I was diagnosed with allergies (过敏反应) when I was a little kid. Other than family, no one truly knows I have allergies, although I have to tell people it's allergies when my eyes start to tear up. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sometimes my friends just tease in a friendly way.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}I look like a normal kid. I don't mind telling people about my allergies—after all, it's normal to have them. Having allergies hasn't affected my self-confidence.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example, I am a big traveler and I would enjoy going to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, D. C. But when I come anywhere within a 10-foot range of cherry blossoms it feels like I lose almost all my senses! Even though it's only temporary, I still feel miserable.

    My allergies haven't stopped me from traveling when I can, though. My class trip was to Williamsburg in Virginia. At first it was supposed to be during cherry blossom time, and that had me worried. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    I've had to rethink some of my dreams, too. Since I'm allergic to animals with fur, I may need to adjust my hopes of being a veterinarian (兽医) or working in an agricultural-science department. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Now I have learned to deal with my allergies and even see the good side sometimes. Having allergies has taught me not to be prejudiced about people's health conditions.

A. I do get made fun of.

B. My allergies have been getting better.

C. If I don't take my medicine I can get really bad breath.

D. You can't tell by looking at me that I have a health condition.

E. Fortunately, it was changed to February, so I went and had the best time!

F. But I'm interested in so many things and there are plenty of other careers out there!

G. Sure, my allergies have held me back from doing some of the things that I love to do.

    After Steve Jobs died，his friend Larry Ellison said something like this，"There will never be another Steve Jobs". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Larry wrote this list of Steve's life lessons to remind us all.

Love what you do.

    Surely Steve became a billionaire when he brought Apple back. Apple was his calling— even after he got fired from the company. We all have bad jobs at one point in our lives. But the question is: am I in the right job? Have I found the right company? Life doesn't go on forever. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Don't do it all by yourself.

    Steve learned a great leader can't do it all by himself. He needs people. They must be talented. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They must be given the opportunity to succeed and fail. In short, we have to learn to be a great leader if we want to see our great ideas and hard work truly have an influence on the world.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Apple is always the best at creating a new product that meets the exact needs of users. It's empathy (共鸣) that helps Apple achieve this. Whenever the user has the first touch with a new Apple product, he says "Wow, it's just what I need". Remember, you're King in the business world if you know exactly what consumers desire.

Don't mess around with your health.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's the most important lesson from Steve's life. It's great to learn from him now, but the fact is that he should still be here if he had treated his cancer properly. Instead, Steve chose a naturopathic (自然疗法) solution that wasn't effective. When he finally decided to take his doctor's original advice, it was too late.

A. Be the best in your field.

B. They must be inspired.

C. Get on our right path now.

D. Take your health seriously.

E. Put yourself in the other person's shoes.

F. Will this lead to a successful career?

G. What are the key things that we can learn from him?

Advice for High School Students

    As a person who is graduating from high school very soon, I have some suggestions for students in high school or students who are soon going to be high school students. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I am sure others can benefit from reading them and will not make similar mistakes like me.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do not value first impression highly. Don't dismiss a person or an idea too early just because you immediately get a bad impression. You will miss many opportunities because of that. Although something seems bad at the first impression, it does not mean it is bad all the time. Try to give everything a fair chance.

    Don't try to please everybody. There is no way you can please everybody or get everybody to agree with you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is a huge waste of time.

    Have respect for authority. No matter how much you may dislike them, just remember that teachers and parents care about you and they are only doing their jobs. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't argue with them and just obey them.

    Realize a high school is not the real world. The real world isn't a closed environment. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} What is rewarded in high school such as popularity and agreement is different from what is rewarded in the real world. If high school isn't working out for you, you may find yourself better at handling the real world.

A. Do not be too quick to judge.

B. So just learn to say the word “No” a lot.

C. Listen to their advice and consider it carefully.

D. Many of these are based on regrets that I have.

E. Bad habits are hard to break and remain with you for a long time.

F. Don't spend any effort trying to please others who will never like you.

G. It is a free society where people accept responsibility for their actions.

    Most people will tell you that without a cup of coffee in the morning, they cannot function. Coffee is a good drink when consumed in right amount. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Legend says that Kaldi, an Ethiopian, discovered his goats enjoy eating coffee plants. Curious, he tasted the leaves and began to dance around. A passing monk (僧侣) witnessed the scene and took some back to his fellow monks. Later that night, the monks experienced extreme inspiration. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Soon Arabia was roasting coffee beans. By 1000 A.D. Muslims were drinking coffee to stay awake. A merchant from Venice introduced coffee to Europe in 1615. By 1696, the Dutch started growing the coffee bush in Java. By 1723, coffee plants were introduced to the Americas. Today, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.

    Caffeine (咖啡因) is the major chemical in coffee. Caffeine poisoning can occur if more than 400 milligrams of caffeine is drunk in a short period, which is about four to five cups of coffee. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So it should be avoided before bed.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Studies have shown that it helps cognitive (感知) skills in elderly women. Women who drank three cups of coffee daily scored higher on memory tests than women who drank one cup of coffee.

    Large amounts of coffee can cause nervousness, worries and heartburn. However, if mixed with milk, it is fine. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The more you drink, the more you depend on it. For some people, just one cup of coffee a day is OK.

A. Coffee has many benefits.

B. Coffee can be addictive like any drug.

C. Caffeine will also cause sleep difficulty.

D. The caffeine in coffee can actually help fight disease.

E. However, it is considered harmful if taken in large amount.

F. Drinking coffee while you have this kind of disease will make it worse.

G. Whether the legend is true or not, the discovery of coffee dates back to 800 A.D.

Common public speaking problems

The use of "I feel", "I think" and "maybe"

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like "I feel", "I guess", "I hear", "maybe" and "perhaps".

    These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of the empty-sounding "I guess", using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    Using only one speaking style

    Don't stick to the same tone.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

C. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

D. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

G. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.

Most teens can't wait to become adults, free to make their own decisions. But with freedom comes responsibility, and this applies especially to your finances. The earlier you begin developing good financial habits, the more secure your future will be. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Educate Yourself

To take charge of your financial future, read a few basic books on personal finance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And you will find it easier to say "no" to a friend who encourages you to waste money or classmates who plan expensive trips that you can't afford.

Plan Your Spending

 {#blank#}3{#/blank#} First, never spend more money than you can get, and second, watch where your money goes. The best way to do this is by creating a personal spending plan to track the money coming in and going out. 

Postpone Satisfaction

 {#blank#}4{#/blank#} However, you'd better prevent yourself from doing so. With more money saved, you can buy something even better. So whether you received money from a part-time job or special occasions like Chinese New Year, it is wise to hang on to your money so that you can enjoy a greater satisfaction later on. 

Start an Emergency Fund

To get ready for independence, you'd better save money for emergencies. So why not stick to a wise spending plan and put some money into this fund every month? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It will also give you a sense of safety and enable you to sleep better at night. 

Managing money is a skill that takes time to develop. If you can form the habits of self-educating, planning and saving, you'll be on your way to a solid financial future.

A. There are two golden rules for you to follow.

B. Waiting to get what you want is called postponed satisfaction.

C. The best way to monitor your spending is to open a bank account.

D. Here are some habits that can help set you up for financial success.

E. This simple action will help you get out of unexpected financial problems.

F. Many teens rush to buy their favorite items as soon as they get some money.

G. Once you have learned enough knowledge, you won't be easily misled by others.