Helen Keller once wrote, “The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The UN has set December 5 as Internatuional Volunteers Day to give recognition to these people.

    Nineteen-year-old Andrew Makhoul was a communications major at the University of Pennsylvania. It was coming up to spring break, but unlike his classmates, Makhoul wasn't planning on spending the break relaxing.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    He traveled to Guatemala. He went to an orphanage（孤儿院）in one of the most violent and poor parts of Guatemala city.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Although he didn't speak much Spanish, he found communication wasn't a problem: “You communicated with love.” And what he gave out, he got back: “You could see love when you looked in their eyes.”

    Makhoul's first time as a volunteer only lasted a week, but by the end of that week, he knew he'd be back in the future.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The UN highlighted the case of Palestinian women who are survivors of breast cancer. As part of the UN's Aid and Hope Programme for Patient Care, the women have been volunteering their time to create low-cost breast prosthetics（假体）to be distributed to women for free, among whom Shahd El-Swerki is a brilliant example.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} By the end of her time there, she admired these women who are “not only survivors but also volunteers”.

    About 2,400 years ago, Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “The essence（本质）of life is to serve others and do good.” Volunteers all around the world are making these words come true, each and every day.

A. It depends upon volunteers to stay open.

B. She worked with the women as part of the programme.

C. Here, we tell two volunteering stories from around the globe.

D. Sometimes, volunteers themselves live with huge challengers.

E. He decided to spend his time doing something useful for people.

F. Volunteers want to do their best to make the world warmer and more beautiful.

G. These words certainly prove true for the millions of volunteers all over the world.

How to Protect Yourself from Hackers Online

    An increase in cyber-attacks (网络攻击) makes the Internet seem like a scary place these days. How can individuals protect or make it more difficult for hackers to access their information? Here are several tips that can help you protect against cyber-attacks:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Hard passwords include upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. They should be at least eight characters in length. They should also not spell out words easy for hackers to find, like your pet's name or the name of a family member.

    Change your password regularly

    A very common mistake made by users is to create one hard password, but then never change it. Remembering a long list of complicated passwords can be difficult. But no password is unbreakable. Hackers are better able to hack multiple accounts if those accounts all have the same password. A password management service, like Dashlane or PasswordBox, can help you keep track of hard passwords. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Clear your browser (浏览器) history

    This goes for all the devices you use in a day – your home computer, your work computer, or your friend's iPad. Internet browsers like Firefox or Chrome keep track of where you've been and what you've done online. They keep records of every site you visited. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is very easy for anyone who sees that information to steal a detailed record of your online activities.

    Do not use free Wi-Fi

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Often, a user does not need a password to connect to these wireless networks. These services might be useful, but they're also an easy way for hackers to access everything on your device.

    Use anti-virus protection

    There are many anti-virus services available for users. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some anti-virus services are even free. They are a great way to have a professional help keeping users one step ahead of hackers.

A. Be careful while using thumb drive.

B. These services permit users to easily store and secure their passwords.

C. Make your password harder to hack.

D. They can offer many different types of computer protection.

E. An increasing number of public places now offer free wireless access to the Internet.

F. Information about what you sent from or saved on your computer can be kept for days or weeks.

G. Unless you really need it, it is best not to use it.

    Many people think that English writing is difficult. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some great writing tips that will help you improve your writing in a short time.

    Don't ramble(长篇大论). This is a very common mistake made by people who have poor writing skills. When they ramble, they are not paying attention to grammar. As a result, their sentences become very long. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you know you have poor grammar, use short sentences.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about each sentence carefully to make sure that it is correct before moving on. It's better to write a short passage that is easy to read and mistake-free than to write a long article that is filled with grammar mistakes.

    Increase your vocabulary. If you don't have a large vocabulary, you will find it difficult to write as you can't find right words to express yourself clearly. The solution (解决办法) to this problem is to increase your vocabulary. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can do this by reading the local newspapers daily, borrowing books from the library or watching English programs.

    Don't write when you are tired. Tiredness can lead to nothing to write. If you find yourself looking at a blank piece of paper with nothing to write, don't just sit there! Take a walk or a warm shower, or simply lie down to get some rest. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You'll find that you'll enjoy your writing a lot more and make fewer mistakes!

A. Find out the mistakes you've made.

B. Make sure your sentences are correct.

C. You can pick up new words almost anywhere.

D. Write what interests you most in the beginning.

E. As a result, they may give up after trying hard for a while.

F. The longer the sentences are, the more mistakes they'll make.

G. When your mind is relaxed, you should go back to your writing.

    We've probably all met someone who likes to show off how many places he or she has been to. It's annoying but it's true that to some people, traveling is all about the number of destinations one has set foot on. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Last year's travel trend was "experiential travel". This is where tourists look for ways to get to know local culture and communicate with local people so they feel less like outsiders but more like locals. So what about now? Can thoughtful tourists get even more out of their traveling experience?

    Transformative travel

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It usually goes through three stages—you go to a place that has a very different background than where you come from, you learn wisdom from the new culture and the people you meet, and finally you return home and apply the knowledge to your own life and the lives of those around you. This last stage is how the transformation is completed and what separates transformative travel from experiential travel.

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

    Eco-friendly and sustainable(可持续的) travel will be one of this year's top trends. One way to plan a low-impact trip is to travel a shorter distance, which can reduce your carbon footprint. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another way to involve sustainability in your travel plans is to choose a destination that will benefit the most from your trip. For example, places like Nepal will enjoy promotion of its local economy from the money it will make through tourism

    Disappearing destinations.

    Destinations at risk of disappearing are also welcoming an increasing number of tourists.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Another top destination is the Great Barrier Reef (大堡礁) in Australia. Due to pollution and global warming, it's predicted that the reef will be seriously damage in just a few decades. Travelers are longing to see the coral(珊瑚) before it's gone or completely changed.

A. Go green

B. Self-service travel

C. It is much like“experiential travel”, but takes it a step further.

D. But fortunately, the old "been there, seen that" mode is changing.

E. Nowadays people have many kinds of ways to get to their destinations.

F. The Antarctic has become a popular destination since it's under threat of climate change.

G. One trans-Pacific flight equals a year's worth of driving, so consider planning a closer adventure.

    As Labor Day gets close, many Americans are trying to find some final vacation time before kids head back to school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} With people still looking for that escape, it's important to know some tips to make your dollars go the extra mile when traveling. Choose places that are in their off-season during kids' school breaks. Over the Christmas/New Year's break, for example, the prices for flights and hotels in the Caribbean and Hawaii are sky-high. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can go to places that are in their low season but are warm and festive (欢乐的).

    For US trips, think about extended-stay hotels (常住酒店). Extended-stay hotels give you affordable suites (套房) with a lot of free facilities for the money. You get a door to the kids' room that you can close at bedtime. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A refrigerator, microwave and washing machines, as well as free breakfast, Wi-Fi and sometimes even dinner and snacks are available, too.

    For European city trips, rent an apartment. Hotel rooms in European cities can be expensive and tiny. They have no refrigerator or microwave, and neighbors can hear every sound. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It also gives you more space and thicker (更厚的) walls. The kitchen can help you save some money in hotel breakfast charges, and the washing machine can help you save the time for washing.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Hunting for specific items — maybe they're seashells from each beach you stop at, maps from tourist information offices or door handle do-not-disturb-signs from hotels—gives kids a task and keeps them busy in a trip. Collecting souvenirs on a certain theme is a lot cheaper than buying them.

So, you want to learn how to get the most out of your reading experience. Reading effectively is a piece of cake whether you're reading for school or fun. The following tricks will not only help you comprehend the information you're learning, but make the reading experience much more enjoyable. 

Skim through the text. 

Get a preview of what's to come by flipping through the pages. Once you have the basic idea of what you're reading, scan through the table of contents and headers or flick through the pages. Glance over any images, graphs, or illustrations. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Take notes while you read. 

Practice active reading by taking notes. Before grabbing your notebook, wait until you've finished reading or skimming through a complete section or idea. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . Be sure to include the page number and source you're summarizing in your notes so that you can refer to the text later. 

Think about what you've read. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Once you reach the end of a main idea, section, or chapter, take a few moments to let everything soak in before you get back to reading. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Identify the author's bias, assess the evidence, and observe your immediate reactions. Ask yourself whether you agree with the position that's being presented or the direction of the plot. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} . 

Link what you read to your existing knowledge or past experiences. Instead of treating the text as an isolated piece of writing, link it to previous readings. If a plot point reminded you of something from your own life, make a mental note of it. If you can connect the examples in the journal article with something you learned in class, jot down those similarities. 

A. Make personal connections to the material

B. Set aside a few minutes to keep everything in mind

C. Pause between main ideas to process the reading material

D. Don't be afraid to question the text and make your own assumptions

E. Remember: trying to be as fast as possible is the first thing you should consider

F. Summarize the main idea in your head, and then write the main points and concepts

G. Take a few seconds to read the text quickly, including the notes, to spot eye-catching key words.