My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

Common public speaking problems

    The use of “I feel”, “I think” and “maybe”

    In the question-and –answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like “I feel”, “I hear”, “maybe” and “perhaps”. These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence. Instead of the empty-sounding “I guess”, using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Don't stick to the same tone. It can be boring. Try to mix it up. For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles tighter. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . you're responsible for your words. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish. So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy(盗版), started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

A. Try mixing more than one style.

B. Improving your communication skill.

C. Using only one speaking style

D. It's important to involve your audience.

E. Public speaking is different from personal conversations.

F. The key is to work out what question is being asked

G. To the judges and audience, this lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable.

    There is an English saying: “{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

A. Laughter can change one's life.

B. As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh.

C. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

D. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet.

E. Although laughter helps cure the disease, doctors still can not put this theory into clinic practice.

F. Laughter is the best medicine.

G. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

One of the healthiest Foods on the planet

    There is probably no flower more hated, or misunderstood, than the bright yellow dandelion (蒲公英). {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In an effort to have the perfect green grass lawn, people try their best to kill all dandelions with chemical products. Or they dig them out at the roots—only to see them grow right back.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They are a great source of vitamin K and also are a good source of vitamins A and C. They also have vitamin E, folate and small amounts of other B vitamins. Also, they provide lots of iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

    Besides nutrition, another great thing about dandelions is that you can eat every part of them—from the bottom of the roots to the top of the flower. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Do not eat ones that have been treated with dangerous chemicals or are growing near high traffic areas.

    Dandelions are said to provide several possible health benefits such as helping in digestion and improving some skin conditions. They may also reduce inflammation (炎症).

    Children in many parts of the world have had the simple pleasure of blowing the soft, white dandelion tops. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, there is a game children play with dandelions that have gone to seed. Pick the white top, make a wish, close your eyes and blow! If you blow all of the seeds off in one breath, your wish will come true! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Well, that is what many children believe.

B. They watch the seeds float easily in the air.

C. At least the seeds have traveled far and wide.

D. Just make sure to take care when picking wild dandelions.

E. You can let more of this nutritious food source continue to grow.

F. Dandelions are actually one of the most nutritious foods in the world.

G. In the United States, they are considered “weeds”, the name for any unwanted plant.

Cute Ways to Wake Someone Up over the Phone

    In the morning waking someone up is what many people dislike. However, maybe waking up on a special phone call changes a person's opinion.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} As a result, give a person a special morning wake-up call to start his day off and hopefully improve his view for the rest of the day.

    Playing a Song

    Play a song when your lucky one answers the phone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you don't want to start the day with a bright song, choose his favorite music or one that has a special meaning for the two of you to make sure he'll know at once who is providing his cute wake-up call.

    Making an Impression

    Try out a few expressions to wish your special person a good morning. You can choose a phrase from her favorite movie and imitate (模仿) the actor's voice from the movie.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Joking Around

    Start the morning off with a joke included in your wake-up call. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} No matter how funny you may be, waking someone up before her body is ready is no joke.

    Using Different Languages

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or go over a few ways to wish your friend a good morning in his native language. For a humorous touch, be creative.

A. Try singing or playing music yourself.

B. You can also choose your favorite line.

C. Choose one that will put a smile on his face.

D. Use any foreign language you are familiar with.

E. Humor, for example, helps improve an individual's view.

F. No matter which type of joke you choose, keep the content lighthearted.

G. You don't want to interrupt your friend or family member's biological clock.

Nobel, who was born in Stockholm, is a great scientist famous for his dangerous experiments.

    Nobel studied in the US and then Russia between 1850 and 1859. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As is known, bomb is dangerous to life, but Nobel was working under that condition. Once a big explosion in his lab completely destroyed the lab and caused some deaths. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He received criticism and satire, but he proceeded with the work rather than losing heart. From 1860s to 1880s, Nobel made many achievements and his inventions were first used in building roads and digging tunnels. Most of the bombs were safer and more possible to be controlled. Even at the end of the 20th century, we still used his methods.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} He was quick to see industrial3openings for his scientific inventions and built up over 80 companies in 20 different countries. Indeed his greatness lay in his outstanding ability to combine the qualities of an original scientist with those of a forward-looking industrialist.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Seldom happy, he was always4searching for a meaning to life, and from his youth, he had taken a serious interest in literature and philosophy. His greatest wish, however, was to see an end to wars, and thus peace between nations, and he spent much time and money working for this cause. To follow his will, a fund was set up to encourage people to make great progress in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and peace. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. After his return, he started researching into bombs.

B. After that he had to experiment on a boat in a lake.

C. Everyone knows the story of his famous invention.

D. That's the Nobel Prize which means great honour to a scientist.

E. Nobel had many patents in Britain and other European countries.

F. Most of his theories have been tested and found to be true though some may sound strange.

G. But Nobel's main concern was never with making money or even with making scientific