Hi Grace,

    How's it going? Sorry I haven't emailed for a while, but I had so much to do!

    I had told you about my decision to take up a sport. I knew I wasn't fit and I wanted to get some exercise. But that wasn't the only reason that I decided to do a sport. Students who play sports do better at school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Exercise also helps learning and memory.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} First, I tried soccer. I had played a bit of soccer before and I thought it wouldn't be too bad. I knew I couldn't run for very long without feeling tired. On the first day, I was able to run for the first ten minutes, but then I was so tired that I couldn't even kick the ball!

    Then, I tried volleyball. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I was able to run for the first twenty minutes and I wasn't the slowest runner in the team! After a few weeks, I could run faster and longer. I was doing better and feeling better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Maybe I'm not a team sport person after all!

    Finally, I tried Kung fu. It's a great sport that exercise the body and the mind. You learn to follow instructions carefully and do what you are asked to do. This is the right sport for me! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I feel so confident that I even showed some moves to the class last week! Can you believe it?

I hope you're OK! Write and let me know what you've been doing!

    Bye for now!

                                                                                                                                                                               Kristie

A. I got very excited about soccer.

B. But I couldn't decide on a sport.

C. Running helps me to keep fit.

D. Things were a bit better this time.

E. Then I found volleyball terribly boring.

F. They are more confident and less stressed.

G. I practice twice a week and I haven't missed a class.

    After Steve Jobs died，his friend Larry Ellison said something like this, “There will never  be another Steve Jobs”.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Larry wrote this list of Steve's life lessons to remind us all.

1）Love what you do.

    Sure Steve became a billionaire when he brought Apple back. Apple was his calling even after he got fired from the company. We all have bad jobs at one point in our lives. But the question is: am I in the right job? Have I found the right company? Life doesn't go on forever.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

2）Don't do it all by yourself.

    Steve learned a great leader can't do it all by himself. He needs people. They must be talented.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They must be given the opportunity to succeed and fail. In short，we have to learn to be a great leader if we want to see our great ideas and hard work truly have an influence on the world.

3） {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Apple is always good at creating a new product that meets the exact needs of users. It's empathy（共鸣）that helps Apple achieve this. Whenever the user has the first touch with a new Apple product，he says "Wow，it's just what I need". Remember, you're King in the business world if you know exactly what consumers desire.

4）Don't mess around with your health.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's the most important lesson from Steve's life. It's great to learn from him but，the fact is he should still be here if he had treated his cancer properly. Instead, Steve chose a naturopathic(自然疗法)solution that wasn't effective. When he finally decided to take his doctor's original advice，it was too late.

A. What are the key things that we could learn from him?

B. Get on our right path now.

C. Will this lead to a successful career?

D. They must be inspired.

E. Put yourself in the other person's shoes.

F. Take your health seriously.

G. Be the best in your field.

    Living in a new country means experiencing a different way of life{#blank#}1{#/blank#} The cultures of all countries are unique, which means that people who have grown up in different places will have different ways of behaving, different ways of thinking about things and different ways of expressing themselves. Before you travel, it is useful to think about culture and the things that are affected by it {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Culture is the values, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs shared by a group of people{#blank#}3{#/blank#} We learn about the culture of our own society in a very natural way as we grow up-we learn through “do's” and “don'ts” about how we treat people, how we behave and what we believe in as children.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You can see some parts of an iceberg-just like you can see some parts of a country's culture when you visit it. For example, you can see different ways of greeting people, hear different languages and observe different festivals and customs. However, a much bigger part of every iceberg is hidden under water. Even though this part of the iceberg is hard to see, it is very important -without it, the iceberg would not exist. The same is true of culture. There are many aspects of it which you cannot see when you visit a different country, for example the nature of friendship and the importance of time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It will take a long time to understand those values and beliefs because you have to work them out, but it is probably the most interesting part of any time you spend abroad.

A. Culture is like an iceberg.

B. Different people have different cultures.

C. Doing so will help you prepare for living in a new country.

D. Some people like to travel to new countries and settle down.

E. The aspects of culture you can see are based on those values and beliefs that you cannot see.

F. This means that culture is like a kind of glue (胶水)that holds society together.

G. This is very exciting and interesting, but it can also be a little challenging at times.

    Every year, thousands of students choose to study in another country for a semester, the summer, or a year. Studying overseas can be an exciting experience for many people.

Why do you study overseas?

    Living in another country can help you to learn a language, and about another culture. You will see the world in a new way, and learn more about yourself. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many companies today want employees who speak a second language, or have experienced living or working in another country.

    Make the right choice.

    Once you decide to study overseas, you have to make some choices. To choose the right country or school, ask yourself: Where do I want to go and why? How much do I want to pay? How long do I want to study overseas? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Get your passport and visa (签证) early! Before you go, learn some of the language, and read about some common customs in your host country. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bring some of it, and a credit card with you.

    Once you are there.

    After the first few weeks overseas, many students will feel a little homesick. They may miss their family, and familiar ways of doing things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you feel sad or homesick, try to talk to others, or write your feelings in a notebook.

A. Get ready to go.

B. Learn about the country.

C. Get quick access (进入) to foreign universities.

D. Overseas study may also look good on your future resume (简历).

E. Do I want to live with a host family, with roommates, or alone?

F. Remember that it takes time to get used to a new place, school, and culture.

G. As a study-abroad student, you will pay tuition fees (学费) to the overseas institution.

    Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective(选择的) process. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Use words, not complete sentences.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. You must write your notes on separate paper.

D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F. The following methods may work best for you.

G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

A new documentary, Pot of Fire, went online on Tencent Video on Feb 14, allowing netizens to "enjoy" hotpot together on the Internet. No food other than hotpot is so welcomed by Chinese people.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

As one of the famous meals in China, hotpot has been popular for ages, for it's "free-for-all and healthy way", according to National Public Radio. From vegetables to meat, from noodles to seafood, diners can add different ingredients to the soup to cook. Unlike frying or other cooking methods, boiling food only releases their nutrients into the soup.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Besides, hotpot can bring warmth to our body and improve blood circulation in winter, and increase sweat to help cool the body in summer, according to China Highlights.

But eating hotpot is much more than an enjoyment for our taste buds and health. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}For most Chinese people, eating hotpot is usually a social event. A survey by Chenzhi Catering Database showed that 40. 2 percent of Chinese usually eat hotpot with friends, while 17. 6 percent use the occasion for a family reunion. When a group of people sit around a table to eat, chat and drink, it's a good time." As the food continues to boil in the soup, we keep drinking and chatting with each other.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} " said Yu Jiaqing, a 28- year -old luxury brand marketing staffer from Beijing.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or, at least you can watch Pot of Fire. As a popular saying goes, "There's nothing to worry about after having a hotpot. If you are still worried, then go for it twice."

A. Hotpot is very popular in China.

B. The atmosphere makes the time warm.

C. It's also a celebration of life and friendship.

D. Hotpot does much good to people's health.

E. This way can maximize (使最大) the flavors of all the ingredients.

F. It represents how much they like to gather together to enjoy happiness.

G. So if you feel empty or lonely, cook a hotpot to fill your stomach and heart.