Time for a Brainstorm

    A brainstorm is a session where a small group of people come together to solve a problem．People voice spontaneous ideas, sometimes just shouting , and a note-taker writes them all down．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}By getting different ideas out there, ideas are said to bounce off each other and even can help solve the problem at hand．Brainstorming is often a group exercise but individuals can also conduct personal brainstorms．

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He defined it as using the brain to storm a creative problem and do so in commando (突击队）fashion，with each stormer attacking the same objective．According to him,, it was easier to tone down a wild idea than think up a new one．He placed importance on the collection of as many ideas as possible and dismissed scientific thinking．

    Brainstorming has become one of the most popular ways to solve problems and hold discussion in schools and businesses．Many students brainstorm for a group assignment or even for a personal essay． Sarah Grace, 24, is an Australian marketing analyst and uses brainstorming during all her creative duties． She thinks brainstorming is the best way to work as a team．The sessions get everyone on the same page，everyone moving together and with a clear understanding about the foundations of an event or idea．{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

However, a big problem with brainstorming is creating a mess that leads people further away from a solution．{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you don't have a strong moderator or leader of the brainstorm, can go really off track，and people just start discussing something totally different． Brainstorming can sometimes confuse the human brain． {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you brainstorm too much and your page is filled up with all the messy links, you can paint yourself into a bit of comer and get trapped with ideas． You need to move past brainstorming as soon as you have something workable．

A．The ideas can be smart，strange or crazy．

B．It is caused by a lack of direction from a leader．

C．Brainstorming really helps her organize her thoughts．

D．Brainstorming really is the best way to build team spirit．

E．It can open too many doors and not suggest a clear direction．

F．Brainstorms were popularized in the 1940s by American advertising boss Alex Osborn．．

G．They can be words, phrases, paragraphs and anything that can help answer the question．

The Value of Tears

    Tears can ruin make-up, bring conversation to a stop, and give you a runny nose．Tears leave you embarrassed and without energy．Still, crying is a fact of life, and your tears are very useful．Even when you're not crying, they make a film over the eye's surface{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When tears fall, they reduce stress．But we tend to fight them for all! sorts of reasons． "People worry about showing their emotions , afraid that once they lose control they'll never get it back{#blank#}2{#/blank#}After we cry, the feelings that caused the tears often disappear．

    Sometimes people become much stressed and can't cry. Whatever emotion they are feeling—shock, anger, fear, or sadness—is being held back．

But everyone has the need to cry. Psychologist Vera Diamond explains that her treatment often consists of giving people permission to cry{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Patients practice crying just to become used to expressing emotions．She suggests safe, private places to cry, like under the bedcovers or in the car．Crying is a way of reducing tension, but people don't like it when others cry because it makes them tense{#blank#}4{#/blank#} And they'll do just about anything to make you stop．

    In certain situations, such as at work, tears are not appropriate．It's good not to cry during a tense business discussion{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You should also act out the whole situation again and be as noisy and angry as you like．It will help you feel better． "And," she adds, "Once your tears have taken away the stress, you can begin to think calmly of ways to deal with the problem．"

    Tears are a sign of our ability to feel．If you find yourself near someone crying, deal with it．And never be afraid to cry yourself．

A．She gives crying exercises．

B．They cry for different reasons．

C．They too may be holding back a need to cry．

D．The fact is that no emotion lasts forever．

E．It contains a chemical against infection.

F．But once you're safely behind closed doors, don't just cry．

G．It forms in response to the stress on the surface of the eye．

    There is an English saying: “{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

A. Laughter can change one's life.

B. As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh.

C. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

D. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet.

E. Although laughter helps cure the disease, doctors still can not put this theory into clinic practice.

F. Laughter is the best medicine.

G. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

    Imagine that you're an actor or actress performing in a play for the first time. You've learned all your lines and you know where to walk on stage. Waiting behind the closed curtain, you can hear the audience whispering. Then your big moment arrives! The curtain goes up, and the crowd falls silent. All you can see is the spotlight shining down on you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The inside of your mouth is dry, and your hands are wet.

    If you've experienced a moment like this, you know all too well what it means to have stage fright. It's one of the most common types of fear.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can experience this kind of fear when playing sports, giving a talk, or even speaking in class.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The experience differs from person to person, but the same chemical process occurs on each of us. In reaction to anxiety, our bodies produce a chemical that prepares us to either fight or run away quickly. Scientists refer to this as our bodies' “fight for flight” reaction. As a result, we feel the great energy that makes our hands sweat, our hearts race and knees shake.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Practicing your performance and following some simple tips can help you calm down and manage the feelings caused by anxiety. Firstly, dress comfortably and appropriately. Secondly, before the performance, take deep breaths and stretch to help relax your body. Thirdly, stay away from drinks that contain caffeine(咖啡因).{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Instead, try a banana! Some doctors believe that eating a banana can help calm your heart and the rest of your body. Finally, when you look into a crowd, try to focus on particular people rather than the whole group. These tips have helped many people learn to deal with their fears.

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

    Ants: master cooperators

    Millions of ants live together in a colony, but they don't compete, get confused, or become disorganized. They behave in an amazing orderly manner at all times. Some scientists refer to ants as 'super-organisms' because they live in such highly organized societies that work together to survive. The way ants live and work together has made them one of the most important creatures on the planet.

    Ants, like bees, belong to a class of eusocial insects. Eusocial insects are broken into groups within their community, and each group has a special job to do depending on the needs of the community. There are three basic groups in an ant colony: queens, soldiers, and workers. Queens are the largest ants, and their only job is to reproduce—they lay all of the eggs that will eventually become soldiers and workers. Soldiers are responsible for protecting the colony and finding new places for nests. Worker ants have many jobs within the community, including caring for the eggs and young ants, hunting for food and maintaining the nest.

    Some scientists are studying how ants can lead to a better understanding of labor issues, social class, and the use of nature resources in human communities. Ants have had millions of years of practice in working together to survive and grow. For a colony to function successfully, ants have to cooperate, from which people can learn a lot. Researchers hope that gathering information about how ants live together in communities can help people learn to cooperate and compromise with each other.

    However, others argue that there are fundamental differences between ants and humans that mean human societies are unlikely ever to attain ant-like levels of collaboration. For example, ants in a colony don't compete with each other. When they are short of food in the colony, some worker ants automatically become 'feeder' ants and feed others with the food in their stomach, regardless of their usual job. When the food supply is replenished, they become worker ants again.

    In addition, ants are able to work together without a leader giving them directions. Despite their names, queen ants are not leaders. Instead, ants find out what they need to do from their sense of smell. Research on harvester ants pass each other, they pick up a chemical smell which tells them what the other ant is doing. The number of ants they pass doing a particular job determines what they need to do. It is a form of communication, but unlike human communication it has no content; it is just based on numbers.

    While ants undoubtedly have a great deal to teach us about organization and the structure of networks, those searching for a greater understanding of human behaviour and morals may need to look somewhere.

    Main {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    They live together in colony without competitions, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} or being disorganized

    The way they work together for {#blank#}3{#/blank#} living in highly organized societies makes them unique on the planet.

    Three groups, including queens, soldiers and workers in an ant colony have a special job, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the needs of the community {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of studying ants.

    It helps people understand labor issues, social class, and the use of natural resources better

    Ants are {#blank#}6{#/blank#} in working together to survive and grow, helping people run the communities smoothly

    It helps people learn to cooperate and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} with each other

    Differences between ants and humans

    For {#blank#}8{#/blank#} of food some worker ants automatically become "feeder ants {#blank#}9{#/blank#} ants, humans have leaders giving people directions

    Suggestion

    Researchers should have different {#blank#}10{#/blank#} in understanding human behaviour and morals.

    Patrick and Rachel Hugens have biked around the world. The Hugenses, who live in Boise when not on their bikes, are 25 months into their latest round-the-world adventure, scheduled to end in March. They've visited 36 countries on this tour, touching Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. “Traveling by bike is the greatest freedom," Rachel said via email. “You can see people's daily lives and can communicate with them.”

    Rachel warns, “Cycle touring can become addictive.” Bike tourism is on the rise in the United States and around the world, according to the Adventure Cycling Association. The U. S. Bicycle Route System has grown 66 percent in the past two years and now has a presence in 24 states, including Idaho, and the District of Columbia.

    Dennis Swift，secretary of the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association, rode across the U.S. last year- from Seattle to Salem, Mass. Six people started the tour and three finished, riding 52 out of 56 days. They averaged about 60 miles per riding day. Swift also rode through the Basque Country with a group of Boise cyclists last year. He's planning to participate in a Virginia bike tour this year. “When you get older, your health is most important,” he said. “My mom had Alzheimer's disease. They say what's good for health is good for the brain, so riding is one thing to be first in my life.”

    This is the third time that the couple have quit their jobs to tour. Rachel is a nurse; Patrick is an architect. Both regained their former jobs when they returned home in 2000 and 2007. They're uncertain what will happen this time. They've given themselves a chance to save extra money by going to work by bike and avoiding some bills that are basic for most (cell phones, cable TV).“Traveling changes your view of money and what it can do for you,” Rachel said. “We've met some cyclists traveling long term. They have many reasons to spend wisely.”

    “The fellow cyclists we meet mostly come from Britain, Germany, Spain, Holland, Australia or New Zealand," Rachel said, “It is so nice to see that people all over the world are friendly and welcoming.”