The holiday season isn't just about shopping and gifts. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, holiday travel can be more expensive than the gifts. Fortunately, the following tips will help keep your travel spending under control.

● Plan ahead. The earlier you book your travel, from airfare to hotels, the easier it is to find good deals. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your best prices on airfare come when you book three weeks before the plane leaves for domestic flights. For international flights, consider booking 30 days in advance. Many experts point out that you should book travel between  one month and three months out for high-traffic holidays.

● Book your air travel on cheaper days. Traveling by air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays often costs less than traveling on Fridays and Sundays. During the holidays, it is not just about a specific day of the week. You also need to consider the days surrounding the holiday but days immediately before and after a holiday can be expensive. One of the best ways to save is to plan your air travel on the Day of the holiday. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

● Consider traveling overnight. Red-eye flights and overnight flights often cost less than those at more convenient times. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Traveling overnight can help you avoid a night in the hotel, as well as save your money on travel to your destination.

●{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can't bring liquids with you on the airline, but you can bring sandwiches and other snacks. When you are on the road, you can buy food at local groceries to make your own meals. If you are staying in a hotel long-term, consider cooking your own food, especially if you have access to a microwave.

    Choosing the right university for you is a big decision with many factors to consider. The institution that you choose will not only be the one that ensures your academic goals, but it will also be where you will live, learn, play sports, socialize and work for several years. Therefore, before you start filling out those university application forms, take a step back and consider the many variables that affect the “fit” of a university to your unique personality and educational goals. Take a look at the following factors, and decide which ones mean the most to you.

    Consider your educational goals. You will discover that different schools are  more recognized or progressive in your chosen field of study than others. For this reason, talk to advisors, professionals in your field, or go to clubs organized by the alumni(校友). When you check out school ranking for your major, you may find that your first choice is not really a match, while another fits perfectly.

    Consider costs. It will be no surprise to you at this point that not all schools cost the same. Some of the more famous schools are so because they are difficult to get into and difficult to pay for. Don't let this necessarily stop you. Just keep this consideration in mind as you narrow your list of potential schools.

    Choosing a university should not be done only on reputation, but also take the academic programs and overall environment into consideration. Be aware that reputations are sometimes out of date or overstated, so first-hand experience is often beneficial.

    Once you've identified the factors that are most important to you, you've taken the first steps towards making a successful choice. Make sure you pick a university that will serve your needs throughout your university career.

    It is promoted that we should all prioritize some simpler life improvements to live better lives.The explanations for how and why they better our life serve as powerful reminders that we might be prioritizing the wrong things,and undervaluing what makes life worth living.

    Smoking, drinking, exercise and even heart problems are not predictors of a person's longevity—a person's close relationships and social integration are.Our human connections have the positive impact on all aspects of our well-being, including our physical health. Those with intimacy(亲昵) in their lives, and those with frequent face-to-face interactions were not only physically and emotionally healthier, but they also lived longer.

    It's why women, who tend to prioritize spending time with their friends more than men, live an average of six years longer. It's not enough to text or email.The actual health benefits of socializing are only achieved through in-person contact because face-to-face contact releases chemicals that protect you now and well into the future like a vaccine.

    People who spend time on social networks, dating apps and even online news sites are found less happy. Most things we do for pleasure, like reading a book or watching a movie, have an end. But scrolling（卷动）on the phone is endless and we don't know when to break away. And those who do set limiting rules for their technology use are able to enjoy life more. Life becomes more colorful, richer, when you have better conversations with the person who is there with you.

    The chase for happiness doesn't make us happy.In fact,constantly evaluating our own happiness is actually contributing to feelings of hopelessness and depression. Happiness is a fickle （变幻无常的）emotion, based on a moment or an experience. It's not a lack of happiness but lack of meaning that's really making us feel sad.

    Meaning can be obtained in four forms: belonging, purpose, transcendence （卓越） and storytelling. The first is having people in your life who truly love and care about you. The second is having purpose. Most people find purpose through work because it's how we feel like we're adding value or contributing. So finding something to drive you forward is a crucial slice of having meaning. Transcendence is about finding something like art or church or doing yoga that can take you outside of yourself, that can make you feel like you're part of something bigger. With storytelling, that's all about our personal narratives. We're the author of our stories, and we can change how we're telling them. Your life isn't just a list of events.

    Shanghai Hengyuanxiang Drama Development Company and Netherlander Worldwide Entertainment signed a deal last November that would see Shimmer (《犹太人在上海》) become the first Chinese musical to have an open-ended run on Broadway in 2019. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Directed by Xu Jun, Shimmer is a musical in both English and Chinese. Shimmer, which tells a story about Jews who fled to Shanghai to escape Nazi persecution (迫害) during World War II, was first shown at the Shanghai Culture Square in 2015. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The musical's scheduled open-ended run in 2019 will be one of the events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. With this play being shown on Broadway, the ties between Chinese people and Americans will be firmly strengthened. And through this drama, the audience can feel the charm of Chinese culture.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To deal with the problem, many production companies in Shanghai have pointed out that they should keep striving for improvement by creating more Chinese musicals and by creating more audiences. Currently, those who watch Western musicals in China are limited to a small group — people who have received a university education or have had overseas working experiences, white-collar and even gold-collar workers. There are only a handful of people who understand foreign languages and you have to find a way to motivate the public and get them into the theater.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There has been a handful of successful musical stories in Shanghai. The Chinese editions of Broadway musicals Cats and Mamma Mia, both of which had hundreds of shows across China, are among the top box office hits.

A. What do you think we can do to prevent Chinese musicals from declining in popularity?

B. At that time, the musical was chosen as the opening show for the 17th China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

C. The box office is expected to be twice higher than that of last year, reaching $1 million in total.

D. The small audience size hasn't discouraged local artists from producing outstanding works.

E. The deal is a milestone for Shimmer in its goal to further spread its influence to the world.

F. Despite the huge success of Shimmer, the team is facing a limited market.

    Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences in the box. Each sentence can only be used once. Note that there are two sentences more than you need.

    Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they are meant to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be your roommate, neighbor, professor, long-lost friend, lover or even a complete stranger whom you lock eyes with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Sometimes things happen to you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}But in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength and willpower. Everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck.

    The people you meet affect your life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most important ones.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possible can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked before, yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your won life and then go out and live it.

A. And the successes and downfalls you experience, create who you are.

B. At the time they may seem horrible, painful and unfair.

C. Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time.

D. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's.

E. But you know that every moment they will affect you life in some deep way.

F. Make every day count.