Everyone can help to save the world

    We are all environmentalists now. We all know about acid rain and the ozone hole. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As consumers we have the power to make decisions which will contribute to a better world and it is in our power to do what we can to protect the earth.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In this way we have the power to influence retailers (零售商) to sell us these so-called “green” products. Therefore, the supermarkets have understood the message and are now trying to improve their environmental image. They are turning to less wasteful and recyclable packaging. The range of “green” products will continue to expand to meet the growing demand. This message has also reached the manufacturers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They have realized that protecting the environment may start as an advertising campaign but in the hands of intelligent people it can become a very profitable business. Besides, we can do more.

    Furthermore, we also know there are other areas where all of us can make a positive contribution to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There are a number of ways we can do this. For example, we now know how important it is to have our homes well insulated (隔热). We should choose the best energy efficient technology, such as modern light bulbs which can reduce electricity consumption by 80% over the older ones. We must also work hard to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. We all produce tons of rubbish and waste disposal has become a big problem. As an environmentally-conscious consumer we should buy products which do not have so much packaging. Also, we should try to avoid non-returnable goods at all costs. In Scandinavia and Germany, for example, plastic bottles and cans are now returnable goods.

    In conclusion it is important to emphasize once again the rise of consumer power. We must realize that we are all part of the problem.   {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We can all reduce energy consumption at home and so cut the emissions from power systems.

B. For example, when we walk into a supermarket we can choose to buy environmentally friendly products and reject products which damage our planet.

C. There are some other ways to protect the environment.

D. Companies are developing environmentally friendly products that maintain a high quality and a low price.

E. But what are we doing about these problems?

F. Nevertheless we must also realize that we have the responsibility to be part of the solution.

G. Everybody has the duty to contribute to a cleaner world.

Ways to Find the Happiness in Front of You

    We struggle with war, poverty, global warming. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Famous people have wonderful lives, but you don't, and the "if only's" threaten to win the day: "My life would be sweet if only I were richer, had a better job..."

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}And it doesn't care how much money you have or what the circumstances of your life are. Look through the suggestions on how to look on the bright side and find the happiness in front of you.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    If I'm feeling low, one of the best ways I know to cheer up is to make a love list. It's simple, just a list of every single person I love. Then I can put it in a pocket to take with me on a tough day, or just keep it in mind as I get on with my life.

Find Lost Friends

    I recently took some time to seek out people that I've lost touch with over the years.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Within 24 hours I had baby pictures and recent histories. But the interesting thing was that all the people I got in touch with had been thinking about contacting me a couple of days before getting my email.

Think Positively

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}I'm not saying your problems are over, but simply looking at the world through rose-colored glasses means that half your problems will look like exciting challenges, and the other half you'll probably realize aren't problems at all, just facts of life.

A. Create a love list

B. But happiness is all around you.

C. Wish upon a star

D. I wonder whether they still remember me.

E. We hear of people getting sick or dying.

F. If you can get optimistic and stay that way, you're sure to succeed.

G. It took only a little time to shoot a few quick emails around the country.

    Sometimes people can have fights, but friendship is a valuable gift.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But with a little effort to step outside of your comfort zone(舒适区), you can easily make friends. Here you can find some places to make new friends.

    Join an organization or a club. This is a great way to find other people who have common interests.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}In fact, some of the most valuable friendships are between two people who don't have much in common at all. However, if you like a specific topic, try finding a place where you can meet people who share that interest.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A common mistake is that you have to be really good at playing a special sport in order to make friends with others on the team. In fact, as long as you enjoy the sport and support your teammates, joining a team with a relaxed attitude could be a great way to make new friends.

    Volunteer. Volunteering is also a good way for people of all ages to meet others. By working together, you'll build relationships with people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Make yourself available. If you want to make friends, you first need to put yourself out there somehow to meet people.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}It doesn't have to be a crowded table, but one with at least two other people. Remember, friends seldom come knocking on your door while you sit alone at home.

A. Join a sports team.

B. Sometimes, good friends are hard to find.

C. Do well in sport in order to make new friends.

D. If you're still in school, sit somewhere with other people.

E. So you can devote your time to a local nursing home or a hospital.

F. It is not easy at all to get along with new friends when you study in a middle school.

G. You don't need to have lots of common interests with people to make friends with them.

    Do you usually feel you're working hard but still can't reach your study goals? Here are some quick tips to help you study better.

Study with a partner or in groups

    Rather than living in a cave with your nose in the books all day, grab a friend from your class and study with him.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Step into your teacher's shoes

    Ask yourself “If I were the teacher, what would I put on the test?”You have probably experienced a lot of your teacher's tests and quizzes by now.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Teachers have specific types of information that they want you to learn. The structure is usually the same.

Paint pictures on the paper

    You can build your knowledge structure in the form of pictures. It's harder to remember each piece of a puzzle individually than it is to recall the completed picture.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    A hungry brain is an ineffective one. Your brain needs the proper nutrients to keep it going. Because of this, what you eat and drink also play a huge role in how sharp your brain is. Healthy food provide nutrients to your brain cells to keep them energized.

Take breaks to relax your brain

    Your brain is like a muscle. It can be also tired if you overwork it,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you divide studying into 15 to 30 minutes blocks with quick breaks in between, your brain will feel refreshed, grateful and ready for the next challenge you throw at.

A. Feed your brain from time to time.

B. It needs exercise to make it stronger.

C. Relax your brain by eating and drinking.

D. You'd better learn from them for the next test.

E. It's necessary to have a long holiday and have nice food.

F. Find ways to connect what you are learning to real life or to other concepts.

G. Group studying helps you to engage and process the information more deeply

    It can be difficult to meet new people and make friends, especially when you move to a new city or find yourself out of your comfort zone. How will you deal with the situation?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are several ways that you can meet people that you might not have considered in the past.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You probably have several acquaintances that you see on a daily basis or a weekly basis. If you get along well with certain people, you can see if this acquaintance would like to go out and do something socially with you. If you have common interests, you might suggest that the two of you do something together that involves your interest.

    Make an effort to accept invitations. Sometimes people that you know may be having a barbecue or other types of social gathering. Try to ensure that you are able to attend and then show up at the appointed time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you meet people that you click with, you can make a plan to see them again in the future or you can invite your friends to your own event and ask them to extend the invitation to the friends that were at their gathering too.

    Go out, even when you don't feel like it. It turns out that when people invite someone to join them for dinner or a movie or something else, they really want to hang out with you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But once you have used the same methods a few times you will know exactly what works and what does not. Don't give up, everyone is different and it just takes time to get to know people.

A. Expand on current relationships.

B. Trying to make new friends can be annoying at first.

C. Do you work with people that you get along well with?

D. But don't call them several times a day or even several times per week.

E. Be more social and you'll make your life more exciting and fulfilled.

F. If you tend to say “no” often, people will eventually stop asking you to go with them.

G. These types of gatherings often lead to meeting different people who are friends of friends.

    Every minute, every single day, about a truckload of plastic enters our oceans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And to date, only 9％of that has been recycled.

    We buy a bottle of water, drink it for a few minutes, and toss its permanent packaging "away". We eat potato chips, finish them, then throw their permanent packaging "away". We buy produce, take it out of the unnecessary plastic wrap, then throw its permanent packaging "away".

    The cycle is endless, and it happens countless times every single day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As far as we try to toss a piece of plastic—whether it's into a recycling bin or not——it does not disappear. Chances are, it ends up polluting our communities, oceans or waterways in some form.

    For years, we've been told the problem of plastic packaging can be solved through batter individual action. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But the truth is that we cannot recycle our way out of this mess.

    Recycling alone will never stop the flow of plastics into our oceans；we have to get to the source of the problem and slow down the production of all this plastic waste. Think about it: if your home was flooding because you had left the tap on, your first step wouldn't be to start mopping. You'd first cut the flooding off at its source—the tap. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    We need corporations—those like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Starbucks and Neatlé that continue to produce throwaway plastic bottles—to step up and take their responsibility for the mess they've created. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We will continue to do our part, but it's time for the world's largest corporations to do theirs.

A. This is their problem to deal with.

B. Plastic pollution is becoming very serious.

C. But here is the problem—there is no "away".

D. In many ways, our plastic problem is no different.

E. We think that if we simply recycle we're doing our part.

F. It's impossible for us to get rid of plastic pollution completely.

G. Since the 1950s, some 8. 3bn tons of plastic have been produced worldwide.