（C）

    ①More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!

    Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit(受益) from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.

    ②Folding(折叠) bikes work well for people when they ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. ③Not all airlines（航空公司） are bicycle-friendly to travelers.

    Health benefits of bicycling:

    It helps to prevent heart disease.

    Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.

    ④________________________________________________ .

    Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.

    Do you know anything about the way of shopping in Western countries? In the West, people usually make a list before they go shopping. Most people like to go to supermarkets or big shopping malls.

    In the West, most supermarkets or malls open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. But some big supermarkets and big malls are open until 11:00 p.m. at night. When people go into a supermarket, first they should get a basket or a cart(手推车) at the entrance(入口处). Then they begin to choose things and put them into the basket or the cart. After they get everything they want, they pay the money. There are always a lot of people in the supermarket at weekends. They must wait for their turn.

    Most people go to the supermarket or the shopping mall once a week. Some people go shopping twice or three times a week.

    Students generally find it difficult to prepare for a speaking test because they have nobody to practise    (A)    or correct their mistakes. But that doesn't mean you can't test yourself.

    Whether you're taking an end-of-course test or an official (官方 ) exam like PET or IELTS, there's one great tool you can use: your mobile phone. Nearly every smartphone these days has an inbuilt recording feature (内置录音功能) which you can use to test your speaking skills. You can record yourself speaking, play the recording back, and correct your own mistakes.

    I practised this way in Italian. I chose some speaking questions from PET and did the exercise three times. The first time, I made a few grammar mistakes and didn't speak for long enough. The second time was a bit better, and the third time was nearly perfect.

    All in all, I made a real improvement with my grammar, pronunciation and how long I spoke. Also, recording myself put me under the pressure (压力) I would experience during an important speaking test.

    Many students found this method    (B)   . Nelia, from Brazil, said that she could hear her mistakes when she listened to her voice. She was mainly using the wrong verb tense (时态) and using prepositions(介词) incorrectly. When she tried the exercise again, she got its right! Donghyeon, from South Korea, said that the exercise helped him to improve his English skills in general.

Mechanical Engineering

    Do you like to build with blocks? Have you ever wondered how planes stay in the air? Do you like to design and create new things? If you do, a career(职业）in mechanical engineering might be right for you！

    A mechanical engineer is responsible for coming up with and designing mechanical systems. Mechanical systems can include machine design, heating and cooling equipment, and product design.

    Mechanical engineers are in high need right now. There are a lot of job openings for mechanical engineers, but there aren't enough people to fill those jobs. Because there is a high need for engineers and the work requires specialized knowledge, engineers get paid more than some other careers.

    To be a mechanical engineer, you need to graduate from college with a bachelor's(学士)degree. In college, you will learn problem solving and critical thinking skills.

    Problem solving is very important in the field of mechanical engineering. To come up with the best solution to a problem, mechanical engineers need to think in different ways. They also need to be creative, because they may need to make something that's never been made before. Paying attention to details(细节)is important as well. Many designs depend on a lot of little details.

    Mechanical engineers also need to be able to use different tools, such as calculators, high-speed cameras, and computers. There are many computer programs mechanical engineers use to create designs, run scenarios(方案), and do research.

    As with many other jobs, mechanical engineers should be able to meet deadlines(期限)and work well with other people. Some jobs can be done with just one person, but more often mechanical engineers work on a team to complete a project. If an engineer cannot manage his or her time well and misses a deadline, the whole team gets delayed(拖延).

    Some engineers work in an office, and some travel to different worksites while a machine or product is being built, so they can help solve any problems.

    Mechanical engineering takes a lot of thought. It is a great career for people who like to make objects and machines work, solve problems, and be creative！

    Halloween is a strange holiday. It started several centuries ago in Europe. It began as "Hallow Evening" which means "holy night". At that time November 1st was called "All Saints' Day" (万圣日) and people honored all the saints who did not have their own special day. People believed that all the spirits of dead people were active on the night of October 31st. So people would play all sorts of tricks on each other.

    Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night. Pumpkins area symbol of Halloween, so orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Making lanterns out of pumpkins is a Halloween custom.

    Halloween is great fun for children. They dress up as ghosts(鬼) or witches(女巫). Small children go "Trick-or-Treat". They wear costumes, knock on doors, and shout, "Trick or Treat!" People almost always choose to give them candy as a treat, instead of choosing to receive a trick from the children. Adults sometimes "trick or treat" their friends, too. Usually the "treat" is a glass of wine or some small gifts.