A strong memory depends on the health and vitality （活力） of your brain. They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered that this old saying simply isn't true. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

      Give your brain a workout. Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it”. The more you work out your brain, the better you'll be able to process and remember information.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

        Don't skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important forbrain health, that doesn't mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brainstay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss.

        Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function at your best.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Keep stress in check. Stress is one of the brain's worst enemies. Over time, stress destroys braincells. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

        Have a laugh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specificareas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy”fats and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it's not just what you eat—it's also what you don't eat.

A. Eat a brain-boosting diet.

B. Play games with memory.

C. Laughter is the best medicine.

D. But oversleeping is not good for yourbrain.

E. Even skipping a few hours makes adifference!

F. You have to shake things up from timeto time!

G. The human brain has an astonishingability to adapt and change.

How to teach a child to respect

    As a child grows out of being an infant and begins to notice and react to the world around him, you may find yourself wondering how you possibly impart all of the things that he needs to become a responsible, respectful adult.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} A child who learns to respect all he meets not only receives respect from others, but also learns to respect himself as well.

●Show your child respect. This is perhaps the best way to teach your child how to respect others. Listen to your child by giving him your full attention and he will learn to listen to you, understanding how important this is in communication.

●{#blank#}2{#/blank#} The more you say “please” and “thank you” to your child, the more likely he will learn to use them with you and others. Politeness then becomes a normal part of any conversation.

●Agree to disagree.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Explain your decision so that he will understand your reasoning and expect respectful responses. Disagreeing with you doesn't equate to disobedience.

●Control your impulse to overact. When a situation arises between you and your child that requires calmness, keep in mind that you are supposed to be modeling correct behavior. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

●Praise, praise, praise! So much is focused on what a child does wrong and how to correct it that the accomplishments are not celebrated enough.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Teach manners by using polite requests and responses.

B．Try to remember that a child won't always agree with you.

C．Respect is necessary for a meaningful and successful life.

D．If he sees you lose temper, he is more likely to respond that way in future.

E．A child may act like he pleases, but will respect being given limits.

F．When you see your child exhibit respectful behavior, make sure he knows just how proud you are of him.

G．Setting a good example is the best way to start a child on the path to respect.

    Speaking in public is most people's least favorite thing. The reason is that we are all afraid of making fools of ourselves.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But stop biting your finger-nails. Public speaking is easy. It's just plain talking, and you talk all the time. Although I'm basically shy (honest!), I've been making speeches and talking on radio and television for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that public speaking is not a “gift” like musical talent.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

    Your audience is going to come away with one or two of your main ideas. One or two. Not ten or 20.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to say, there's no way your audience will.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}— how you are going to open, what major points you want to make and how you're going to close.

    When I do a radio or TV piece, I often write the last sentence first.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} A strong close is critical: the last thing you say is what your audience will most likely remember.

    The standard length of a vaudeville (杂耍) act is usually 12 minutes. If all those performers singing and dancing their hearts out couldn't go on longer without boring the audience, what makes you think you can?

A. Some people are born to be good at making speeches.

B. Anybody who can talk can speak in public.

C. Try to relax yourself before making the speech.

D. The more important the speech is, the more frightened we become.

E. If you can't express in a sentence or two what you intend to get across, then your speech is not focused well enough.

F. When you know where you're headed, you can choose any route to get there.

G. No matter how long or short your speech is, you've got to get your ducks in a row.

    How to Find Something You Like to Do

    Finding something you enjoy doing can improve the quality of your life and reduce your stress levels.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can also help you make friends or even provide a purpose in your life. Then how can you find something you like to do?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some hobbies, such as albums and gardening, can take up a lot of time. Other hobbies, such as video games or reading, can be done at your own pace and do not require any extended time.

    Research the hobby or activity you would like to get involved in. Find out how much time and money you will need to devote to starting and continuing the activity. For example, some sports—related interests might require special equipment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Your local library or phone book should also have information on hobbies and activities in your area.

    Talk with other people who are involved in some of the activities you are interested in.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Ask if you could tag along(跟随) to a meeting or spend some time with this person while he is involved in his hobby to see if it is something you would enjoy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Challenge yourself to try a new activity you are interested in for a week or so. Allow yourself to learn about the hobby and determine whether you will enjoy the activity or not.

A.Think about how a hobby benefits you.

B.A hobby can connect you with other people.

C.Take a chance on a hobby and see how it turns out.

D.Think about how much free time you can devote to a hobby.

E.You can find information about hobbies and interests on Find My Hobby's website.

F.You can get first—hand knowledge by interviewing someone about a particular hobby.

G.It takes a long time and energy to decide whether a particular hobby is right for you.

    Reading books can be a great way to pick up new vocabulary, see grammar in action and develop your understanding of a language. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For beginners, I would recommend starting with something short and simple. Avoid the classics, for they often use very old English words and can involve complex themes. Children's books are a great place to start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Dr Seuss writes his books in thyme and they are all very funny. Starting with something like this means you are more likely to finish the book and want to read more.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The book isn't too long and if you've seen the film it may be easier to follow. If you like reading about historical events, Anne Holm's I am David is a good read.

    If you're not quite ready to read a full book, why not try Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or, try a very short book like one from Roger Hargeaves's Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Although they are intended for young children, they are a good way to pick up some more basic vocabulary.

    My final piece of advice would be to read something that interests you. Look at the short summary of the book on the back cover and see if it looks like something that you would enjoy. Think about the type that is in your own language and find one of that type in English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Dr Seuss's books are guaranteed to make you laugh.

B. The key to success is choosing the right book for you.

C. Reading can bring you a lot of fun as well as knowledge.

D. For more advanced learners, you could try the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

E. This way, you're more likely to enjoy reading, rather than see it as a headache.

F. How much you can understand a book depends on your vocabulary.

G. This book contains lots of short stories, based on fairy tales, all written in thyme.

    Much of the work in today's world is accomplished(完成) in teams. Most people believe the best way to build a great team is to gather a group of the most talented individuals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Companies spend millions hiring top business people. Is their money well spent?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}They focused on football, basketball and baseball. The results are mixed. For football and basketball, adding talented players to a team proves a good method, but only up to the point where 70% of the players are top talent; above that level, the team's performance begins to decline. Interestingly, this trend isn't evident in baseball, where additional individual talent keeps improving the team's performance.

    To explain this phenomenon, the researchers explored the degree to which a good performance by a team requires its members to coordinate(协调) their actions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}In baseball, the performance of individual players is less dependent on teammates. They conclude that when task interdependence is high, team performance will suffer when there is too much talent, while individual talent will have positive effects on team performance when task interdependence is lower. If a basketball star is, for example, trying to gain a high personal point total, he may take a shot himself when it would be better to pass the ball to a teammate, affecting the team's performance. Young children learning to play team sports are often told, "There is no I in TEAM." {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another possibility is that when there is a lot of talent on a team, some players may make less effort. Just as in a game of tug-of-war(拔河比赛), whenever a person is added, everyone else pulls the rope with less force.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} An A-team may require a balance——not just A players， but a few generous B players as well.

A. It's not a simple matter to determine the nature of talent.

B. Sports team owners spend millions of dollars attracting top talent.

C. The group interaction and its effect drew the researchers' attention.

D. Stars apparently do not follow this basic principle of sportsmanship.

E. Several recent studies examined the role of talent in the sports world.

F. Building up a dream team is more complex than simply hiring the best talent.

G. This task interdependence distinguishes baseball from football and basketball.