【推荐1】Music can change how you feel. Different kinds of music can ________ you in different ways.

Music makes you relax. Most stores play “background” music. The longer customers stay in a store, the more ________ it will be for them to buy something. So stores try to play music that their customers ________. If you want to relax at home, try listening to ________ music or music produced by your favorite musical instrument.

Music is a healer (医治者). When you’re sick, try listening to soft and ________ music. If you’re feeling sad, play the music you like. Then tell someone how it makes you feel. A group of teens who had depression (抑郁症) shared their favorite ________ with each other. Each teen explained why he or she liked the song. After ________ it, the teens said they felt better.

Music helps you to learn. Many recent studies have tried to ________ how music and learning go together. Don Campbell, an expert, believes ________ can make people, even babies, more creative, smarter, healthier and happier. Some experts ________ playing slow music to help you pay attention when you study. It may even help improve your memory.

No matter what style of music you like, you can use it to help you.

To be honest, I enjoy music a lot and Tejano music is my favorite. Tejano music was born in Texas, ________ it has effects from Mexico and some other Latin American countries, the main effect is from America.

Like most music around the world, Tejano music mixes many different ________. It combines (兼有) folk, country, rock and a bit of the blues.

I ________ to listen to Tejano music because it makes me feel good. I enjoy dancing to it, too. It’s so easy that there is no problem for my friends ________ want to join me. Some of my classmates also like Tejano music. It is ________ with young people.

I also love other types of music. I listen to rock when I’m happy. My favorite rock band is Creed because they sing a lot about their lives and express how they feel in their ________. They sing about their past experiences, their feelings and the way they want their lives to change. I also like heavy metal (金属) music. Metallica is my favorite heavy metal band. I ________ listen to their music when I am upset. It tells me that, whatever difficulties I meet in life, I must try hard to get the things I want and I should never ________.

Music plays an important part in our lives. What type of music do you like?

【推荐1】A professor told his students to go into the city slums (贫民窟) to study the life of 200 boys. He asked them to ________ reports about each boy’s life and future. Every one of the students wrote, “He doesn’t have any hope.”

Twenty-five years ________, another professor read about the earlier study. He told his students to ________ what had happened to the boys. They tried very hard and found that 176 of the boys had become successful ________ doctors, teachers and scientists.

The professor was very ________ and decided to study it further. Luckily, all the men were living near the place and he was able to ask each one, “What made you ________?” Each one answered, “There was a teacher.”

The teacher was ________ living there, so the professor found her and asked the old woman ________ she had used to pull those boys ________ the slum, and change them into successful people.

The teacher’s ________ began to shine and said with a sweet smile, “It’s really very easy. I loved those boys.”

【推荐2】Do you always focus (聚焦) on studying and getting “A” grades at school? Most Chinese students ________ really hard. But in the United States, they think socializing (社交) is as ________ as their grades. So, ________ do students socialize in the USA?

Lots of ________ often have soccer games. I ________ some of the soccer games to have fun with my friends. To my surprise, some American students went to the games. They cheered ________ the soccer players and had fun together.

Joining after-school clubs is also a ________ to socialize. One of my friends joined a sketch (素描) club. I was interested, ________ I joined the club. There I met lots of students who were also ________ in sketching. We soon ________ friends with each other.

In the US, a good student should have the ability to balance (平衡) his or her studying and socializing.