English is one of the most difficult languages to master. Even if you might not yet sound like someone born and raised speaking the language, you should still congratulate yourself on how far you've come. Remember that practice makes perfect. So keep working at it and your skill level will certainly improve.

    Create an English environment for yourself.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The more you hear the language, the better you'll understand how and when to use common words and phrases and how the language is pronounced.

    Practise speaking English every chance you get, whether at school, at work or speaking to family and friends. When you speak in your native language, ask yourself, “How would I say that in English?”

    Watch yourself speak English in the mirror.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}And practise changing anything you don't like. If you're uncomfortable making up things to say to yourself, just read your lessons aloud.

    Use confident body language while you speak English. Even if you're having trouble pronouncing words or remembering phrases, don't keep your head down. Speak in a natural, conversational tone(语气); keep your back and head straight, and your chin(下巴) up. If you're in a relaxed setting, put your hands behind your head and put your feet up.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Find a language friend who speaks fluent English and wants to learn your language.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Increase your confidence by knowing you have something valuable to teach, as well as something to learn.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Instead of saying “I'm no good at this,” say “Every day I'm getting better.”

A. Take turns teaching each other

B. Train your body into feeling in control

C. Speak confidently about your English ability

D. Learning a language requires long hours of study and practice

E. Get comfortable with the way you look speaking the language

F. Read books, watch television shows, moves and plays in English

G. Improve your confidence by teaching those worse at English than you

    Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}With that in mind, here are some suggestions that will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "Something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

    Take time to plan and prioritize(优先处理)

    The most common source of stress is the thought that you've got too much work to do. Rather than worry about it, pick one thing that will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

    Eat high quality food slowly

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Taste it, focus on it and enjoy it.

Let go of your results.

    The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    End each day with gratitude

    Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Start each day with expectations.

B  Give a gift to everyone you meet.

C. Focus on the job at hand rather than some fantasy that might happen.

D. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

E. Sometimes we can't avoid eating something quickly and running.

F. Thinking about that thing makes your head hurt.

G. It's impossible to make others happy if you're not happy.

Films and computer games

    In just a few decades the gaming industry has become much bigger than the film business. What is called "interactive entertainment" makes more money than Hollywood cinema. Is there any way of making films more appealing to people who like to play computer games?

    Making a film out of a best-selling computer game can guarantee a large audience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Nowadays films are made with similar ones. They have attractive action scenes relying on fantasy effects as well. Gaming markets consist of science-fiction games, and film-makers have also set films in science-fiction worlds. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Any attempt to borrow more than the setting from a game is certain to fail.

Why do gamers feel disappointed by films based on their favorite games? One of the reasons is technical. Now everything can be computer-produced. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, filming a scene from 20 different cameras would cost a fortune, so it simply isn't done in the film version—leaving the gamers feeling that the film didn't look as real as the computer game.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In a film the director doesn't show you some things to keep you have the feeling of excitement or anxiety. For example, you wouldn't be interested in watching the film if you knew the identity of the murderer. But this is not true for computer games. When you play a game, you have to do certain tasks to continue to the new level. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You are always in control as a player, while in the cinema you never control the action. You just sit and watch.

    There can be some interaction between films and computer games on different levels. For all the similarities between technologies and special effects, we shouldn't forget that a story and a game are fundamentally different.

A. Cameras matter in another sense, too.

B. The success of a game usually lies in the use of special effects.

C. You can't influence what happens at all in the computer games.

D. Computer games may show the action from a number of views easily.

E. The game has a good chance of being as successful as the film on which it is based.

F. You must be able to have access to all the information in order to decide what to do next.

G. However, the difficulty for film producers appears to be knowing where and when to stop.

    Perhaps at one point in time, it is acceptable to start any letter or e-mail with "To Whom It May Concern". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Starting your cover letter or e-mail for a job this way might give the impression that you didn't do your research on who you're writing to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} After all, people who address other people by their names when writing and speaking to them tend to be more pleasant.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It can be used in letters of recommendation or reference, formal complaints (抱怨) made to a company, letters of introduction, and letters of interest.

Grammarly uses the example of needing to write a letter of recommendation for a colleague who will have to make several copies to distribute to interviewers. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "In most cases, though, try to narrow your focus rather than cast a broad net," notes  Grammarly. "Ask yourself 'Who does this e-mail concern?' If you can honestly answer 'Anyone', then feel free to use "To Whom It May Concern".(These are the things you should never say in your cover letter.)

    If you do happen to find that using "To Whom May Concern" is appropriate , don't make grammar mistakes, for example , letters or punctuation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} .

A. You might want to take note of other common errors you might be committing, too.

B. But according to Grammarly, there are four times when it's OK to use this greeting.

C. Making mistakes in writing will surely get you low scores.

D. It's also very impersonal, and some employers might not appreciate it.

E. In that circumstance, sending and receiving letters is more of a formal greeting.

F. However, it may be interesting.

G. Those times have changed, though.

The science of setting goals.

It's the time of year when we think to ourselves:our New Year's resolutions will totally work out this time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But what if this year really could be different? Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist, shares four tips. 

Choose a goal that matters, not just an easy win. Our brains love rewards, so we often set simple goals that make it easy to check off boxes. But if that's all are about, no wonder we end up abandoning them so quickly. A meaningful goal requires going deeper. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. For example, if you want to quit eating junk food, ask why you want to quit it. Then, if you want to quit it for your health, ask why you want good health.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.When we set goals, it's easy to focus on that magical ending. But we can't control outcomes. We have to inch toward them, one choice at a time. Ask yourself, "What is the smallest thing I can do today that helps me reach my goal?" If you make daily choices that are consistent with your goal over and over again, you will eventually reach it. 

Frame your goals positively. Focusing on what you want to bring into your life –not what you want to avoid – will make you more likely to actually pursue it. "Any sort of avoidance is going to trigger inhibition systems, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}," says McGonigal.

Prepare for failure. Moments of failure are inevitable, but most of us abandon the goal entirely when minor failures and setbacks start piling up. Your task is not to avoid failures, but to plan for them. Ask yourself, "How am I likely to fail?" For example, if you‘re likely to choose unhealthy meals when you're hungry, carry a light snack that can tide you over. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Focus on the process, not the outcome

B. Psychologists call this an emergency plan

C. It really drives home why that goal matters

D. Never mind that we abandoned them very quickly

E. How you describe your goal makes a big difference

F. Think about what you want, and then ask yourself why

G. But positive goals are going to trigger approach and reward motivation

The Hanfu, cheongsam (or qipao), Tang suit, and Zhongshan suit are the four most distinctive types of traditional Chinese clothing.

The Hanfu is one of China's oldest traditional clothes, dating back over 3,000 years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Until the Han Dynasty, the Hanfu was adopted and strongly promoted. It then became the national clothing of the Han ethnic(民族的) people. It also had a far-reaching influence on neighboring Asian countries. Nowadays, the clothing gains in popularity again especially on special occasions.

The cheongsam originated in the Qing Dynasty. It has mainly developed into Beijing styles, Shanghai styles and Hong Kong styles. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Beijing styles are more traditional and conservative and brighter. More Western elements are used in the designs and colors of Shanghai styles. Hong Kong styles have shorter sleeves and are always decorated in a simpler way.

The Tang suit, in many cases, refers to a type of Chinese jacket rather than the clothing of the Tang Dynasty. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} As the Tang Dynasty was famous for being powerful in the world, foreigners called the Chinese people living abroad "the Tang people" and their clothes "Tang suits". Traditional Tang suits usually have Chinese characters on them to express good luck or best wishes. 

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Nowadays, Tang suits are a kind of formal dress worn on special occasions like Chinese New Year.

First advocated by Sun Yat-sen, the Zhongshan suit, also known as the Mao suit, is a type of men's jacket. They can be worn on formal and casual occasions because of their symmetrical(对称的) shape, general appearance, elegance, and stable impression. The colors of Zhongshan suits are various, but usually plain, including black, white, blue, and grey. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. This name came from overseas.

B. The most popular ones include fu and shou.

C. Almost every dynasty had its own unique clothes.

D. Wearers choose different colors for different situations.

E. It was constantly improved throughout several dynasties.

F. It combines traditional Chinese and Western clothing styles.

G. There are many differences in decorations, colors and designs.