After entering high school, you must wonder how to study well. Here are some good skills for you.

Go to class.

    If you want to do well at school, going to class is the first step in studying well. If you miss classes, you will miss what the teacher thinks is important; as a result, you'll miss what is the most likely to end up on the test.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Take good notes.

    Try not to write down everything.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Write down unfamiliar terms. After class, review your notes as soon as possible. You can fill in details that you missed and review the material while it is still fresh on your mind.

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

    If you are struggling in class, talk to your teacher. He or she may be able to give you more help or tutor you before or after class. Most teachers have little sympathy(同情) for students who just become worried about failing during the last few weeks of the grading period.

Take part in class discussions.

    In order to learn more in class, it is helpful to take part i n class discussions. Asking questions and having eye contact with your teachers and classmates can increase your participation(参与) and your focus during the class discussion.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This helps you make your point clear in class.

Form study groups.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Make sure that everyone is familiar with the material because you do not want to spend time re-teaching material to people who do not understand it. Be careful! Sometimes group sessions can become chatting sessions.

A. Don't be late for your class.

B. Talk to your teacher if you need help.

C. You should write down all the new terms.

D. So if you want to study well, go to every class.

E. Get students together who want to do well in class.

F. All you need is to put the main points in your own words.

G. If the material is difficult, you'd better read it before class.

    Everyone wants to be happy. You see people who are smiling and laughing, and you want to be like them.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, there are also bad days. Here are three ways to make you happier every day.

    Smile often. Research has shown that the facial expression you wear influences your state of mind.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wearing a pleasant expression for a long period of time will slowly improve your feelings and help you have a happier day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The more you complain, the more annoyed(恼怒的) you become. If all you notice or talk about during the day are the things that annoy you, it is no surprise that you are unhappy. To truly increase your long-term happiness, don't complain any longer.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Practice thankfulness. Thankfulness has been shown to be the last ticket to a happy life. The more you practice thankfulness, the more you will find things to be grateful for in your life.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even something as simple as a safe place to sleep or food to eat is worth being thankful for because not everyone is fortunate enough to have those necessities.

A. Try your best to be healthy.

B. You will slowly stop paying much attention to what worries you.

C. Have an entire day without complaining even once and see how you feel.

D. Stop complaining.

E. There are good days filled with sunshine and smiles.

F. If you try to smile, you are more likely to be happy.

G. This then leads you to realize how much goodness is in your life.

    Recently researchers went through some survey information about the health and habits of men and women in Scotland, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (hope) to determine how much exercise is needed to keep the Scots {#blank#}2{#/blank#} feeling depressed. The answer: a mere 20 minutes a week of any physical exercise, whether sports, walking, gardening {#blank#}3{#/blank#} even housecleaning. The researchers found that more exercise brought more mental-health benefits. But their overall conclusion was that being active for 20 minutes a week {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) enough, if your goal is mental health.

    How much exercise is enough? This is a question difficult to answer, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (part) because the amount of exercise needed depends on the benefits you hope to gain. Twenty minutes a week of housecleaning or other {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (activity) may, according to the Scottish study, increase your satisfaction, but it certainly won't do much for your physical fitness and is unlikely {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (reduce) your risks for diseases. It also won't help much with weight loss.

    Interestingly, they did not find that exercise beyond a certain point would bring additional health benefits. According to the report, “It {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (estimate) that people who are physically active for about seven hours a week have a 40 percent {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (low) risk of dying early than those {#blank#}10{#/blank#} are active for less than 30 minutes a week.”

    Have you ever used any language learning apps? If you want to learn a language and speak it right away, modernize your learning style and adopt an app. It doesn't cost much, but it's worth a lot. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Learn anywhere and anytime

Personally, I love to review my vocabulary quietly in my bed before sleep using a language learning app. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Of course, it's also possible to learn a language with a book, but it's so much more entertaining when you are using a language learning app!

    Never waste time again

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. More often than not, we will get really annoyed or even stressed when time is wasted. However, when using a language learning app, time seems to go by quickly. We can take the opportunity to review and play a little while we have to wait around.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Have you ever taken up a course at night? I have, but I found it hard to complete it because there were many restrictions. I was required to attend classes twice a week on a fixed schedule. But when we study on our own with a language learning app, we can study at our own pace.

    Save your money

    Most language schools haven't evolved to meet the needs of modem society. And that's before we've even begun to talk about the price, which is often quite unaffordable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. But the benefits are huge, offering you the freedom and independence to learn at very little expense.

A. Quicken your progress

B. Work without restrictions

C. Mobile apps can handle complex applications

D. Learning with the help of an app doesn't cost much at all

E. When I travel, I also use it to listen to some podcasts (播客)

F. We all have the experience of waiting for an appointment or a bus

G. Here are some benefits of language learning apps used on smart phones

Common public speaking problems

The use of "I feel", "I think" and "maybe"

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like "I feel", "I guess", "I hear", "maybe" and "perhaps".

    These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of the empty-sounding "I guess", using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    Using only one speaking style

    Don't stick to the same tone.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

C. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

D. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

G. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.

Try This at Home!

    Are you looking for a new pastime that will create a balance between physical activity and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's a great way to strengthen your muscles and become more flexible.

    In the 1930s, Indian Sri Tirumali and K. Pattabhi developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practised worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sansknt text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic (有氧的)exercise which creates deep heat in the body. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren't aerobic.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get a balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.

    Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After a few lessons you'll stop looking at what the others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself and start focusing on yourself.

A. It can also be done anywhere at any time.

B. The result of their co-operation was ashtanga yoga.

C. Whatever kind of yoga you choose, there are many long-term benefits.

D. This allows you to concentrate better and it makes you less competitive.

E. Every time someone practices ashtanga, he or she does exactly the same movements.

F. If you're interested in yoga, but can find a class near you, then it might be an excuse to travel.

G. Recently, it has become extremely common for beginners as well as advanced yoga students to go on yoga holidays.