We all know that “Practice makes perfect (熟能生巧)” is a very popular saying both in Chinese and English. It means that if you want to learn ________, you have to practice it many times, and then you may remember ________you learn. Also we can say the more you know something, ________ you can do it. No matter (无论) what we do, those words are very ________ to us.

We can take English study ________ an example. If we want to learn some new words by heart, we must learn them and read them again and again ________we can remember them. Sometimes it will ________ a lot of time for us to remember, but once we remember, we can use them freely. If we ________ our best, we will do it very well. When you take an English exam and________ some meanings and usages (用法) you don’t remember, how will you feel ________ that time? You must feel sorry. So English study means that you ________ practice more and more.

We can look at ________ example in learning. When we read the same story for many times, we can remember it ________ well that we can tell it to others. At the same time, we can also ________ some stories from what we have heard. So in our study and life, we should keep the sentence “Practice makes perfect”. in our________. In this way, we can study well and live a better life.

Ali is from a Middle Eastern country. He now stays in the USA. He smokes a lot of cigarettes every day. He has smoked for nine years. Ali says, “I tried to quit (放弃) smoking in my hometown, but it was impossible. My parents smoke. My brothers smoke. All my friends smoke. At parties and at meetings, almost all the men smoke. Here in the United States, not as many people smoke.     16    ”

Many smokers are like Ali: They want to stop smoking.     17     They know it can cause cancer (癌症) and heart disease. But it is difficult for them to give up smoking because cigarettes have a drug in them. The drug is nicotine (尼古丁). People who smoke a lot need nicotine.

    18     The nicotine makes him sick. In a few days, the smoker’s body is used to the nicotine, and he feels fine. Later, the smoker needs nicotine to keep feeling fine. Without nicotine, he feels bad.

    19     Many people who quit will soon smoke again. At a party or at work they will decide to smoke “just one” cigarette. Then they will smoke another cigarette, and another. Soon they become smokers again.     20    

Do you want to know what our life will be like in the future? Let’s have a look. You may get a surprise. You will go to the kitchen when you are hungry. You will give orders to the kitchen robot. The robot will cook the food for you in a few minutes. Then it will bring it to you.

In the kitchen you will find a special food machine. The food machine will tell you what your body needs. It will help you eat healthily. The food machine will be connected with (连接) the kitchen robot. The robot can get messages from the food machine. After having a meal, you can go to your home office. You will work at home and you don’t need to go out to work any more.

You will have a special information screen. You can get any information on the screen. When you receive a message from a friend in America, your information screen will be turned on automatically (自动地). Your friend’s face appears on the screen. Then you can talk to your friend easily.

While it is impossible to live completely free of stress, it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce (减少) its effect when it cannot be avoided. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to deal with stress.

★ Try physical activity. When you are nervous, angry or upset, try to release (释放) the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Physical exercise will reduce your anxiety (焦虑) and worry, and it can help you to relax. Your body and your mind will work together to reduce the stress in your life.

★ Share your stress. It helps to talk to someone about your anxieties and worries. Perhaps a friend, a family member, a teacher or even your leader can help you get a better view of what is troubling you.

★ Take care of yourself. You should make every effort to feel well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and cannot sleep very well, or if you’re not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations.

★ Make a list of the things you need to do. Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that there’s so much to do, and not enough time. Make a list of everything you have to do, and then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the most important task at first.

★ Go ahead and cry. A good cry can be a healthy way to bring reduction of your anxiety—it might even help you avoid a headache or other physical effect of anxiety or stress.

My name is Angela. I have four good friends     36     we have different New Year’s resolutions. Toby is going to learn to play the     37    . Susan is going to join the swimming club. She thinks swimming is good exercise. Ted wants to have a new     38    , so he’s going to save money. Maybe he’ll find a part-time     39     in a restaurant. Nancy wants to learn to cook. She is going to go to a cooking school. What about me? I want to improve my     40     health. I’m going to eat healthy food and take more exercise.

The teacher stood before his class of 30 students and was going to hand out the final exam papers. “I know how hard you all have worked to get ready for this test,” he said. “And because I know you are all able to understand these questions. I am ready to offer a B to anyone who would prefer not to take the test.”

A number of students jumped up to thank the teacher and left the classroom. The teacher looked at the rest students and said, “Does anyone else want to get a B? This is your last chance.” Two more students decided to go. Seven students stayed. The teacher then handed out the papers. There were only three sentences on the paper: Congratulations! You have received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself.

I never had a teacher who gave a test like that, but I think that it is a test that any teacher could and should give. Students who do not have confidence in what they have learned are B students at most.

The same is true for students in real life. The A students are those who believe in what they are doing because they have learned from both successes and failures. They have learned life’s lessons. Whether from school education or from events in their lives, they have become better people. Scientists say that by the age of eight, 80% of what we believe about ourselves has already been formed. You are a big kid now and you realize that you have some limits (局限). However, there is nothing you can’t do or learn to be. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma (珠穆朗玛峰) said, “We do not conquer the mountain, but ourselves.”

Vince is sixteen years old. He     46     music, and he is the best singer in the school music club. Vince doesn’t like history very much. He is a little worried today because he     47     a history exam the day after tomorrow. He’s studying very hard now. He expects     48     well in the exam.

Lisa is Vince’s sister. She is only five years old. Look! She     49     a cartoon in the living room. Mickey Mouse is her favorite cartoon. She is very happy that Dad     50     her five books about Mickey Mouse last week.

Annie always loved the state of Hawaii. She read many books about Hawaii and studied Hawaii at school. She asked her mom _________ they could ever go to Hawaii for their family holiday. “I don’t know,” said Mom, “Hawaii is far away, and the trip would _________ lots of money.” Annie wanted to start _________ her Christmas, New Year, and Children’s Day money _________ the trip. “That will take a long time,” she thought to _________.

One day Annie bought a travel magazine. It had a form to fill out to _________ a prize. “Oh my God!” she said to her friend Mandy. “Look at _________ the prize is—a trip to Hawaii!” Annie was so excited about the _________ to win a trip to Hawaii. The trip was for one week.

A few weeks went by, and Annie’s mom got a(n) _________ from the travel company, Leisure Time. They __________ Annie, but she was still at school. Annie’s mom talked to them and couldn’t __________ that, Annie won the trip to Hawaii. When Annie got __________, Annie’s mom shared the __________ news with her, “Well, you are finally going to make your __________ of going to Hawaii come true,” said Annie’s mom. “I will start to pack,” laughed Annie. How __________ Annie is! If you want to achieve your dream, try your best to make it, no matter how tiny the chance is.

Lots of kids hate school, a new study found. Usually this kind of feeling doesn’t last long.

    66     School is a fact of life and getting a good education can help you build the kind of future life you want. So let’s talk about school and what to do when you don’t like it.

    67     You might not like school because you don’t have enough friends, or maybe you don’t get along with your teacher. Sometimes it’s a big problem with your classes and schoolwork.     68    

When you know why you don’t like school, you can start taking steps to make things better.     69     Your mom, dad, teacher or school counselor (顾问) will be able to help you. Another good idea is to write down your feelings about school in a notebook. It’s a great way to let out emotions (情绪).     70