Do you know oil platforms (石油钻井平台)? They pump out (大量生产) oil from under the ocean (海洋). There can be over 100 people living and working on an oil platform. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The people on oil platforms do a number of different jobs. There are engineers, cooks, doctors, cleaners, etc. But the roughnecks (石油钻井工人) have the hardest job. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's hard, dangerous work.

    There are no weekends on oil platforms. Usually, people work every day for two weeks. Then they go back to land to have two or three weeks off from work.

    The people on oil platforms can play games and watch TV when they don't work or sleep. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}There's not much space, and you can't just go for a walk.

    Oil platforms are dangerous places. Everyone needs to work carefully.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}An accident (事故)on the platform Deepwater Horizon in 2010 killed eleven people and a lot of oil went into the ocean.

    After that accident, some people said that oil platforms were just too dangerous.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}So we still need people to work in these difficult, dangerous places.

Language Learning Tips

    Singing in the Shower One of the most pleasant ways to practice a new language is to sing your favorite songs while you're taking a shower. Then you can take a look at the lyrics to see if you've missed any words. Have fun, but don't waste too much water

—By Maria

    Don't Worry About Mistakes! Don't worry too much about mistakes. It's a part of learning a new language and you'll learn much more quickly by having a try at speaking than by saying nothing. In fact. People are only pleased to hear you trying to speak their language and think it's OK if you don't get it exactly right

—By Lee

    Talk to Your Animal Friends I talk to my pets in other languages, give them a common name in that language, and have them talk back in the language. My dog Ben, seems to understand me well even in a new language.

—By Keith

    Record Your Voice Listen to the made by a native speaker. Read the same text and record your voice. Now listen to both of them carefully to find out the differences and the weak points in your pronunciation. It's a great way to improve your speaking skills

—By Shirin

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The main stairs are cleaned twice a week by the Association, so please try to keep them tidy and clean and do not leave furniture or bags on the stairs or in the hallways.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Residents are asked to keep noise to a minimum. Loud music and other loud noise can disturb other people and the Association will get in touch with you if you make too much noise.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Rubbish collection is on Tuesdays. Please do not leave rubbish bags out before Tuesday as birds and animals can break into them and they smell.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The main lights are on a timer and they stay on for five minutes when you press them. Please tell the Association if any lights are not working.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} There is a washing line for every flat in the garden next to the car park. Please only dry your washing on these lines so it does not disturb（干扰） people in the ground floor flats.

    Dale is in the classroom now, but he can't find his schoolbag. Where is it? Is it lost? No! It is in his home. He doesn't bring(带来) it to school. He calls his sister Sally and asks her to take his school things to school. Here are his school things.

    His schoolbag is on the chair. Under the chair is his pencil box. His notebook is on the desk. His dictionary is on the bed. His pencil isn't in the pencil box. It's on the sofa.

    Oh, Sally, don't forget(忘记) to take his baseball. Where is his baseball? Oh, it's under the table.

    Nick and his friends were talking about things that can bring them luck.

    "I have a lucky red pen," said Andy. "Every time I take a test, I carry my lucky red pen."

    "I have a lucky coin," said Peter. "Every time I take a test, I carry my lucky coin."

    Nick thought for a moment, and said, "My blue socks."

    "Blue socks?" the boys were surprised and asked together.

    Nick said that every time he wore his blue socks to school before a test, he got a good mark.

    The next day Nick had a Chinese test. He was sad because he couldn't find his blue socks.

    "Mom!" shouted Nick. "Where my blue socks? I have a Chinese test today, and I need to wear them."

    "Don't be silly," Nick's mom said. "They need to be washed." "When I wear them, I get a good grade," Nick said.

    "Did you prepare for your test?" asked Mom.

    "Yes."

    Mom encouraged him,"①那就不用担心了。尽你的最大努力吧。"

    A few days later, Nick's teacher told him that he got 95 in his test. ②Nick was so excited that he couldn't wait to tell Mom that he did well in his test.

    Mom said, "It wasn't the blue socks that made you success. In fact, it was made by yourself."

    I always knew that I depended way too much on my phone, but I didn't know how much. So I decided to do this challenge(挑战) to find out.

     Every morning since I got a smartphone, I've used The Weather Channel App to find out what to wear. On the first morning I had to dress without guidance, but thankfully I was able to guess that the day would be cold and foggy by looking out of my window.

    I couldn't tell what time it was. I haven't worn a watch for more than a year, because my phone showed the time. So I was late for picking up friends who had been on the bus for two hours from Santa Monica to Palos Verdes. I was also late for my part-time job. And even worse, I couldn't call people to tell them that I was running late.

    Getting to places was harder, too. I got lost because I couldn't use the GPS(导航系统) on my phone. My driving, though, got a lot safer because I no longer had my phone in one hand checking directions while driving with the other.

    But the number one trouble was not having my contact list (联络簿). I forgot to write down my friends' and family members' phone numbers before I started the challenge. It was sad to realize that I couldn't remember my brother's and my mom's cellphone numbers. Oh, how I wished to turn on the phone for just a second to look up phone numbers!

    Even with all the problems, however, I found peace not worrying about missing a text message or an email.

    This challenge was a great learning experience. It surprised me how I'd taken no notice of even the simplest things like remembering phone numbers. We all should take some time to think about how we can depend less on our cellphon