1 . How tall are you? Do you tower over your friends and family - or are they people you literally have to look up to?     1     But do you know that there’s a possibility that we’re all getting taller?

Of course, our height is out of our control.     2     The idea that being taller gives you more power and authority might be a tall story, but according to David Robson, writing for BBC Future, “on the basis of first impressions alone, taller people may have the edge.” He adds that various studies have found that the greater your height, the higher you score on measures of happiness and enjoyment of life.

    3     Scientists have known for a long time that humans with good diets and reliable access to food tend to grow taller and mature more quickly. Adult height in some countries has rocketed as they transformed into a developed society.

In a recent study scientists have discovered a brain receptor, called MC3R, linked to our growing process.     4     “It tells the body we’re great here and we’ve got lots of food, so grow quickly, have puberty (发育期) soon and make lots of babies. This discovery could lead to drugs to improve muscle mass and treat delayed growth,” UK researchers say.

For those eager to be taller, we need to look at the Dutch, who stand head and shoulders above the rest of us as the tallest people in the world. But, of course tall people have to stoop (俯身) through doorways and struggle to fit in cars and can have joint and cardiovascular problems.     5    

2 . Surprise is the error signal our brains produce when something unexpected happens. It is a dopamine (多巴胺) trigger, producing the neurotransmitter (神经递质) that drives attention and motivation.     1     It makes us stop, notice, and learn.

In his book The Power of Surprise, Rousell presents his finding from decades of his research:     2     They form our self-concept.

    3     Samantha felt her shyness was a weakness, until her swim coach surprised her by naming her captain. He said, “She may be quiet, but when this girl says something, you’re going to want to listen.” The surprise left her feeling quietly powerful. The change in her beliefs and behaviors was instant and lasting.

Not all surprising moments are created equal. Rousell illustrates some research-backed steps to use surprise well.

Spot a self-criticism you’d like to help someone revise. For example, perhaps your student sees himself as a slow learner, or your employee believes he lacks creativity.     4     Maybe the student who thinks he learns slowly is also very thorough. The employee who thinks he lacks creativity is highly logical. Make your message quick and to the point. The more you delay on the topic or dress it up as flowery praise, the less surprising it will be.     5    

3 . Whoever you are, learning how to communicate internationally is the best way to reach out to more people with different cultures.

    1     It’s important for you to understand that cultures and beliefs are different from each other across different nations so you can communicate effectively with people from other countries.

Learn how people deal with things in their countries. The best way to handle cultural differences is to research how different countries handle business meetings or any other type of communication.     2    

Be aware of language barriers (障碍). You may sound smart with humorous English jargon (行话) among those who have been speaking the language for most of their lives.     3     So it is best to stick to formal English, which is easier to understand.

Go over any form of written communication before you send it out. It is easy to cause misunderstandings when you deal with people from different parts of the world.       4     When reviewing it, make sure that you’re not using disrespectful terms or sentences.

Always stay updated with the social developments.     5     It’s important that you keep up with the information technology and try to use the more effective ones in your communication.

4 . Chinese people may not be that familiar with sports tourism but it is one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism, because an increasing number of people are showing interest in sports activities during tours even if sports is not the main objective of their travel.     1    .

Sports tourism refers to tourism involving participation in or watching sports events and staying in an environment different from the usual tourist hotels or resorts.     2    . At that time, people traveled to Olympia to watch or take part in Olympic competitions. Modern sports tourism, on the other hand, started in the 1990s.

    3    . There is also a lack of research to study its true potential. However, given that Chinese authorities attach great importance to people's health, sports tourism, in many ways, can meet people's demand for both leisure and physical activity while leading to consumption upgrading and development of the tourism industry. The success of the Beijing Winter Olympics in promoting winter sports has led to the dramatic increase in the demand for sports tourism and the gradual but steady integration of sports and tourism.

Sports tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry today, with an annual growth rate of about 15 percent globally.     4    .

Also, the integration of sports and tourism products will to eventually lead to the integration of the sports and tourism markets to meet people's diversified consumption demand. Rural tourism, consist of fishing, hiking, horse riding and other outdoor activities.     5    . This form of tourism, too, has been attracting many tourists.

In short, the rapid growth of sports tourism will help meet people's leisure needs and boost the high-quality development in China.

5 . In the traditional religions of Africa, life doesn’t end with death.     1     Some African groups believe these spirits dwell (栖居) underground in a world much like that of the living—but upside down. Other groups believe the sky is the permanent resting place of the dead. For instance, the Bushmen of southern Africa believe that the spirits of the dead go up to the sky and become stars.

Among the spirits, the ancestors comprise a special category of their own.     2     To become an ancestor is the best that one can hope for after death. However, not everyone who dies will turn into an ancestor. For one to become an ancestor, there are conditions to be fulfilled while the person is alive—living an upright life and fulfilling all social and religious duties, for example.

Many African groups believe that the spirits of ancestors remain near their living descendants as guardians of the family and their traditions.     3     But they punish people if certain ceremonies have not been performed properly or if there are some violations of community laws.

    4     For example, the people of Buganda in present-day Uganda say that their first ancestor was Kintu, who came from the land of the gods and married Nambe, daughter of the king of heaven. Another example is the Dinkas of Sudan, who believe they are descended from Garang and Abuk, the first man and woman created by God as tiny clay figures in a pot.     5    

8 . Danielle Waterman, an English woman rugby (橄榄球) player is interviewed and talks about her experience and opinions about the sport.

Having two older brothers taught me a lot about survival.     1     We’d play rugby together and if I wanted to play against my brothers, who I looked up to, I had to be good enough. It made me determined.

I was lucky to have supportive parents, especially my mother, who was my role model.     2     It’s different now, with lots of amazing women in British sport as positive examples to young girls. The situation for women’s sport has improved, but there’s a long way to go. The regularity of male sport allows the public to be familiar with teams and players.     3    

A few years ago, I got hurt in my knee and was told I couldn’t play again.     4     That’s when I really recognized the challenges I was facing mentally, as well as coping with my physical pain. No matter how much I trained, I wouldn’t improve unless I was happier and more confident. I realized I needed to get help for my mental health. Without that support, I wouldn’t have played again.

    5     When I was injured, my immediate reaction was, ‘I need to keep going.’ I’ve built up strong will but it’s basically because I love what I do. When I play rugby, I work with other people, deal with failure and overcome difficulties - all these make me open-minded and determined. Rugby develops confidence in me around achieving and self-belief.

10 . A choir teacher is a music teacher who specializes in helping students learn to use their voices in an ensemble (合奏) setting.     1     He or she also teaches students skills for managing the sound one produces and interacting with the other singers in the choir.

Like other teachers, choir teachers in public schools are required to be certified by the state in which they teach. Choir teachers frequently have other music skills.     2    

In some schools, all students attend a choir class, while in others, choir is an elective (选修课). In the first case, many of the students most likely have no special training.     3     In the second case, students may have both a particular talent for singing and an interest in devoting time to learning how to do it better.

Within choir class, the choir teacher helps students warm up their voices, learn singing techniques, and learn specific songs that he or she has chosen as appropriate for the specific voices.     4     Meanwhile, older students learn to sing in parts that are appropriate to the range of their voices, which the choir teacher determines.

    5     He or she may teach at many schools in a district or in many districts. In addition, the choir teacher may give private voice lessons within the school day as an elective, or outside of school. Coaching students who have a lead role in a school musical and rehearsing the chorus singers is another role that may fall to the choir teacher.