I feel very excited at the thought that in another week I'll be with you again on holiday.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My host and my fellow-students are all very nice to me, but as they say in England, “There's no place like home”, and I think you will feel this above all at Christmas time.

    I'm leaving here early on Thursday, the 23^rd, and I'll be arriving in Paris on Friday morning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Please meet me at the station. In some of my earlier letters I have told you all about the other students here. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  Because he has no friends in England except me. He is a very nice boy. I know you will like him and I feel sure he will enjoy Christmas with us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Please let me know soon if that's all right. I've got some Christmas presents for you all, but I'm not going to tell you what they are, so it will be a surprise.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I hope you are all keeping well. See that father always puts on his big coat when he goes out so that he will not catch a cold. We don't want him ill for Christmas.

A. I will have him spend Christmas with us.

B. But I haven't invited him yet.

C. I enjoy my stay in England very much indeed.

D. How are you all at home?

E. So I'll be home about lunch time.

F. Well, I want to ask my Canadian friend, Jan, to come and spend Christmas.

G. Things at home are much better than things in other places.

    I just counted how many foreign languages I've studied so far in my life and it's been twelve!

    I always follow my interests and find ways to put my language learning into things I'm already interested in. I like to read blogs(博客)in other languages.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. For the most part, bloggers tend to write the same way they speak, so I don't have to worry much about adopting strange terms that are only used in writing.

    Movies are also a really good tool, especially if you can find subtitles in the language you're learning.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they will still keep your brain listening and reading in the same language. Music is another way to start listening to things in your new language. Personally, I'm so bad at understanding lyrics(歌词)even in English, so this one doesn't really work for me, but I have friends who learn a language through lyrics. Games are of course also an excellent way of studying a new language. A lot of language learning computer programs include games. I'm super competitive and if I play any of them, I can be hooked for hours.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    When the initial excitement of learning a new language begins to fade, it can be hard to stick with it. The hardest bit for me is when I'm comfortable enough with a language to understand most things and make myself understood. I'm actually stuck at this stage in Norwegian.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Ideally I should sign up to take a big language exam. Each time I start getting self-satisfied, it's time to take a new course or sign up for online lessons, or take up some sort of challenge that will require me to level up my skills.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The best language class I've ever taken was my beginner's Russian course at university where my professor never used any English. It got to the point where I would kind of just forget about English while in Russian class, which helped me to really immerse myself in the Russian language and do a whole lot with the limited Russian I had.

A. That's really uncomfortable

B. Whatever languages they're translated into

C.I also try to think in the language I'm learning

D. It's time well spent if I'm learning the language

E. Computer games always make me feel worn out

F. Though they don't always exactly match what's being said

G.I found them the perfect learning tool because they're usually written in oral language

How to Avoid Weight Gain Over Holidays

    Do you love the holidays, but hate the pounds that follow? You are not alone. Holidays are times for feasting and celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whether you are celebrating at the office party or sitting down for the traditional family dinner, regard eating as a time for tasting a variety of foods. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy.

    Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness:

    Don't skip meals.

    Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Control portions.

    Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up."{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Once you have your "tasting" serving, move away from the dining table. Doing so will make it less tempting (吸引人的) to be eating constantly as your appetite is inspired by the sight of food.

    Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables.

    Fill up beforehand with water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you feel full.

    Stick to physical activity.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off additional calories.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Dishes that look oily or creamy may have a large amount of fat. Choose lean meats. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of dessert or butter.

A. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious food.

B. You had better turn your attention away from delicious foods.

C. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays.

D. You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist.

E. Avoid high-fat foods.

F. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays.

G. You'd better remember the Dos and Don'ts for keeping fit and slim.

    Every minute, every single day, about a truckload of plastic enters our oceans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And to date, only 9％of that has been recycled.

    We buy a bottle of water, drink it for a few minutes, and toss its permanent packaging "away". We eat potato chips, finish them, then throw their permanent packaging "away". We buy produce, take it out of the unnecessary plastic wrap, then throw its permanent packaging "away".

    The cycle is endless, and it happens countless times every single day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As far as we try to toss a piece of plastic—whether it's into a recycling bin or not——it does not disappear. Chances are, it ends up polluting our communities, oceans or waterways in some form.

    For years, we've been told the problem of plastic packaging can be solved through batter individual action. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But the truth is that we cannot recycle our way out of this mess.

    Recycling alone will never stop the flow of plastics into our oceans；we have to get to the source of the problem and slow down the production of all this plastic waste. Think about it: if your home was flooding because you had left the tap on, your first step wouldn't be to start mopping. You'd first cut the flooding off at its source—the tap. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    We need corporations—those like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Starbucks and Neatlé that continue to produce throwaway plastic bottles—to step up and take their responsibility for the mess they've created. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We will continue to do our part, but it's time for the world's largest corporations to do theirs.

A. This is their problem to deal with.

B. Plastic pollution is becoming very serious.

C. But here is the problem—there is no "away".

D. In many ways, our plastic problem is no different.

E. We think that if we simply recycle we're doing our part.

F. It's impossible for us to get rid of plastic pollution completely.

G. Since the 1950s, some 8. 3bn tons of plastic have been produced worldwide.

    Chinese culture values family bonds very much. Family members don't just gather during the holidays. In fact they often live under one roof all year round. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Families in the East and West are very different from each other.

    In most East Asian cultures, extended families are common. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} According to the Atlantic, 90 percent of children in Shanghai and 70 percent of children in Beijing were cared for by their grandparents. Chinese people believe that "a grandparent is a treasure to their family".

    In many Western countries, most families are nuclear families (小家庭). These are solely made up of children and their parents.

    Additionally, the duties parents have toward their children can also differ.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It's normal for parents to pay for their children's college, help them find a job, or buy them an apartment. Chinese adults also follow their parents' opinions when making major life decisions, more often than not.

    In most Western countries, however, kids usually move out of the house after they turn 18.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Also, if they choose to keep living with their parents after becoming an adult, it can be seen by some as a failure on their part.

    While the East cares more about close family bonds, the West values privacy and independence. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Families will always be a source of love, warmth, and care for people around the world.

A. These families have three or even four generations living together

B. Nuclear families are the most common type in China.

C. In China, many parents look after their children all the way into adulthood.

D. Different cultures have different family values.

E. But in the end, home is best 一 east or west.

F. Many young people going to college often need to take out loans and work part-time jobs in order to pay for tuition and rent.

G. Both Easterners and Westerners value quality family time.

Interview dressing tips for high school students

    Most high school job seekers aren't interviewing for professional jobs. Instead, they're usually looking for part-time jobs in shops, restaurants, or volunteering. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. In fact, a teen would look pretty silly in an adult business suit.

    Here is a guide on what you should wear and shouldn't wear in an interview.

    Choose proper interview clothes

    When you're dressing for a job interview, your clothing should be in good condition, workplace proper.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Instead, try not to stand out, and fit into the office culture.

    Wear dress shirts and slacks (长裤)

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Paired with dark slacks, it's a look that is mature (成熟的) and tasteful, but still comfortable.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Just because high school job interviews are more casual(随意的), you don't have to rule out a tie!

    After all, looking a little dressed up doesn't hurt anyone. A tie can be a great choice for a young man, looking to make a good impression.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    You should avoid extreme hairstyles or colors. Also, keep makeup to the minimum. No jeans or shorts, or anything especially low cut or too short－keeping everything professional is a must.

A. No ties

B. What not to wear

C. A tie can make a great impression

D. It's a perfect time to find your own preference

E. It is not the time to show your unique style or personality

F. Accordingly, a teen's interview clothes don't have to be very formal

G. A simple dress shirt is a perfect choice for a high school job interview