Johannes Gutenberg--the ploneer of the printing press

    Johannes Gutenberg was chosen to be the most important figure of the past millennium(千年) by the media(媒体). You may not be familiar with him.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Gutenberg is praised for having invented the printing press and therefore preparing the way for printing books.

    He was born into a wealthy family in the city of Mainz, Germany. His early training was in goldsmithing. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg and lived there for almost 20 years.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Gutenberg used his skills in metalwork for the mass(大批量) production of books.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}That means that each copy of the Catholic bible(圣经) and all of its 73 books were painstakingly handwritten by men. Gutenberg fashioned a font(字体) of over 300 characters, far larger than the fonts of today. To make this possible, he invented the variable-width mold(模具) and perfected the mixture of materials used by type factories up to the present century.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The between 1450 and 1455,while preparing to produce a large Latin Bible, Gutenberg is thought to have printed a number of smaller books, a calendar, and a papal Letter of Indulgence. The Bible of 42 Lines, the oldest surviving printed book in the Western world, was completed by August 15,1456.

    The invention of the modem printing press changed the way information was delivered.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Even today in the computer age, we rely heavily on the printed word or text for instruction, information, and for the pleasure of reading literature.

A. Gutenberg made the world a much richer place

B. But he has certainly influenced your life in some ways

C. Gutenberg's idea was one of the greatest of all mankind

D. By 1450, Gutenberg was back in Mainz at work on a printing press

E. In fact, this invention contributed a lot of educating the masses(大众) worldwide

F. Before the spread of Gutenberg's idea, books were primarily handwritten

G. It was in Strasbourg that he probably made his first experiments with moveable type and printing

    Winston Churchill once said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. “Life has never been kind, but if we really want to enjoy it, it can only be possible with a positive attitude. The only way to have a better and pleasant future is to change outlook or attitude towards life.

    Look at the Brighter Side of Things.

    Even in the most unfortunate situations, there is always something to look forward to. In life, we do come across various situations where we compare our fate with others.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Never go to the comparison road, because it is endless.

Believe in Yourself.

    Lack of motivation causes a great deal of stress, and negative thoughts easily pop up when a person suffers from an inferiority complex (自卑感).{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Clear your mind and get rid of all the negativity.

Think Positively.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it is also the first step in self-improvement, as improving oneself is only possible through positive thinking. It has been noted that positive thinkers are better equipped in handling disappointments as compared to pessimists (悲观者), as they usually focus on things that can be done to solve it rather than spending hours complaining.

    Help Others.

    Helping or being kind to someone in their time of need is probably the easiest way to be happy. It is by doing these simple deeds that important discoveries about oneself are made.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be Thankful.

    Each day take a few moments and be thankful for all the great pleasures that life has provided. Even during tough times, remember the people who were always there and provided unconditional love and support.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Think about everything that is right and forget about the wrong; your heart will be filled with thankfulness in no time.

B. Helping others, even in small things, helps in the birth of a happier and generous you.

C. Never think less of yourself because you are as different and important as everyone else.

D. Some people will always compare their worst with the best of others.

E. The best way to live is to get used to everyday changes and work hard.

F. Thinking positively is an important part of being positive.

G. First make the situation clear and see if they are right.

    In the world today, hunger is still the biggest threat to health. Hunger holds back children's growth and their dreams. Around 67 million of the world's hungriest children do not attend school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Even if they do make it into the classroom, hunger will affect their ability to learn.

    Mary's Meals is a Scottish charity that was started in 1992. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It sets up school feeding projects in some of the world's poorest countries. The charity provides one daily meal in schools to attract hungry children to the classroom, where they receive education to get out of poverty. Thanks to the supporters and volunteers around the world, Mary s Meals is now providing life-changing meals to 1,257,278 poorest children in 15 countries.

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    It has reduced hunger among children at school. Many children, teachers and volunteers observed the positive physical effects that the school feeding programmer is making. The percentage of teachers saying “children in my class never complain of hunger” increased from 7% to 87%.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 98% of teachers said that children pay more attention in class since Mary's Meals started feeding at their school.

    It has reduced levels of children quitting school! Teachers reported a reduction in the number of children dropping out of school due to hunger.

    It has increased children's feelings of happiness at school. The percentage of children saying “I feel happy at school” increased from 60% to 81%.

    By one meal at a time and one child at a time, Mary's Meals fills hungry children's empty stomachs so they have the energy and opportunity to learn. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Most of them hate to go to school.

B. It has improved children's concentration in class.

C. In order to survive, they have to work or beg.

D. Research has proved Mary's Meals has many positive effects.

E. This offers the children a life free from hunger and full of hope.

F. Since then it's grown from a small organization to a global movement.

G. They are reaching out to more hungry children waiting for Mary's Meals.

How to Master Your Public Speaking Voice

    Public speaking skills can be a disaster if you don't know how to use your voice. However, a little bit of practice and a confident outlook can help you to be a fantastic public speaker. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Learn the sound of your own voice

    Record yourself as often as possible—speaking your thoughts aloud, having conversations with friends, giving a presentation at work, etc. so you can hear what your voice sounds like when you are relaxed, having fun, and in stressful situations. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Master your breathing

    The first step in developing a strong public speaking voice is mastering your breathing. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, which causes their voices to sound high and weak. Develop a habit of breathing deeply at a controlled pace throughout the day so that when it comes to your time to speak, you'll have less trouble doing it.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    It's not just your breathing and vocal cords (声带) that have a physical vocal on your voice. When it comes to public speaking, it is essential that you stand or sit with your back straight. This makes your voice stronger and clearer by allowing you to breathe deeper. It also has the added benefit of making you look more confident.

    Adjust your speaking rate

    Speaking too slow can cause people to get bored while speaking too fast can be hard to follow. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The best speaking rate is in the range of 120-160 words per minute. Practice to control your time.

    Traveling with kids, regardless of the age, is a terrible thing for new parents. Responsibility is high and travel expenses might be unexpected at any point of the trip. If you are planning your first road trip or vacation with children, there are several important things to consider.

    Get a child locator. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} and many parents sometimes lose their kids Popular tourist destinations are overcrowded, too. So, if you are afraid of losing your children, get a child locator to be aware of where your kids are going when they accidentally get lost.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You do not need to pack tons of toys, sweets and a tablet full of games in order to keep your little ones entertained. You can encourage them to create a travel journal or smash book, read, tell each other stories, or give them a camera to capture the most precious moments during your trip. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This is a must even during the shortest road trip. You can handle a headache, but your child can't. If you do not know what to put in your first aid kit (急救箱), consult your children's doctor, because all children are different and the medicines either.

    Apart from the above, money, passport, avoiding heavy luggage, pick a family­friendly destination and family friendly accommodation are also needed. Traveling with kids is exciting and interesting. Your first trip might not be so exciting, but with a careful preparation, your family trip will be the most memorable one. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Keep them careful

B. Keep them entertained

C. Pack a small, kid­friendly first aid kit

D. Board games might be a god choice, too

E. Airports and train stations are usually overcrowded.

F. Avoiding your little ones in the panning of the trip is a good idea.

G. Involve your little ones in the planning of the trip, which will help you

Tips for Writing a Great Speech

    How to write a strong speech? There are a lot of different ways to answer that question. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Read your speech out loud.

    Unlike almost all other forms of writing, speech-writing is designed for listeners. So, when reviewing your text, read it to yourself and pay attention to how the words sound and feel. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If your phrases make you stumble (结巴),they are guaranteed to make your boss stumble as well. Just remember that good writing is not necessarily good speech-writing.

    Simple phrases are your friends.

    Keep your sentences short and sweet. Compound phrases with multiple clauses may look great on paper, but are likely to confuse your audience and decrease the effectiveness of your speech. Limit yourself to one or two ideas per sentence. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Do your research.

    Before beginning a speech, make sure to familiarize yourself with the subject. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The creative aspects of speech-writing are only effective when backed by a strong foundation of knowledge by the speaker. The audience must trust your words in order for their meaning to sink in. If you're well-prepared, it will show.

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    Your listeners should be a strong determining factor of the content, tone and style of your speech. Before drafting remarks, think about who you're speaking to, the place you're speaking at and the timing of your speech. There's a time and a place for every type of remarks. It's your job to figure out when and where you are.

A. Know your audience.

B. Show respect to your listeners.

C. Express them as clearly and powerfully as possible.

D. Thus, you can write about it with confidence and authority.

E. Do they slip off the tongue or are they clumsy and awkward?

F. Different writers are most likely to adopt diverse approaches to speech-writing.

G. Here are rules that all writers should follow in order to write a winning speech.