Here are some tips on listening. We hope it can help you in one way or another.
●Relax yourself.
Before you start to listen to something, You need to relax.
{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This will help you with your listening.
●Listen carefully to the first sentence.
{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, if eyou hear“Many shops in many parts of China have decided to take away all kinds of Japanese goods off their shelves, but some people say it's not a good idea. Our reporter says…”,you know you will hear a piece of news, not a children's story or a science report.
●Think when you're listening.
{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, you can think of the following questions: What happened? When , where and how? What was the result and what does the speaker want to tell us? In this way, you may undersrand the passage better.
●Listen for important facts.
{#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, if the passage is a science report, you should try to remember its findings , and how the scientists got their results.
●Don't think about one or two words for too long.
You may hear some words that you don't know. But don't spend too much time on them.
{#blank#}5{#/blank#} But you can remember some words or sentences that you think are important, and you can use them when you're answering the questions.

    At present, people use money every day. It is very important in our life{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Long ago, people didn't need money{#blank#}2{#/blank#} As time passed, people learned to raise home animals and plant crops(庄稼). Sometimes, families produced more than they needed, so they started to trade with other families. Later, people began to use money as a way of exchange(交换).{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They used shells, salt and large stones.

    During the 7th century B．C.(公元前), people began using coins as money. They were easier to carry{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The Chinese were the first to use paper money, as early as the 11th century. The Italian traveler Marco Polo saw the Chinese using money when he visited China in the 1200s{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Today, we have many ways to pay for things. Often, a bank card is used for paying. It is safer and quicker than using a lot of paper money. Besides, proudly, Chinese always use Internet and mobile payment, such as Alipay and WeChat.

A．Do you know the history of money?

B．Instead, people still use paper money.

C．They were similar to the money at present.

D．Later, countries began to make their own coins.

E．However, it was not the kind of money we use today.

F．They lived on wild animals, fruits and other plants.

G．European countries started using paper money in the 1600s.

    Kevin loves to read mystery books. He likes to try to solve the mystery himself before he gets to the end. He also likes solving problems. Kevin can usually solve any mystery or problem.

    One day Kevin's mom was trying to find her glasses. Without her glasses, she could not drive. This was a problem because she was going to drive Kevin to his friend's house. It was also a mystery. Kevin really wanted to solve it.

    "Where do you last remember seeing your glasses?" he asked his mom.

    "I had them on while I was watching the news this morning," she said.

    "Where were you watching the news?" asked Kevin.

    His mom thought for a minute, and then she answered that she was in the living room.

She remembered sitting in her favorite chair and taking off her glasses when the news ended. She thought she put her glasses on the table, but they weren't there.

    Kevin had his mom describe everything she remembered doing during the day. She mentioned watching the news, making breakfast, working in her home office and then gardening. It was after gardening that she started looking for her glasses.

    After hearing about his mom's day, Kevin began to take action. He looked under her favorite chair, in the kitchen, in her office and around the garden. He didn't find her glasses.

    Kevin doesn't give up easily, so he looked in each place again and he looked even harder. It was on his second go around of the kitchen that he thought to open the cabinets (储藏柜). He found his mom's glasses in the drawer (抽屉).

    "Thank you, Kevin," said his mom. "I wouldn't be able to see anything without you."

The Super Bowl

    The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (联盟) in America every year. The champion of the National FootballConference (NFC) competes against the champion of the American Football Conference (AFC) to decide which is the best team in the country. Super Bowl is far more than a sporting event. The mix of America's biggest institutions (体系): sports, TV, food consumption, advertising and entertainment makes the Super Bowl an American cultural phenomenon.

    The Super Bowl is usually held on the last Sunday of January or the first Sunday of February. That day is called Super Bowl Sunday. For years, it has been the most watched one-day sporting event in the US and it gradually has become an unofficial national holiday. The average viewing rate of Super Bowl reached to 44.9 percent in 2019.

    Super Bowl Sunday sees more parties than any other day during the year. Young people are no exception to the party spirit. They gather to watch the game on TV. The Super Bowl is the third biggest eating day in America—behind Christmas and Thanksgiving. Fans host Super Bowl parties by filling their living rooms with junk food and drinks. Guests may arrive dressed in their team's T-shirt and carrying beer to share.

    Knowing that the Super Bowl has the attention of millions of Americans, companies pay big money for game-time advertising. In 2019, the advertising cost set a record — $5.3 million for 30 seconds. The Super Bowl has developed to a T V selling season sandwiched between after-Christmas sales and Valentine's Day.

    Another tradition of the Super Bowl is the Halftime Show, which presents at the halftime break between the second and third quarters. The Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical event of the year. So it is also called the Americans' Spring Festival Gala. Non-football fans tune (调台) into the Super Bowl for the most famous musicians' performances during halftime. As the top performers, Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi gave impressive live show for the audience in the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2019. The show represents a link between American football and pop culture and helps broaden the television audience and nationwide interest.

    Americans view the Super Bowl as a National Day of revelry (狂欢). Although people may watch it for different reasons, there is one thing for sure they can find their own pleasure in it.

    "Dreams may be more important than sleep. We all need dreams." some scientists say. Dreams take up about one quarter of our sleeping time. People have several dreams each night. Dreams are short films. They come to us over and over again. That may be because the dreamer is worrying about something. Dreaming may be a way of trying to find an answer. Sometimes we wake up with a good feeling from a dream. But often we can't remember the dream. Dream can disappear quickly from memory. Some people dream too much to sleep well.

    Zhuge Liang lived during the Three Kingdoms period. He was famous for his talent and loyalty (忠诚).

    When Zhuge Liang was young, he lived the life of a farmer in Nanyang. Liu Bei visited him three times. Finally, Zhuge Liang promised to do his best to help Liu Bei. A few years later, they built the state of Shu.

    After the death of Liu Bei, his son Liu Shan became the emperor of Shu. Zhuge Liang helped him rule the state. He was the prime minister, but he took care of everything, no matter how small it is. ⑶Because of his hard work, the state became much stronger than before.

    At that time, the state of Wei was an enemy of Shu. Zhuge Liang led the army to fight Wei many times. Before he left, ⑷Zhuge Liang wrote a letter to the emperor. At the end of the letter, he said, "I will give myself to the people and the country until the last day of my life." The war between Shu and Wei lasted for a long time. Finally, Zhuge Liang became sick and died.

It tells us …

   ⑸Zhuge Liang spent all his time working for his people and country. A great man like him will always be remembered.