All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China. Egypt or Italy!{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

    Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

    People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.

A. And think of people in cold countries

B. Sports help to train a person's character

C. Not a few people participate in different sports competitions themselves

D. Many people like to watch others play games

E. People aren't inventing new sports or games

F. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them

G. People are inventing new sports or games all the time

    Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States and Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes which will give them a head start in life.        {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.

    Parents can see that their children's skills differ. Some children are very skilled in some areas while poor in others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills that they need to be confident, happy and clever.

    Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework. Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully step by step. The result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and lots of self-confidence.

    Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to repair them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And that is more important.

A. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.

B. The more cost in education, the better the result will be.

C. Cooking requires patience and time.

D. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today's children are badly off for self-respect and self-confidence.

E. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is.

F. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind.

G. Thus, the more the children use the computer, the better the result will be.

    Shaking hands, American style

    People often shake hands in the United States. American men shake hands with other men. American women often shake hands with men, and sometimes they shake hands with other women. Adults shake hands with children. And some people even teach their dogs to shake hands! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How do they shake hands just long enough? Just hard enough? Here are four little rules to remember.

    ⒈Use your right hand.

    ⒉Use good eye contact(眼神交流). Look at the person in the eye while you are shaking hands.

    ⒊Don't shake too long. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then let go and pull your hand back toward you.

    ⒋{#blank#}3{#/blank#} When a handshake is weak, Americans think the person may not be a hard worker or a good leader. When a handshake is too strong, Americans think the person is too rough(粗鲁) or has bad manners.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They shake hands when they meet for the first time. They shake hands to say congratulations. They shake hands when they meet after not seeing each other for a while. And they often shake hands when they say good-bye. In business, shaking hands shows agreement and honesty.

    Handshakes are good everywhere. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So make sure to shake plenty of hands.

A. Offer you hand first.

B. Shake for no more than three seconds.

C. How do people shake hands correctly?

D. Don't shake too strongly or too weakly.

E. It is not polite to refuse a person's hand.

F. When do people in the United States shake hands?

G. Make sure your hands aren't sweaty when you do this.

    Anyone who loves to sing will probably tell you how good it makes them feel. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But there are many different physical, emotional and social benefits associated with singing that you may not realize.

    singing improves your memory and cognition (认识). For one thing, there is no question that singing requires you to use your memory in ways that you don't normally use even if you can't always remember all of the lyrics to your favorite songs, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For another thing, singers and musicians typically have higher IQ than non-musicians. Singing can improve your overall brain function and help you think a little clearer.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A joint Yale and Harvard study showed that for some people living in New Haven, Connecticut, choral singing promoted healthy minds and hearts, which increased the length of life.

    Singing lowers your blood pressure .There have been several case studies that have revealed that singing can decrease blood pressure due to its calming and relaxing effect{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Singing brings people together and creates a sense of community. Singing in a choir or singing in any sort of group environment with other people can be a fun, bonding activity. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} what's more, singing in a chore can be decrease depression in many adults.

A. Singing leads to a longer life.

B. Singing can cure various diseases.

C. It gives you an opportunity to share an experience with a group of people.

D. This is one excellent way to keep your brain remember things well as you age.

E. Although singing is good for your health, it is not good singing loudly in public.

F. It's no secret that singing can reduce your stress and bring much fun into your day.

G. Patients are able to calm themselves down and lower blood pressure by singing songs.

Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.

"I adore dancing," says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. "I can't imagine doing anything else with my life." Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. "Teaching dance is wonderful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's great to watch them. For many of them, it's a way of meeting people and having a social life."

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"I can tell you about one young couple," says Bridges. "They're learning to do traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, "Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I'm alive."

A. So why do we dance?

B. Dance in the U.S. is everywhere.

C. If you like dancing outdoors, come to America.

D. My older students say it makes them feel young.

E. I keep practicing even when I'm extremely tired.

F. Dancing seems to change their feeling completely.

G. They stayed up all night long singing and dancing.

Developing and maintaining healthy friendships involves give-and-take. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Expressing your feelings of affection and gratitude towards your friends is a powerful way to reinforce the connections you share with them. It is equally crucial for you to embody the qualities of a supportive and considerate friend as it is to be surrounded by individuals who embody these traits. By acknowledging and valuing the presence and contributions of your friends in your life, you not only nurture your relationships but also create an environment of mutual respect and understanding. This reciprocal appreciation can lead to deeper, more meaningful friendships that stand the test of time.

To nurture your friendships:

Be kind. This most-basic behavior remains the core of successful relationships.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Every act of kindness and every expression of gratitude are deposits into this account, while criticism and negativity draw down the account.

Be a good listener.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Let the other person know you are paying close attention through eye contact, body language and occasional brief comments such as, "That sounds fun." When friends share details of hard times or difficult experiences, be empathetic, but don't give advice unless your friends ask for it.

Open up. Build intimacy with your friends by opening up about yourself. Being willing to disclose personal experiences and concerns shows that your friend holds a special place in your life, and it may deepen your connection.

 {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Being responsible, reliable and dependable is key to forming strong friendships. You're your engagements and arrive on time. Follow through on commitments you've made to your friends. When your friends share confidential information, keep it private.

Make yourself available. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Make an effort to see new friends regularly, and to check in with them in between meet ups. You may feel awkward the first few times you talk on the phone or get together, but this feeling is likely to pass as you get more comfortable with each other.