“As easy as falling off a log” is often used to describe a job that does not take much effort. You might hear a student say to her friend that her spelling test was “as easy as falling off a log”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. One is “easy as pie”. Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet, juicy pie unless it is a “piece of cake”.

    “Piece of cake” is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you that his new job was a “piece of cake”.

    Another expression is “as easy as shooting fish in a barrel”. It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But, clearly, fish in a barrel would be much easier to shoot than fish in a stream. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes, things that come to us easily, also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression —“easy come, easy go”—that recognizes this. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Easy come, easy go.

    When life itself is easy, when you have no cares or problems, you are on “Easy Street”. Everyone wants to live on that imaginary street.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might urge her husband to “go easy on” their son, because the boy did not mean to damage the car.

    With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are great to you, your family, and your community(社区).

    One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the effect on the community. Volunteering allows you to connect with your community and make it a better place. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing(使暴露) you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and satisfactory activities.

    While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have the desire, it's easier to make more friends and contacts.

    Volunteering provides many benefits for both mental and physical health. You're doing good to others and the community, which makes you experience the pleasure of success. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.

    Reducing the risk of depression(沮丧) is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you're going through challenging times. Volunteering is good for your health whether you are young or old, but it's especially good in older adults.

    Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. Volunteering work can expose you to professional organizations or internship（实习）that could be of benefit to your career. That volunteer work is unpaid doesn't mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide training. In addition, volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community.

    Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Volunteer opportunities that match both your goals and your interest are most likely to be fun and satisfying for you. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing escape from your day-to-day routines of work, school, and family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can be carried over into your personal and professional life.

    The holiday season isn't about shopping and gifts.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, holiday travel can be more expensive than 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(国内的) 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 on Fridays and Sundays. During the holidays, it's 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're on the road, you can buy food at local groceries to make your own meals, especially if you have access to（可使用） a microwave.

A. Bring your own food.

B. Consider affordable accommodations.

C. Traveling by plane is not the best choice.

D. Plus, booking earlier can save your money.

E. For instance, traveling on Christmas Day might be a great deal.

F. A great deal of travel also takes place during this time of year.

G. Other choices include sleeper trains as well as overnight ferries.

    It's reported that a male waiter recently poured boiling water over a female customer at a hot pot restaurant after the woman was caught complaining about the waiter's bad service online{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The female victim, surnamed Lin, reportedly got into an argument with the waiter, surnamed Zhu, when Zhu refused her repeated request for additional soup for her pot. Lin was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with severe bums on up to 40% of her body.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Many netizens criticized the waiter for being too impulsive and ignoring the possible consequences, but some also accused Lin of being too picky. Meanwhile, some came up with a question worthy of discussion:{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Many tragedies are caused by arguments and if the victim can control his or her anger and try to reach a compromise, the tragedies could possibly be avoided. Sometimes so-called “cowardliness” can be a form of self-protection, especially when you are faced with strangers and you know little about their personalities.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When they calm down afterwards, they would regret their “ridiculous” behavior and have to pay the price for the consequences.

    In May, a male driver in the southwestern city of Chengdu was captured on film intercepting a woman's car and dragging her out of her seat, throwing her on the ground, before cruelly kicking her several times on the head, simply because the woman suddenly changed lanes in front of his car.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Forgive others' mistakes and avoid fueling others' anger. Accordingly, you may be less likely to suffer from unexpected troubles.

A. Will the situation be out of control because of your anger?

B. Intolerance has contributed to lots of violent incidents.

C. How to keep ourselves safe when we argue with others?

D. The waiter has been arrested for further investigation and trial.

E. This incident caused an outcry among netizens and opinion leaders.

F. But it is difficult to control our anger when we have conflict with others.

G. So next time you deal with conflict, it is mere advisable to control your temper and say “sorry” with a smile.

    All over the world people are hooked on sports, which help them to strengthen their body and build their character. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They improve the participants' physical skills, and provided entertainment for the audience as well.

    Many people like to watch others play games. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Often they get very excited when "their" player or team wins. If they are crazy about the game or the player, then they will become their die-hard fans. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And think of people in cold countries. Masses of people love to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Chinese boxing, also has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new, which started in the late of the nineteenth century. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water skiing, as a modern game, is one of the newest in the family of sports.

    People from different countries or races may not be able to understand each other, but after a game, they get to know each other better and they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person's character. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

They also learn to be competitive and optimistic, which will equip them for life challenges in the future.

A. And the friendship may last for a life time.

B. They buy tickets or turn on TV to watch the games.

C. Chinese people liked doing sports even in ancient times.

D. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy!

E. Some sports or games date back thousands of years, like running or jumping.

F. They learn to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.

G. Sports are competitive physical activities or games through casual or organized participation.

Apologizing the Right Way to a Friend

    Why are apologies so difficult? Saying you are sorry can be one of the most difficult things you do. But we all make mistakes, so you'll probably have an occasion when you need to apologize.

    Perhaps you had a big blow up and realized later you reacted poorly.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whatever the reason, apologizing can help you both heal and move on from the situation.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} First, you acknowledge that you did something wrong. With an apology, you take responsibility for your actions, which allows your friend to forgive you. Second, an apology gives you sincerity as a friend.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, but that doesn't mean you still shouldn't apologize.

Now,  what are elements of a proper apology? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, depending on what the offense was, where it was done, and who you are apologizing to. In general, a good apology should include the following: a request for their attention, an acknowledgment of what happened, sincerity in admitting you did something wrong and the words. "I'm sorry" or "I apologize."

    Here are things never to say when apologizing. Note that the art of apologizing involves taking responsibility. Never apologize as a way to "shut someone up" when they are saying you hurt their feelings and you don't think you did.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, you should talk things through with your friend until you see why they are hurt or how you came across. You'll really need to self﹣reflect so you can see things from your friend' s point of view.

A. When you make your apology in person

B. If you really believe you did nothing wrong

C. Apologies benefit friendships in a variety of ways

D. The way you apologize is going to be slightly different

E. Or maybe you just didn't show support when you needed to

F. Apologizing the right way, however, may take a little practice

G. Sometimes our pals forgive us easily for the minor things we do wrong