Testing the five-second rule

    You may have seen a friend drop food on the floor, pick it up, and eat it, while declaring, “Five-second rule! ” It's said that food dropped on the floor for five seconds or less is still likely to be clean. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Students at Britain's Aston University, led by microbiology professor Anthony Hilton, tested the rule and found it to have some scientific basis. The study's results show that food dropped for five seconds is less likely to contain bacteria than if it sits there for longer, according to Hilton.

    The students also found that the type of flooring where the dropped food lands has an effect. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Bacteria are most likely to transfer from tiled (铺瓷砖的) surfaces to moist food when the food has stood there for more than five seconds.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, consumers should still be cautious. “However, the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth,” professor Hilton said in a statement.

    The research team at Aston also surveyed 500 people to find out who employs the five-second rule. Of the people surveyed, 87% said they would eat food dropped on the floor, or have done so in the past. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} “Our study showed people are also more likely to follow the five-second rule, which our research has shown to be much more than an old wives' tale,” Hilton says.

    Still, scientists say you should be careful about eating food dropped on the floor, especially if you have doubts about the cleanliness of the surface. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But is that true?

B. Carpeted surfaces posed the lowest risk.

C. Of those people, the majority were women.

D. We've just lost our last excuse to eat food off the floor.

E. Usually people recover from the infection in five to ten days.

F. There is still a risk of infection if certain bacteria are present on the dropped surface.

G. A biologist points out that one in six Americans get sick from food poisoning every year.

    Want to travel easily? Here are some tips that help you reduce the size of your luggage.

    Roll clothes instead of folding them. Many people try to fold their clothes into their little suitcase.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It actually makes far more sense to roll your clothes rather than fold them. Starting from the bottom, roll up your clothes into very tightly packed cylinders (圆柱体) which you can stack (堆叠) on top of each other.

    Use vacuum bags (真空袋), when possible.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Buy some vacuum bags and seal all of your clothes up tightly. Having all of your luggage vacuum sealed will reduce the size of your items greatly. That will allow you to take more of what's needed.

    Always take travel bottles. Even though you are allowed to take full sized bottles in your suitcase, to make sure that you are under the weight allowance, it's recommended that you still stick to travel-sized bottles.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Besides, it will also prevent you from wasting any product. If you do run out of anything while you are on holiday, you can always buy more.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do need to take a coat, you can wear it on the journey so you don't have to pack it in your suitcase. Another method you can use is wearing multiple layers (多层衣服) on the journey although this isn't always the most comfortable.

    Research the weather in advance. A great way to prevent packing clothes that you won't end up wearing is to research what the weather is going to be like where and when you go on holiday.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can know how hot it's likely going to be, as well as how much rain on average the destination receives each month.

A. It will free up enough room for you.

B. Don't put any shoes in your suitcase.

C. It will make your suitcase much lighter.

D. Purchase a high and soft-sided suitcase.

E. Wear anything that takes up a lot of room.

F. There are plenty of websites that can predict it.

G. This is not the best way to pack your holiday goods.

    Quick tips for better time management

    Are you a good time manager? If your answer is “no”, here are some tips on how to be a better time manager:

⒈Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it starts. The plan gives you a good description of how the day will go on. That way, you will be ready to deal with most of the things you meet. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒉Focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you're just not getting anything done? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Only focus on what you're doing. You'll be more efficient that way.

    ⒊Stay away from your time wasters. What takes your time away from your work? QQ? Email checking? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}One thing you can do is make it hard to check them— remove them from your browser quick links.

    ⒋{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't take on more than you can deal with. For the distractions that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm no. Or do it later.

    ⒌Decide to be early. When you prepare to be on time, you'll either be on time or late. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}However, if you decide to be early, you'll most likely to be on time. For appointments, try to be early. For your deadlines, meet them earlier than required.

A. Learn to say “No”.

B. Most of the time you'll be late.

C. Great ways to know your time spent.

D. Cut off when you need to.

E. Stop checking them so often.

F. Your job for the day is to follow the plan as best as possible.

G. If so, focus on just one key task at one time

                                          How to Care for Your Ears?

    Ears not only let us hear, but they also play a role in maintaining our balance, which is vital to our ability to function in daily life. Yet, we ignore them. We can't even see our ears, except in a mirror. We take it for granted what they do for us day in and day out—until we notice something wrong, such as when an earache strikes or when we start having to ask people to repeat what they say.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ◆Clean your ear with a washcloth—covered finger only.

     Never put anything inside your ear canal, including cotton swabs(药签).{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ◆Leave earwax（耳垢）alone.

    Wax is your ear's way of eliminating（消除）anything foreign that gets into the ear canal.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you find you have too much earwax, use a few drops of earwax remover in the canal. After a few minutes, wash the ear with warm water.

    ◆Avoid noisy places.

    Rock concerts and construction sites are just a few places that frequently have noise levels that can damage hearing. Any place where you have to shout to be heard should be avoided.

    ◆{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be careful not to play MP3 too loud, especially if using earphone.

    ◆Be careful with illness and medications.

    Respiratory（呼吸的）illnesses should be treated to avoid their spread to the ears. Certain medications can damage hearing, so follow the directions carefully before taking them.

    See your doctor if you suffer from sudden hearing loss or hear noises in your head.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Turn the volume(音量) down.

B. Avoid using earphones while listening to MP3.

C. In such case, go to see a doctor as soon as possible.

D. This article will show you how to care for your ears.

E. Most people don't need to clean wax out of their ears.

F. Your ear canal is very narrow and a swab can damage it.

G. These can be symptoms of a serious illness which needs to be treated.

    Good learners can inspire students or anybody to learn well. Here are some characteristics of good learners.

    Good learners are curious. They wonder about all sorts of things, often about knowledge beyond their areas of expertise(专长). {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Finding out about something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment, but their curiosity is addictive.

    Good learners don't give up easily. A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrives after effort. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They try to search out new information. They read, analyze, and evaluate the information they've found. Then they study more and work at what they don't understand.

    Good learners know that a lot of learning isn't fun. The journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Others need a tiresome attention to detail, and still others need periods of intense mental focus. Your backs hurt, your arms and legs get tired, and your coffee gets cold.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much they know about anything. They are pulled around by questions—the ones they still can't answer, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them like day follows night with the answers bringing daylight.

    Good learners share what they've learned. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they've learned. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Good learners can also explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they've learned with others.

A. Some learning tasks require boring repetition.

B. Good learners are willing to put in the time.

C. Some knowledge can broaden our views.

D. Good learners stay positive.

E. They write about it, and talk about it.

F. They love the discovery part of learning.

G. Good learners never run out of questions.

    Gifts are fun because they are intended to be a physical expression of love for one's significant other. However, the acting of preparing a gift can be annoying, particularly if you are not sure what to choose. You can do anything from buying him or her something or panning out a romantic(浪漫的)day.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Choose a suitable gift for your love.

    Romantic gifts are a symbolic gesture of your love while practical gifts are something with real value and use.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Though you shouldn't be afraid to spend the extra money on a memorable gift, it's important to remember that there are more important things.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The gift is meant to be a reflection of that. In some cases, it can feel even more thoughtful if you make something yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Although wrapping is sometimes seen as an unnecessary add-on, the time it takes to unwrap the gift makes the gift-giving more enjoyable for both you and your love. Presents are best if the other people don't know what it is yet.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Besides, a romantic letter or card included in the gift also adds to the pleasure of the gift's receiver. More importantly, wait for a special moment to give the gift. You can present your gift at a point where the two of you are relaxed and things are pleasant. A gift - giving shouldn't be rushed at all.

A. Present it to your love.

B. Express your love to him or her.

C. The connection the two of you share is priceless.

D. Choosing a wonderful gift will help promote your friendship.

E. There's a certain pleasure in having something kept a surprise.

F. Your choice depends on the occasion, the relationship and his or her tastes.

G. Whatever you decide to do, make sure your gift appeals to him or her specially.