks to relax your brain

    Your brain is like a muscle. It can be also tired if you overwork it,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you divide studying into 15 to 30 minutes blocks with quick breaks in between, your brain will feel refreshed, grateful and ready for the next challenge you throw at.

A. Feed your brain from time to time.

B. It needs exercise to make it stronger.

C. Relax your brain by eating and drinking.

D. You'd better learn from them for the next test.

E. It's necessary to have a long holiday and have nice food.

F. Find ways to connect what you are learning to real life or to other concepts.

G. Group studying helps you to engage and process the information more deeply

    Questions to Ask Before Getting Your Child a Cellphone

    At what age should you get your child a cellphone？{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However，before you decide to add your child to your family plan，ask yourself these questions.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you and your child are not often apart beyond school hours，a cellphone may not be a serious necessity，but if he is independent or involved in extracurricular (课外的) activities outside your home，a cellphone could be useful，especially during emergencies as a convenient means of communication with you.

    Does your child understand the cost?

    Make sure your child understands the cost of having a cellphone.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some options to help control costs include prepaid and postpaid phones，setting a monthly budget for your child.

    How can you keep your child's phone usage safe and under control?

    Before you get your child a phone，you should discuss what it can be used for，rules he is expected to follow，and consequences if he fails to follow them.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you prefer to take an extra step towards monitoring his phone use，these application programs allow you to track your child's mobile activity.

A．Who needs a cellphone?

B．How can you determine whether or not to buy a cellphone for your child?

C．Also be sure that he can be trusted to stay within his limits from month to month.

D．You ask your child to make use of his cellphone for learning.

E．Also, educate yourself on what social media apps are popular with teens.

F．According to Pew Research Center, the average age is between 12 and 13.

G．For example, is the phone only to be used to call family, or can it be used socially?

To Live Truly in Today

    Here are some suggestions on how we should truly live in today. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. If we're out in the town, then the shops and other people will surround us. If we're in our kitchen, then our kitchen appliances and the sunlight coming in through our window will surround us.

    Listen to those you meet. When we're with other people and they're talking, how often do we listen? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. We may be nodding, but our minds may be thinking of financial worries, or we may be waiting for the other person to finish their sentence so that we can jump straight in with what we have to say. None of this is true "listening". In order to truly listen to someone, we must be in the present. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hang on every word, and give them the freedom to say what they wish without judgment. By truly listening, you remain in the present with each passing word.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Each day, we have a number of things that we need to do, or that we'd like to do, or simply that we could do. Focus on one day's work at a time, rather than a number of days at once. Find all that needs to be done on that day, and nothing else. If something can be put off, then do so and replace it with something else that is more urgent. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Focus on that, and nothing else.

A. Focus on what has to be done today.

B. To be aware of the past and the future.

C. We may even find ways to avoid it altogether.

D. Unfortunately, we don't seem to listen that much at all.

E. Once you know what work is the most urgent, then do it.

F. We must really hear what they have to say and not be distracted by our worries.

G. No matter where we find ourselves, we are always surrounded by our immediate environment.

    Worry problems are everywhere in our daily life. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to handle different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are：

    Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence. You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

    Analyze the facts

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences (后果) of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Unless you take your action, all you face—finding and analysing—is a waste of energy. How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Move worry out of your mind by keeping busy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Accept what can't be avoided. If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: "It is so; it can't be otherwise." Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to develop a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Act on that decision.

B. It is not an easy job to get facts.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth.

D. Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back.

F. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case.

G. Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry.

Think like This When You Feel Stressed

    It's a sweet opportunity. If you look on pressure as a threat, you are sure to be negatively impacted by its occurrence. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They look on it as a great chance. They will cherish (珍惜) the pressure moment and approach it with confidence and enthusiasm.

    I'll get another chance. Under pressure, we often lose hope. We tend to distort (扭曲) the reality of the situation. One of the most common phrases is the “chance of a lifetime”, in which we tell ourselves, “I will never get an opportunity like this again, so I can't miss it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I'll do my best. This is what people who do their best under pressure tell themselves when they are going into a pressure moment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Because it prevents them from wasting valuable energy worrying over things they can't influence and promotes confidence at the same time. Focusing on doing your best keeps you in the moment and guides your behavior toward success.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People who perform their best in pressure will reduce the significance of the upcoming pressure moment, so they feel less stressed. Whether it's a sales call or an interview for their dream jobs, they are like winning athletes, and when asked how to handle the pressure of the big game, they responded, “It's just another game.”

    I can control how I respond. People who do their best in a pressure moment focus on what they can control. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you have an upcoming interview, don't worry about the other applicants. You can't control them. Practice how you will handle an unexpected problem.

A. It's no big deal.

B. It stops you paying attention to anxiety.

C. Instead, take care of your own business.

D. Remembering past successes increases your confidence.

E. In fact, we have many chances to succeed in our lifetime.

F. But people who do their best in a pressure moment are different.

G. Focusing on doing your best quickly decreases pressure in the moment.