Snow falls in the Earth's extreme North and South throughout the year. However, the heaviest snowfalls have been reported in the mountains of other areas during winter. Snow is even known to fall near the Equator (赤道), but only on the highest mountains.

    Snow contains much less water than rain, but much of the water the world uses comes from snow. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the western United States, mountain snow provides up to seventy-five percent of all surface water supplies.

    Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from winter weather. Fresh snow is made largely of air trapped among the snow crystals (晶体). Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is limited. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The surface of the snow takes in, or absorbs, sound waves. As snow grows older or if there have been strong winds, it can become hard and flat. Then, the snow's surface will help to send back sound waves.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Many people die in traffic accidents on roads covered with snow and ice or from being seriously stuck in the winter storm. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    People may not be able to avoid living in areas where it snows often. However, they can avoid becoming victims of snowstorms. People should stop driving and stay at home until the storm has passed. People living in these areas should carry emergency supplies in their vehicle. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. These include food, emergency medical supplies, and extra clothing to stay warm and dry.

B. Snow also influences the movement of sound waves.

C. Melting snow provides water for rivers, electric power stations and agricultural crops.

D. Mountain snowfall is heavier than that in the South and the North Poles.

E. In many places, streets were blocked; houses fell down and supplies were short.

F. Others die from heart attacks caused by too much physical activity out in the cold.

G. Snow may be beautiful, but it can be deadly.

    In today's busy and competitive world, we all lead incredibly stressful lives. When stress becomes overwhelming, it can affect our mood and productivity. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The good news is that it is manageable and can be reduced, or even relieved completely.

    Enter the world of books. Feeling stressed out? Pick up your favorite book and leave the reality and worries behind. It is the most effective way to relax and overcome stress. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Getting lost in a book before bedtime can calm your mind and prepare your body for a good night's sleep.

    Connect with people. Another way to successfully beat stress is meeting with friends. Friends and loved ones are important to any healthy lifestyle. If you're feeling a little overwhelmed and just can't seem to shake it off, call your best friend or a member of your family and talk to them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Walk it off. You can also effectively relieve yourself of stress by simply taking a walk around your neighborhood. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There's a whole new world up there that you never seem to notice while rushing to work or talking to someone. Take a moment to admire a new building or a balcony somewhere high up that reminds you of a castle from your favorite movie. Enjoy your time alone and seize every moment of it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Nothing brings you back on track like a good laughter. It is the most powerful antidote(良方) to stress and it brings joy into your life. Laughing brings people together and drives away all stress-related problems as if they never existed. It is absolutely the best medicine there is, and it will keep you both physically and emotionally healthy.

    Choosing the right college for you is not so easy. You should have a general idea of what you want and don't want. The idea can guide you to find what fits your needs best.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Think about what major you want to study in college. If you know that, just look at colleges that have your major{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So think carefully about your major and interests before choosing one.

    Where the college is located matters. Anyone who tells you the location isn't important is lying{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you look forward to working in the publishing industry, New York may be your best bet. If your parents want you to stay close to home, please don't consider anywhere that requires a plane ticket to get to.

    Think about how much you can afford. Are your parents paying for your education? If so, how much are they willing to spend? Do you have to contribute anything? Financial aid and scholarships exist, but don't count on anything.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}These are all things to consider before you fall in love with a college.

    Make sure you're going to spend time with the right people. The cool thing about college is that each different one attracts different kinds of people. For the first thing in your life, you get to choose where you get to spend your time and who you get to spend it with.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Make sure that the people you're with for four years are your kind of people.

A. College is about learning what you love.

B. You'd better choose a major that is popular.

C. Go to the college with some people you like.

D. Remember, above all, it is the people that make the place.

E. Are you willing to go into major debt over a school?

F. If you don't like cold weather, stay away from northern schools.

G. These guidelines will help figure out what college you want to go to.

    Television is everywhere around us. Yet it is great for learning English. The pictures make it easier to understand than radio and because you can see who's talking, and get a better idea of what people mean. Just watch their ＂body language＂! Watch programs that you find enjoyable and entertaining. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Here's the English-at-home.com guide to learning as much as possible while watching English television:

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Learning English should be fun — not something that you have to force yourself to do. If you have a passion for football, watch matches or the sports news.

    Keep a notebook near to your television. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is especially useful. You can look for programs with subtitles in your own language.

    Try to watch English television regularly. Even if you can only watch 15 minutes a day, you'll be amazed how much you learn.

    Don't worry if you don't understand everything. English television is normally aimed at native English speakers. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If the programs that you're watching are full of unknown words, just concentrate on understanding the general meaning.

    Keep a note of television programs and presenters that you find easy to understand and try to watch them regularly. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Soon you will impress your friends with your English skills.

A. Don't watch the programs too easy for you.

B. Programs often include many difficult words.

C. Better watch programs that you find interesting.

D. English learning has little to do with watching TV.

E. Whatever you watch will help you improve your English.

F. Doing this will increase your confidence in learning English.

G. You can take down any new words or expressions that you hear.

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

Time for Americans to act on climate change

    The climate crisis is worsening at a rate that is becoming harder and harder to ignore. For more than two decades, scientific reports have made it clear that global warming is real, that humans cause it and that the consequences will be disastrous.

    The scientific community has become increasingly panicked over the past year. The latest assessment from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change painted a far more terrible picture than its previous analyses, and the long-awaited National Climate Assessment made clear that climate change represents a severe threat to human health as well as our economic security. Out of this panic came the treaty(条约)reached this past weekend by world leaders to keep the Paris climate agreement alive.

    Yet many Americans still don't regard the threat as a key priority for our government, and support President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris treaty. Campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies have convinced elected officials to look the other way. A certain amount of despair has resulted in widespread apathy(漠然).

    But there is another reason that has been discussed far less openly. While a growing number of people understand that climate change will have significant worldwide consequences, many Americans have an intuitive(直觉的)belief that their nation is more capable than others of adapting to a changed environment. Why? Because they have before.

    This historical success, however, resulted from the federal government taking science seriously, and making investments to urge revolution and innovation.

    But these innovations did not happen by themselves, or simply because of the United States' rich resources. They depended on consistent support from the leaders about the need to take action when faced with crises. This has been especially true in the environmental crisis.

    President Bill Clinton had a shockingly modest record of advancing climate security, particularly given that his vice president, Al Gore, had been one of the most outspoken environmentalists in Congress. By far Clinton's biggest accomplishment was assigning Gore to participate іn thе Куоtо Рrоtoсоl negotiations. Сlіntоn сhоѕе, hоwеvеr, tо аvоіd whаt ѕurеlу wоuld have been a terrible fight in the Senate to gain approval of the treaty. While this effort probably would have failed, it would have signaled to the American people how seriously the Democratic Party took climate change.

    Thus, the time has clearly arrived for progressive candidates to start campaigning on a platform built around the need for a sustainability revolution. Such a plan should include a carbon tax, well-funded clean energy research, evolved agricultural policies and smarter public transport. Given that Generation X and millennials(千禧一代)never bought into the fiction that the United States is immune to the dangers of global warming, the time is ripe to make climate security a crucial government responsibility. Only by doing so can we begin the long-overdue(拖延好久的)campaign to save the planet.

Time for Americans to act on climate change

    “Sorry for keeping you waiting. I left my cell phone at home, so I went hack to get it,” Adam said as he apologized to Vicky after arriving an hour late for their first date. Vicky tried to be polite, so she forced a smile and replied, “It's all right. Let's order something to eat.” While they were waiting for their food. Vicky discovered that Adam had been checking his cell phone. Just as she got the chance to talk to him Adam's cell phone rang and he answered it without delay. He talked continuously and totally ignored his date, who was sitting right next to him. Twenty minutes later, when Adam finally hung up and turned hack to Vicky, he saw nothing but an angry face. “Why don't you date your cell phone?” said Vicky. Then, she stood up and shouted, “Don't ever call me again!”

    We can understand why Vicky was so angry at Adam. In fact, like Adam, many people in modern society can't stand to be separated from their cell phones. With their cell phones, they talk to others, listen to music, check e-mall, and download applications as well as photos. Their dependence on this technological device has become so great that the cell phone is now often considered a necessity rather than a luxury (奢侈品). Some people cannot even imagine life without their cell phones. As a result, a psychological(心理学的) phrase known as "disconnect anxiety" was born.

    According to psychologists, when these people are not using their phones, they may start to feel uneasy. Some feel socially separated without their cell phone. Others worry about not being able to respond to emergencies in time. Still others are so psychologically influenced by their cell phones that they often believe their phones have been ringing without their knowledge. Those who suffer from disconnect anxiety frequently check their cell phones for any missed calls or messages. In addition, they like to keep in touch with their friends-even just to kill time. What's more, if these heavy cell phone users discover that they have forgotten to bring their cell phones along with them, they will insist on returning home to get their "cells".

    It's nice to have a cell phone, and it makes sense, of course, to enjoy all the advantages this clever product has brought. However, we need to use it wisely. For example, when we are doing something important, we should turn off our cell phones to concentrate on our work. As for Adam, he had better leave his cell phone at home on his next date with Vicky-if he gets another chance to go out with her!