Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning Root (词根) Words

    English is called one of the most difficult languages for non-native speakers. One reason is that English has so many rules and almost as many exceptions of those rules. Sometimes, this leaves learners confused (困惑的).{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Not all words can be pronounced by their spelling. And, maybe the worst thing of all is that there are many idioms, or expressions in English.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} That is why there are many funny mistakes resulting from the misuse of idioms.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A root word is the most basic form of a word. Root words can help you to break down large, new words into smaller units to discover their meanings.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} As a result, by learning 20 or 30 root words, you can enlarge your English vocabulary to include hundreds of new words.

    A root can be any part of a word that carries meaning: the beginning, middle or end prefixes (前缀), bases, and suffixes (后缀) are types of roots. The prefix appears at the beginning of a word, the base in the middle and the suffix at the end.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} One simple method is to first look at a base word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build”. The prefix “con-” means “together” or “with”. So, “construct” means “to put things together to build or create something”.

A. Another reason is related to the English pronunciation.

B. You can say we use idioms like they're going out of style.

C. The second difficulty lies in the spelling of the English words.

D. Having a good knowledge of grammar is also useful for English learners.

E. Building vocabulary through root words is quite useful for English learners.

F. Learning just one root word can help you understand several words in English.

G. However, it's comforting to know learning root words can help English learners.

A Wonder Plant

    Every rainy season, the mountain gorillas (大猩猩) of Central Africa migrate to the foothills and lower parts of the Virunga Mountains to feed on bamboo. For the 650 or so that remain in the wild, it's a vital food source.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Gorillas aren't the only locals keen on bamboo. For the people near the mountains, it's a valuable raw material used for building houses and making household items. But in the past 100 years, resources have come under increasing pressure as populations have exploded and large areas of bamboo forest have been cleared to make way for farms.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All over the world, the ranges of many bamboo species appear to be reducing, endangering the people and animals that depend upon them. A report published by the UN Environment Programme has revealed just how profound our ignorance of global bamboo resources is.

    Bamboo is a wonder plant. Its ecological role extends beyond providing food and habitat for animals. Bamboo tends to grow in stands made up of groups of individual plants that grow from root systems. Its extensive root systems are crucial in preventing water loss and soil erosion{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In India 25% of paper produced is made from bamboo fiber, and in Brazil, 100,000 hectares of bamboo are grown for its production. Because of its flexibility and strength, it has traditionally been used in construction. Bamboo is often the only readily available raw material for people in many developing countries.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Ray Townsend, vice president of the British Bamboo Society, says, “Some plants are threatened because they can't survive in the habitat—they aren't strong enough or there aren't enough of them, perhaps. But bamboo can take care of itself-it is strong enough to survive if left alone{#blank#}5{#/blank#} When forest goes, it is transformed into something else: there isn't anywhere for forest plants such as bamboo to grow if you create a cattle grass land.

A. Sadly, this isn't a single story.

B. It is the physical disturbance that is the threat to bamboo.

C. Until now, bamboo has been viewed as a second-class plant.

D. Without it, their chances of survival would be reduced significantly.

E. Besides, bamboo's most immediate significance lies in its economic value.

F. More than a billion people rely on bamboo for either their shelter or income.

G. Despite bamboo's value in economy and ecology, its situation is all the more worrying.

    Six Things You should Never Do Before the Queen

    ※Don't show up empty handed.

    What do you get the woman who already has everything? Sure, the Queen has several homes full of priceless trinkets（饰品）, but bringing a gift is necessary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So if she's paying a visit to your hometown or country, something which reflects local culture might go down better than W.H. smith's vouchers（优惠券）.

    ※{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

You may be dead on your painful feet—but you should always stand when the queen enters the room. You may only sit once she has taken the seat, so keep a close eye on when the Queen sits down herself.

    ※Don't ignore the dress code.

    Regardless of how late you're running or how tempting it is to stay in your casual clothes, make sure you dress accordingly when meeting HRH. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ※Resist the temptation to refer to her by her first name.

    While the Royal family may be extremely familiar to us, and while we may have our own nicknames for them, we common folk still aren't on a first name basis with them. So, when you meet the Queen she should be addressed as “Your Majesty” and “Ma'am” consequently after. When she leaves, however, you must address her as “Your Majesty” once again.

    ※Only speak if the queen speaks to you.

    Remember when you were a small child and all your elders would drop wisdom such as “don't speak unless spoken to first” and “children should be seen and not heard”? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This rule exists so Her Royal Highness can control every aspect of the conversation-- including exiting it swiftly.

    ※Don't eat before she does.

    No matter how tasty and tempting the banquet morsels spread in front of you look, you can only start eating once the Queen does. So perhaps have a quick snack beforehand, in case any speeches go on for a long time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Stand to attention.

B. Watch out for Queen.

C. Oh, and if she has finished eating, you'd better be full too.

D. If the event is black tie, wear black tie.

E. You are supposed to listen to them though you've grown up.

F. This gift must also be appropriate to the occasion.

G. The same applies to meeting the Queen.

    As is often the case, you are trying hard to keep your eyes open in class after a late night doing piles and piles of homework, "{#blank#}1{#/blank#}" You are probably thinking, " This weekend I'll make up for all the sleep I have lost."

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most people think the same way-if you stay in bed longer on Saturdays or Sundays, you will recover your missed sleep during the week.

    However, this is not correct.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Actually, researchers have just discovered that sleeping during the weekend will not do you any good, but rather make you feel more tired on Monday morning.

    Our body keeps a clock inside. It tells us when to wake up in the morning and when to feel sleepy at night. But the time on our body clock can be changed once we start taking on different sleeping habits.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This may mean on Monday morning we sometimes struggle to get out of bed.

    If we decide to get up only 20 minutes or half an hour later, it won't matter. This is because our body clock can accommodate(顺应) a delay of up to an hour, which means that a short lie-in at weekends is unlikely to have any big effect, we needn't worry about it at all.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    So, what should we do to balance and make up for all the sleep we've missed? Scientists say that simply eight hours of sleep would do the trick, not any longer.

A. You are not alone.

B. I need more sleep!

C. Sleep is important for everyone.

D. Sleeping is nothing like paying back money.

E. However, if we sleep longer our sleep becomes less efficient.

F. But delays of up to two hours or more can throw our body out of order.

G. This is why staying in bed for longer than usual might confuse our body clock.

    It's good to have friends that we can talk to and share our thoughts and opinions with.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But recently, it seems that many of us have been developing a new relationship with a mystery person that we'll never meet.

    These people are virtual (虚拟的) assistants. They are pieces of software that we can talk to and they can talk back to us. An example is Apple's Siri. They might be on your phone or computer or even a smart speaker in your home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of typing on a computer keyboard, we can now speak and a voice will answer. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Tom Hewitson is one of them. He told the BBC, “Now, computers are an active participant in the conversation and in guiding you to make the right decision.” So he's saying this cutting-edge(尖端的) technology has the ability to think for itself and make its own decisions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Will it stop us using our own brains and will we lose the ability to write things down or type? They are certainly clever, helping you to book train tickets, give you the latest weather news or even tell you a joke.

    One thing we can't do yet is to make chit-chat (闲聊) or small talk with it. We have to change the way we speak. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This year Google produced a new product, described by the company as artificial intelligence “for accomplishing real-world tasks over the phone”. It's a type of chatbot(聊天机器人) that will allow you to, for example, chat to your hairdresser about when they can fit you in for a cut. Other companies are working on similar things. But before they perfect this new technology, don't forget who your real friends are.

A. The people behind these voices are called conversation designers.

B. They are different from how we speak to other people.

C. But there's no doubt that this technology will soon become common in our lives.

D. More importantly, they're people we can ask for help or advice.

E. They are changing the way we interact with technology.

F. It is a scary thought that this virtual voice can think for you.

G. They are cleverer than our real friends.

    Everyone wants to be happy. You see people who are smiling and laughing, and you want to be like them.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, there are also bad days. Here are three ways to make you happier every day.

    Smile often. Research has shown that the facial expression you wear influences your state of mind.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wearing a pleasant expression for a long period of time will slowly improve your feelings and help you have a happier day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The more you complain, the more annoyed(恼怒的) you become. If all you notice or talk about during the day are the things that annoy you, it is no surprise that you are unhappy. To truly increase your long-term happiness, don't complain any longer.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Practice thankfulness. Thankfulness has been shown to be the last ticket to a happy life. The more you practice thankfulness, the more you will find things to be grateful for in your life.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even something as simple as a safe place to sleep or food to eat is worth being thankful for because not everyone is fortunate enough to have those necessities.

A. Try your best to be healthy.

B. You will slowly stop paying much attention to what worries you.

C. Have an entire day without complaining even once and see how you feel.

D. Stop complaining.

E. There are good days filled with sunshine and smiles.

F. If you try to smile, you are more likely to be happy.

G. This then leads you to realize how much goodness is in your life.