With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams are inevitable(不可避免的）. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars. It's impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Check for traffic jams before you leave.

    You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.

    Look for a different route all the time.

    Most traffic jams happen on busy roads.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.

    Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins.

    Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Most traffic jams usually occur during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid moving altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.

    Use public transport alternatives where available.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money as the cost of motoring rises.

A. Try traveling at different time.

B. What should we do to prevent traffic accidents?

C. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car.

D. Public transport is so important in our life that we should use it at any time.

E. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.

F. Using country roads could let you avoid a lot of traffic.

G. There are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.

    Expressing gratitude regularly is a wonderful habit to your children. In fact, studies have shown that people who feel gratitude on a daily basis are happier in general. Today we'll discuss ideas to help your children express their gratitude.

    Make a gratitude tree. Start with a large piece of craft paper and draw a tree trunk. Then ask the kids to paint or color it in brown. Each day ask your kids to think of something they're thankful for.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}And they'll have a gratitude tree full of leaves one day.

    Express your thankfulness to the ones you love.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Print the photos in a 5'×7'size and ask the kids to write a short note on the back explaining why they're grateful to that person. Family members, especially those who don't live nearby, will cherish the present.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Pick a regular time, maybe one Saturday a month, and do some voluntary jobs as a family.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}One child may want to spend a day helping to clean up their favorite park while another might want to read books to nursing home residents.

    Go grocery shopping for a family in need. Many stores now offer pre-made bags to donate right at the checkout line. While this is convenient, the larger the role they play in the act of giving, the bigger the effect it will have on your kids.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Taking time as a family to practice gratitude doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming and the benefits your children will get are long-lasting.

A. It will make the experience much more powerful.

B. Let kids take pictures of themselves with their loved ones.

C. Keep gratitude journals.

D. Volunteer together.

E. If you can find a charity where you deliver the groceries , that's even better.

F. Write it on a green leaf and tape it to the tree trunk.

G. Let family members take turns to pick an activity that means something to them.

    I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier (收银台) in her general store. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying "thank you. "

    At first I was paid in candy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. My father helped me set up a bank account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    By the time I was 12, my grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics (化妆品). I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as "What color do you think I should wear?" I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup (化妆) ideas. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Expect they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

C. I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E. My grandma's trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

Teenagers earning money

    In the United States, you can only get a full-time job if you are 16 years old or older. But there are things that teenagers can do to earn (赚得) some spending money. Here are a few ideas.

    Parents with young children sometimes want to go out for dinner or to the movies, but they don't want to leave their children alone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If the children go to bed early, you can do some of your homework!

    Some adults have a dog, but they don't have time to take it for a walk. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So some teenagers work as dog walkers. It's a good idea — you earn money and you're outside in the fresh air. You get some exercise, too!

    Teenagers can deliver (递送) newspapers. You usually ride a bike around a neighborhood and leave a newspaper at each house. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You have to get up early, too, because people want to read their newspaper with their breakfast.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some companies pay teens to do online research. They want to know what teens are interested in. It's a fun and easy way to make money. You can also design web pages for friends or adults.

    Sometimes adults pay teenagers to mow (修整) their lawns (草坪). It's a great job because you get fresh air and exercise. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you have regular customers (常客), because grass always grows!

A. Dogs need a lot of exercise!

B. It brings a lot of safety problems.

C. Normally you have to have your own bike.

D. Teenagers can work at home on their computers.

E. It's important to tell an adult where you're going.

F. Do your job carefully and people will want you to do it again.

G. So, they ask a teenager to stay in the house and look after their children while they are out.

Rising through stages to realize ourselves

    Many modern people have the problem that they don't know who they are and what their purpose is. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Once high school seniors graduate, they seem to lose their identity. They once studied hard. But after they stop working, they begin to lose their way.

    In the theory of the Hierarchy of Needs（需求理论）, Abraham Maslo, put forward a similar situation, which consists of the five levels of a person's need. The fifth and final level is self-realization, which is where our final achievement lies. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    I think self- realization has three major aspects. The first stage is acceptance, the second stage is discovery and the last stage is perseverance.

    Acceptance is the first stage. We should be reminded that we are all born unique, so we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Only when we understand these, can we pursue them or change them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Once we've accepted ourselves, we can discover what we are interested in and what we want to be. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} but indeed we should live for ourselves. So before we start working towards a purpose, we should ask ourselves "Is this what we truly desire?" and "Is this going to change the situation we're in?"

    The last stage is perseverance.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Those who can self-realize are people who focus on the things they want to change.

    Through the three stages, we could gain recognition of ourselves. And by this point, whatever our lives were like, we would be able to stand tall, confident of ourselves.

A. It's nothing to a man of perseverance

B. Only by acceptance of the past can we change it

C. This is especially common among college students

D. Many people tend to go along with social expectations

E. Being objective and yet tolerant is the key to acceptance

F. It is the process of knowing ourselves and finding a purpose

G. Exploring our potential isn't going to be done in a short time

How can you make a difference in your life?

    As the famous poem Youth has written "Youth is not a time of life, it's a state of mind." But how can you make a difference in your life?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.The skills of learning, the knowledge of learning as well as the process of learning are all wealth and treasures in our life, which make your simple life interesting. You could also gain social experience from taking part in large activities and gain knowledge from books you read. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, and take part in any activity which can show your characteristics.

    Secondly, as the old saying goes "Although you have failed one hundred times, there's still another chance for you to catch." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. So grasp every opportunity to express your strong point and put your heart into it.

    Thirdly, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. So it's of great significance to be an optimist. That is we ought not to hesitate to meet any challenges in our life.

    Last but not least, to have a regular life style is a good way to keep healthy and achieve your ambition. It goes without saying that a strong body is the capital of a revolution.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, you could be able to adapt to the contemporary life and make a difference in your simple life.

A. If everything is possible

B. When all is said and done

C. Let's cheer up our success

D. Be confident, behave yourself in public

E. That's what makes life active and powerful

F. failure or success mostly depends on one's attitude towards things

G. Firstly those who have a good command of learning can manage things well