May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

      These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also, common colleges work more to getthe students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

      For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economymakes parents nervous. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The recent problems that spread from thehousing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans．Solately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aidfor students.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}The Education Department expects the number of highschool graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of thechildren of the baby boom generation finish high school. Thenumber is not expected to start rising again until 2016.

A．Besides, top colleges are facing changesin the population.

B．What contributes to it?

C．But a mistake can be costly if ithappens.

D．But top colleges ignore them．.

E．They have international students whoknow English.

F．It can mean several acceptances tochoose from.

G．They cannot afford college as planned.

    You are sitting on the desk. A teacher is writing on the blackboard. Kids are yelling in the playground outside. A book falls off the desk next to you. Suddenly, the teacher hands you a pop quiz.

Don't panic! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You're in a “virtual（虚拟的）classroom”. Everything you see and hear is coming to you through a computer-operated display that you're wearing on your head like a pair of very big glasses. Wearing this kind of virtual-reality equipment, you can find yourself sitting in a classroom, touring a famous museum, wandering across a strange landscape, flying into space, or playing with a cartoon character. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Virtual-reality equipment that delivers images and sounds directly to your eyes and ears makes these fake worlds seem lifelike.

Unlike the classroom, the technology is real. It's a type of technology that uses computer programs to imitate real world situation.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Movie directors and video game producers have been using computers for years to create ever more realistic special effects. Some companies are now building three-dimensional（三维）fantasy worlds in which players, linked by computer networks, appear to meet and go on explorations together.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They see virtual reality technology as a useful tool for learning more about why people act as they do. It could help psychologists deter identify and come up with solutions for behaviors problems, for example.

“We've spent the last 100 years looking for certain laws in how people interact with the real world,” says psychologist Albert. “ {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This is psychologist's dream.”

    To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}And it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger, and stress, and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

    How should you start to forgive? Try the following steps:

    Calm yourself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can take couple of breaths, and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

    Don't wait for an apology.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time. Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

    Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who caused your pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out or unawareness, fear; and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender's point of view.

    Don't forget to forgive yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. However forgiveness is possible

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness

D. Try to see things from your offender's angle

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique

G. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize

    Penguins are flightless birds that spend half their time on land and half in the water.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They have dark and white feathers, and their wings have evolved into flippers(脚蹼).Most penguins feed on fish, squid and other forms of sea life caught while swimming.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They are mostly found in groups that include thousands of penguins. Penguins each have their own unique mating call, and they use that to locate their mate and chicks in such a large group.

    Although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold Antarctica.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Several species are even found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galátpagos penguin, lives near the equator(赤道).

    Unfortunately, many penguin species worldwide are facing threats. The biggest is climate change and global warming. As the earth warms up, the sheets of ice have melted, and the algae(藻类)that grow under the ice decrease. The algae are eaten by tiny creatures called zooplankton. When there is a drop in zooplankton, it affects the fish that depend on it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another major threat is from oil spills. If coated with oil, penguins cannot float or swim in water. Also, if oil is swallowed, penguins will die from poison.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. These birds are very social.

B. In fact, only a few of them live so far south.

C. Penguins are highly adapted for life in the water.

D. The biggest threat for penguins comes from humans.

E. They have a tendency to live in a community together.

F. As a result, penguins have less fish to eat and thus starve.

G. Others include overfishing, illegal egg harvesting, and natural enemies.

    Everyone knows English is one of the most important subjects in middle schools. And we always know learning English is very important, but few students know how to learn English well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I think if we have a right way to learn English, and we work hard, then we must learn English well. But what is the right way?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Second, everyone knows remembering new words is important, but how to remember them? I think we can copy new words on pieces of paper, and take them with us. When we are free, we can read them. Third, how to improve our listening and speaking?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And we can answer the questions in class, don't be afraid of making mistakes. I think it's useful to us. Finally, it's about reading and writing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}And try our best to retell them. We can also keep a diary every day, and spend an hour practicing English.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If necessary, we can turn to our classmates and teachers for help instead of giving up. If we don't study hard, it's difficult to learn English well.

A. To begin with, you can recite as many words as you can.

B. First, we must he confident enough to learn English and be interested in it.

C. Whenever we meet difficulties in our English study, we shouldn't lose heart.

D. We can sing English songs, listen to the radio and listen to tapes every day.

E. Then how can we make rapid progress and learn English well?

F. In a word, we will make rapid progress.

G. When we are free, we can read articles in English

You know that eating healthy, staying active, and solving a few brain games can help keep your memory. But the following lesser-known habits work wonders too.

⒈{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

When we sit with our shoulders bent forward, this defeated position actually causes us to feel anxious or depressed — which makes it harder to think clearly and remember things. Conversely (反过来), straight upright posture apparently improves memory because it boosts blood and oxygen flow to the brain.

⒉ Exercise — Once

Having trouble remembering faces? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In a study, pictures of faces were shown to

older folks after they pedal a stationary (静止的) bike at an intense pace or simply sit on a self-pedaling bike. On average, people remembered the faces better after the intense exercise. What's more, the memory gains after a single workout were similar to the gains after 3 months of regular exercise.

⒊ Limit TV

Every parent and grandparent has heard that too much screen time can hurt a child's cognitive development. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to a study, people (aged 50 or older) who watched more than 3. 5 hours of TV a day for 6 years experienced a greater drop in verbal memory test scores than those who watched less.

⒋ Draw aimlessly

A research shows those who drew the words remembered the most when recalling words. That's because while some parts of the brain about getting memory back become worse as people grow older, the picture processing regions usually don't.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}    

⒌ Walk Backward

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Walk back! Backward motion — whether real, imagined, or watched — helps people remember the information better than sitting still and, in most cases, better than forward motion. It may be that moving backward in space mentally helps us move back in time to the moment we learned something.

A. Sit Tall.

B. Stand Straight.

C. Start more workouts.

D. Sweat for physical training.

E. Thus sketching can help adults keep their memory sharp.

F. But what about those at the other end of their life span?

G. Next time you're trying to recall something, don't just think back.