An old saying goes ”Laughter is the best medicine.”It's true that laughter is really good for our health. So, the next time you're feeling stressed, try to laugh a lot, ①develop a sense of humor and watch funny films.

The Comic Relief charity, an organization that helps people in need, uses laughter to raise money. Every two years in spring, many English people put on a red nose, make a fool of themselves and do "silly” things to make themselves and others laugh. Examples of silly things you can do are:

• Invite friends round to your house to watch funny films. They have to pay to watch the films—those with the most comfortable chairs pay more—and for food and drinks.

• Hold a talent show at school and ask your friends and teachers to sing, dance or tell jokes. Sell tickets for the show to the rest of the school.
• Have a red nose party at your house. All your friends come dressed in red—including red nose—and your serve red food and drinks. If they don't wear red, they have to pay a fine.
  
• Get the students in your school to make funny sculptures(雕塑)using all kinds of materials. Sell tickets to your Red Nose Day exhibition and part of the money goes to Comic Relief.

      The organization has helped people for more than 20 years. And how much have they collected since the first Red Nose Day? Over￡600 million!②             . In New Zealand, for example, people have made big red noses which they put on the front of cars and even buildings.

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    Shopping on the Internet is becoming more and more popular. Why do people use the Internet to shop? Some people say it is more convenient. They don't have to leave their homes to order something;    ①   ; they can find things for sale that they can't find in the stores near their homes.  ②   .

    If you want to buy something on the Internet, you need a credit(信用) card. You have to type your credit card number and information on the website and send them to the store over the Internet. You have to be sure that the store will not use your information in the wrong way. You don't want someone to get your credit card number, so be careful with it, because people sometimes steal credit card numbers from stores.

    The Internet is also a good place to go window-shopping. Window-shopping is when you look at the things for sale in a store, but don't plan to buy anything. In window-shopping you can see what kinds of things you are able to get and how much they cost. Some stores like Ross Stores have a website for information about their stores, but not for shopping. Some stores have a website for information about their stores, and can shop on-line there, such as Office Depot, Payless Shoe Source, Safeway. Some stores like Amazon. com are only for on-line shopping.

    Giving a speech in front of your class can be challenging. However, you can do something to make it success. First of all, you need to do something about your topic. For example, choose a topic about something you like, such as something that interests you or someone who is close to you. Once you've chosen your topic, try to find useful information about it online or from the library. As you do this, write down the information that supports your ideas in a valuable way.

    Rehearsing(排练) your speech is also important. For this, you'd better write the script (讲稿) just like talking to your friends. Keep your script simple. Use interesting examples or stories to show your ideas. Once you finish your script, read it out loud to yourself and remember it. After that, write down 2 to 3 points that you may forget on a note card. Finally, you have to practice your speech in front of something or someone until you don't have to look at your note card.

    In the end, it's time to give the speech. At this time, stand straight and hold your head high. This will show that you're confident. Show your listeners that you're excited by smiling before you begin and throughout the speech. Pause(停顿) after finishing a sentence, or after saying an important point. It will allow you time to collect your thoughts.

    If you're out of breath while speaking or if your words start running together, you're most probably speaking too fast. If this happens, take a breath and slow down. While talking, look at your listeners, like friends. What's more, if you don't remember the next word or line, pause for one or two seconds to look at your note card. Before you begin speaking, take a deep breath, smile at your listeners, and then go on.

    Everyone wants to relax (放松) after working or studying for a long time. I have many ways to relax. Let me tell you some of my favorites.

    I am a big sports fan (迷). So I often watch or play many kinds of sports. But my favorite is football. I find it really cool.

    I usually listen to music in my free time. My favorite is some beautiful piano music. Some people can't do things well when listening to music, but for me, it is not the case, I think I can study better with my favorite light music.

    I also like visiting places of interest in China and in other countries, and enjoying nice food there. It helps me to know more about various people and places.

    How do you feel when you go to a birthday party? What about making a speech in front of the class? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you think you are too shy and want to be a little braver, try the following. You can make it!

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    There is no need to hide(隐藏) it. When they get to know you're a shy kid, they'll understand you better. This also helps you feel more at ease(自在) in talks.

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    When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. Remember that other people have feelings, too. And most people will stay away from an angry- looking person.

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    If you find it hard to start talks, say something nice about people around you. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you.

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    Think more about ways to enjoy the party or the game. Don't waste( 浪费) time worrying about your looks or whether people like you or not.

    We live on the earth. We use the sea around us. What do we take from the ocean? And what do we give to it?

    We take fishes from the ocean—millions of kilograms of fish, every year, to feed millions of people. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We take minerals (矿物) from the ocean. We can get salt by evaporating (蒸发) seawater. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}such as gold. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Seaweed (海草) becomes food of many kinds—even candy and ice cream—as well as medicine. Believe it or not, fresh water is another gift from the sea. We can't drink ocean water. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}But ocean water becomes fresh water when the salts are removed. In the future, we will find ourselves depending more and more on fresh water from the sea.

    The sea gives us food, fertilizer, minerals, water and other gifts. What do we give the sea? We pollute the ocean all the time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Throwing waste into the ocean is killing off sea life. Yet as the world population grows, we may need the sea and its gifts more than ever.

    We are finally learning that if we destroy our sea, we might also destroy ourselves. Hopefully, it is not too late.