This reminded me that both in China and Britain, when something strange happens around you or when you are in an embarrassing situation, (C) people tend (倾向于) to use this common way to not catch other peopled attention.

 A lot of the time, Britons use self—depreciating humor (自嘲式的幽默). This is a well-known British characteristic. For example, imagine walking (D) ______ your friends and you fall over. Your friend may just say (E) “旅途愉快!” Or you may just laugh about how clumsy (笨拙的) you are. For many Britons, making fun of yourself is a way of showing your strength of character.

Also, British are considerate when it comes to embarrassing others. For example, students (F) usually have a birthday party every year. So during the school day, a student will give out invitations to the class. If one person doesn't get an invitation, but the rest of the class does, he or she will feel embarrassed. To avoid it, it's common for students to even invite people who aren't (G) their friends.

    A study shows that one million lives might be saved each year if people wash their hands with soap(肥皂) often. It also says that hand-washing with soap could be among the best ways to reduce diseases. Doctors say many diseases can be prevented from spreading by hand-washing. These include the common cold, influenza(流行感冒), hepatitis(肝炎), infectious diarrhea(腹泻) and so on.

    Doctors say you are easy to catch a cold by touching your nose or eyes after someone nearby has sneezed or coughed. Another reason to catch a disease is to eat food prepared by someone whose hands were not clean.

    They also say that hand-washing is especially important before and after preparing food, before eating and after using the toilet, after touching money and sneezing or coughing. The most helpful way is to wash them together while using soap and warm water. You do not have to use special soap. Be sure to wash all areas of the hands for about ten to fifteen seconds.

Title : Basic Knowledge of hand-washing

    Death Valley is a huge place. It is more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of the state of California, and across the border (边界) with the state of Nevada.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can be dangerously cold during the winter months. The air temperature during the summer can be as high as 57℃. The heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor the climate. Death Valley does not forgive (原谅) those who are not careful.

    Death Valley was named by a woman in 1849. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Thousands of people from other parts of the country traveled to the gold mining (开采) areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did.

    Many people were not careful. They made bad choices or wrong decisions. One group of people had reached Death Valley by December. They avoided the terrible heat of summer, but there was not enough water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat. The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the valley. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They had to kill their work animals for food and began to walk out of the valley.

    As they left, one woman looked back and said, “Good-bye, death valley.” {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

A. Slowly, they ran out of food.

B. Death Valley has a long history.

C. The name has never been changed.

D. Death Valley is a beautiful but dangerous place.

E. That was the year after gold was discovered in California.

    Tom Jenkins enjoyed fishing and spent most of his time by the river.

    He enjoyed being in the fresh air and being on his own. There was no one to trouble him and the time passed happily for him.

    Unluckily, he was not a very good fisherman. He either fished in the wrong place, used the wrong bait(鱼饵)or pulled in his line too quickly. Whatever the reason was, he never caught anything big enough to eat.

    However, he did not like to admit this to his wife. He thought she would complain if she knew he was wasting his time. She would try to stop him from going fishing. She might even make him take her shopping. It was very important to Tom, therefore, that she thought he was a good fisherman.

    For this reason, on the way home from the river he always visited the local fish shop and bought something. Then he told his wife he had caught it and they had a good fish for their dinner.

    One evening, after yet another day's unsuccessful fishing, Tom stopped at the fish shop as usual on his way home. "I'll have three perch(鲈鱼), please," he said to the shopkeeper. "And throw them to me, as usual, so I can tell my wife I caught them."

    The shopkeeper laughed and said, "I suggest you take a nice salmon(鱿鱼)instead."

    "Oh why?"

    "Your wife came in an hour ago and said, "When Tom comes in, make sure he 'catches' a salmon."

    The professor always tried so hard. He had tons of brilliant ideas—but they never worked. Time after time, he would dream up an amazing idea that was sure to change the world—and then it didn't. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "A time machine!" he shouted. The professor's dream wasn't just any old time machine. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    But his wife wasn't so sure about the professor's great idea. "It'll never work. You can't make time," she doubted. The professor disagreed. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you can make money and save money, why can't you do the same with time?"

In his workshop, the professor drew lots of plans for his new time machine. He soon lost track(轨道) of time. He created model clocks of every shape and size.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Finally, he made an amazing discovery—a way to save time and give him lots of extra(额外) time. "I've got it!" he cried. "If I give up my time machine project, I'll have plenty of time for other things!"

    Some people like to get up early, but some do not. In fact,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Scientists(科学家) find early rising (早起) people are healthier than late rising people.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Firstly, it helps to keep us healthy, because we can get fresh air in the morning. And it is also useful to do morning exercises.

    Secondly,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In the morning, we can learn more quickly and better.

    Thirdly, early rising can help us make a plan (计划) for our work.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Fourthly, of course, early rising gives us enough time to get ready for our work.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Everyone has to try hard to do so. As an old saying goes, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy(富裕的) and wise(聪明).”