Question: Why is it so hard for some people to apologize after they've done something wrong? I have made efforts to persuade my uncle to be nice to people that he's hurt. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How I wish things would be better if he'd just say he's sorry and ask them to forgive him.

Answer: {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's just easier for him to pretend nothing happened than to face the embarrassment (尴尬) of admitting he was wrong. You've probably done the same thing yourself at some time. In fact, most of us have. Furthermore, what if others won't forgive him even if he apologizes?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Pride blinds us to our mistakes or faults. Or at least it makes us pay less attention to their seriousness.

    Pride also makes us unwilling to admit to others that we were wrong. Perhaps we're afraid they will look down on us if we admit it. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    But others see through our pride. And things would be far better if we admitted our faults and asked for forgiveness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

    Now you know why your uncle refuses to apologize, talk to him again. Help him to learn how to apologize and ask for forgiveness from others.

A. But a deeper reason is pride.

B. But he just refuses to do that.

C. We may even hope that somehow they will overlook it.

D. As a result, you would offend others and hurt their feelings.

E. There are a variety of reasons for your uncle's refusal to apologize.

F. Otherwise our pride would only hurt us and cause conflict with others.

G. One reason your uncle finds it hard to apologize could be embarrassment.

    Do you know Australia? Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of the earth.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well.

    Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers' exhibition. There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers' exhibition.

    After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere are sheep.

A. The people of Australia are very hard-working.

B. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.

C. Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos.

D. Australia is big, but its population is not large.

E. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers.

F. The sky is blue and the water is clean.

G. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves.

    Social media and the mobile web have given rise to a strange phenomenon called the selfie(自拍). It refers to a picture of yourself, usually shared on any social networking website.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some selfies are extreme close-ups(特写镜头), and others show part of an arm held straight outward. A few of them even feature the subject standing in front of a bathroom mirror.

    Everyone takes selfies, but the younger crowd seems to be especially involved in the trend. Young people are relatively heavier digital users. They are interested in staying connected to their friends.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    There are also kinds of psychological factors driving people to take a selfie and upload it to a social networking site.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} A quick and easy way to attract other's attention is to get "likes" and comments from friends. Secondly, it's human nature to show off your own great achievements. When you feel good about yourself or look good, it's far too easy to take out your phone and document it all through one or several selfies.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}That's right. Sometimes people are bored at work, bored at school, bored at home and even bored on the toilet. Last but not least, social media is about being social! If that means uploading as many selfies as possible, then so be it. It's fun, and it's a cool way to sort of document your own life.

    Finally, there are things to be mindful of when you're posting. It's easy to think you're sharing a photo with a few people.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}So don't post anything online, selfie especially.

A. There are lots of selfie styles.

B. The rise of selfies has become universal.

C. Social media, to some extent, is the driving force of their selfie activity.

D. The desire to take, post and get "likes" on selfies goes back to a biological behavior.

E. But the whole world of social media is public and every individual can get access to it.

F. There are also people who will take selfies because they have nothing else better to do.

G. The leading factor is that people want to get attention from as many people as possible.

    When the kids are out of school, parents are eager to use the holidays for some quality family time.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} While there's great concern among parents about the impact of screens on physical activity and face-to-face communications, parental use of screens is often overlooked. One recent report found that parents spend over nine hours per day with screen media. It's no wonder that families find it hard to have high-quality social interactions.

    Want our kids to put down the phones and tablets?{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's necessary that we unplug when we ask our kids to do the same. Some family activities we create can help us engage with our kids without the concern of screen time.

    Why not leave the devices at home and go for a tech-free nature walk? It will be an opportunity to make us more connected to the world beyond the screen. Focus on being in the moment and kids may enjoy collecting plant seeds or stones.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    A board game night is ideal for bringing family members together and being engaged. Moreover, playing games together fosters social interaction, cooperation, and the development of Social Emotional Learning (SEL).{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Some other family activities are wonderfully fun without the use of electronic devices. For example, take the kids swimming, or bring them to an indoor rock climbing gym. Bake a cake for a neighbor or plant a garden.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your kids will get lost in the activity, forgetting the devices.

    To be clear, technology has many benefits to parents and children. However, creating some tech-free time can help parents and kids feel more connected to each other.

A. We parents must model that behavior.

B. Even so, too much of a good thing can be bad for family time.

C. However, many of us find it hard to compete with electronics.

D. Parents may learn from their kids about science and nature as well.

E. Best of all, family members can enjoy being engaged in a shared experience.

F. The kids are more likely to have buy-in when they feel like they have a say.

G. All these activities require family members to focus their attention on the task at hand.

    A TEDx event is a local meeting where live TED-like talks and TED Talk video are shared. The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently, but all of them have features in common. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. For events less than half a day in length, two TED Talks videos are required to be shown. For longer events, 25% of the total number of talks must be official TED Talk videos.

    Being a TEDx organizer can be an unexpected experience. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    As a TEDx organizer, you'll have the choice to feature (以...为特色) live talks at your event, bringing attention to undiscovered voices in your community. If you decide to include individual speakers, choose special people who have a fresh way in their field, a unique story to tell in a good way.

    Follow rules & guidelines

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. But there's a reason they're part of the TEDx program- to make your job easier. The better you know the TEDx rules and guidelines throughout your TEDx journey, the less you'll have to deal with annoying details to correct later on.

Apply in advance

    Before you organize a TEDx event, you must get a TEDx license from TED.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You'll need more than three months to organize your event after your license is approved to give your speakers enough time to develop and practice their talks.

A. TEDx is such a global program that it is popular

B. Discover local voices

C. Then, set an event date months before

D. Rules and guidelines can be a pain

E. If you're thinking about becoming one, below are some tips for you to review

F. Rules are very important

G. Every TEDx event either shows TED Talk videos, or shows both videos and live speakers

How to Love Your Parents

    Even if you think that your parents are mean at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, we might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

    Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they are who struggle to keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Keep company with them. Do things with your parents together like watching TV, or go somewhere with them. Listen to their old stories and learn from them.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And then you will find they are your teachers in one way or another.

    Some people simply may not be able to love their parents.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Seek help if you are being abused（虐待） in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A. And remember forgiveness is the key.

B. Parents will in turn express their love to you.

C. Tell them you love them every morning.

D. After this, share your feelings with your parents.

E. Please remember parents are as important as friends.

F. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can.

G. There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example.