Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad (少年) offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If the lad had gone home to consider his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well.

    Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land good jobs. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And within a year this person had become general manager of the company.

A. This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B. People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.

C. it's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers

D. Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E. But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F. He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G. It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

Are you afraid of making mistakes?

    Learn to accept mistakes as opportunities, then you'll feel less stressed and fearful and you'll be more confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So what should you do?

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    Accept that you're human and that each of us will make mistakes.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are open to learning from your mistake, you will be able to move on rather than wallowing in (沉湎于) regret.

Be aware

    In other words, look for areas of improvement. Be aware of what you are doing, why you are doing it, how you feel, and how you make others feel. Sometimes, your words just don't land right or you say something but it is not what you mean to say. People have difficulty expressing what they really mean.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

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    Whenever you make a mistake or you are involved in a misunderstanding, take responsibility. There is always something to be learned or improved even if the other person is wrong, too.

A. By being fully aware of how you impact others, you keep an open state of learning which allows you to practice being a better person.

B. Be open to making mistakes and consider them as opportunities to learn valuable life lessons.

C. Here are some ideas that can prevent you from making mistakes.

D. Be open to making mistakes.

E. In short, you will benefit from the mistakes.

F. Say your words again so that others can understand you.

G. Accept full responsibility.

    If you were like most kids, your mother told you there were three no-no's when it came to your fingers: Don't put them in an electrical outlet, don't stick them up your nose ( at least not in public ), and don't use them when you are counting.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But experts in education and cognition now believe that using your fingers to do math is not only a perfectly good idea but may even help children become superior students.

    It certainly makes sense. When children count on their fingers, they take an abstract concept— mathematics—and translate it into the most basic and visual form.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even when we aren't actually counting on them, they still can help us on math problem,

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}It activates when we respond to heat, pressure, pain, or the use of a given finger. Studying brain scans, researchers discovered that when students aged 8 to 13 work on subtraction (减法) equations, this region “lights up” on the scans, even if the students aren't using their fingers. The more complex the problem, the more activities are detected.

    The connection between finger use and math ability has been shown on old-fashioned math tests as well. With their eyes closed, first graders were asked to identify which of their fingers a researcher was touching,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When college students were given the same quiz, the highest scores once again performed best on calculation tests.

    So what does all this mean? For one thing, parents and teachers shouldn't discourage children from counting on their fingers.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Memorizing the multiplication tables may help, but it is not the best option. “I would like to see interesting and creative representations of ideas.” says Jo Boaler, a professor of math education.

    Recently, a series of activities have been designed to strengthen students' perception of their fingers. Maybe in the near future, there will be only two no-no ¹s regarding the use of fingers.

A. The first two laws of fingers are as true as ever.

B. There is a section of the brain, called the somatosensory finger area.

C. Researchers also stress that students simply learn better using visual tools.

D. Researchers are unimpressed by those students who finish quickly as well.

E. In fact, experts believe the brain is able to “see” a representation of our fingers.

F. That may sound simplistic, but the researchers offer an interesting explanation.

G. Researchers found those scoring highest on the finger-ID questions scored higher on a math test.

    Have you ever lost your temper (脾气)? Did you scream or want to hit someone?

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You may get angry when something doesn't go your way. Maybe you get mad at yourself when you don't understand your homework or when your team loses an important game. Maybe your teacher gave you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrowed your favorite video game and then broke it. That made you angry!

    There are different ways people feel anger. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you breathing faster? Is your face bright red? Do you want to break something or hit someone? Anger can make you scream at those around you, even people you like or love.

    Some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may start to cry. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.

    Don't lose control if you get angry {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to know why. What can you do to keep the situation from happening again? If your little sister gets a toy and you don't, it's not OK to break that toy. Maybe you can ask her to share it with you.

    It helps to talk about your anger with an adult, such as a parent, teacher, or relative. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It's not good to hide your anger.

B. Anger can even be a good thing.

C. Taking it out on others never solves anything.

D. Many things may make you angry.

E. Usually your body will tell you when you are angry.

F. Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

G. When someone you know is angry, he or she may stop talking to you or become quiet.

How to Be a Good Tourist

    We travel not only for work but also for fun and learning. Restaurants, galleries, temples and architecture...These places are like homes for people who live and work there. How would you want visitors to behave in your own home? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are many ways of doing this without sacrificing our own holiday.

    Do your homework. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Guides will help you when you get to the site, but is that the best place to go? Is it popular only because the one-day tourist can see it easily or because it is really a worthwhile place to visit？You'd better check it out.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Walk around, even if in the streets closest to your hotel. Eat in local restaurants. Talk to the locals. Learn a few in the local language and use them. You will surely get a smile from the hotel staff and street sellers.

    Help preserve the sites. Most of the sites you visit may be visited by millions of people a year, so care needs to be taken to allow others to enjoy them as well. Some of these monuments are so old and fragile that they are sensitive to the touch of hands or bags and shows. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way, you don't encourage the use of those plastic bags that fly all over many sites.

    And here's the big one — good manners are nearly universal. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If that doesn't sound like you, then give the world a break and stay home.

A. Experience the place.

B. Always have a cloth bag with you.

C. Read about the places you want to visit.

D. Try to buy something from the local stores.

E. A good tourist is polite, positive and eco-sensitive.

F. We've cleaned up after ourselves and taken only good memories.

G. I think we would like them to make it a little better because of their visit.

Tips for Writing a Great Speech

    How to write a strong speech? There are a lot of different ways to answer that question. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Read your speech out loud.

    Unlike almost all other forms of writing, speech-writing is designed for listeners. So, when reviewing your text, read it to yourself and pay attention to how the words sound and feel. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If your phrases make you stumble (结巴),they are guaranteed to make your boss stumble as well. Just remember that good writing is not necessarily good speech-writing.

    Simple phrases are your friends.

    Keep your sentences short and sweet. Compound phrases with multiple clauses may look great on paper, but are likely to confuse your audience and decrease the effectiveness of your speech. Limit yourself to one or two ideas per sentence. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Do your research.

    Before beginning a speech, make sure to familiarize yourself with the subject. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The creative aspects of speech-writing are only effective when backed by a strong foundation of knowledge by the speaker. The audience must trust your words in order for their meaning to sink in. If you're well-prepared, it will show.

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    Your listeners should be a strong determining factor of the content, tone and style of your speech. Before drafting remarks, think about who you're speaking to, the place you're speaking at and the timing of your speech. There's a time and a place for every type of remarks. It's your job to figure out when and where you are.

A. Know your audience.

B. Show respect to your listeners.

C. Express them as clearly and powerfully as possible.

D. Thus, you can write about it with confidence and authority.

E. Do they slip off the tongue or are they clumsy and awkward?

F. Different writers are most likely to adopt diverse approaches to speech-writing.

G. Here are rules that all writers should follow in order to write a winning speech.