With the summer holiday just around the corner, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here are some tips that can helpyou enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket:

Travel off-season

Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and takeadvantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flightprices increase quickly, and you'll likely spend more of your vacation timestanding in line due to the rush of tourists.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

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      Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for placesthat do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Staywith the locals. If you and your family are going to stay for a longer period,renting a small apartment is a good choice.

Eat like a local

      Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experiencesomething new?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat. Thiswill not just save money, but also provide you with a new and differentexperience. For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street foodor other takeout.

Don't hesitate to bargain

      Tourist- heavy places are known for overcharging for just abouteverything. Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive atthese places. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bargain hard to get the best price.

Choose local transportation

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      Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are alwayscheaper. If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting acar. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you aremoving around a lot.

A. Save on hotels.

B. Surf the Internet while traveling.

C. Therefore, avoid buying anything there.

D. So it's best to find out when the off-season starts.

E. Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travelcosts.

F. For this reason, you shouldn't feel ashamed to ask forbargains.

G .As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, sincethey are expensive.

    My mother is a hard-working and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

    Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar.To use English effectively,you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken.Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.

    Conversation tips.

    Talk about location{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When speaking to strangers,ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place.For example:“Oh,I have a friend who studied in Los Angeles.He says it's a beautiful place to live in.”  Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences living or visiting that particular city or area.

    Talk about work{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's not considered impolite and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers.

    Talk about sports.Americans love sports!{#blank#}3{#/blank#}When speaking about football,most Americans understand “American Football”,not soccer.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many Americans prefer first names.Americans often prefer using first names,even when dealing with people in very different positions.Americans will generally say,“Call me Tom.”and then expect you to remain on a first name basis.

    Public behavior.

    Always shake hands.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}This is true for both men and women.Other forms of greeting such as kissing on the cheeks is generally not appreciated.

    Smoking is out!Smoking,even in public places,is strongly disapproved of by most Americans in the modem United States.

A.Addressing people.

B.Talking with people.

C.However,they love American sports.

D.Americans love to talk about location.

E.Americans commonly ask “What do you do?” .

F.Americans prefer to make friends with foreigners.

G.Americans shake hands when greeting each other.

                                       How to Do Man-on-the-Street Interviews

    The man-on-the-street interview is an interview in which a reporter hits the streets with a cameraman to interview people on the sport.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But with these tips, your first man-on-the-street interview experience can be easy.

    When your boss or professor sends you out to do man-on-the-street interviews for a story, think about the topic and develop a list of about ten general questions relating to it. For example, if your topic is about environmental problems in America, you might ask, “Why do you think environmental protection is important in America?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Hit the streets with confidence.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Say, “Excuse me, I work for XYZ News, and I was wondering if you could share your opinion about this topic.” This is a quick way to get people to warm up to you.

    Move on to the next person if someone tells you she is not intereste

Don't get discouraged.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Each interview that you get on the street shouldn't be longer than ten minutes. As soon as you get the answer you need, move on to the next person. Make sure that as you go from interview to interview, you are getting a variety of answers. If everyone is giving you the same answer, you won't be able to use it. A safe number of interviews to conduct is about six to ten.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    ● If your news station or school requires interviewees to sign release forms to appear on the air, don't leave work without them.

A. Limit your time.

B. As you approach people, be polite.

C. If you don't own a camera, you can buy one.

D. For new reporters, this can seem like a challenging task.

E. To get good and useful results, ask them the same question.

F. That number of interviews should give you all the answers you need.

G. With a question like this, you will get more than a “Yes” or “No” reply.

    Caregivers care for someone with an illness, injury or disability. Caregiving can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Women especially are at risk for the harmful health effects of caregiver stress. These health problems may include stress and anxiety. There are ways to manage caregiver stress.

    The first thing to do is learn ways to better help your loved one.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}To find these classes, ask your doctor or call your local Area Agency on Aging.

    Take time out to meditate（冥想）or reflect. Spending 10 to 20 minutes twice a day to “clear your head” can work wonders when you're feeling overburdened. Some caregivers learn meditation techniques from classes or books on the subject, while others simply take time out to quietly reflect.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Exercising is another good way to help mind and body recover. It's one of the best-known techniques for reducing stress and keeping healthy. A quick walk several times each week gives you significant health benefits.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Your library may offer exercise DVDs. Invite a friend over to join you.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Nursing a garden, watching a favorite TV show, or reading an article that interests you. Your favorite hobby can help “center” you and remind you that you still have a life outside of caregiving. You must make some time－even for 10－to take care of yourself.

A. Stress from caregiving is common.

B. Try to do something you enjoy every day.

C. You'd better keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.

D. Find caregiving resources in your community to help you.

E. Whichever way you choose, it's important that you focus on clearing your mind.

F. There are many good indoor choices, too, from walking in place to yoga or tai chi.

G. Some hospitals offer classes that can teach you how to care for someone with an injury or illness.

    With modern technology, much written communication tends to focus on the keyboard, but handwriting is still a necessary and important skill.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips for you to improve your handwriting.

    Examine Your Handwriting

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Look through your writing to decide what makes it difficult to read or what makes it unattractive. Perhaps you write your letters too small. Check on spacing of letters and words, and proper formation of letters. If your letters are small, put more effort into writing larger letters. If certain letters trip you up, practice those letters separately and within words.

    Write Correctly

    Positioning and technique play a role in how your handwriting looks. Hold the pen between your thumb and first two fingers so that it rests against your fingers. Hold it firmly enough to control the tip but not so hard that it hurts your fingers. Lighter pressure on the paper helps you create smooth lines and focus on your letter formation.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

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    Letters are formed from several basic strokes(笔划). Practice those strokes separately to get your hand used to forming them. Strokes found in letters include vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. Build on those to practice specific letters.

Write for a Purpose

    Teach young children handwriting in meaningful contexts. Use that same idea by picking up a pen to write lists and notes by hand instead of typing. Keep a journal daily with slow, correct strokes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}These true and sincere writing opportunities make the practice meaningful.

A. Build on Basics.

B. Practice makes perfect

C. Focus on improving your correctness instead of speed

D. Writing at a slower speed also helps you focus on letter formation

E. Put a handwritten letter in the mail to surprise a friend or a relative

F. Handwriting requires your brain, eyes and hands to work together to form letters.

G. Before you can improve your handwriting, you need to know where you're falling apart.