Attraction of the Minions

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil,focus on the hero and ignore the supporting characters. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Originallycomedic background characters in the film Despicable Me(卑鄙的我), these yellow pill­shaped nuts, havetotally stolen the show and turned into a popular figure. This summer thecharacters debuted(首演)in their own self­titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggestopening weekend of all time for a cartoon film according to USAToday.Recently, McDonald's has been including Minion toys with kids' meals in someareas, causing loyal fans to flock to the restaurant to collect them all. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Themovie's huge popularity even surprised its writers.“We never knew the Minionswere going to be so popular.It just became a force of nature，” the film's co­writer Cinco Paul toldthe LosAngelesTimes.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For many, the appeal is obviously their cuteness.Their simple nature can easilysurpass cultures and age groups.Even children can draw them.Thousands ofexamples of fan­made Minion art from fingernails to Halloween clothes arevisible on global social media platforms.

Butthere's more to the phenomenon than just cuteness.US entertainment website HitFix explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures influential aswell. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But it seems everyone can understand them through theirexaggerated(夸张的)movements and expressions.

Moreimportantly, their childlike mannerisms is a brand of humor that winshearts.“Clumsy, foolish Minions are recognized as the ultimate betapersonalities，”wrote Peter Debruge of US entertainment magazine Variety.

Theydesire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“Perhaps we love Minions because they remind us of ourselves，” HuffingtonPost associate Web editor SaraBoboltz wrote, “or an evil version of ourselves.”

    It's the time of year when graduates are looking forward to putting constant exams behind and moving on to a more exciting stage of their lives. But in the digital age, not everything is so easily left behind, because they have created a digital footprint that's often not easy to cover up. However, there are various actions they can take to make that online presence（网络形象） more appreciating.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Clean up your Facebook account

    Clean up your Facebook page and get rid of anything that could be considered offensive （冒犯的，无礼的） or held against you. Remember, the test is no longer “Would you want grandma to see it?” but “{#blank#}2{#/blank#}”

    Use a professional looking photo{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, so make sure that first impression is a good one. Again, what worked at school is unlikely to impress the employers. Also, be consistent （一致的）and use the same photo on all your online platforms.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    While it's important to make the transition（过渡）from school to the workplace, you don't want to leave everything behind. Make a point of keeping in touch with your school friends, teachers, professors, sports coaches, or anyone who could be helpful to you as you establish a career.

    Be yourself

    Nobody can be more like you than you.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Turn your social networking pages into your own personal website, and start marketing your own individual ,brand!

A．Grow your network

B．Search your memory

C．A picture is worth a thousand words

D．Whom would you want to see it?

E．Would you want a future employer to see it?

F．Make sure your online presence is representative of who you really are.

G．Here are a few suggestions that you might want to pass on.

Can zoos ever be animal-friendly?

    The topic of our last class discussion was “How can zoos provide animals with a good life?” Everyone believed it was impossible for zoos to give animals a caring environment. Our teacher suggested that visiting a modern zoo might give us a new point of view.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In our discussion, many people said that zoos were full of smelly cages with unhappy animals living in. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, however, was set in an attractive, open environment. Trees and flowers had been planted around the park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    At school, some people accused（指责）zoos of exploiting（剥削）animals for money but at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Before I visited Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I wasn't sure about the rights and wrongs of zoos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel that, although zoos can't provide the freedom of the wild, they can be animal-friendly by giving animals a safe and caring environment. As long as they do this well, to my mind they make a good contribution（贡献）to animal health. They also play an important part in educating us about wildlife. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the bus back to school, we all agreed that what we liked most was the zoo's environment and we would recommend（推荐）it for next year's group.

A. It is difficult for the zoo to raise animals.

B. More and more animals enjoy their wild homes.

C. I think lots of my friends changed their minds, too.

D. Most of the money is used to improve conditions at the zoo.

E. I went to the zoo and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

F. In my opinion, the animals, rather than seeming upset, were pleased.

G. It was difficult to say how a zoo could really make up for animals' loss of freedom.

    Many young people want to be a driver. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help your teen become a more confident driver.

    Teach your teen the rules of the road

    Before your teen gets behind the wheel of a car, he or she should know well the rules of the road.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If your teen understands the basic rules and how the car works, then he or she will feel a little better about getting on the road.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Actions speak louder than words. Many people will tell you that they learned how to drive by watching one of their close family members drive. You should show good driving skills with examples.

    Practice

    Practice makes perfect. The more your teen practices, the more confident he or she will become. Your teen should start off by driving in a place that is free of barriers (障碍).{#blank#}4{#/blank#} After your teen has gotten comfortable about this, he or she can start practicing on the road.

    Drive in different conditions

    In order for your teen to become a good driver, he or she has to practice driving in different conditions.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Get car insurance (保险)

    Many teens are worried about how much their parents would have to pay if an accident occurs. You should explain to your teen that car insurance can help one save a lot of money.

A. Model good driving

B. Teach your teen by yourself

C. Then he or she can start to drive on the road.

D. An empty parking lot is a good place for a new driver to practice.

E. This includes things such as heavy traffic, bad weather and freeways.

F. However, some of them are nervous about actually getting out on the road.

G. You should have your teen review the driver's handbook and the vehicle's instructions.

    No one likes to fail. Whether it's at work, at home, or in another area of your life, failure is painful and it can also be costly in terms of time, money, or both. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you never suffer a failure, then you're probably not pushing yourself to your full potential. The following are some tips on how to pick yourself up after you've failed.

    Remember that other people fail too. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They'll tell you about that great new contract they signed, not the deal that failed eventually though they worked on it for months. But failure is normal, and lots of people fail time and time again before meeting with success.

Remind yourself of your past successes. Failing doesn't mean that you're worthless, or that you'll never achieve the things you want. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Maybe you had high marks last term, or you lost weight, or you learned to play a musical instrument. You might want to write down a list of successes—things that you've accomplished over the past few year, whether big or small. If you ever lack confidence, you can go back and read over that list.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Your past successes are important, but so are your past failures. You've made mistakes before, and you've survived them. Perhaps you did badly in an exam, or lost your temper and had to apologize. It's not fun to think about the times when things went wrong, but by acknowledging your failures, you can remind yourself that today is no different. Just as you recovered in the past, you can recover from your recent failure too.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Whatever went wrong, you're probably facing some sort of decision. Don't rush into making hasty decision, but do look for a forward path. That might require some deep thinking.

A. Make a decision.

B. Limit the damage caused.

C. Remind yourself of your past failures.

D. However, failure is a normal part of life.

E. Get some advice and support from others.

F. Most people don't talk openly about their failures.

G. Think of all the times in the past when you've succeeded.

    Sticking to your body's natural sleep-wake cycle is one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, you will feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you change your sleep schedule by only an hour or two.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try the following ways to help you stick to your body clock, and you will have a better sleep.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Keeping a regular sleep-wake schedule helps set your body's internal clock and improve the quality of your sleep. Start by setting realistic bedtime that will work with your lifestyle.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you're getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set earlier bedtime.

    Avoid sleeping in — even on weekends or nights you've stayed up late.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you need to make up for late night, choose a daytime nap rather than sleeping in. This way allows you to pay off your sleep debt with disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm.

    Be smart about napping. As mentioned above, napping is a good way to recharge and make up for lost sleep hours. But if you tend to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, napping can make things worse.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Besides, limiting them to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon is a good idea.

A. Never sleep after dinner.

B. Consistency is vitally important.

C. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day.

D. Don't turn to sleeping pills every time you can't sleep quickly.

E. If sleeplessness is a problem for you，consider ridding naps altogether.

F. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you will fall fast asleep.

G. The more your weekend / weekday sleep schedules differ, the worse the jet lag-like symptoms you will experience.