【推荐1】Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.    1     Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.    2    whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective(选择性的）process.    3    

The following methods may work best for you.

Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.
Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.
Write your notes in your own words.     4    
Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    5     When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

A．Use words, not complete sentences.

B．There are three practical note-taking methods.

C．You must write your notes on separate paper.

D．As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记),like symbols..

E．You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F．That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G．First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

【推荐2】If your roommate snores in a way that is preventing you from getting your much-needed zzz’s every night, you’ll need to address the situation as soon as possible. Doing so wisely, however, is likely to increase your chances of finding a workable solution that everyone is happy with.

1. First and Foremost, Mention It to Your Roommate

If your roommate snores a lot, you’ll have to bring it up if you’re ever going to move toward a solution.     1     Avoid angry accusations like “You snore so much!” or “Why are you snoring like that all the time?”

2. Remember That Snoring Can Indicate Some Other Issues

Don’t just view snoring as a bad habit; it can be a medical issue for some people, too. The multiple causes of snoring should help you keep in mind that this isn’t something that can just be fixed, like a dirty roommate or one who takes your stuff all of the time.     2    

3. Find Some Temporary Fixes

As you and your roommate work to find long-term solutions to the snoring problem, look into some short-term fixes first. Can you get earplugs?     3     Rearrange the beds of your room so they aren’t so close? Perhaps you can ask your roommate to avoid alcohol before bed, or look into getting and using a white noise machine.

4. Look into Long-term Fixes

Your roommate might just need to change some sleeping habits; similarly, they might also have some serious medical concerns that-aren’t going to be fixed quite so easily.     4     Know that it’s perfectly okay for one of those fixes to be finding another roommate. Sleep is important—for both of you.

5. Keep Things Pleasant and Friendly

    5     Would you want someone, for example, taking video of your snoring and posting it online somewhere? Definitely not. Your roommate’s snoring isn’t an intentional act designed to make your life horrible. Consequently, aim for understanding and patience as you both work to find a solution.

A．For example, you’ve been told you snore a bit.

B．If that is the case, turn to some long-term fixes.

C．How you bring the topic up, however, matters a lot.

D．Ask your roommate to try to sleep on the other side?

E．It doesn’t have to mean anyone is doing anything wrong.

F．Consider how you’d want to be treated if you were in your roommate’s shoes.

G．Be patient and considerate as your roommate looks into what’s causing the snoring.

【推荐3】If you think you’re not especially smart or capable, or that failure is bound no matter how hard you try, you’re right.     1    You can do it by using these five tips to start appearing as confident on the outside as you will soon feel on the inside.

Buy clothes that fit. Clothes never make the person, but it’s hard to feel confident inside when your outside sends signals of uncertainty.     2    

Keep laughing. Laughter releases some of the tension that builds in your body each day.     3    You don’t have to overdo it, but a bit of humor goes a long way toward elevating your level of confidence.

    4    It helps to break things down into achievable pieces, and start to accomplish them, easy ones first, thus you will develop a mindset of success. This, in turn, makes it easier to feel confident. Whatever your goals may be, find something you desire, make a promise to see it through to the end, and then feel the confidence of success.

Realize you know more than you think you do.     5    Admitting you don’t have the answer is the first step toward finding it, and the right answers pave the road to confidence.

Be enthusiastic. Be happy and excited, and allow the world to see it. Your joy and confidence will be infectious.

Start with any of the five items on this list, and start feeling better inside out today!

A．Set reasonable goals.

B．But confidence is like any other skill you develop.

C．Wait until you have a good shape to start to dress well.

D．Love what you’re wearing and the world is likely to love it too.

E．Surround yourself with people who deserve your love and dignity.

F．If you don’t know something, there’s no shame in asking for the answer.

G．Include your routine with the people or media that make you really happy.

【推荐2】Wildfires can burn acres of land—and consume everything in their way—in mere minutes. On average, more than 100,000 wildfires clear 4 million to 5 million acres of land in the U.S. every year.

In recent year wildfires have burned up to 9 million acres of land. A wildfire moves at speeds of up to miles an hour, consuming everything—trees brush, home, even humans—in its path.

There are three conditions that need to be present in order for wildfire to burn, which firefighters refer to as the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Fuel is any flammable material surrounding a fire, including trees, grasses, brush and even homes. Air supplies the oxygen a fire needs to burn. Heat sources help spark the wildfire and bring fuel to temperatures hot enough to catch fire. Lightning, burning campfires or cigarettes, hot winds, and even the sun can all provide much heat to spark a wildfire.

Although four out of five wildfires are started by people, nature is usually more than happy to help fan the flames. Dry weather and drought change green vegetation into dry, flammable fuel; strong winds spread fire quickly over land; and warm temperatures encourage combustion. When these factors come together all that’s needed is spark—in the form of lightning, a downed power line, or a burning campfire or cigarette—to start a fire that could last for weeks and consume tens of thousands of acres.

These violent wildfires occur around the world, but they are most common in the US West where heat, drought, and frequent thunderstorms create perfect wildfire conditions.

Although often harmful and destructive to humans, wild fires play an important role in nature. They also remove disease—ridden plants and harmful insects from a forest ecosystem.

1. What are the numbers in paragraph 1 used for?

A．Introducing the wildfires started by people.

B．Showing how frequent and strong the wildfires are.

C．Warning people the harm of the wildfire.

D．Providing some statistical data about wildfires.

2. What does the underlined word “consume” in the first paragraph mean?

A．To use up.

B．To clear away.

C．To cup down.

D．To burn up.

3. Which of the following dose not belong to a heat source?

A．A downed power line.	B．Burning campfire or cigarettes.
C．Heat and drought weather.	D．Lighting or hot winds.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Three conditions can cause a wildfire.

B．The most serious wildfires occur in the US.

C．Wildfires have advantages to a forest ecosystem.

D．Careful enough, a wildfire can be avoided.

【推荐3】As most people know, in the last few years, sandstorms have swept across many cities and areas of North China, polluting the air and disturbing daily lives of human beings. People look dirty and suffer many kinds of illnesses, such as breath difficulty. The sandstorm is such a serious problem that it has not only weakened the industrial and agricultural development of our country but also caused a lot of trouble to the living conditions of the Chinese people.

Therefore, effective measures should be taken as soon as possible to stop its happening. So how should we deal with the frightening sandstorms?

Some experts offer practical advice as follows: For one thing, more money ought to be put into tree planting and forest protection in order to keep more water on the Earth. For another, government of all countries should make laws on environment protection. For example, banning the use of throw-away chopsticks and punishing illegal tree cutting. Scientists should also study and find ways to lower the grade of its destruction and to improve the environment. As for some schools, education about sandstorms should be spread properly and timely to make more and more people attach great importance to this problem.

How people look forward to sunny days with soft wind touching their faces now and forever! The golden days can come back so long as we try our best to protect the natural environment from today on. And the fact is that what I expect is not just a dream. There are some sweet fruits from the early efforts.

1. What’s the first paragraph mainly about?

A．Bad influences sandstorms bring.

B．Ways to protect the environment.

C．The biggest cause of sandstorms.

D．The fast development of China.

2. How many ways to deal with sandstorms are mentioned by some experts?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. What will the author probably write about in the following part?

A．Why people should always carry on with dreams.

B．A bright world with no sandstorms anymore.

C．How to realize our dream to live a happy life.

D．Successful examples of stopping sandstorms.