Do you know what a resolution is? It’s a kind of promise. Most of the time, we make promises to other people. However, promises you make to yourself are resolutions,     1     the most common kind is New Year’s resolutions. The start of the year is often a time for making resolutions. We hope that we are going to improve our lives. Some people write down their resolutions and     2     for the coming year. This helps them to remember their resolutions.

Others tell their family and friends about their wishes and plans.

There are     3     kinds of resolutions. Some are about physical health. For example, some people promise themselves they are going to     4     an exercise program or eat less fast food. Many resolutions have to do with self-improvement. These are about making     5     a better person. Some people might say they are going to take up a hobby like painting or taking photos, or learn to play the guitar. Some resolutions have to do with better planning, like making a weekly plan     6     schoolwork. For example, a student may have to find more time to study.

It is not always easy to discover yourself. From a young age, I had a strong sense of who I would become—but an _______ changed everything.

To me, skating was more important than anything else in the world. Nothing else filled my heart with so much _______. I spent twenty-four hours a week developing my skills. I had no _______ life or interests other than skating. But I was rewarded with first place medals in nearly every competition.

_______, during one competition, I fell and was badly injured. The doctor told me that I couldn’t skate anymore. The pain in my back was hard to bear and even basic daily tasks became _______.

My passion（激情）had been taken away. I lost _______ and had no idea what I would become. After eight months of suffering, something had to change. Instead of sitting around and _______ my days, I began to work with local community service projects. By volunteering as a swimming teacher and summer reading assistant for kids, I _______ an idea of who I wanted to become. After a few months, I found a new interest. Little by little, I stepped out of the shadow and rebuilt my _______.

Sometimes, challenges in life will get in our way. We can ________ to stay behind or try to get past these challenges. My accident was a challenge that failed to stop me from reaching success. Today, I’m a very confident and optimistic person.

China’s Grand Canal Most people have heard of the Great Wall of China, but not many people outside of China know about the Grand Canal. This man-made waterway—known in China as Da Yun he — is 1,700 kilometers long and some parts of it are more than 2,000 years old. It links the north of China with Hangzhou, a city in the southern part of the country. It’s the longest man-made waterway in the world.

It was built as a way to transport grain（谷物）from the rich agricultural land in China’s south to cities in the north. In fact, it’s not one canal, but a system of canals and rivers linked together. It’s still an important part of the transport system in China. Thousands of boats use it every day to transport grain and many other types of cargo.

Now the Chinese government is doing new work on the Grand Canal. It is making parts of it deeper, so bigger ships can use it. The canal will also help to move water. There is a lot of rain in the south of China, but not as much in the north. The canal will carry millions of liters of water from the south to the north.

The Grand Canal is much less famous than the Great Wall, and not very many tourists visit it. But it’s possible to go on a cruise （乘船游览）along some of the oldest parts of the canal. Passengers on these cruises see beautiful parts of China that other visitors don’t see.

Most children are taught the virtue (美德) of honesty from stories. The well-known story of Pinocchio teaches the importance of telling the truth. Every time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer and longer. Another story is about the boy who “cried wolf.” In the end, he loses all his sheep and the trust of his fellow villagers because he tells lies many times. These types of stories show children that “honesty is the best policy.” Still, if this is the case, then why do so many people lie? The fact is that people lie for many reasons.

One reason people lie is to minimize(减少) a mistake. While it is true that everyone does something wrong from time to time, some people do not have the courage to admit their errors(错误) because they are afraid they will be blamed. For example, students might lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the work at home when, in fact, they did not do the work at all. These students do not want to get in trouble or seem irresponsible, so they make up an excuse—a lie—to save face.

Another reason for lying has to do with self-protection. Parents, particularly those with young children, may teach their children to use this type of “protective” lie in certain circumstances (状况). What should children do if a stranger calls while the parents are out? Many parents teach their children to explain that their mother and father are too busy to come to the phone at that time. In this situation, protective lying can mean greater safety.

People lie for many reasons, both good and bad. Lying to keep the peace or to stay safe can have positive results. However, lying to stay out of trouble can lead to more trouble in the end. Understanding the motives behind the impulse (冲动)to lie might minimize this habit of lying.

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What kind of music do you like? How do you feel when you listen to your favorite music? Do you think music can make people feel better or help them to learn?

Jen Morgan is a music therapist （治疗师）.     29     Jen uses music to help her patients learn new skills. She can also help patients with their speaking and their memory.

Jen uses different activities with her patients. She gets them to listen to music and sing or play along.     30       Jen might get them to clap, jump or dance. Jen also asks her patients to try to remember songs they like.

Jen writes songs and uses them in her therapy work. She says, “    31     I write songs about everything: about getting dressed, about flowers, about my favorite food — you name it! Sometimes my patients help me write songs.”

Jen loves her job as a music therapist. She says, “     32     It’s wonderful to see how music therapy can help children with disabilities. Often children are shy when I first meet them.     33     Music makes people feel good!”