A single cigarette sold on a street comer may not cost a lot; however, the total costs of smoking are huge.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The World Health Organization says about 10 people die of a tobacco-linked disease every minute. That rate adds up to almost six million people dying from such diseases every year. Most of these preventable deaths happen in low-income and middle-income countries. The World Bank says each of these countries has a total national income of less than $ 12,746.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. The number is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030 unless immediate action is taken.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. For most people, stopping smoking is hard. Many began smoking as teenagers. They are used to it. Also, tobacco contains the powerful drug nicotine. Studies show people who want to stop smoking can do so with different treatments. Some get help from electronic cigarettes or medicine that reduce one's desire for the drug. Dr. Nancy Rigotti works at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States. She says she finds that medicine and services together work best of all.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It can influence the health of an entire country. The World Health Organization says low-income countries depend heavily on taxes from cigarettes. They use the money, in part, to pay the costs of health care for tobacco-related diseases.

    The World Health Organization is pushing United Nations member states to sign an agreement to end the illegal trade in tobacco products.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. But the agreement of 32 other countries is needed for it to become international law.

A. Stopping smoking

B. It isn't necessary to take action

C. Consider the cost of human life

D. Other countries also sign the agreement

E. Eight countries have agreed with the agreement

F. But smoking costs more than the life of a person

G. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills 6 million people yearly

    It's nice being nice to others; it's also great to give people a hand. However, if you start to hurt yourself by doing so, then this is not so healthy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you fear that you might fall into this category, the following tips will help you to stand up for yourself and regain your self-confidence.

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

    Although you may often stay silent if something is wrong or bothers you, it is better to speak your mind right away. You don't have to be rude, but you do have to be firm and direct. Don't do things for others if you don't really want to. Speak up, and soon others will be seeing you in a whole new light.

    Start small.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This will allow you to practice being brave and self-confident. Tell a person who has cut in line in front of you to move to the back of the line, or tell a salesperson to do that. Before long, you will be confident enough to stand up to your friends and family members.

    Judge well.

    When dealing with others, you have to exercise good judgment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If a colleague isn't doing his part, you should rightfully demand that he start doing so. However, if a taxi cuts you off in traffic, just let it go.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Rome wasn't built in a day. If you want to get back again after having been a pushover(耳软心活的人), it's best to take one step at a time.

A. Express yourself.

B. Regain your confidence.

C. Start by speaking up for yourself with strangers.

D. Everyone has the right to live without being judged.

E. If you slip back into the pushover mode every once in a while, don't blame yourself.

F. Sadly, some people are so easily pushed around that they come to be seen as pushovers.

G. It's one thing to be confident, but quite another to forcefully say no to an unreasonable request.

    Why is setting goals important?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.

    Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of in this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which can be found in a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal, or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drivers aimlessly around. Never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren't difficult to set, and they aren't difficult to reach.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

A. Winners in life set goals and follow through

B. It's up to you to find out what your goals really are

C. By setting goals you are taking control of your life

D. Because everybody should have a goal in his mind

E. It's difficult for a driver to reach his destination without a map

F. Because goals can help you do, be and experience everything you want in life

G. Research tells us that when we write a goal down, we are more likely to achieve it

Tips for taking care of friendships

    Some people are meant to come and go from your lives quickly. Other friends may grow with you as your life changes. One way to keep friendships of any level strong is to take good care of them.

    Send handwritten notes

    Just find a note card, write something by hand, and then mail it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Since electronic communication is becoming popular these days, a handwritten note can really make an impression.

    Be active in contacting friends

    Many people call up friends only when they need something. The problem with this is it makes it look as if you don't really care about your friend. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Regularly check in with your friends so they know you are sincere.

    Call up friends

    Electronic communication is great, but there is nothing like hearing your friend's voice to give you a lift. Make a point to call up friends and check in with them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Just a few minutes every month can make a difference in your friendship.

    Give meaningful gifts

    Put some thought into the gifts you give a friend. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, often the smallest but most thoughtful ones are the biggest hit.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    People who argue from time to time actually have healthier friendships than those who never discuss their points of conflict（冲突）. Learn how to argue in a healthy way and work through the issues in your friendship.

A. Talk things out

B. Get together with friends

C. The phone calls don't have to be long

D. The presents don't have to be large or expensive

E. This will really stand out in your friend's mailbox

F. Discuss your issues with the goal of making your relationship healthier

G. Remember to call up friends or send an email to see how they are doing

    Now VAR technology is fully combined with the global game of soccer and made its debut (首次亮相) at the 2018 World Cup. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It is actually a team who work together to review certain decisions made by the main judge by watching video replays.

    The VAR team supported the judges from a centralized video room. The operators selected and provided the best angles from the relevant broadcast cameras plus two additional offside cameras. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. They will communicate with the judges only for clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents. The judge can delay the restart of play at any time to communicate with the VAR team. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, the judge would start an official review. Then they will make a decision based on the information received from the VAR team.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Some fans believe that VAR causes too many interruptions, disrupting the flow of the game. But others just want a fair match and to see the correct call no matter what. They argue disruptions already take place as angry players crowd around a judge following a controversial decision. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. With much money put into modern football, governing bodies are now under great pressure to see that the correct decisions are made on the pitch and VAR is a sure step in that.

A.VAR works as video judges

B. If one team is likely to win a game

C. It is hard to avoid and VAR is necessary

D. Now VAR has incurred heated discussion

E. Once they decide an incident is reviewable

F. Throughout a match they are constantly checking for mistakes

G. VAR can serve to remove such scenes and get the game moving again

    Identical twins are born when an egg divides into two, resulting in the birth of two children with identical genes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some believe, however, that there is also a close connection between twins in the way they think, not just in the way they look. Twins finish each other's sentences, and share the same tastes in clothes or music. Some have argued that identical twins have mysterious, even psychic, powers.

    Although many identical twins claim to know what the other is thinking, there is no evidence to suggest that this is because of special powers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most of us have met up with a brother or sister, or close friend, and immediately asked, “What's wrong?” because we have unconsciously recognized, in their facial expression, that they are upset in some way. Signs we would miss in a stranger's behavior are instantly obvious in the way those close to us act. It is hardly surprising that twins notice the way their brother or sister's facial expressions or body language gives away how they feel. Indeed, the closeness of their bond is likely to improve this ability over the years.

    The media is full of stories in which a twin senses her brother or sister to be in trouble. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Damien Croft developed a bad headache one evening and, concerned, felt the need to phone his brother to check if everything was OK. When there was no reply, he drove to his brother's home, only to find him unconscious, having had an epileptic fit (癫痫症) and fallen from a ladder while decorating. On the face of it, his sixth sense had saved the day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Damien knew his brother was decorating, and knew that he was prone to epileptic fits. Subconsciously concerned, he had just imagined the worst-case situation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We all know such twins are often very similar in appearance.

B. The fact that something awful had happened was only a coincidence.

C. In contrast, there are many other stories which can be more easily explained.

D. In truth, of course, the events might also be explained in more ordinary terms.

E. Recent studies show the reasons of all those cases of mysterious happenings between identical twins.

F. In a recent, widely-reported case, for example, a young man survived a horrific fall thanks to a feeling his twin is supposed to have had.

G. A more believable explanation is that, like any pair of people who have grown up together, they are just good at understanding the thought processes behind what their twin does.