You are one of the most familiar faces in class, not because you are funny or have great note-taking abilities but because you ask the most number of questions.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is important to have a good way to ask questions. Here are a few tips for improving your questioning skills:

    Be clear about what you want to know.

    Be clear about what you want to know and frame your question accordingly.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you beat around the bush, your teachers won't be entirely sure what it is that you haven't understood, or need an explanation for.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you are uncertain about a particular subject, make it clear when it is being discussed. If you put your question in context (语境), you can be sure of it. Because questions often open up new avenues within a subject, doing this would benefit the whole class.

    Don't hesitate to talk to your teacher after class.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Therefore, if you feel uncomfortable about asking a question in front of your classmates, wait till the class is over. This will probably put you more at ease.

    Write down your questions.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} They may appear when you're studying, reading or taking notes. Note them down on a piece of paper so that you won't forget to ask them later. This can also make sure that you don't have any unanswered questions when the exam approaches.

A. Don't ask more questions once a time.

B. Questions may appear at any time.

C. Being curious is not a bad quality.

D. You may think it is good to ask no questions.

E. Ask questions related to the context.

F. A question needs to be easy to be understood and to the point.

G. One-to-one interactions (互动) are always much better than one-to-many.

UK schools try Chinese math

    It's well known that Chinese students often outperform their peers from other countries in math contests. This is why the UK is going to try out Chinese math books and exercise papers in many of its schools.

    According to China Daily, international publisher Collins Learning signed an agreement with Shanghai Century Publishing Group on March 14 to publish translated copies of Shanghai's primary school math books. Under the agreement, Collins will print a series of 36 books, named Real Shanghai Mathematics. The series includes math textbooks, supplementary(补充性的) textbooks and teacher's textbooks. Some primary schools in the UK will use the books for first to sixth graders in September.

    The aim of this is to improve UK students performance in math by learning from the way Chinese schools teach their students the subject.

    Chinese schools, represented by those in Shanghai, have marked high in math scores in all three rounds of the Program for International Student Assessment(PISA) since 2009. However, the UK scored far less, according to The Guardian Still, some people worry that textbooks alone cannot solve the UK's problem with math, as the fundamentals of the education systems are so different.

    One key difference is that Chinese schools focus on students as a whole, while those in the UK value individual performance. In Chinese schools, students are taught together as a class, with students all moving through their lessons one step at a time. However, in the UK, students in the same class are often given different work to do depending on their progress.

    There are also huge differences in teacher training and deployment. Primary school math teachers in Shanghai teach only math for perhaps two hours a day, and the rest of the day is spent debriefing(报告) and improving lessons. English primary teachers, in contrast, are teaching all subjects, rather than specializing in a single area like math.

    Another key difference is that students in China are likely to get far more homework than UK student. Many will also have private tutoring and attend weekend school.

    With so many differences in the two education systems, it remains to be seen whether Chinese math books will benefit students in the UK. However, UK Schools Minister Nick Gibb believes that they will be a huge help. “I am confident that the steps we are taking now will make sure young people are properly prepared for further study and the 21st century workplace, and that the too often heard phrase can't do math' only exists in the past,” he said in a press release.

How To Know You're At The Right Job

    For more than 40 hours a week, you show up to the same building and interact with the same people. We call this work even if it does not always feel like it.

    We spend so much time at work that it is quite important to enjoy the time we have there.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Sometimes you just can't tell if it is for you or not. Here are some signs that what you are doing is working and is a positive situation.

No Coffee Necessary

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you feel like you don't need coffee to get you going in the morning, it signifies that you rely on natural energy and office excitement to get you through the day.

    Time Passes By

    It feels like you have only been there for an hour, but you look at the clock and see it's almost time to go home.

    That's not to say you feel the day slipping away from you, but that your productivity has topped your desire to go home.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's cliche (陈词烂调) to "step out of your comfort zone," but does not mean that you should stay conservative.

    If you feel like you can push yourself to test your abilities, you are likely in a great environment for yourself.

    Everyone Hates You On Mondays

    Nobody likes Mondays…except for you.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} They may hate you for it, but it only means that you love coming to work.

A. Not everyone is lucky enough to love their job.

B. Getting clear about what you expect from work

C. While everyone is deep in their fourth cup of coffee, you have all the energy in the world.

D. Most people begin their workday with a fresh cup of Joe.

E. The longer we work, the more we love it.

F. Taking Risks And Challenging Yourself

G. As they say, "time flies when you're having fun."

    There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving birds. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She cared them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt the great love from the birds.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate love had killed him.

    She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to fly into the clear, blue sky. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The bird circled once, twice, three times.

    The girl watched delightedly at the bird's enjoyment. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest songs that she had ever heard.

    The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight, while the best way to keep love is to give it wings!

A. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss.

B. Suddenly she felt the bird go softly.

C. She took them home and put them in a small cage.

D. She gave them some delicious food and left.

E. She lifted him from the cage and threw him softly into the air.

F. One day the girl left the door of the cage open.

G. One day she left with the two birds at home alone.

Sleep Patterns and Health Troubles

    When Carol Gee turned 55, she made a new friend: 4 a.m. In the past, she usually slept through it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She's not the only older adult to have the same experience. In 2017, a national vote conducted by the University of Michigan found that 46 percent of adults 65 and older have trouble falling asleep on a regular basis.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Brains can slow. Wounds take longer to heal. And sleep patterns shift, too. The most noticeable ­ and often most annoying ­ changes are how sleep and wake-up times change and sleep gets lighter, often beginning in middle age. This can come as news to many, says Michael V. Vitiello, a psychologist at the University of Washington who specializes in sleep in aging.

    Studies have found that poor sleep can have a particular threat to older adults. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Falls, depression and anxiety, problems with memory, and increased suicide risk are among the impacts of sleepless issues in this population group that researchers have found.

    As with changes in sleep architecture and timing, scientists are still unsure why those risk associations exist. Kristine Yaffe, a neuropsychiatrist (神经精神病学家) at the University of California's San Francisco School of Medicine who specializes in dementia, warns that there are more questions than answers when it comes to dementia and sleep. He found that if people have dementia, they tend not to sleep well. Do sleep problems actually lead to dementia?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    What is clear is the association between good sleep and psychological well-being in older adults. But sleep quantity didn't show the same effects. And therein, experts say, may lie the key to understanding sleep as you age. If you're sleeping less, but don't feel negative effects out of bed, the changes you notice may just be normal age-related.

    Your bedtime pattern changes as you age, is that a sign of trouble? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} "A lot of older adults recognize that they don't sleep the same as they did when they were 18, but they can still function and they're OK. And all is well with the universe."

A. Researchers think it's hard to say.

B. But recently it has become her new wake-up time.

C. Over time, Vitiello says, sleep patterns simply change.

D. Statistics indicate that restless night is bad to our health.

E. As people age, the body changes in all sorts of predictable ways.

F. Too much work and pressure in life often cause you to wake up earlier.

G. Changes in the brain can be associated with a number of types of dementia.

    If you're thinking about studying abroad, but aren't sure how to convince your parents or yourself, here are some of the best reasons why spending a semester or year overseas is a smart and fun thing to do.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Want to impress potential employers? Companies around the world continue to invest in the global market, and prefer to hire employees who have international experience. Not to mention the knowledge of a second language. Your resume (简历) will stand out from everyone else applying for the same position.

    Learn foreign languages. Language teachers say being immersed (沉浸) in a culture that speaks the language you want to learn is the quickest and most effective way to learn it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As globalization brings the world together, it's important to be competent in more than one language.

    Experience different cultures. Immersing yourself in a totally different culture is powerful. You'll experience things like trying different foods, celebrating traditional customs, and learning the history of another country. A person's culture reflects beliefs and values that influence their way of life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Expand your worldview. Previously held beliefs about foreign countries will change once you've been abroad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be surprising just how much you know is slightly biased (有偏见的), based on where you're from. It's also a unique opportunity to educate others on your country！

    Earn money! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We are pretty lucky that English is the international language of business. It's an important language that many foreigners want to learn. You can get paid for teaching, interpreting, or translating English while you're studying abroad.

A. Discover what you want out of life.

B. Improve employment opportunities.

C. You can actually earn income while you study abroad.

D. You'll gain a completely new view on your own country  too.

E. You'll gain an understanding of this that can't be taught with books.

F. Mastering a foreign language opens up all kinds of new opportunities.

G. You'll miss your friends who will want to share their culture and ideas with you.