London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

   {#blank#}2{#/blank#}First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.

    Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been “filled with thousands of gleaming (发光的) machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they would not charge for the first day as a “gesture of goodwill”. Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards.”

A. So how does it work?

B. How do you like it?

C. However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday.

D. Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty.

E. However, the London Mayor is confident of the scheme.

F. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.

G. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion(拥挤) in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre.

    People have always wanted to know what the future will look like. Then, how can we know what the future will look like?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The world has changed a lot in the past 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago, such as food, sleep, the feeling of being appreciated and loved.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}No. In addition, generally speaking, the inventions for the last 150 years have been a human effort for freedom and communication, to be able to get in control of the time and world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years.

    But why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons: first we need to start to think about what kind of future we'd like for ourselves and to pass on the next generation{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    How about the virtual worlds? It might be possible in the future to experience the sand between your toes, and hear the waves, just lying in your bed at home.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}So, even if a great invention is there for an affordable price, it'll never take the place of the common experience if it's not real.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}What we'll see in the next 50 years is the transition from an oil-dependent society to a new society. Here there'll be new medicine, continued exploration of space, challenges in the climate change, and new inventions that make life a little easier.

A. So what will the future look like then?

B. Will this change in the next 150 years?

C. Predicting the future can help us in many ways.

D. However, you'll never get the feeling of being there.

E. Well, to understand the future, you must know the past.

F. However, no matter how real the experience will feel, it doesn't happen for real.

G. Then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future.

Participating (参与) in Class

    Class participation is a valuable part of learning. Many students are unwilling to participate in class{#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Other students participate in class, but do so not correctly. Here is some advice that can help you become an effective class participant.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do all tasks and readings and go over your notes from previous class periods. This will help to prevent you from making uninformed ( 无知的) comments or asking unsuitable questions. As you get ready for class, think about important questions and concerns that may appear in class. Be sure that you are prepared to deal with these.

    Try to sit close to the front of the class{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Besides, you can hear what the teachers say clearly.

    Listen to what the other students say. You can then build on their comments to make your own. Be active when you respond to something another student says. You can disagree, but don't go into an “attack mode”.

    Don't be afraid to be wrong{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can learn from being wrong. Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a good learning skill. Also, the chances are that other students in the class have the same questions as you do, and they will appreciate your asking.

    Be sure that your questions and comments are closely connected with the class topic.

    Don't waste the time of the teacher and other students by going off way. Don't take it in person if others disagree with what you say{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Creating a personal connection helps you feel more comfortable about participating in class.

B. Be confident that your opinions will be valued by your teacher and other students.

C. It's hard to stay unconcerned when you are near to the teacher.

D. Be sure that you are well prepared before coming to class.

E. This may be because they are shy or fearful of being judged and criticized (批评).

F. Your class should be a good place for giving opinions and taking advice.

G. Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.

    Have you ever had a wonderful idea and thought it would make a great invention，but didn't know what to do next？{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    They will help you make your dreams come true and become a famous inventor．

    The first thing that you should do is do some research on the Internet to see if anyone else has invented it．If not ，you should search through the US Patent （专利） information to see if a patent was ever created for your type of invention．{#blank#}2{#/blank#} The easiest thing to do is working with an agency（代理机构） that can help you to make your dreams a reality．

    It can help you present your ideas and get your product to the right companies．One agency that is very reputable （声誉好的） is"Lambert in Minnesota" {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    If they think your product is marketable （有销路的），they will help you to get it to the right company． Call the agency and make an appointment．You will want to bring in a model of your invention and a complete description of your ideas．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Then when you meet with them, you can present it and they will tell you how marketable it is．If they decide to help you, they will work to present it to different companies and help you to go to the next step． Once your invention has been sold to a large company，get ready to get the benefits of becoming the next great inventor． {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But the benefits are worth the wait．

A．It may take a year or two．

B．If not，go to the next step．

C．You will find something new on the Internet．

D．You will be the next inventor．

E．Write down exactly about your invention．

F．Here are some steps that you can take．

G．They offer free advice for good ideas．

    Every person wants to achieve the goals set at the beginning of a new school year. The following are some ways to help you achieve your goals.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When it comes to choosing your goal, ensure that it states precisely what it is that you want to achieve. Don't generalize. Your goal should involve both what you want to achieve and the effort that you will put in to achieve it. 

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Having a copy of your goal makes it real. You can write you goal in a journal you'll be keeping all year, or you can write it on a poster and stick it on your desk so that you can look at it each day. Every time you remind yourself of your goal, you're training your brain to accept the effort needed to make the goal happen.

    Try various methods. One may not work while another may be just right for you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Some people learn best through writing, some through listening and reading, and some through talking it through. Once you realize which way works for you, you can work better and achieve your goal easily.

    Think positive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Negative thoughts are unhelpful and they became roadblocks. Stop telling yourself you can't and start telling yourself you can, and talk about you are doing rather than hoping you can do something. Always believe that you're capable, even if you have difficulty along the way.

    Reward yourself along the way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Occasionally, when you've achieved certain “milestones” in your goal plan, take a break and reward yourself. Watch a movie, visit a friend who lives across town, go to the ice cream shop with your friends or buy yourself something new.

A. Write down your goal.

B. Choose specific and realistic goals

C. Be aware of the way you learn best

D. Remember that everyone makes mistakes

E. Set aside some time each week for exercise

F. All study and no reward can break your spirit

G. If you're not in the right state of mind, you won't be able to succeed.

Do we have a movement signature?

As humans, we have several qualities that separate us from one another, such as our fingerprints. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

According to a recent study, each person has a unique movement signature (鲜明特征). Depending on the person, these differences can be subtle or pronounced.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For the study, scientists attached electrodes (电极) to muscles in the legs of volunteers. The volunteer were then asked to perform activities such as walking on walking machines and riding stationary bikes (健身车), which were adjusted according to each person's physical appearance in order to make sure everyone was judged using the same standards.

Scientists fed the information to a computer along with the volunteer's name. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Next, the computer was fed information without the user's name and it could identity the person correctly 99% of the time. The outcomes of the study showed that each of us does have something unique about our general movements.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Since this is just a pilot study, scientists will do more tests to see if the signature changes with age and weight changes. But with a deeper understanding of the science of movement, doctors could possibly develop more intricate prosthetics (复杂精细的假肢). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Whether that's cool or frightening is up to you to decide.

A. How could this study be of use to scientists?

B. What do you think of the findings of the study?

C. Volunteers are expected to write a report on the activities.

D. Is it possible that we also have unique qualities in our movement.

E. Scientists could also program robots to copy humans' movements more exactly.

F. In this way, the computer could learn the unique movement quality of each person.

G. The study was conducted by inviting people to take part in a couple of physical activities.