【推荐1】It’s important to prepare for rainy days. Similarly, it’s important to save money.     1    Why? It’s because they’ve got used to spending all the money they make. Sometimes, the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. Here are some tips to help you save money.

    2    The first step in saving money is to know how much you’re spending. For one month, keep a record of everything you spend money on.Once you have your data, organize these numbers by category (类别) and get the total amount for each.

You can make a budget (预算). Now that you have a good idea of how much you spend in a month, what can you do now?     3     To plan your spending, you can build a budget. In this way, you can limit over-spending and make sure that you put money away for unexpected situations.

    4    Doing so make it much easier to get started. Begin by deciding how long it will take to reach each goal. Some short-term goals include starting a fund to cover 6 months to a year of living costs and saving money for a vacation. Long-term saving goals are often several years or even decades away and can include saving for retirement and putting money away for a child’s college education.

Make saving money easier with automatic transfers (自动转帐). Automatic transfers to your savings account are very helpful.     5    By moving money out of your checking account, you’ll be less likely to spend money you plan to use for savings.

A．You can set savings goals.

B．You can record your costs.

C．You can plan your spending.

D．You can keep a record of what you do.

E．They can make saving money much easier.

F．However, some people find it hard to save money.

G．You can move money out of your savings account.

【推荐2】Establishing healthy boundaries with yourself will help you stay within your range of control and prioritize what matters most. Here are some tips.

Be honest with yourself

Behind every fancy purchase is a desire for status and recognition. You secretly want to be noticed for wearing a new watch or carrying a designer purse.     1    So before taking action towards any attempt, such as making an expensive purchase or pursuing a job promotion, ask yourself, “Who am I doing this for?”    2     However, if you are pursuing something with the hopes of attracting attention, then you need to say no to yourself.

Honor your limits

    3    Trying to please everyone makes you vulnerable (脆弱的). The truth is you have limited energy and time. It is important that you are wise with your resources. The importance of honoring your limits is highlighted by the Greek mythological story. The story is a reminder that pushing yourself too hard for too long ultimately comes at a cost.

Stop comparing yourself to others

People will engage in behaviors that trigger you. It might be tempting to enter an undeclared competition with the Joneses. This approach does not work because there is always someone out there who has more of what you desire.

Stop comparing yourself to others.     4    Focus on living a meaningful life that is consistent with your values and goals.

    5    

You are likely your worst critic. You secretly say things to yourself that you would never have the heart to tell others. Remember to have realistic expectations of yourself. When you set goals, consider whether you have set the standard at a reasonable level. If the goal is unrealistic, then you have to say no and adjust your expectations.

A．Be fair to yourself.

B．Stay true to yourself.

C．You can’t be everything for everyone.

D．The reality is that you are not being recognized.

E．What someone is doing with their life has nothing to do with you.

F．If a pursuit will truly improve the quality of your life, then go for it.

G．The same can be said about other pursuits such as accumulating wealth and status.

【推荐3】Summer is the season to dive into new activities and relax. And right now is the time to make sure that you’re ready for the great outdoors, the holiday planning and travel, and the bathing suit beach days.

If you want to lose weight before summer, concentrate on dropping no more than a pound or two a week.     1    And when you trouble yourself, sooner or later you’re going to gain it back. Operate on a 500-calorie-a-day deficit (亏损).     2     So if you cut 500 calories a day for seven days straight, you’ll lose a pound a week right there.

Operating at a decrease of 500 calories a day should involve both eating less and moving more. For example, you could consume 300 fewer calories and bum 50 extra per day.

Include both healthy eating and exercise in your weight-loss plan, and break the 500-calorie goal into small groups to make it more reachable.     3    

To cut 100 calories:     4     Have vegetable pizza instead of pepperoni (意大利辣香肠). Use our Nutritional Needs Calculator to determine how many daily calories you should consume in order to lose, gain, or maintain your healthy goal weight. Once you’ve reached your goal, recalculate your nutritional needs for keeping extra weight off all summer long.

To burn 100 calories: spend 15 minutes biking.     5     Spend 5 minutes gardening. Keep on exercising at least 30 minutes daily a week. Reading food labels and counting calories or writing down what and when you eat can give you more control as well.

A．Here are some simple ways to get there.

B．Walk or run one mile.

C．A pound is 3,500 calories.

D．It is okay to have some snacks between your meals.

E．You should always make sure you get a lot of sleep.

F．Anything more than that usually means you’re troubling yourself.

G．Eat a chicken breast without the skin.

【推荐2】I didn’t like dealing with lines and angles in math class.     1     Take advantage of lines, shapes, and angles when reviewing your garden ideas and laying out your yard to add drama and impact.

Relying on artistic principles for landscape design, line is one of the most important and useful of all design elements.     2     Think about the distant horizon the line created when a lawn ends and flower borders begin. A side walk, a driveway, or a fence is a clear and readily accessible line in the landscape. As you plan and design your garden, always consider the line created by whatever you are adding.

There are four main ways to describe lines: curved (弧形的), straight, horizontal, and vertical.     3     Curved lines shape informal garden beds and add interest to pathways. Straight lines inspire a sense of order and neatness that is more formal. Calming horizontal lines create a sense of stability. Think of oceans and how its wide expanse meets the sky, creating an acknowledged sense of peacefulness and majesty (壮观). Vertical lines project a sense of strength and movement.

    4     Lines going away from you on the ground draw you forward. Horizontal lines on the ground slow you down. Vertical lines lead the eye up and out of the garden. Curving lines take the eye on an interesting journey.     5     It is up to you to know where the lines will lead you and what you will see when you get there.

A．All lines are desirable.

B．Everything in the garden involves line.

C．However, I love using them when thinking about landscape ideas.

D．None is more important than the others—each has different effects.

E．No matter which types of line you use, be aware that lines lead the eyes.

F．But you should learn to use them while thinking about your garden design.

G．Using similar landscape features and repeating plants pulls the eye around the garden.

【推荐3】When Laura wanted to go into the garden by the back door, it was blocked by servants.

Something had happened.

“What's the matter? What's happened?"

“There's been a horrible accident/ said the cook. "A man killed."

“A man killed! Where? How? When?”

Know those little cottages just below here, Miss?” Know them? Of course, Laura knew them. "Well, there's a young guy living there, name of Scott, a carter His horse shied（受惊）at a traction-engine, and he was thrown out on the back ofhis head. Killed.^

“Dead!" Laura stared at the cook.

“Dead when they picked him up," said the cook. 'Just now they were taking the body home. He'$ left a wife and five little ones.

come here;' Laura caught her sister's sleeve and dragged her through the kitchen into the garden. There she paused. "Jose!" she said, horrified, ''however are we going to stop everything?'

"Stop everything, Laura!” cried Jose in astonishment. “What do you mean?”

"Stop the garden party, of course.Why did Jose pretend?”

But Jose was still more amazed. "Stop the garden party? My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can’t do anything of the kind. Nobody expects us to. Don't be soextravagant”

“But we can’t possibly have a garden party with a man dead just outside the front gate.”

That really was extravagant. Those little cottages, those miserable houses, had no right to be in that rich neighbourhood in the first place. When Laura and Jose were little they were even forbidden to set foot there because of the rude language and of what they might see. It was dirty and disgusting.

“And just think of what the band would sound like to that poor woman," said Laura.

"Oh, Laura!” Jose began to be seriously annoyed, lf you are going to stop a band playing every time some one has an accident, you'll lead a very difficult life, I'm every bit as sorry about it as you. But you won't bring a drunken workman back to life by being sentimental（多愁善感的）.”

"Drunk! Who said he was drunk?” Laura turned angrily on Jose, “I'm going straight up to tell mother

Do, dear," said Jose, gently.

"Mother, can 1 come into your mom?" Laura turned the big glass door-knob.

"Of course, child. Why, what’s the matter? What's given you such a colour?” And Mrs. Sheridan turned round from her dressing-table. She was trying on a new hat.

"Mother, a man's been killed,began laura.

“Not in the garden?" interrupted her mother.

“No, no!”

"Oh, what a fright you gave me!" Mrs. Sheridan sighed with relief and took off the big hat and held it on her knees.

"But listen, mother,,, said Laura, Breathless, half-choking, she told the dreadful story. "Of course, we can't have our party, can we?" she begged. "The band and everybody arriving. And the poor family would hear us, mother; they're nearly neighbours!”

“Oh, Laura's astonishment her mother behaved just like Jose; it was harder to bear because she seemed amused. She refused to take Laura seriously.”

“But, my dear child, use your common sense. If some one had died there normally一and I can't understand how they keep alive in those little holes一we should still be having our party, shouldn't we??”

Laura had to say “yes” to that, but she felt it was all wrong.

"Mother, isn't it terribly heartless of us?” she asked.

"Darling!" Mrs. Sheridan got up and came over to her, carrying the hat. "My child!” said her mother, "the hat is yours. It's made for you. Wow! Look at yourself!And she held up her hand-mirror.

"But, mother, Laura began again. She couldn't look at herself; she turned aside.

This time Mrs. Sheridan lost patience just as Jose had done.

"You are being very absurd, Laura," she said coldly. "People like that don't expect sacrifices from us. And ifs not very sympathetic to spoil everybody ,s enjoyment as you are doing now,"

"I don't understand,'' murmured Laura. Then, quite by chance, she saw this charming girl in the mirror, in the beautiful hat. Never had she imagined she could look like that. Is mother right? she thought. And now she hoped her mother was right. Am I being extravagant? Perhaps. Just for a moment she had another glimpse of that poor woman and those little children, and the body being carried into the house. But it all seemed blurred, unreal, like a picture in the newspaper. I'll remember it again after the party's over, she decided. And somehow that seemed quite the best plan …

1. Laura suggested stopping everything because .

A．something bad had happened in the garden

B．her neighbours were experiencing great grief

C．the servants blocked the back door of the garden

D．she wanted to provide material help for the poor family

2. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Laura was trying to submit herself to her family.

B．The news of the carter's death finally hit the headlines.

C．Laura hoped mother was right in choosing that hat for her.

D．A poor man's death was little more than an unimportant thing,

3. What will most probably happen following this story?

A．Laura came up with a best plan to solve all this.

B．Laura managed to persuade her mother and sister.

C．The party just continued as planned in the garden,

D．The poor widow came over to scold the band.

4. Which of the following can best describe Laura?

A．Sentimental and persistent.	B．Optimistic and easy-going.
C．Considerate and sympathetic.	D．Hardworking and open-minded,

5. What does the underlined word “extravagant” probably mean?

A．Too sensible.	B．Not practical
C．Too upright.	D．Not sympathetic.

6. Which of the following can be the best title of the story?

A．The garden party.	B．The quarrel.
C．rhe rich and the poor.	D．The death of a neighbour.