M: Have you lived in America for many years?

W: Yes, I have lived there for10 years, why?

M: Tomorrow I will go to an American friend's home to celebrate Christmas. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

W: OK. No problem.

M: {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

W: Both are OK. Don't get there early.

M: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

W: If you're going to be more than fifteen minutes late, I advise calling your hosts to tell them.

M: {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

W: Certainly Flowers are always nice.

M: {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

W: Just watch the other guests and follow them.

M: Thank you.

A. Should I arrive on time or five to ten minutes late?

B. What should I do at the dinner table?

C. Have you got some flowers?

D. Could you give me some advice?

E. I worry I might meet terrible traffic.

F. Should I bring a gift?

G. Should I arrive early?

Time is on your side

    How frequently do you say "I don't have time"? Quite often, I guess. Every time we say those words, they make us feel weak and out of control. You are in control of your hours and your life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I know it's not as easy as simply turning off the TV. But here are two steps that will help you take back control and get time on your side.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be honest: do you spend an hour or two visiting Weixin and QQ every day? Are you spending time with people that you don't really like just to please them? Are there meetings you attend that you can politely refuse?

    It's time to get real about the hours that add up to a lot of dissatisfying nothing. Think how you can cancel daily activities that are not useful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Change your language.

    Words matter. They have power. Saying "I don't have time" is an excuse for not wanting to do something. Here are some good, empowering alternatives (选择):

    "I choose not to start that project until next year."

    "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    "I'd love to go out this weekend but have important work I need to do first."

    Get better at saying no. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Use little pockets of time (friend running late, car stuck in traffic, meeting ending 10 minutes early) to do some productive thinking. All these things can add up over time more than you believe!

A. Identify your blocks.

B. But you are likely wasting a lot of it!

C. I really don't have enough time to do it.

D. Replace them with things that satisfy you.

E. Take no notice of all those unimportant messages on your phone.

F. I'd love to read that book — I'll get to it after my homework is complete!

G. When you don't have a plan for your life, someone else will plan it for you.

How to Write a Story

    Writing a detailed story takes patience and practice. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, though, you can handle the challenge.

    Keep the outline short

    Avoid complete sentences. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Long outlines with complete sentences end up being unnecessarily wordy. Sometimes they look like full paragraphs rather than brief outlines. Spending too much time and putting too much detail into your outline is effort you could be putting into writing the story itself.

    Choose a point of view

    Once you've written your outline and thought about the story you want to tell, decide at what point the reader enters the story. For you, and especially for the reader, the experience is a more intriguing one if the reader begins the story in the middle of the action. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It will get your reader's attention immediately. He wants to continue reading surely. A boring opening means a bored reader who has no interest in moving on.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Avoid giving everything away about the character in the first few paragraphs. Instead, consider different ways you can reveal different facets of the characters to your readers without stating them in an obvious way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If you take on too many, you'll find you won't be able to develop each of them fully in only a few pages.

A. Develop the characters

B. Instead, use short phrases or terms

C. Begin your story in an interesting way

D. If you're motivated and truly love to write

E. Before you write anything, you need an idea for a great story

F. Limit the number of main characters you include in your story

G. Once you've written your outline about the story that you want to tell

Diet Myths — Get the facts, or your diet may fail!

    Dieting is hard work, and there are plenty of "helpful" diet tricks that can make weight loss even harder. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Carbs(含碳水化合物的食物) are bad for you. Carbohydrates are actually an important source of energy. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Some foods, like white bread or white rice, are example of bad carbs. Good carbs include whole wheat bread and brown rice. They're rich in fiber and really good for you!

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On the contrary, studies show that people who eat breakfast will eat fewer calories throughout the day. And if you know you're going to be eating a big meal later, don't starve yourself in order to save you calories. You'll just eat more during the meal because you're so hungry! Instead, eat smaller meals a couple days before and after, and exercise more.

    You can control where your body loses weight. Bad news – if you want a flatter stomach, just exercising your stomach won't work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Cardio(有氧运动) exercises will help burn fat, while weight training helps build muscles. Your "trouble areas" might not be the first to slim down, but keep exercising!

    Your weight depends on your genes. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} While a "fat gene" does exist, its influence on your size is small. Smart eating and exercise have a much greater effect than your genes. Only 25 percent of your weight is controlled by genes – the rest is up to you.

    Say "no" to junk food. Many people think that the key to losing weight is cutting out all bad foods. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To lose weight and keep it off, eat great 80 percent of the time, but allow yourself in a treat or two the other 20 percent.

A. You can't target where you lose weight.

B. But the more strict your diet is, the more likely you are to break it – and in a big way.

C. Here are some common myths about losing weight and the truth behind them.

D. Skipping meals helps you lose more weight.

E. If you and your family have problems with obesity, you're not sure to be fat.

F. Don't miss meals but exercise.

G. Instead of choosing a difficult diet, find one you can manage and stick to it every day.

    How to prepare for an exam is a big question that you always ask yourself. Here are some tips that may help you.

    Never fear or hate exam and be confident.

    Some students study well but still may be much afraid of exams and due to this reason they get upset and won't be able to get marks.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You have to be confident and it is of great help for you to gain success.

    Prepare a good timetable.

    Prepare a timetable before starting the study.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Difficult subjects can be given more time and easier ones less, but most importantly you should spare some time for rest.

    Select a proper atmosphere for studying.

    Studying atmosphere plays a very important role.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} So pick a place where you feel comfortable. That is where you feel relaxed and can pay attention to what you are doing. Make sure that while you are studying a subject you are focusing on it only. So keep the books of other subjects away from your eyesight so that you won't be upset about all the things you have to learn.

    Make notes while studying.

    This is a very important point. While studying, make small notes. The note should be short and clear to make the review easier.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Yet don't try to cover everything in it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the night before exam you have to sleep well, at least 6 hours and not more than 8 hours. Remember this will have a great effect on your exam. And have your food as in your daily diet.

A. Sleep well and eat well.

B. So try to present answers in points.

C. This should include all the subjects.

D. Can anyone study well while others around are watching TV?

E. A good note shall include the most important points.

F. This will be of great use to your coming exams.

G. So leave all your fears and free your mind before starting the study.

Beijing Opera represents the finest combination of literature, music, dance, kung fu, fine arts and many other arts. Its way of performing is different from opera and drama. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Beijing Opera is a kind of art that pays equal attention to singing，speaking，acting and fighting. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Meanwhile, Beijing Opera provides the opportunity to appreciate the pleasing artistic balance of the dance, the strength and music, even from only one act. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to the historical record, it dates back to the middle period of the Qing Dynasty. In the 55th year ruled by the Emperor Qianlong, the most famous four theatrical groups in Anhui went to Beijing to show their opera performance and then got a great success. Then, based on "Anhui Opera" and "Han Opera", and also mixed with characteristics of Beijing dialect, Beijing Opera was formed. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

The Beijing Opera was officially formed after the 20th year of the Emperor Daoguang (1840). At that time, the forms of each kind of arias (唱腔) and the language characteristic of Beijing Opera originally came into being. New changes appeared in Beijing Opera's roles. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Later, the first generation of the opera actors also appeared.

A. Beijing Opera is a kind of modem opera.

B. Actually Beijing Opera has its own characters.

C. Many roles of the Beijing Opera had appeared.

D. Because it was popular in Beijing, it spread nationwide.

E. Many people wonder what is the origin of the Beijing Opera.

F. It enables the audience to be inspired by language, music and fine arts.

G. Although in was formed in Beijing it didn't have its origins in Beijing totally.