My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

    Much meaning can be conveyed clearly with our eyes, so it is often said that eyes can speak.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}In a bus you may look at a stranger, but not for too long. And if he sensed that you are staring at him, he may feel uncomfortable.

    The same is true in our daily life. If you are stared at for more than necessary, you will look at yourself up and down to see if there is anything wrong with you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Eyes do speak, right？

    Looking too long at someone may seem to be rude and aggressive.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If a man stares at a woman for more than 10 seconds and refuses to look away from her, his intentions are obvious. He wishes to attract her attention, and let her know that he is admiring her.

    However, when two persons are engaged in a conversation, the speaker will only look into the listener's eyes from time to time to make sure that the listener does pay attention to what the former is speaking.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If a speaker looks at you continuously when speaking as if he trying to control you, you will feel awkward. A poor liar usually exposes himself by looking too long at the victim. He wrongly believes that looking straight in the eye is a sign of honest communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Actually, eye contact should be made based on specific relationship and situation.

A. On the contrary, it will give him away.

B. Do you have such a kind of experience?

C. That's what normal eye contact is all about.

D. Actually, continuous eye contact is limited to lovers only.

E. After all, everybody likes to be stared at for quite a long time.

F. But things are different when it comes to staring at the opposite sex.

G. If nothing goes wrong, you will feel annoyed at being stared at that way.

    Cold blesses us all

    It's November, the time of year when people often get blessed more. This is not because God likes cold weather, nor because others are feeling generous with Thanksgiving just around the corner.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Colds and the flu are the most common illnesses people get in autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. They are all caused by viruses, but colds are generally milder—you'll feel annoyed but not as if you want to die.

    Teenagers catch average six to ten colds a year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, while adults average two to four. More than 200  viruses cause cold symptoms.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can be contagious（传染的）one day before symptoms develop and for up to five days after becoming sick.

    The signature symptom of a cold is a runny nose. The flu will make you burn with fever, ache all over, feel extremely tired and cough intensely. The flu can sometimes lead to more serious diseases, such as pneumonia.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A doctor can test you to see whether you have the flu in the first few days of the illness. But some treatments for both are pretty much the same:

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many doctors consider water a weapon against the common cold. It helps your blood drive off viruses and flood them out.

    Keep warm. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, and wearing several layers is very important.

    Wash your hands frequently. You don't want to make it worse by spreading the flu to everyone else. Also, avoid sharing cups and eating utensils(餐具) with other people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But if your flu symptoms get worse, go to a hospital or clinic right away.

A. Most people who catch the flu get better without having to see their doctor.

B. Sometimes, it's hard to tell a cold from the flu based on symptoms alone.

C. Drink lots of water.

D. Taking medicine on time is a good way to prevent the illness.

E. "Bless you!" is a common response to sneezes, the symptom of catching a cold or the flu.

F. Get lots of sleep and take it easy.

G. You can pass on the flu before you even know you have it.

    Long, long ago people couldn't write and they had no books. But they had stories. People learned the stories by heart and taught new ones to one another. Sometimes it was hard to remember them all. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The ancient Egyptians wrote their stories on something made from papyrus (纸沙草) plants. People in other places wanted to learn from the Egyptians to use papyrus.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So, parchment (羊皮纸), made from goatskin, later took its place.

    In ancient China books looked a little different. People there used ink to write on bamboo or silk. And then they invented paper. Made of trees, paper was easier and cheaper to make than papyrus or parchment.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Paper-making later spread to the West, but there was a big problem with these early books. Every single one had to be copied and written by hand.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They carved (雕刻) a page of words into a piece of wood or stone. They could then print the page by spreading ink on the wood or stone and putting it against paper. But it wasn't until a German printer invented movable, metal letters that books became fast and easy to make. The letters could be used to print copy after copy, and the letters put together again and again to print different pages of words.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Once a luxury (奢侈品) only the rich could buy, they soon became a treasure everyone could enjoy.

A. It took years to finish making just one book.

B. But papyrus grew mainly in Egypt.

C. Things grew a little easier when writing was invented.

D. Finally books could be printed by the thousands.

E. The Chinese were the first to think of a way to speed things up a little.

F. Books in the West didn't change for a long time after that.

G. Its surface was smoother and better for writing on too.

    Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:

    Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}As your stamina (耐力) improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You don't have to do all your exercise at one time, so you can weave in activity throughout your day. Shorter but more frequent sessions have benefits to your heart, too. Exercising in 10-minute sessions three times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session.

    Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. But don't stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Break things up if you have to.

B. and even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem.

C. Stick to your fitness schedule strictly.

D. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for 5 to 10 minutes without getting overly tired.

E. You may be pushing yourself too hard.

F. Find activities you enjoy to add to your fitness routine.

G. and even improve your range of motion.

What I've been wondering is: {#blank#}1{#/blank#}And if so, how? Here are three ideas to do just that.

Read books and watch movies that transport you

One of my favorite things to do before taking a trip is to search out books and movies that can help me get a feel for a place. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Search out famous—or not-so-famous—books or films from the part of the world you want to visit. Then get lost in these during your staycation week.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Music is deeply connected to our emotions, which makes it particularly transporting. The beautiful sounds of Sigur Rós, for example, can create a dreamy atmosphere. Hawaiian ukulele and hula music bring the beach to your living room. Try searching for artists or genres of music from your desired destination and build a playlist to help you set the atmosphere.

Visit a museum — virtually

Museums in many locations have started to reopen with social distancing and masks, but if you're not ready to go in person, you can spend an afternoon exploring them online. Google map has digitized hundreds of collections and online tours at museums around the world. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Tour a national park

Camping is one type of vacation that's mostly safe and accessible to do right now. But if you can't get to the great outdoors, bring the outdoors to your home.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Explore a Hawaiian volcano, dive a Florida beach or ride horseback through the red rocks of Bryce Canyon.

If you don't have the budget or time to travel right now, try layering a few of these ideas together to create a kind of at-home immersion(沉浸感).

A. Listen to related music.

B. Is it necessary to go out for an adventure?

C. You can choose a national park for camping.

D. Find one near your destination using this map.

E. But you can still do this even if you're staying at home.

F. Is it possible to have an adventure without leaving home?

G. You can do that with an online tour in America's national parks.