Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-minute excitement of flying wrapping paper. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.

1 Know the person

    The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows that you really know the person well, and you really care about him. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

2 Donate in their name

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone's name this holiday season.

3 Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.

    Family heirlooms(传家宝) may be another good gift option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing — money — to the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.

4 Provide chances for participation

    If there's a golden rule of gifts, though, it's this: {#blank#}5{#/blank#} People who receive experiential gifts, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the gift giver than people who received material gifts.

A. Give experiences rather than objects.

B. But it doesn't have to be that way.

C. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.

D. That is always beyond their expectation.

E. That means catering to another's pleasure.

F. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift to.

G. The new and store-bought is not always best.

    Maybe you are an average student. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how.

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes; look at the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover them after you have tried these.

    Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States and Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes which will give them a head start in life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.

    Parents can see that their children's skills differ. Some children are very skilled in some areas while poor in others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills that they need to be confident, happy and clever.

    Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework. Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in

    life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully step by step. The result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and lots of self-confidence.

    Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to repair them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And that is more important.

A. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.

B. The more cost in education, the better the result will be.

C. Cooking requires patience and time.

D. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today's children are badly off for self-respect and self-confidence.

E. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is.

F. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind.

G. Thus, the more the children use the computer, the better the result will be.

The origins of football

    If I ask whether you want to come out and play Pasuckaukohowog or Aqsaqtuk, will you know what I am talking about? I don't think you will, but they are very old names for a sport which is extremely popular today{#blank#}1{#/blank#} The origins of football can be found in every corner of the world.

    Civilizations throughout history all played ball games and many of these can be considered forerunners of the modern game{#blank#}2{#/blank#} However, there is scientific evidence that suggests that ball games were played even earlier in ancient China with the name of cuju. There is evidence to show that ball games in Egypt were linked to agriculture and religious ceremonies.

    Did you know that the Native American Indians played football?{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It was quite often that players would finish the game with broken bones and other serious injuries. In fact the game was almost a war with up to 500 players on each side!

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So they would often disguise themselves with lots of paint to avoid being recognized.

    The game was normally played on a sports field that was often one mile long with goals at either end. The game could last for hours and was often carried on from one day to the next.

    During the Mid-19th century, football was played at the public schools of England with totally different rules. To unite the widely different forms of football, they came up with the rules that were known as the Cambridge Rules.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} They allow goal kicks, throw-ins as well as forward passes and prevent running while you are holding the ball!

    So next time when you're playing football, be thankful that there is one universally accepted rule for playing!

A. Football was considered a male sport.

B. They are really a set of football rules.

C. The players understood the violent nature of the game.

D. Ball games were first played in Egypt as early as 1800 BC.

E. The sport is football.

F. This game was incredibly violent at that time.

G. These records prove that the sport has a long tradition throughout history.

    If you travel, you will leave a carbon footprint in your wake. You can't help it. But eco-friendly travel practices can lighten the harm on Mother Earth. Green travel is not a passing trend but a lifestyle choice. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Choosing a green destination

    No destination is a Green Giant. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. However, some countries and cities show a deep commitment to Earth-friendly policies and practices. When researching a vacation spot, look for places that naturally embrace the green lifestyle.

    Choosing green transportation

    What makes Mother Earth proud? Seeing you use your own power to get around. Many adventure tour operators arrange cycling, hiking and walking holidays. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The greenest rides typically run on electric power. Switzerland is taking the lead with its hybrid buses and trains powered by hydroelectricity; Japan is running close behind.

    Choosing a green hotel

    Once you are at your destination, if you can get the hotel right, you can make the greatest impact. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Look for a fact sheet online, or call the front desk. You can also search for hotels approved by respected certification programs, such as Green Key and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    The Earth-friendly choices are numerous: You can sail, bike, kayak, bike, swim, bird-watch and play I-spy-a-monkey in a tree. Visit a local food market, and don't forget to bring a reusable bag for purchases. You can also lend a hand during your holiday. The green movement has changed from how to preserve and protect to how to use less and do good when you're there.

A. Choosing green travel

B. Choosing green activities

C. Next in line are trains and buses

D. They all make environmental missteps

E. Most major chains operate in-house green program

F. If you plan to drive, consider a fuel-efficient vehicle

G. Follow the tips and watch your footprints turn greener

How to be a Good Listener

Being a good listener can help you see the world through the eyes of others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Good listening skills can provide you with a deeper level of understanding about someone's situation. If you want to know how to be a good listener, read on to get started.

·Place yourself in other people's shoes.  It's easy to only consider the impact of the other person's "telling" on you. But you must open out and look at the problems from the other person's view. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

·Avoid comparing the person's experiences to your own. You may think that the best thing you can do to really listen is to compare the person's experiences to your own. But this type of thinking actually makes the person feel like you're not really listening at all. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That means that you're focusing more on yourself than on the person's situation.

·{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some people think that, when they're listening, they should find a quick and easy solution to the person's problem. According to the research, it is totally wrong to do so. Instead focus on absorbing everything the person is saying to you. Only after that can you really try to help.

·Know what not to do. Knowing what to avoid when you're trying to be a good listener can be almost as helpful as knowing what to do. If you want the speaker to take you seriously, you'd better not interrupt in the middle of a point. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Make eye contact with the person so that he or she realizes that you are listening with interest.

A. Don't try to help immediately.

B. Avoid saying "I" or "me" a lot.

C. Try to solve the person's problem quickly.

D. Don't try to change the subject even if it's a little uncomfortable.

E. If so, you would see your way through the problems much faster.

F. Therefore you'd better listen to what the person is saying carefully.

G. It enriches your understanding and expands your capacity for empathy (同情).