How to Win a Debate Competition

    Debating doesn't mean that you can end up arguing with your opponents(对手). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}．The following tips on how to win a debate will further help you out.

    1 ){#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    This is very important. If you already know the debate topic that you are going to debate on, learn as much about it as you can. Research on it and then form opinions about it. Only if you know something in and out, will you be able to talk convincingly on it.

    2 ) Be confident.

    When you are putting your point in front of your opponents as well as the audience, be sure of yourself. Along with the words, your body language, voice modulation (语调) and eye contact, will play a major part in your success in debating. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    3 ) Give real life examples.

    While debating, make use of very simple language, which your audience can understand very easily. Give as many real examples as you can when making a point. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}．Thus, the judges and audience will find you much more convincing.

    4 ) Be descriptive.

    To win any debate, there is something about the human mind that you should be aware of. The thing with us humans is that if we see something, we believe and remember it much more than something we merely hear! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}．Tell you point of view in such a way that they can actually "see" what you are saying. If you are somehow able to pull this off, there is no doubt that you will be the winner of the debate competition!

    Follow the tips mentioned above, and with time, you will see yourself winning over your judges and audience.

    Finland is a small country of just 5.3 million people, but over three million saunas(桑拿浴). {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Finns have a sauna at least once a week. Saunas can be found all over Finland: in offices, factories, sports centres and hotel, and 2/3 of the people have one in their house.

    Some of the basic rules for using the sauna include not eating or drinking. Also, you can't wear any clothes or swimsuits in the sauna. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Men and women visit the sauna separately, unless they're members of the same family.

    Saunas have existed for hundreds of years in Finland. In the past, Finns dug holes in the ground and put heated stones in them. When water was thrown on the hot stones, they gave off a vapour.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Traditional type is the smoke sauna. We find smoke saunas mostly in rural areas. They're heated with burning wood. Once the room is hot enough, the fire is allowed to die and the room is ventilated (使通风) by letting the smoke out through a hole in the ceiling. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} With these, you simply turn on an electric stove an hour before you want to go in. This is seen as the safest and easiest way to heat the room.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Many think that they're important for your wellbeing (幸福). Finns believe that the sauna can treat a number of diseases. Having a sauna is also seen as a good way to relieve stress and tension.

A. Now there are several types of sauna.

B. That is to say, you have to go naked.

C. Why are saunas so popular in Finland?

D. Saunas play an important role in Finnish life.

E. Since then, saunas have been introduced to Asia.

F. However, the most common type is the electric sauna.

G. If you ever visit Finland, don't forget to have a nice, relaxing sauna.

How parents can help children with reading skills

    Making sure that your children read well can help them perform better in school and increase their confidence in their ability to communicate well. The following ways can be very helpful.

    Have your children read to you.

    Have your children choose their favorite book and sit down to read with you each evening. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It doesn't matter whether that starts after dinner or around the time your children go to sleep.

    Stock (储备) your house with reading materials.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is reported that children who have different kinds of books and magazines to choose from at home actually score higher on standardized tests.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Researchers suggest having your children read signs on the road, menus, game directions, movie listings and other daily things. This will help your children try to understand the importance and applicability (适用性) of being able to read well.

    Pay attention to reading problems.

    See how well your children can sound out words, understand what they have read and use reading context (上下文) to understand the meaning of new words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, you can take them to reading learning centers.

    Use other reading tools.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Take games as an example, try to use them as much as you can, since they can make children look forward to and enjoy the process (过程) of improving their reading ability.

A. Read wherever it is possible.

B. Take your children to a library.

C. Make reading an important part of each day.

D. Keep some reading materials available in your house.

E. Games, textbooks and books on tape are good choices.

F. If your children have difficulty reading, get them some help.

G. You should watch your children's progress with their reading skills.

    Why play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right.

    To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

    Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

    Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

    Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and keeping a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质酥松症).

    Playing sports improves self-confidence. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, keep a healthy weight, and make new friends.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being in a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you—-- both on and off the field!

A. Exercise cuts the pressure.

B. Sports teach valuable life skills.

C. Regular exercise increases quality of life.

D. In fact, there are at least five more reasons.

E. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves.

F. Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits.

G. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't.

When you hear the word "culture", you may think of nations or societies. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}What is family culture? It is the combination (结合) of values, expectations, and experiences that describes a family and shapes the way its members get along with each other.

Everyone has a unique culture that determines who they are as a person. Your family culture helps you understand your traditions and explains the reason for your behavior every day. It's important to you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A deeper sense of unity and togetherness is important for a family culture. The following will help you understand how to uncover your cultural story with your family.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}_ You can find out what your family's values are and what they stand for by looking at the traditions around those values. You can do this by talking to people you respect in your family or by using some simple Internet searches. Through looking into your family's history, you will understand the context of their culture.

After this, it's time to write a detailed description of your family's culture. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So you need to take your time with this step. In this description, you need to give a specific account of your family's culture, traditions, values, and history.

The last step is to share it with people. You can talk to your family about their culture and let them know that you've written down what they are like. You can also talk to friends who know little about your family's culture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Exploring your family's culture is an exciting process that will bring new meaning to everything you've ever held dear. So start your journey of uncovering it right now!

A. This is a key part of the process.

B. But every family has a culture, too.

C. Know how to talk with your family.

D. Start by researching your family's history.

E. It also contributes to your family togetherness.

F. Then they can start a process of self-exploration.

G. So they will know better what your family is all about.

Everyone knows that early to bed and early to rise is good for your health.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It takes a lot of willpower to get out of bed early on a cold winter's day. For this, we specially recommend a "painless early rise" guideline.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The secret to becoming a morning person is exposure to natural light. Jennifer Martin, president of the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, agrees with it firstly. That's because natural light holds back melatonin, a chemical that plays an important role in our bodies. "The sun is the driver of our internal clock," she says.

Ease in gradually. For some people like those who need to drive long distances, those first few days of being tired from switching to a new schedule aren't safe.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"What I'll suggest to people is to shift half an hour, wait a few days, shift another halt an hour, wait a few days, and then shift another half an hour," she says.

Hold on — even on weekends.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Decide what time you're going to wake up every day. And stick to it without exception.

Plan something to look forward to. To force you out of bed,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You're not worrying if you think of that. "Now is the time to go to buy your favourite coffee or pick up some cakes to have when your alarm goes off at 5 a.m.," she says.

A. Adjust yourself to the schedule at night.

B. Seek out as much natural light as possible.

C. Becoming a morning person is a seven-day-a-week job.

D. But the reality is that getting up late is the norm for many of us.

E. In that case, Martin recommends gradually easing into the early-bird life.

F. Martin suggests treating yourself to something special you can enjoy first.

G. You should cut back on how much exposure to bright light you're getting.