Participating (参与) in Class

    Class participation is a valuable part of learning. Many students are unwilling to participate in class{#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Other students participate in class, but do so not correctly. Here is some advice that can help you become an effective class participant.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do all tasks and readings and go over your notes from previous class periods. This will help to prevent you from making uninformed ( 无知的) comments or asking unsuitable questions. As you get ready for class, think about important questions and concerns that may appear in class. Be sure that you are prepared to deal with these.

    Try to sit close to the front of the class{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Besides, you can hear what the teachers say clearly.

    Listen to what the other students say. You can then build on their comments to make your own. Be active when you respond to something another student says. You can disagree, but don't go into an “attack mode”.

    Don't be afraid to be wrong{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can learn from being wrong. Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a good learning skill. Also, the chances are that other students in the class have the same questions as you do, and they will appreciate your asking.

    Be sure that your questions and comments are closely connected with the class topic.

    Don't waste the time of the teacher and other students by going off way. Don't take it in person if others disagree with what you say{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Creating a personal connection helps you feel more comfortable about participating in class.

B. Be confident that your opinions will be valued by your teacher and other students.

C. It's hard to stay unconcerned when you are near to the teacher.

D. Be sure that you are well prepared before coming to class.

E. This may be because they are shy or fearful of being judged and criticized (批评).

F. Your class should be a good place for giving opinions and taking advice.

G. Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.

    As most of us know, talking and listening don't go smoothly every time. Will parents take you seriously, believe what you say, listen to and respect your opinions? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But some of what happens depends on you, too. Since communication is a two-way street, the way you talk can influence how well a parent listens and understands you. So here are some guidelines to consider when talking to parents:

    Be clear and direct. Be as clear as you can about what you think, feel, and want.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They can listen better or be more helpful if they understand what you mean and what's really going on.

    Be honest. If you're always honest, a parent will be likely to believe what you say. If you sometimes hide the truth or add too much drama, parents will have a harder time believing what you tell them. If you lie, they'll find it hard to trust you.

    Try to understand their point of view. If you have a disagreement, can you see your parents' side?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Telling parents you understand their views and feelings helps them be willing to see yours, too.

    Try not to argue or complain. Using a tone that's friendly and respectful makes it more likely parents will listen and take what you say seriously.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you think your emotions might get the better of you, do something to blow off steam before talking: Go for a run. Cry.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Do whatever it takes to sound calm when you need to.

A. Hit your pillow.

B. If you can, say so.

C. A lot depends on your parents.

D. Think twice before you make a decision.

E. Your parents won't always see things your way.

F. Give details that can help parents understand your situation.

G. Of course, this is hard for any of us when we're feeling heated about something.

    Warren Harding was the 29^th President of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} One was a successful international conference (会议).

    After World War One, Britain, Japan and the United States expanded their navies (海军). They built bigger and bigger ships. Many members of the United States Congress worried about the cost. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They asked President Harding to organize a conference to discuss these issues.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} President Harding invited representatives from the major naval powers of the time--Britain, Japan, France and Italy. He also invited representatives from countries with interests in Asia and Europe--China, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands. He did not invite the new Soviet leaders in Russia.

    Mr Harding's Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes, spoke. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} He proposed that the world's strongest nations should stop building warships for ten years. He also proposed that Britain, Japan, and the United States should destroy some ships to make their navies smaller immediately.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It involved the misuse of underground oil owned by the federal government. Warren Harding was an honest man. But he did not have a strong mind of his own. He was easily influenced. And he often accepted bad advice. He explained the problem with these words, “I listen to one side, and they seem right. Then I listen to the other side, and they seem just as right. I know that somewhere there is a man who knows the truth. But I do not know where to find him.”

A. He is remembered mostly for two events.

B. The conference was not a complete success.

C. They also worried about increased political tension (紧张) in Asia.

D. The conference was held in Washington in November, 1921.

E. President Harding appointed several men of great ability to his cabinet (内阁).

F. He offered the conference a detailed plan to reduce the size of the world's major navies.

G. The second thing for which President Harding is remembered is the Teapot Dome scandal (丑闻).

Four simple ways to stay positive

    Trying to stay positive, both in good times and bad, is a great way to improve your quality of life. Try these four methods on a daily basis.

    Don't think a lot about negativity.

    Of course, staying positive 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a bit difficult. Letting things get to you is normal, and it's actually healthy to cry or express frustrations once in a while. It's when those negative moments control your life that your emotional balance is at risk. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, don't give that sadness another second in your day.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    What you put into your body directly affects how you feel on the outside. Fill yourself with good, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and limit snacking. Exercise is equally of great importance. Take a few days out of your week for at least a half an hour of activity, and try to stick to a routine. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be kind to others.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Making someone's day a bit brighter not only puts a smile on his or her face, but also yours as well. Remember to smile and treat each person with pity and respect. Good deeds are contagious (传染的), and your positive attitude may spread among others.

    Take it one day at a time.

Being positive isn't an instant thing. It's a steady effort that we follow every hour of every day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Instead, focus on living in the moment and doing what you can to make each moment better.

A. Eat healthy and stay fit.

B. Take your lunch breaks outside.

C. Don't worry about what the future may bring.

D. Gratefulness helps you appreciate life in bad times.

E. Good feelings come from acts of kindness and selflessness.

F. Take a few minutes to feel sad and accept what happened.

G. Even going outside for a walk and enjoying the sunshine improves your mood.

    Every animal sleeps, but the reason for this has remained foggy. When lab rats are not allowed to sleep, they die within a month.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One idea is that sleep helps us strengthen new memories. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We know that, while awake, fresh memories are recorded by reinforcing (加强) connections between brain cells, but the memory processes that take place while we sleep have been unclear.

    Support is growing for a theory that sleep evolved so that connections between neurons (神经元) in the brain can be weakened overnight, making room for fresh memories to form the next day.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Now we have the most direct evidence yet that he is right.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The synapses in the mice taken at the end of a period of sleep were 18 per cent smaller than those taken before sleep, showing that the connections between neurons weaken while sleeping.

    If Tononi's theory is right, it would explain why, when we miss a night's, we find it harder the next day to concentrate and learn new information — our brains may have smaller room for new experiences.

    Their research also suggests how we may build lasting memories over time even though the synapses become thinner. The team discovered that some synapses seem to be protected and stayed the same size. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} “You keep what matters,” Tononi says.

A. We should also try to sleep well the night before.

B. It's as if the brain is preserving its most important memories.

C. That's why students do better in tests if they get a chance to sleep after learning.

D. Similarly, when people go for a few days without sleeping, they get sick.

E. The processes take place to stop our brains becoming loaded with memories.

F. Tononi's team measured the size of these connections, or synapses, in the brains of 12 mice.

G. “Sleep is the price we pay for learning,” says Giulio Tononi, who developed the idea.

Starting a club of some kind at school can be difficult. But with a good idea, some active friends, and the right knowledge, you can pull it off. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

Decide whether you really want to start a club. Once you have strong enough support from your friends and fellow students, you're ready to go.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Find an advisor for your club. Pick someone who will help you organize events for your club.

Find a place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you want to do this,  talk to your headteacher to apply (申请) for a classroom.

Decide when to meet. Decide how often your club should meet, and then pick a convenient time and day when most club members will be free.

Advertise your club at school. Make bright, colorful informative posters (海报) that will attract attention. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

Plan volunteering events. You can decide on events yourself, or hold a meeting to get your club's opinion. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Have fun. What's the point of having a club if it's no fun? Don't take yourself too seriously and be sure to have a sense of humor.