When we think about the dreams we have, it is surprising to see how many people failed even if they could have succeeded. So today I'm going to tell you five ways to kill your dreams.

    Believe in overnight success.

    Everyone knows the story of a tech guy who built a mobile app and sold it for a lot of money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you investigate further, you will find that he is well educated and has been working on the project for 20 years. Therefore, your overnight success is always a result of what you've done in your life.

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    Constantly, people around you always have opinions on which path you should take. But whichever way you choose, there are other ways you have to pick as well. And one day you need to solve those problems yourself.

Decide to rest when success is guaranteed.

When your life is going great and everything is set— time to rest. Actually, when you're growing towards a peak, you need to work even harder and find yourself another peak. If you were content with what you've accomplished, it would stop you from a greater success. 

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    Believe the fault is someone else's.

    I constantly see people saying, “I created this great product, but the market is so bad.” If you have dreams, it's your responsibility to make them happen. Yes, the market may be bad. But if no one bought your product, surely there is something there that is your fault.

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    Believe that the only things that matter are the dreams themselves.

    Achieving a dream is a short moment, but your life is not. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And the only way to really achieve all of your dreams is to fully enjoy every step of your journey.

A. When we face difficulties, believe in ourselves.

B. The overnight success inspires so many people.

C. The story may seem real, but I bet it's incomplete.

D. Be responsible for your own dreams.

E. Life is never about the goals themselves.

F. There's no time to settle down.

G. Believe someone else has the answers for you.

    One of the most popular vacation destinations for young families is the home of relatives. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Here are some tips for making sure you are invited back again.

    Be considerate

    Every family has their own way of doing things. Keep these things in mind when you're visiting.

    If your host family are early to bed and early to rise, don't keep them up talking until one o'clock in the morning.

    If your host family gets angry about kids running wild, either plan to keep a close eye on your kids or plan to stay somewhere else. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    Offer to help out

    Playing host to a family with children can be quite a challenge. Make sure you help lighten the load.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Offer to help with cooking and cleanup. Make your beds and run to the store for milk. Better yet, don't ask. Just start working.

    Help pay for food

    This may not apply, if you're visiting parents and they insist on paying for everything and they can afford it. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Use your judgment when it comes to parents. However, if you're visiting cousins, it will be a great help to them if you buy your  share of the food.

    Show your appreciation

    No matter whom you are visiting, make sure you let them know you appreciate their hospitality(盛情招待). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Or leave some fresh flowers when you leave. If you don't have enough money, write them a letter, letting them know how much fun you had and how much you appreciate them.

A．Don't expect your hosts to supply your every need.

B．Offer to take them out to dinner on your last night in town.

C．Make sure you don't leave your things behind while visiting a family.

D．In that case you may hurt your parents if you insist on paying for food.

E．Try not to disturb someone who is in the middle of exams.

F．Staying with relatives is a great way to save money while getting away from home for a while.

G．Having a talk with your children about expected behavior while visiting is always a good idea.

    How do actors and actresses memorize hundreds of lines? Memorizing lines takes practice and constant repetition. However, there are a few ways to make the memorization process run smoothly and quickly.   

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    For most performers, there is no quicker way of memorizing lines. To learn lines, an actor must recite the play loud over and over again. Most rehearsals(彩排) encourage this by running through the lines or having a ＂read through＂. By the time opening night arrives, most actors have spoken their lines hundreds of times.

Listen to your cast members.

    Sometimes inexperienced actors spend rehearsals looking at fellow performers, waiting patiently to say their next line. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This will help the actor learn his lines better because the context of the dialogue is absorbed.

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    Because there is often not enough rehearsal time, many performers find ways to listen to the play's dialogue during everyday activities. They use a tape recorder or an MP3 player to listen to the lines from each relevant scene. Some actors prefer to record the lines of all the characters, including their own. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Others like recording the lines of fellow cast members, and they leave a blank space so that they can insert their dialogue while listening to the recording.

Think positively and don't panic.

    Most actors will experience stage fright before the opening night. Actors forget lines now and then. When it happens, however, most of the time the audience never notice. If you forget a line in the middle of your performance, don't freeze. Stay in character. Keep the scene going to the best of your ability. If unfortunately you forget a line once, you will probably never forget that line ever again. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Record your lines.

B. Practice makes perfect.

C. Read lines loud and repeat them.

D. Read lines loud and remember them in a short time.

E. Sometimes embarrassment is the toughest method of memorization.

F. Then, they not only listen carefully, but they also speak all of the lines.

G. Instead, they should be listening carefully, responding in character at all times.

    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#} 

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    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.

    Want to live in a perfectly clean environment and make it shine brightly? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Then you will not need to purchase expensive cleaning products.

  Clean the toilet with Coke. It's amazing how powerful Coke might be as a toilet cleaner. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You'll save your health by not consuming chemicals that Coke contains and save money by not purchasing professional cleaners. Pour some cola over the stains and leave it all for a few hours. Then let water wash the toilet!

    Remove water stains with orange peels(皮). You've just eaten an orange. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Do not throw away those orange peels. You can use the skins to clean stainless steel. Your appliances will shine again after you rub them with the skins. The peels can easily make those stubborn stains disappear in a second.

    Use banana peels to polish leather furniture. Experts claim that banana peels are great for polishing leather sofas and armchairs. Banana skins are rich in oils and have the right texture(质地) to do the task. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Afterwards, remove the leftover with a cloth. This trick is simple and cheap. Use it if you want your leather furniture to look brand new again.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Why would you want to buy one when you can make your own product that is cheap and non-toxic(无毒的)? Just pour 2 liters of slightly warm water into a deep bowl. Then add 50ml white vinegar and half a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Shake the bowl and then fill up a plastic spray with the mixture. Use it to clean windows and mirrors. Make your glass surfaces clean and shiny.

A. Instead of drinking it, use it to clean the toilet bowl.

B. Make your own glass cleaner.

C. Follow the steps given below.

D. They leave no marks or scratches (抓痕).

E. Of course your answer is "yes".

F. They are economical and safe to use on all of furniture.

G. Wait a minute!

    Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets as millions of new cars and trucks are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars and trucks with gas. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Because most Americans find they are using their cars in almost every aspect of their life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The polluted air becomes poisonous and dangerous to health.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's what several of the large car factories have been trying to do. But to build a clean car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.

Another way is to take the place of the car engine by something else.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.

To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we'll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down on the number of their total cars. They are encouraged to travel and go to work by bicycle. Bicycling is thought to help keep the air clean. But this change does not come easily. A large number of workers may find themselves without jobs if a car factory closes down.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Although cars have led us to a better life, they have also brought us new problems.

A. Americans know cars very well.

B. Americans won't live without cars!

C. Inventors are now working on steam cars as well as electric cars.

D. However, the number of vehicles has continued to increase in recent years.

E. One way to get rid of the polluted air is to build a car that does not pollute.

F. Thus the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.

G. However, some have realized the serious problems of the air pollution that is caused by cars.