Little－known facts about germs

    Germs are everywhere and in so many forms.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are some steps you can take to help prevent the spread of germs in your personal space.

    Computer keyboards can have more germs than a public toilet.Keys and spaces on a keyboard are main breeding grounds for bacterial and viral growth.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Clean your keyboard regularly with specialized wipes for electronics，and remove dust with an air duster.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While it seems to make sense that covering your toothbrush would protect，the opposite is the case.With a cover on your brush，a more humid environment is created and more likely to encourage growth of germs.Wash your toothbrush when done，and allow it to air dry.Make sure you store it away from the toilet.

    Hand sanitizer(洗手液) does not always replace soap and water washing.Hand sanitizer is great when you're not near a sink，and need to clean your hands.But given the choice of a spritz of sanitizer or good old soap and water，choose the soap and water route.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Lather up and scrub hard for at least 20 seconds，and wash between your fingers and the back of your hands.Don't skimp with the hand sanitizer either—cover the same hand areas as for soap and water.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you freeze foods that you suspect might be spoiled，freezing them will not kill the germs already in the food.Freezing prevents further bacterial growth，but when you thaw it out，the bacteria continue to increase and pollute your food.

A．Freezing food does not kill germs.

B．Try not to eat outside especially in summer.

C．Exposure to germs can lead to many illnesses.

D．Toothbrush covers do not protect your brushes from bacteria.

E．There are a lot of effective ways to get rid of germs in your house.

F．Soap and water are only a better germ fighter when done properly.

G．Some reports show five times more germs on a keyboard than on a public toilet.

    Learning English online is a good way to improve your English. But with any kind of learning you need to be prepared. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Make sure everything is ready.

    You should prepare everything before learning English online. A computer, a good Internet connection and a headset are what you will need to take classes online. A web camera is also pretty important. Make sure that your computer is turned on, that everything is ready and that you have tested the connection. Doing this before the class means that you will be ready when the lesson starts.

    Take the classes somewhere quiet.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Trying to listen and join in English classes is very difficult when there is noise around you. So find a quiet room and make sure that no one troubles you while you are taking your lesson.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    When grammar or anything else is being taught, make sure that you understand it. You won't need to practice it at this time; just make sure that everything is clear. If you don't understand what is being taught, ask your teacher to explain it again. Your teacher will be very happy to deal with whatever puzzles you.

    Practice speaking English.

    Every class is a chance to practice your English with a native and good teacher. Try to allow the conversation to flow by listening and talking in a natural way. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The teacher should note the mistakes and correct them at a later time.

    Relax.

    Come to class feeling relaxed and excited. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Come into the class excited about learning English. You will be able to get more out of the class this way.

A. Ask for help from your parents.

B. Understand what is being taught.

C. Get away from everything that may be going on in your home.

D. Language learning should be enjoyable especially in online classes.

E. You will meet many problems when you are learning English online.

F. This passage will give you advice on how to make full use of your online lessons.

G. This is your chance to speak English without worrying about too many mistakes.

    The Center for Humane Technology is made up of people who created many popular apps(软件)for big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The center has started a movement called the Truth About Tech. Its purpose is to teach students, parents and teachers about the dangers of spending too much time on smart phones and computers.

    According to studies on kids and technology, more than 95 per cent of primary school children spend time every day using a computer, or smart phone. About 78 per cent of teenagers check their phones every hour. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They are afraid that they may miss an important call or message during night.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, spending too much time online can cause people to put on weight and also influence how they feel. Many people become worried or nervous because they feel they aren't having as much fun as their friends are. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They may also find it harder to make friends in real life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They say that when big tech companies are designing tech tools for kids, they should think about what they would want for their own children.

A. These people are worth our respect.

B. Now they are telling kids to put their phones away.

C. Most students are forbidden to use a phone in class.

D. And more than half of them sleep with their phones.

E. Students may have a harder time paying attention in school.

F. Using phones or computers too much can cause some health problems.

G. The center also wants governments and tech companies to take steps to protect children.

    Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city. Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban what is called "distracted walking". It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says: "No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device." In other words, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The law's creators hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city. Mayor Kirk Caldwell told Reuters news agency, "We hold the unfortunate reputation of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the country."

    The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The state of Washington was the first to outlaw distracted driving back in 2007. Now, 46 other states as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have laws against texting while driving reports the GHSA.

    If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu (and be safer, in general) by using a voice-controlled digital assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Last week after my motorcycle crashed on the freeway, I wanted only two simple things from technology: to call 911 and tell loved ones where I could be found. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When she opened Google Maps, she could see precisely where I was.

    For years, tech companies have offered different ways for people to tell one another where they are. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If used carelessly, location tracking may hurt your privacy. But used thoughtfully, it can be a powerful and efficient communication tool. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    When you make plans to meet friends somewhere like a movie theater, get in the habit of sharing your location for a short duration, like an hour. This way you can skip saying things like " I'm on my way" or " I'm running a few minutes behind" because people can simply follow you on the map.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Location sharing can be useful for being thoughtful (考虑周到的) of your partner's time and space. For example, I am less likely to text my partner when I see she is at the office or driving on a freeway, but I will text when I see she is at the grocery store to ask her to pick something up.

    Next time you plan an event at a large outdoor space, do your friends a favor: {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Wandering around aimlessly in a crowded open space can be annoying.

A. Here are my suggestions for the best times to use it.

B. For safety reasons, avoid sharing your location publicly.

C. Use an app to share your current location so they can find you.

D. Consider sharing your location occasionally with your partner.

E. There are many ways for third parties to find out where we were.

F. Yet location tracking has caused disagreement for the last decade.

G. Before calling 911, I texted my partner who was already tracking my location with an app.

Exam Anxiety

    Has this ever happened to you? You've been studying hard for your midterm, but when you walk into your exam, your mind goes blank, your heart races fast, you get sweaty palms and find it hard to breathe. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Everyone feels stressed during exams. Usually, it results from a fear of failure, lack of adequate preparation time and bad experiences taking tests in the past. This is normal and often helps you work harder, think faster and generally improve your performance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You may also feel that other people are managing the exam better than you. This can cause you to feel that your mind has "gone blank" on information you know you have revised.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some choose to ignore the problem, while others don't review because they think they will do badly anyway and even miss exams due to the anxiety. It can also be really easy to think that if you don't try and then you fail, you won't feel as bad as if you fail after trying really hard.

    So what can you do to fight against the negative mindset and stay calm before and during your test?{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Yes, this seems obvious, but it's worth repeating. If you feel confident that you've prepared thoroughly, you'll feel more confident walking into the test. The second tip is simple: just start. The blank page can maximize your anxiety. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling. Besides, allocating(分配) your time is equally important. Look through the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you'll spend on each section. If there's time to recheck, even better.

A. The first thing you should do is to be prepared.

B. People often deal with exam stress in many unhelpful ways.

C. If these classic signs of exam anxiety sound familiar, you're not alone!

D. Therefore, people need an appropriate amount of pressure to help deal with exams.

E. Realizing time is almost up and that there's still a lot of blank space will make you desperate.

F. However, if you are overly anxious about the result, you may be unable to focus on your work.

G. After you get the paper, dive right in by getting some questions done to build up your confidence.