Learning English is challenging because of the various rules and exceptions to the rules. The best way to learn English is to hear it spoken and repeat the words as you hear them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You will learn how to make English a daily part of your life in order to learn to speak it quickly.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ask a friend to help you write letters of English alphabet on index cards. You should write a letter on each card. Practise the letters by mixing up the cards and saying the letters. You can ask your friend to help you pronounce the letters and quiz you on your knowledge.

    Make your own videos in English. If you have a video camera, you can tape yourself speaking English and practice along with your own video. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Watch your videos daily, and repeat what is being said.

    Get a private tutor. A professional English instructor can give you one-on-one instruction that will help you understand the rules of English. Your instructor can teach you how to write and speak English.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can also inquire at your local community college.

    Watch movies with English subtitles. When watching a movie in your native language, use the English subtitles so you will understand the connection between your language and English.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will make mistakes, and that is OK. You need to practice English as much as possible in order to quickly learn to speak the language fluently.

    Having bad feeling about world? “Cheer up.” says science writer Matt Ridley. “The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature.”{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

1 ) {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone. Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, and better cars. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we'll be.

2)Brilliant advances

    One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel and shelter—have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour's light cost six hours' work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes' work to pay for. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Today it's half second.

3 )Let's not kill ourselves for climate change

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel (化石燃料) electricity is forbidden by well-meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change. If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose-bleed by putting a tourniquet (止血带) around our necks.

A. Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he's carefully weighed the evidence.

B. Overreaction to climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself.

C. Shopping fuels invention.

D. And, of course, we earn more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us.

E. In 1950 it was eight seconds.

F. It's high time that we took immediate action to fight climate change.

G. Here's how he explains his views.

I Think I Can: How to Push Yourself to Success

    “Because I can” has magic power. It pushes us to leave our comfort zones. It gives us a reason to do the things that we think we can't. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Whether it is to get to the store or work, climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Break the “I'm tired” or “It is too hard” or “It is too far” cycle. Increasing your activity level will provide enormous benefits, both physically and mentally.

    Try Something New

    It is easy for us to make excuses for why we shouldn't try new things.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Maybe it seems too difficult. Or maybe, it is just inconvenient. Reminding yourself that You Can try something new will help you to move past these roadblocks and discover new things about yourself and possible new interests.

Speak Up

    Often, we dare not address（处理）things that bother us or make us unhappy.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.Use that voice “because you can.” Communicating to loved ones, co-workers, and even your boss as to how you feel, what your needs and expectations are and what you are thinking can help you develop deeper, more meaningful and rewarding relationships. Further, you will be truer to yourself, thus making you a happier individual.

Increase Your Willpower

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. However, developing a strong willpower, whether it is in response to our favorite chocolate cake or to over-shopping is something that we can all benefit from. Next time you are tempted to do something you think you might regret, try reminding yourself that you can say no. You have the power.

A. Saying “No” to our favorites can be challenging

B. Here are a few ways to apply this positive thinking to your own life

C. You have a voice

D. Be More Active

E. “Because I can” is an easy way to include more activities into your life

F. Maybe you think it is out of your comfort zone

G. A strong willpower can keep us motivated（有动机的）and reach our goals

    Ways to Create Calm in Your Daily Life

    Most of us need some space for calm in our lives. A few simple minutes can create much needed moments of calm.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can use these skills to create calm in your busy schedule.

Go walking. Walking is perfect and you can do it well anywhere. Simply walking and taking in the view is stress reducing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It makes room for new ideas to take root. Appreciate nature. When we think of nature we think of getting out into the open air, and that's great if you can. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Actually , nature is everywhere. Find a park or a small patch (小块地) of great green, or just stick your head out of the window! You have many ways to appreciate nature.

    Listen to music. Many people listen to music to calm themselves down. Music actually lifts us out of ourselves. Discover what music works for you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Do some activities. Certain activities like yoga and tai chi need quiet focus. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They are good for the body, mind and spirit. Classes are a good place to begin, but once you learn the skills, you can practice anywhere: home, school or even on the road.

    Try out some of these ways and you'll soon be practicing “moments of calm”.

A. But what if you are in the city?

B. Notice the animals around you.

C. They are perfect for active calming.

D. Music is a way to express the way that they are feeling.

E. It's a time to get stressful thoughts out of your head.

F. With enjoyable music even work can be “music to your ears”.

G. You don't have to find a mountain to sit on, or empty your mind of all thoughts for hours.

How to lead a balanced life

    Many students suffer from stress in their daily lives. They are under stress because their lives are not balanced. They focus too much on studying, worrying about what others think, and not enough on other things.

    You may wonder whether stress is a serious matter. The answer is "Yes". You should be aware that stress is a risk to your health. If you want to live a long and healthy life, you need to begin to guard against stress from a young age. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They can help to bring balance to your life.

    Be positive.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You should always look on the bright side of life, and imagine that you will have a happy and successful future.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Force yourself to take a break from your studies and worries about exams. You can do this by taking a walk, reading a book, going to a concert or seeing a film.You can also just sit in a quiet place and be silent for a moment.

    Take up a hobby.

    Learn to paint, take up skating, or start playing a musical instrument. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Take care of your body.

    Stress is your body's enemy. Taking regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep are all the things that can help you.

    Laugh.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Seeing a funny film or telling jokes with friends will often make you happy when you are low.

A.Learn to relax.

B.Take some medicine for stress.

C.Here are some ways to deal with stress.

D.Work hard at your lessons before exams.

E.Sometimes laughter is the best medicine for stress.

F.One way to cancel out stress is through positive thinking.

G.When you are busy with a hobby, you leave all your worries behind.

Race walking (竞走) has become more and more popular in recent years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, it can make a person stronger and more patient.

Race walking is different from running. The race walker should take the correct running posture (姿势). He must never be completely out of contact with the ground, which means the back foot cannot fully leave the surface until the front foot has touched the ground. In addition, the leg carrying the race walker's weight must remain completely straight until his body has passed over it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If not, he will be warned (警告) by judges (裁判) and even lose the chance to continue the competition.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some race walkers can reach a speed very close to that of professional runners. In 2008, the men's 20 km race walk world record was one hour sixteen minutes and forty-three seconds, while the current world record for a 20 km run was fifty-five minutes and forty-eight Seconds.

Race walking has become an important Olympic event. At first, only men were allowed to take part in race walking in the Olympics. Some years later, women were also allowed to take part in it in the Olympics. Women are typically slower than men in race walking. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

If you want to learn it, you can read some books or watch videos to find out the basics of race walking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You'll receive good guidance on the skills of race walking.

A. But their record scores are fairly close.

B. The correct posture is not easy to stick to.

C. The race walker must follow these basic rules.

D. It's a sport helpful to people's health and mind.

E. Or you can turn to a race walking coach directly.

F. Learning race walking can be tiring in the beginning.

G. The speed of race walking can be even as fast as that of running.