All languages change over time, but some change at a faster rate than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The most important factors are the number of people who speak a language, where they live and whether they move around, the importance of the language for world trade and communication, and changes in technology.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} However, today English is the most widely used language in the world. English is spoken by about 350 million people as a first language in countries such as Great Britain, the United States. In addition, about a billion more people speak English as a second language.

    English started to take over French as an international language during the period of British colonialism (殖民主义) when the English ruled many countries in Africa and Asia. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The colonial period came to an end at the same time that several other changes occurred. For example, the U.S. started to play a greater part in global affairs and the international economy. New means of communication technology such as television and the Internet spread English worldwide. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In addition, they could use the Internet for information, business, or e-mail communication, all in English. Just as the use of English spread, other languages changed English by contact or by new inventions and technology.

    In contrast, Icelandic is a language that has changed very slowly. Icelandic speakers today can understand poetry written in a slightly different dialect over 1,000 years ago! Why has Icelandic changed so slowly? The main reason is the isolated (孤立的) location of the island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Compared to England, Iceland had no history of colonialism. Iceland's small population has not played a major role in international trade or communication. Today, most Icelanders speak English in addition to their native language. With outside influences, Icelandic is changing more rapidly now.

A. People everywhere could watch the news or sports events in English.

B. These changes have a great influence on the development of society.

C. Isolation meant that for hundreds of years, Icelanders had little contact with speakers of other languages.

D. What are some of the factors that influence how quickly a language changes?

E. The language communication brings about the communication of technology.

F. In the past, other languages such as Latin or French were more important than English.

G. English was the primary means of communication in these colonies.

    Eyesight plays a very important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight:

    Schedule yearly exams. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eye- glasses.

    Protect against UV rays . Long-term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Give your eyes a break. Two-thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Experts recommend that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how.

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher has mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover them after you have tried these.

A. There are other methods that might help you with your studying

B. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

C. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.

D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E. Maybe you are an average student.

F. Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teacher says in class.

G. This will help you understand the next class.

Four Ways to Give Truly Meaningful Gifts

    Buying someone you love a gift that expresses your truest feelings isn't always easy. But when you get it right, the joy they show is worth it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Listen up.

    While you may think it's a great idea to surprise someone by giving them something you think is meaningful, it's best to get them exactly what they have told you. For example, you heard friends say they wanted the newest bike but you bought them a gym membership instead. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So get them what they've specially asked for.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    In the spirit of showing love, we might go big. However, we may not be thinking of what really makes the person happy. You might think buying your father the latest TV is perfect, but then when you get it home, it lights up the living room like a stadium and is totally wrong for the space. So think smart.

    Keep it open.

    Many of us may consider giving cash impersonal （没人情味的）. But this may save you some concern. The receiver can be allowed to choose whatever they want. In a recent survey of over 7,000 Black Friday shoppers, 39 percent said the receiver they were shopping for was “picky （挑剔）”. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Create an experience.

    Visit websites where you can get the latest tickets for a play, buy a surf lesson, or even something unexpected like a flight lesson. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, if your kids are into NASCAR, just imagine the look on their faces when you score them a ride at a race car driving school. So give them a time that they will remember to heart.

A. Ignore the size.

B. Go for something big.

C. Well, that was the wrong move.

D .If possible, cut down the cost of the gifts.

E. These are things that can create a lasting memory.

F. Here's how to discover a gift your receiver will love.

G. So save yourself the second guess and give cash instead.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity (名人).

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

B. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

C. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

D. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

E. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

F. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

G. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It takes faith to live by principles, especially when you see people close to you get ahead in life by lying, cheating, indulging, manipulating, and serving only themselves. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Take the principle of honesty. If you're a big liar, you may be able to get by for a while, even for a few years. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a liar who achieved success over the long haul. As Cecil B. DeMille observed about his classic movie The Ten Commandments, "It is impossible for us to break the law." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Unlike all the other centers we've looked at, principles will never fail you. They will never talk behind your back. They don't get up and move. They don't suffer career-ending injuries. They don't play favorites based on skin color, gender, wealth, or body features. A principle-centered life is simply the most stable, immovable, unshakable foundation you can build upon, and we all need one of those.

To grasp why principles always work, just imagine living a life based on their opposites —a life of dishonesty, loafing, indulgence, ingratitude, selfishness, and hate. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Ironically, putting principles first is the key to doing better in all the other centers. If you live the principles of service, respect, and love, for instance, you're likely to pick up more friends and be a more stable boyfriend or girlfriend. Putting principles first is also the key to becoming a person of character.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In whatever situation you find yourself, ask, "What is the principle in play here?" For every problem, search for the principle that will solve it.

    If you're feeling worn out and beaten up by life, perhaps you should try the principle of balance. If you find no one trusts you, the principle of honesty might just be the cure you need.

A. Decide today to make principles your life-center, or paradigm.

B. What you don't see, however, is that breaking principles always catch up to them in the end.

C. Everybody has his principle

D. Principles Never Fail.

E. I can't imagine any good thing coming out of that.

F. We can only break ourselves against the law.

G. Law is inseparable from our life.