Everyone knows that fish is good for health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But it seems that many people don't cook fish at home. Americans eat only about fifteen pounds of fish per person per year, but we eat twice as much fish in restaurants as at home. Buying, storing, and cooking fish isn't difficult. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This text is about how to buy and cook fish in an easy way.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Fresh fish should smell sweet: you should feel that you're standing at the ocean's edge. Any fishy or strong smell means the fish isn't fresh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When you have bought a fish and arrive home, you'd better store the fish in the refrigerator if you don't cook it immediately, but fresh fish should be stored in your fridge for only a day or two. Frozen fish isn't as tasty as the fresh one.

There are many common methods used to cook fish.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} First, clean it and season it with your choice of spices（调料）.

    Put the whole fish on a plate and steam it in a steam pot for 8 to 10 minutes if it weighs about one pound. (A larger one will take more time.) Then, it's ready to serve.

    Our character, basically, is made up of our habits. "Sow a habit, reap (收获) a character: sow a character reap a destiny (命运)," as the saying goes.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Because they are often unconscious patterns, they constantly daily affect our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

    As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, "Hahits are like a cable. We weave a rope of it every day and soon it cannot be broken. "Habits can be learned. But we know it isn't a quick fix.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Many of us have watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}But to get there, those astronauts had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, than was used over the next several days to travel half million miles.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Getting rid of bad habits really requires great willpower and some changes in our lives. Lift-off takes tremendous effort, but once we break out of the pull of gravity, we can enjoy great freedom.

    Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together and keeps the planets in their orbits.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}We can use the gravity pull of habit to create the order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.

A. It involves a process and a great effort.

B. Habits are powerful factors in our lives.

C. Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull.

D. It is a powerful force if we use it effectively.

E. We should try our best to get rid of our bad habits.

F. To break out of the pull of gravity needs great efforts.

G. We were surprised to see the first men walk on the moon.

    What do the world's most successful people all have in common? The researchers found that high achievers like Robert Moses turn out to be all alike:

    Busy！Busy!

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} in a study of general managers in industry, John Kotter reported that many of them worked 60 to 65 hours per week-which translates into at least six 10-hour days. The ability and willingness to work difficult and tiring hours has characterized many powerful figures. Energy and strength provide many advantages to those seeking to build power.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything. And that's what gives them the time to accomplish so much. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. And focus means saying “no” to a lot of distractions（分散力）.

    Know what you are

    Ignore weakness and keep improving your strengths. Don't waste time exploring skill areas where you have little competence. Instead, focus on-and build on-your strengths. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Wiseman created a “luck school” to test these ideas-and it was a success. In total, 80 percent of people who attended luck school said that their luck bad increased. On average, these people reported that their luck had risen by more than 40 percent.

A. Just say no！

B. Ask for more time.

C. Strengths are exactly what you are good at.

D. Achievement requires concentrations（注意力）

E. This means knowing who you are and what you are good at.

F. Does applying these principle（原则）to your life actually work?

G. High achievers never stop working and they never lose a minute.

Can zoos ever be animal-friendly?

    The topic of our last class discussion was “How can zoos provide animals with a good life?” Everyone believed it was impossible for zoos to give animals a caring environment. Our teacher suggested that visiting a modern zoo might give us a new point of view.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In our discussion, many people said that zoos were full of smelly cages with unhappy animals living in. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, however, was set in an attractive, open environment. Trees and flowers had been planted around the park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    At school, some people accused（指责）zoos of exploiting（剥削）animals for money but at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Before I visited Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I wasn't sure about the rights and wrongs of zoos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel that, although zoos can't provide the freedom of the wild, they can be animal-friendly by giving animals a safe and caring environment. As long as they do this well, to my mind they make a good contribution（贡献）to animal health. They also play an important part in educating us about wildlife. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the bus back to school, we all agreed that what we liked most was the zoo's environment and we would recommend（推荐）it for next year's group.

A. It is difficult for the zoo to raise animals.

B. More and more animals enjoy their wild homes.

C. I think lots of my friends changed their minds, too.

D. Most of the money is used to improve conditions at the zoo.

E. I went to the zoo and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

F. In my opinion, the animals, rather than seeming upset, were pleased.

G. It was difficult to say how a zoo could really make up for animals' loss of freedom.

Should schools allow Halloween celebrations?

    Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many schools also celebrate the holiday by having kids dress up in costumes, take part in costume shows, and join in a variety of activities relating to Halloween. On October 31, the halls of schools across the country will be filled with princes, princesses, and superheroes. In addition to costumes, school Halloween celebrations often include classroom parties and trick-or-treating.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They also say that dressing up in costumes allows kids to express themselves and show off their creativity.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Officials at many of those schools say the celebrations are too time-consuming (费时的) and take away class time. They also point out that kids who can't afford costumes or who don't celebrate Halloween for cultural reasons feel left out. For example, Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, New Jersey, canceled（取消）its Halloween celebration last year. Officials at the school said that in the past, many students stayed home on that day.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bree Picower, a Professor of Early and Elementary Education at Montclair State, said, “Maplewood is a wonderful example of a school being responsive to society. Many schools plan to learn from it. Schools are places where students should feel included.”

    Parents in Maplewood had different opinions of this policy. Some said that the new no-Halloween policy was a welcome change. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It brings a lot of safety problems.

B. Experts say Maplewood is not alone.

C. Many people dislike these costumes.

D. Each year there're millions of Americans celebrations the holiday.

E. But more and more schools have canceled（取消）Halloween celebrations in recent years.

F. Many teachers, parents, and students see these celebrations as a fun break from the school day.

G. And others said that it was unfair that their children are now not allowed to celebrate Halloween in school.

    Do you want to be at the top of your class？Add these tips to your life and you should be on your way to being a top student！

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I cannot stress(强调)enough how important it is to pay attention to what your teacher is teaching you. Take part in class discussions if you have something worthwhile to add. Pay attention during class, especially during lectures.

    Taking notes is important. You don't need to write down every word your teacher says but write down what he writes on the board, or any special fact you think you might need for a test. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This way it will help you learn more effectively by actually thinking about what you are writing.

    Don't skip school(逃学). You will be missing out on stuff. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, you will have more work because you have missed lectures. Also, try not to be late for class. It's most likely that your teacher won't appreciate it and you will get yourself behind.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have an "I don't care about school or this class" attitude, then teachers will be less willing to offer you extra credit(学分). The same goes for lazy attitude. Have a respectful attitude to the teacher and other students. Try not to laugh when other students make a mistake.

    Always ask questions. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you don't understand, ask someone. Read your textbook and notes, and then if that fails, seek help. Ask a teacher, friend, classmate, parent, etc. Get a tutor if you need one.

A. Be prepared.

B. Write in your own words.

C. Staying organised will be helpful.

D. Keep a good attitude toward things.

E. There is no shame in needing some help.

F. I t is true that you could make up the work.

G. Pay attention to everything the teacher says.