How to Have a Successful Teenage Life

    Everyone wants to succeed in their life, don't they? Even as a teenager, you can achieve success in your life, it really isn't that hard.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Do well in school. No matter how boring it is now, education will help you be a productive member in society. Try your best for excellence in school: listen to the teachers, do your homework, study, and get good grades. Doing so will help you get into a better university, which will enable you to have a bright future.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Do good in your community(社区). Volunteering can not only improve your community's status, but could make you happier. Studies show that people who volunteer are less likely to develop depression(抑郁) than people who don't.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example, if you love animals, volunteer at an animal shelter. If you love helping the environment, plant trees or pick up litter. When you help others, it will make you feel better about yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Remember, they're there to help you be the best that you can be. Respect them and value their opinions, even if they annoy you sometimes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You don't get to choose your teachers or your family, but you still have to put up with them. Learn how to deal with people now, because when you're an adult, you don't get to choose your boss or your co-workers, so learn how to respect them now.

A. Here are some important points that you may find helpful

B. Be nice to your parents and teachers

C. School sets you up on the right track

D. Find chances to do volunteer work that interests you

E. Keep in mind that they do the things they do because they care about you

F. Live life to the fullest

G. It will help you pass time and develop your personality

    English can be a difficult language to learn, but there are certain things you can do to learn the language a lot faster. People can master English as long as they take the time to practice speaking, reading and writing in English. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Start by taking a class that teaches beginning English. These classes are often named as “ESL” classes, or “English as a Second Language.” {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Buy an English audio(音频的) course. You can go over these classes in your spare time and learn quite a bit. Buy an audio course and listen to it in the car or while working, if possible. The higher the quality of the course, the quicker you'll learn.

    Practice speaking English with other people, especially with native English speakers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And make sure they are willing to help you learn English by having simple conversations with you. You will probably be surprised at how quickly you can start having a conversation in English.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Pay attention to the dialogue and try to figure out what the actors are saying. Congratulate yourself when you are able to pick out certain words and phrases that you understand.

    Read newspapers, books and magazines that are printed in English. At first they maybe very difficult, but as your knowledge grows so will your understanding of written English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It will help you a lot in learning to speak the language much faster.

A. Try to understand written English.

B. Watch television shows or movies that are in English.

C. Read and remember as many English words as possible.

D. Here we will show you how to learn to speak English quickly.

E. Every morning you should get up very early and read English.

F. Make friends with people speaking English as their native language.

G. The teachers of these classes have the experience to teach the students.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But how do you deal with your worries? Whether your worries are big or small, you can take these three steps to deal with your worries:

    ⒈{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Sometimes, you will know what you are worried about. Other times, you might not. Try to find it out first; if you can't, you can ask for help.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    There is always something you can do to help you feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won't solve your problem

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you are worried about grades, ask yourself these questions:

Why are grades important? What do grades mean for me?

    How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn't a test?

    Do I have a good place to do my homework? Have I tried different ways of studying?

If your worry is about a fight you had with a friend, you might write down all the things you could do—-- write a note to him or her, invite him or her to a basketball game, say sorry to him or her, etc. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose the one that gets your friend back.

    ⒊{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    When you are worried, it can help to find someone to talk to. You can ask your parents, friends or teachers for help.

A .Grades at school are often a top worry for kids.

B .Try to find out what you are worried about.

C .How to deal with our worries?

D .Ask for help.

E .Everyone worries.

F .What do grades mean to you?

G .Think of ways to make it better.

Not all English is the same

    To many learners of English, it's easy to think that all native speakers have no trouble communicating with one another.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Well, it turns out that being a native English speaker from one country doesn't mean that you're able to perfectly understand a native English speaker from another country, and vice versa (反之亦然)

    Take the UK and the US for example.

    As a Briton, I grew up hearing American accents alongside British ones – on TV shows, movies and in songs.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} and how they would eat “cookies” instead of “biscuits”.  And it took me a while to figure out that the “trunk” (n. 后备箱) of a car is what us Britons call its “boot”.

    The confusion didn't stop at just vocabulary –{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, when talking about shopping malls, Americans pronounce it “mawl” instead of “mal”. And for some reason that's hard for Britons to understand, Americans remove the “H” sound from “herb”, pronouncing it “erb”.

    These small differences may not change much in a day-to-day conversation between a Briton and an American.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Recently, for example, an American friend told me that she liked my pants. “You can see them?” I asked, shocked. Pants means “underpants” to most British people, which explains my horror.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In the US, for example, a “bum” is a homeless person, while the same word in the UK is used to describe one's backside（n.臀部）.

    And, more amusingly, “trump” was only ever really used as a verb in the UK – meaning “to pass gas” – until the US' current president came into the spotlight.

But as long as you can speak one version of English, it's easy enough to understand any other – and any confusion just makes your day more interesting.

A. English is changing as it spreads around the world.

B. After all, English is English, isn't it?

C. I soon noticed how Americans would put “gas” in their cars instead of “petrol” .

D. However, confusion can still happen every now and then.

E. There are different words that mean the difficult thing.

F. Some words can even be offensive (adj.无礼的) without you realizing it.

G. I discovered that many words are even pronounced differently.

Understanding special education

    What will appear in your mind when you think about special education? You might picture children with disabilities spending the day in a different classroom, separated from most of the kids of their age. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But as the field of special education has moved forward, it much has changed.

    Special education today is still focused on helping children with disabilities learn. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. In fact, federal law requires that students who receive special education services be taught alongside their non-disabled peers as much as possible. For example, some students with reading disorder may spend most of the day in a general education classroom. They may spend just an hour or two in a resource room working with a specialist on reading and other skills.

    The changes are also reflected in other aspects. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It's tailored(量体裁衣) to meet each student's needs. Special education refers to a range of services that can be provided in different ways and in different settings. If your child qualifies for special education, he'll receive individualized teaching resources. The specialists who work with your child will focus on his strengths as well as his challenges.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Making the curriculum accessible to students with disabilities is a lot like making buildings accessible to people in wheelchairs. School districts have a process in place to determine which students are qualified for special education. This process involves a systematic evaluation that looks at the way your child thinks. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If the district agrees to evaluate your child, the testing will be conducted at no cost to you.

A. "Access" is an important term in education

B. You or your child's school can request an evaluation

C. This may have been the normal situation in the past

D. There is no "one size fits all" approach to special education

E. To clear the learning barriers is the purpose of special education

F. But this no longer means placing kids in a special classroom all day long

G. The qualification for special education is assessed by local school districts

Enjoyable Family Picnics

    Going for a picnic is great at any age. It can either be a simple lunch in the park or a family barbecue at the beach. Whether with little kids or just as a romantic afternoon date, picnics can be fun and relaxing. Just remember to prepare.

    Check the weather forecast.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Picnics are never much fun when it gets too hot or starts to rain. If it is likely to rain, but you still make up your mind to go, think about bringing umbrellas.

    Pick a location suitable for your family's needs. Different locations are for different types of picnics.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Choose one with a playground for them, and perhaps some bathrooms nearby. Do you want a quiet afternoon to read, or a park with a big field to play soccer on？

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food is the most important part of a picnic, so don't forget it! Remember to bring any utensils (器皿) you might need, as well as napkins and a garbage bag to clean up afterwards. Bring some books, balls or anything else that could be fun. Finally, don't forget your camera.

    Other ideas. If it gets hot in the afternoon, why not try a morning picnic to enjoy the songs of birds in the fresh morning air？{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be fun to have a picnic in your backyard. If you're going on a hike, pack a lunch and turn it into a picnic. But remember to bring extra water!

    Remember to prepare, and you'll soon be enjoying picnics wherever you are. But keep in mind that not everything always go as planned.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. What to bring.

B. Do you have little kids？

C. Just learn to laugh and enjoy it anyway.

D. Another idea is to stay at home.

E. Not everybody likes eating outside.

F. It may seem obvious but it's often forgotten.

G. Do you need big trees to keep the heat off on a sunny day?