Lots of people stress out about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The “stress hormones" that your body produces at times like these can actually help you focus.

    But when worry and stress about performing get to be too much, these hormones give people that “red alert(紧急状态)” feeling—the one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, or get butterflies in your stomach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be prepared. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Rehearse(排练) as much as you can and practice in front of others at every opportunity. Most of all, think positively. Tell yourself “I'll be OK" or “I can do this" even if you are not 100% sure of it

    Look after yourself. Before big performances it's easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Exercise can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.

    Find out what the experts do. You can find books, DVDs, and online information about how to give your best when you perform, depending on what type of performance you're preparing for. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or ask the cast of your school play or your drama or music teacher how they beat stage fright. And if your parents or grandparents ever performed, they may have their own secrets to share.

    Everyone knows that fish is good for health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  But it seems that many people don't cook fish at home. Americans eat only about fifteen pounds of fish per person per year, but we eat twice as much fish in restaurants as at home. Buying, storing, and cooking fish isn't difficult. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  This text is about how to buy and cook fish in an easy way.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Fresh fish should smell sweet: you should feel that you're standing at the ocean's edge. Any fishy or strong smell means the fish isn't fresh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  When you have bought a fish and arrive home, you'd better store the fish in the refrigerator if you don't cook it immediately, but fresh fish should be stored in your fridge for only a day or two. Frozen fish isn't as tasty as the fresh one.

     There are many common methods used to cook fish. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} First, clean it and season it with your choice of spices(调料). Put the whole fish on a plate and steam it in a steam pot for 8 to 10 minutes if it weighs about one pound. (A larger one will take more time.) Then, it's ready to serve.

A. Do not buy it.

B. The easiest is to steam it.

C. This is how you can do it.

D. It just requires a little knowledge.

E. The fish will go bad within hours.

F. When buying fish, you should first smell it.

G. The fats in fish are thought to help prevent heart disease.

    Q & A

    Question：I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting，I presented and then opened the floor to questions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My first reaction was to answer defensively. Later I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings?

    Answer：Congratulations on your new position！Presenting in front of your peers(同事) is a hard task in itself，and it becomes much more difficult when a question and answer period is required. Question -and-answer periods are a great way to clarify the message and strengthen key points. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    When a person is asking a question，show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

    Buy time.

    When facing a hard question，most people can't give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

    Suggest a private meeting.

    A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Show your true interest.

B. Restate the question with respect.

C. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

F. You may also ask for clarification(澄清、说明) on the question.

G. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

    After a long day at work, coming home is a breath of fresh air. Home is a comfortable place to sit back and relax. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Below are a number of things we can do to create a healthy home environment that will help to ease the workday stress and promote our physical and mental health.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It may seem like a tiring thing to clean but there is a reason for doing so. We can remove dust by cleaning the house. Leaving layers of dust everywhere means that there is a build-up of dust. And where do these layers of dust go? Into our lungs.

Making sure the rooms are full of sunlight is also important. We may not realize it but sunlight is an important part of our growth. We all know that sunlight promotes better working conditions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Think about using a Parans system where sunlight does not reach. This technology gathers the sunlight by using solar panels(板). It can send out sunlight wherever we are.

    It is also a good idea to add more plants in our house. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They also give off oxygen, which can lower stress and improve our moods.

    Along the lines of being green, it can also be vital to think about what things we are bringing into the house. Try to avoid specific plastics that are harmful to health. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They may contain poisonous chemicals that can be breathed in, or simply absorbed through the skin.

A. However, is it as healthy as it can be?

B. Is our home as comfortable as it used to be?

C. The same thing applies to certain carpets and paint

D. Going green will help to remove toxins(毒素) in the air.

E. Besides, it can reduce both stress and high blood pressure.

F. Cleaning the house regularly is the first thing we should do.

G. It is acknowledged that a greener lifestyle is linked to better health.

    How long could you stand on Antarctic ice before your bare feet froze solid? A minute. Maybe two? If you're an emperor penguin, you can do it for two months in cruel winds at as low as-75 degrees Fahrenheit{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, but their special circulation acts as a kind of antifreeze to keep them warm enough.

    Penguin legs and feet have evolved to lose as little heat as possible. Penguin feet preserve heat by restricting blood flow in really cold weather, keeping foot temperature just above freezing{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Blood vessels to and from the feet are very narrow and woven closely together, cooling the blood from the body on the way to the feet and heating the blood as it returns to the body.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    This special ability is part of how penguins keep their eggs warm until they hatch. Each penguin egg's father balances it on his feet and covers it with his very warm layer of feathered skin to keep it cozy while females are out feeding at sea.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If females haven't returned with food by time the chicks hatch, male penguins feed their babies for a few days on a kind of "milk" made from special cells inside their throats.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your hands get whiter during freezing weather because there's less blood in them which has been redirected to the central part of your body to make sure vital organs stay warm.

A. Penguin legs work like a heat exchange system

B. Those naked bird feet may look extremely cold

C. Therefore, the male penguins must stay together in groups

D. However, parenting doesn't stop there for these devoted fathers

E. Emperor penguins also have the ability to 'recycle' their own body heat

F. Feet get cool blood so there's less heat to lose, while the body stays warm and comfortable

G. In fact. humans have the ability to restrict blood flow to their hands and feet in cold weather too

    If you just moved, you might be wondering who lives in your neighborhood. It's always a nice surprise to learn that there are families similar to your family close by. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips on how to make a good first and lasting impression.

    Do a Drop and Hi. Within the first few weeks of getting settled, consider dropping a small baked good or local treat with a card that includes your phone number and name. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Host Something. Once you are on a first - name basis with a few of your neighbors, consider hosting a small meet and greet event. Do something outside like a BBQ to keep things simple and relaxed.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's always such a nice gesture if you help your neighbor with bringing in their garbage can or ask if you can help carry groceries, etc. Ask if you can help or suggest they borrow one of your tools. Being considerate goes a long way.

    Exchange Numbers. It's important to exchange numbers, especially if you or your neighbor may be traveling. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Good neighbors become friends and always watch out for each other. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Help When You Can.

B. Hold a Positive Attitude.

C. It's no good having a face - to - face talk.

D. You can then tell them if you see anything wrong happening.

E. A "looking forward to meeting you" type note is always nice.

F. But how do you make sure you're the kind of neighbor people want to spend time with?

G. With these tips, you'll find yourself with a good community of close friends in no time.