Like it or not, there will be difficult times in our lives. You might lose your job, fail in your exams or have an illness.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some ways not to lose hope during difficult times.

    ⒈Have faith.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}No matter how bad the situation is, things will turn out to be good in the end. Several years ago I failed to get my master's degree. It was a really bad experience.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}It was of much better quality than my previous university. Experiences like this strengthen my belief that having faith is important during difficult times.

    ⒉Be around supportive people.

    Going through difficult times is hard, and going through them alone is even harder. You need a group of positive people who can support you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you don't, my suggestion is to start looking for one. Don't wait until you need it, because it will be too late by then. You need the community before difficult times come.

    ⒊Help others.

    An additional benefit of being in a good community is that it encourages you to think about other people. It pushes you to help others and, therefore, think about other people {#blank#}5{#/blank#}As a result, your situation won't look as bad as it would be otherwise. Often the situation looks worse than it really is because we give too much attention. Shifting (移开) some of your attention away will put the situation in a better view.

A. Your community helps a lot.

B. Whatever it is, it's important not to lose hope.

C. I changed my attitude towards failure.

D. In this way you take your focus away from yourself.

E. But I got a scholarship at an overseas university later.

F. You must believe that things will work out well eventually.

G. You should become part of a community that cares for one another.

    Eyesight plays a very important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight:

    Schedule yearly exams. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eye- glasses.

    Protect against UV rays . Long-term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Give your eyes a break. Two-thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Experts recommend that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

How to stay focused in class

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}No matter how much you want to sit with your friends during the class, try your best to avoid them. Talking with friends is not going to help you stay focused in class and will cause trouble, too.

    Look at the teacher. Your teacher is not just standing up there talking — they're trying to give you an acceptable education. Show the teacher that he or she has your full attention, by looking him or her in the eye.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Take notes. By taking notes, you'll be able to "get into" the lesson.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listen for key phrases such as, "This is important," "This is the main idea," etc. This can help you listen more intently (专心地); you'll have something to do and focus on.

    Get involved (参与) in class discussions. This is a wonderful way to become a more focused and successful student. When a teacher asks a question, offer to answer it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}This shows the teacher that you're listening intently during the class.

    Ask a question.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}This really shows your teacher that you want to be better, and can recognize the things you're having difficulty with. Chances are, someone else in the class has the same question (and is too afraid to ask!). They'll be relaxed — and so will you.

A. Do your best.

B. Avoid sitting with friends.

C. Don't try to finish your old notes in class.

D. Write down key points as your teacher speaks.

E. If he or she asks for an opinion, share your own.

F. If you don't understand something, never be afraid to ask.

G. This person should have your full attention at all times in class.

    There is an English saying that goes, "he who laughs last, laughs the hardest." High School Musical star Zac Efron is laughing a lot these days.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Because he was always the smallest in his class and was laughed at because he had a big space between his teeth. In sixth grade, Efron's basketball team made it to be the league championship. In overtime, with three seconds left, he rebounded the ball and passed it to the wrong team! {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Now Efron is one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People, graces (增加光彩) the cover of Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood's most influential magazine, and is traveling the world promoting the third High School Musical film. Director Adam Shankman described Efron as "arguably the biggest teen star in America right now." Simply google "Zac Efron", and you get more than 14 million responses. Yes, it seems Efron has a lot to smile about these days.

    Efron was born and raised in California. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} According to Efron, "he would flip out (发疯) if he got a B and not an A in school, and that he was a class clown." It was his father who encouraged him to act. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He also took singing lessons. He graduated from high school in 2006 and was accepted at the University of Southern California to study film. But he put it off—why study movies when you can star in them? Efron has risen all the way to the top of the movie business. And he can now laugh all the way to the bank.

Simple ways to improve your written English

    Many people think it is really difficult to improve (提高) their writing in English. Don't worry, though. Here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.

    Increase your vocabulary.

    To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That's not just being able to know lots of words — it means actually being able to use them correctly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words properly.

    Tip: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Learning shouldn't be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.

    Improve your grammar.

    Grammar is very important because it improves the quality (质量) of your writing.

    Tip: {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The first time, look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the grammar point you are studying at the moment.

    Just do it!

    The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions (版本) of each text.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Know your readers.

B. Read widely and often.

C. Always check your writing twice.

D. Remember, practice makes perfect!

E. Choose books or articles that interest you.

F. Use simpler language and shorter sentences to show your ideas.

G. Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists.

    Before visiting Stonehenge I didn't know much about it. I remember seeing photos in my textbooks and being interested in the large stone structure. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    My visit to Stonehenge made me understand more about it. Stonehenge is an important piece of prehistory that is just outside London, England, in Wiltshire. It is in the middle of a field. My arrival at Stonehenge was by car. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When arriving at the museum you will not see the stones. They are about a mile away from the main museum building that you enter upon arrival. The museum exhibits(展览品) describing Stonehenge history are in this building as well. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then you will have a background on the history of the stones.

Then you will take a bus. The bus will drop you off outside the stones where you will take the path around the stones. The path is for tourists to view and walk through. Visiting the stones is quite a magical experience as you are viewing a piece of history that is over 5, 000 years old. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's hard to believe that the stones were brought from Wales —hundreds of miles away. It's interesting to imagine what the stones were used for. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And the structure that is kept now is only a piece of the original(最初的) structure.

A. I suggest going through it first

B. Tickets are also a necessity for your visit

C. As time has passed many stones have fallen

D. This was probably the easiest way to get there

E. Then you can board the bus back to the main building

F. Once you start viewing the stones you realize how big they are

G. What is more interesting about Stonehenge is how it was built.