We know that sometimes studying a new language can be hard work but it can be fun too--and if we can make our learning experience fun, then we will learn better. So here are some more of our top tips for making studying fun.

    Firstly,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}—make sure your chair is suitable and it's at the right height for the desk. Make sure you have good ventilation(空气流通) and light and the space you're in isn't too hot--you don't want to fall asleep! And put away anything that might distract you, like your smartphone.

    Rather than just staring at books and being passive,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Why not record yourself and listen back to yourself speaking or reading out information. Or you could turn facts into songs and sing them out loud--this is sure to make information stick in your head!

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}—lashcards are very useful because they provide visual clues that help you remember things. You could also stick words, grammar rules and other bits of information on notes around your study space or other places around your house--so for example, you can read them when brushing your teeth!

    Don't feel daunted by the amount of studying you have to do.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Study in small bursts and vary the topics you study so you don't get bored and you stop retaining information. If you can, choose a time of day that best suits your natural preference. Some people work best at night while others work best early in the morning.

    Finally, don't overdo it--know your limits--if you study too hard it won't be fun and you won't absorb information.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}—and give yourself a small reward when you do.

A. try to become an active learner

B. So care your mental and physical health

C. get comfortable

D. So take regular breaks

E. Also be creative

F. And don't try to study continuously all day to fit it all in

G. But you can focus on some entertainments

    Radar（雷达） is an electronic device that detects planes, ships, coastlines, landmarks, and even storm clouds. The name radar comes from the first letters of the words radio direction and ranging. As the human eye uses light waves to see, radar “sees” with radio waves. Without radar, planes could not land safely in bad weather and ships could not move safely in thick fog{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the 1800s it was discovered that radio waves could be reflected from objects. But scientists did not make great advances in radar research until the 1930s, when the world was threatened by war{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It has been used widely in almost every conflict since then.

    Echoes make it possible for radar to work. When a beam of radio waves is sent out, it strikes on an object and returns an echo. This echo is picked up by radar and recorded on a screen similar to television screen. On the screen an observer sees a flash, or a blip, that shows the direction and distance of the object{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Airport control towers use radar to guide planes in for safe landings. Almost all large ships depend on radar to prevent collisions with icebergs or other ships{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Weather forecasters “see” the size, direction, and speed of storms on radar screens. Astronomers can even use radar to measure accurately the distance to the moon. Thus, the device has generated major advancements.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Huge radar antennas have been installed all over the United States. They guard us against possible enemy attacks. We have ballistic—missiles (战略导弹)warning systems that can alert us to attacks when missiles are more than 1,000 miles away. Other radar systems warn us against enemy aircraft and even spying space satellites.

A. Police track speeders in radar-equipped cars.

B. These measurements are now highly accurate.

C. The device can be used in a wide range of fields.

D. During World War II many countries used radar effectively.

E. It is therefore especially valuable to shippers and travelers.

F. Today radar is used by commercial airliners and weather forecasters.

G. Strengthening national defense is one of radar's most important functions.

Can zoos ever be animal-friendly?

    The topic of our last class discussion was “How can zoos provide animals with a good life?” Everyone believed it was impossible for zoos to give animals a caring environment. Our teacher suggested that visiting a modern zoo might give us a new point of view.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In our discussion, many people said that zoos were full of smelly cages with unhappy animals living in. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, however, was set in an attractive, open environment. Trees and flowers had been planted around the park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    At school, some people accused（指责）zoos of exploiting（剥削）animals for money but at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Before I visited Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I wasn't sure about the rights and wrongs of zoos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel that, although zoos can't provide the freedom of the wild, they can be animal-friendly by giving animals a safe and caring environment. As long as they do this well, to my mind they make a good contribution（贡献）to animal health. They also play an important part in educating us about wildlife. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the bus back to school, we all agreed that what we liked most was the zoo's environment and we would recommend（推荐）it for next year's group.

A. It is difficult for the zoo to raise animals.

B. More and more animals enjoy their wild homes.

C. I think lots of my friends changed their minds, too.

D. Most of the money is used to improve conditions at the zoo.

E. I went to the zoo and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

F. In my opinion, the animals, rather than seeming upset, were pleased.

G. It was difficult to say how a zoo could really make up for animals' loss of freedom.

    This time of year, thousands of college applicants wait for e­notices and auspiciously(吉利地) sized envelopes from schools, under terrible pressure from their parents, friends, teachers, and themselves. As to this, I offer some advice, which comes not only from a bit of experience, but also a bit of research: just cool out and continue, okay?

    Many parents and students think there is a world of difference between the lifelong outcomes of an A­minus student who gets into, say. Princeton, and an A­minus student who applies to Princeton but "only" gets into some less selective school, like Penn State or the University of Wisconsin. They assume that a decision made by faceless Ivy League admissions officers, to some extent, will mark the difference between success and failure in life.

    There are two important things to say about this stress. First, to put the anxiety into context, the kids applying to these schools are already doing quite well. Seventy percent of 29­-year-­olds don't have a bachelor's degree, and the majority of BAs are earned at non­selective schools that accept a majority of their applicants. Many of the applicants have already won life's lottery.

    But if that doesn't ease the nerves of the 40,000 people waiting on Stanford or Penn, here is a more encouraging conclusion from economics. For most applicants, it doesn't matter if they don't get into their top choice, according to a paper by Stacy Dale, a mathematician at Mathematica Policy Research, and Alan Krueger, an economist at Princeton University. They tracked two groups of students——­one that attended college in the 1970s and the other in the early 1990s. They wanted to know：Did students attending the most elite colleges earn more in their 30s. 40s. and 50s than students with similar SAT scores, who were rejected by elite colleges? The short answer was no. Or, in the author's language, the difference between the students who went to super­selective schools and the students with similar SAT scores rejected by those schools and went to less selective institutions was "indistinguishable from zero."

    What does that mean? It means that, for many students, "who you are" is more important than where you go. It's hard to show that highly selective colleges add much earning power, even with their distinguished professors and professional networks. In addition, the decision of admissions officers isn't as important as the sum of the decisions, habits, and relationships students have built up to this point in their young life.

    For the elite colleges themselves, the Dale­Krueger paper had additional, fascinating findings. It's found that the most selective schools do make an extraordinary difference in life earning for minority students from less-­educated families who are more likely to rely on colleges to provide the training and job networks with great influence. Getting into Princeton if your parents went to Princeton? Fine, although not a game­changer.  But getting into Princeton if your parents both left community college after a year? That could be game­changing. Whatever the results, it's more important to choose a university that is suited to the college applicants.

The Youngest Skier To The South Pole

    On Friday December 9th, a 16-year-old skier, Ameba Hempleman-Adams reached the South Pole with her father after skiing 97 miles and spending 17 nights on the ice. On the final day they skied 14 miles and afterwards Ameba said she felt" elated and tired" on reaching the South Pole.

    "The biggest challenges were the freezing cold and eating only dried food. The best bit has been experiencing what Dad does on expeditions(探险).It's the first time I've been on a difficult long journey with him and now I know what it's like. The trip brought me closer to Dad, but I also had to put up with his snoring(鼾声)which was terrible.', She added," Would I do it again? I'm not sure. I'll have to think about that after a few nights' sleep! At times it's been really hard: I've got aching shoulders, and my back's been sore from pulling my sledge(雪橇), I've got blisters(水泡)on my feet from the boots and I've got a cold burn on my nose from my sunglasses. _______"

    She said the most extraordinary part of the trip had been the breathtaking scenery and the sense of isolation in the Antarctic landscape." I've really missed my friends while I've been away and want to thank them for all their messages of support."

Friends and relatives who posted comments on Ameba's expedition website paid tribute(致敬)to her positive attitude which , they said ,would be an inspiration to others.

    Her father, David, said" Ameba has done amazing well. I'm proud of her. She showed real determination. She was tough and she pulled her sledge the whole way. It was a special experience to share those 97 miles with her."