1 . I finished training as a nurse in Auckland and I was expecting to get a job in a small hospital somewhere. But then a friend told me about Volunteer Now. I’d always wanted to go to an African country and use my nursing skills to help people. And here was a chance to do that, so I decided to apply.       1     I got one hospital to sponsor me and then I borrowed some money from the bank.

So I went to Madagascar and joined a team of people working with a local supervisor (主管人).     2    

By going round villages, we taught basic ways to improve hygiene (卫生) and to avoid catching diseases. For example, we gave instruction about how to avoid catching malaria (疟疾) and distributed mosquito nets to some of the homes. I think we did some good. I hope so anyway.

    3     I was suddenly in a completely different culture, teaching people who had such a different lifestyle from my own. It made a big difference to the way I see the world. And I also made some very good friends out there, both local people and the other volunteers.       4    

After I came back, I got accepted straight away for a job at the university hospital.     5    I’m sure I wouldn’t have managed to do that if I hadn’t worked in Madagascar and got this practical experience.

2 . How do actors and actresses memorize hundreds of lines? Memorizing lines takes practice and constant repetition. However, there are a few ways to make the memorization process run smoothly and quickly.

    1    

For most performers, there is no quicker way of memorizing lines. To learn lines, an actor must recite the play loud over and over again. Most rehearsals(排练) encourage this by running through the lines or having a"read-through". By the time the opening night arrives, most actors have spoken their lines hundreds of times.

Listen to your cast members

Sometimes inexperienced actors spend rehearsals looking at fellow performers, waiting patiently to say their next line.     2    . This will help the actors learn their lines better because the context of the dialogue is absorbing.

    3    

Because there is often not enough rehearsal time, many performers find ways to listen to the play's dialogue during everyday activities. They use a tape recorder or an MP3 player to listen to the lines from each relevant scene. Some actors prefer to record the lines of all the characters, including their own lines.     4    . Others like recording the lines of fellow cast members, and they leave a blank space so that they can insert their dialogue while listening to the recording.

Think positively and don't panic

Most actors will experience stage fright before the opening night. Actors forget lines now and then. When it happens, however, most of the time the audience never notice. If you forget a line in the middle of your performance, don't freeze. Stay in character. Keep the scene going to the best of your ability. If unfortunately you forget a line once, you will probably never forget that line ever again.     5    .

3 . In an online class, developing healthy patterns of communication with professors is very important.     1     While I have only listed two of each, there are obviously many other situations that can arise. Students should be able to extend the logic(逻辑) of each to their particular circumstance.

Do’s

•     2     Questions about subject content are generally welcomed. Before asking questions about the course design, read the syllabus(教学大纲) and learning management system information to be sure the answer isn’t hiding in plain sight.

• Participate in discussion forums(论坛), blogs and other open-ended forums for dialogue.     3     Be sure to stay on topic and not offer irrelevant information. Make a point, and make it safe for others to do the same.

Don’ts

• Don’t share personal information or stories. Professors are not trained nurses, financial aid experts or your best friends. If you are in need of a deadline extension, simply explain the situation to the professor.     4    

• Don’t openly express annoyance at a professor or class.     5     When a student attacks a professor on the social media, the language used actually says more about the student. If there is truly a concern about a professor’s professionalism or ability, be sure to use online course evaluations to calmly offer your comments.

4 . Can creativity be taught? That’s a question without a simple yes or no answer. Creativity may not be able to be taught directly, but what you can get better at is frequently targeting at the circumstances of life which bring up the greatest chances for true creative expression.     1    , but more like something which manifests （显现） itself inside those who learn to develop it and create the right conditions for it.

Limit your selection of tools to only the most vital.     2    . You’ll be sharper than someone who merely fights with a larger set of tools.

Learn how to be resourceful.     3    . Creativity is not just about creating something new but making old things work better as well. Think of crazy possibilities as well as practical ones. You might find inspiration for a workable solution in one of your ideas.

Don’t listen to feedback （反馈） and keep following your own path. The problem of asking for feedback is that the feedback will be given according to the person’s past experience. Others will unconsciously push you in a direction that they see as best.     4    . Just don’t let criticism （even the constructing type） destroy your creativity during the creative process.

    5    . Routines are positive if they strengthen a healthy creative consciousness and negative if they destroy that. The key is to discover a creative routine that puts you in a more creative mindset.

5 . Did you make financial decisions last New Year’s Eve? Did they fall by the wayside? If so, you are not alone.     1    .

▲Make a smart budget

Did you plan to make a budget and fail to do so? This is a perfect time to start, as you are heading into the new year. You may be able to stop yourself from overspending if you realize how overextended you are. If you’ve taken no other financial steps this year, start by setting a realistic budget.     2    .

▲Control your spending

Even if you had a budget, were you able to stick to it?     3    . Use it as a psychological advantage－you have less to spend so you need to shop harder for bargains and research prices. Impulse buying (即兴购买) will be less likely to attract you and your spending should be more focused as a result.

▲    4    

You had a savings goal, didn’t you? If you didn’t have a specific goal, it may be why your savings effort failed. Set a smaller savings goal now, and use that to build a larger savings goal for the upcoming year. Make sure that you equate（使等同）your savings with a specific goal.

▲Reduce your debt

Debt reduction is an important goal, especially in the case of high-interest debt such as credit cards. It’s easy to get into an unrecoverable increase of debt if you have no plan to keep debt in check. It is a longer-term goal, but one you need to start right away.     5    . That may be a tall task, which is all the more reason to start immediately.

6 . For over one hundred and fifty years, Americans of all social classes have worn blue jeans.    1     Whether they are worn for work or for fashion today.Strauss' invention continues to be popular not only among Americans but also among people around the world.

Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829.    2     He grew up in Kentucky before moving to New York in 1847.Before becoming an American citizen and moving to the West in 1853, Strauss worked in his brother's dry goods business.This gave him a chance to produce his famous invention.After the gold rush of 1949, Strauss decided to move to the West to seek his fortunes.

Strauss did not want to be a person who searched an area for minerals.Instead, he knew he could make a good living by selling supplies to the miners.At first, he planned to sell sewing supplies and cloth.    3    When he heard miners complaining that their clothes were easily broken or they usually tore their pockets during mining, he decided to use a special fabric to make pants for the miners.These pants proved so popular that he quickly ran out of materials to make more.

In 1873, Strauss received a letter from a Jewish tailor named Jacob Davis who had invented a process of connecting pockets with copper rivets (铆钉).This made the pants last a long time.Because Davis did not have the money to patent his idea, he offered to share it with Strauss if Strauss would agree to pay for the patent.    4    .

By the time Strauss died in 1902, he had made a great contribution to American fashion.

    5    The business has been growing ever since and Levi Strauss' company is now one of the largest clothing companies in the world.

7 . Rich and Famous

Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today’s situation is quite different.     1     Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity .

According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame.     2     Let’s take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes’ best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they’ll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control.     3    The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months.    4    They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals.     5     That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won’t realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

8 . Reasons to Take Part in Student Clubs and Organizations

Many college students don't know what they're missing by not taking part in the student clubs and organizations that are offered at most colleges and universities. Taking part in one can be a rich and rewarding experience.    1    Check them out and see what's available. Here are a few reasons why you should take part in student clubs and organizations.

Meet new people.

It can be hard to meet new people in college, especially in your first year.    2    However, in a club, you'll find yourself in a smaller group of people who likely share your interest.

Help your major.

There are many student clubs and organizations for different majors and departments. Such clubs can be a lot of fun as well as a great academic resource for you. By joining an academic club you will probably have an easier time to know professors in your departments.    3    

Learn important leadership skills.

Student clubs and organizations can be a good way to learn important leadership skills that would look great on job applications.    4    These skills could be event planning, finance management, and so on. Find a club that you love being a part of and if you work hard you might be able to gain such a position.

    5    

Lastly, student clubs and organizations can simply be a lot of fun. Make sure to take advantage of student clubs and organizations to make the most of your time in college!

9 . If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out.     1     Working out in the morning provides additional benefits beyond being physically fit.

Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day.     2    

Your metabolism(新陈代谢) gets a head start.     3     If you work out in the mornings, then you will be getting the calorie(卡路里) burning benefits for the whole day, not in your sleep.

    4     Studies found that people who woke up early for exercise slept better than those who exercised in the evening. Exercise energizes you, so it is more difficult to relax and have a peaceful sleep when you are very excited.

    5     If you work out bright and early in the morning, you will be more likely to stick to healthy food choices throughout the day. Who would want to ruin their good workout by eating junk food? You will want to continue to focus on positive choices.

There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energized all day long.

10 . The “Chong Yang Festival” is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.     1    

Climbing Mountains

People like to climb mountains on this festival, so Double Ninth Festival is also called “Mountain-climbing Festival”.

The 9th lunar month, with clear autumn sky and bracing air, is a good time for sightseeing.     2    . It is really refreshing to climb mountains and enjoy the beauty of nature at this bright and clear time in autumn.

Climbing mounting also indicates “climbing to a higher position”. Another reason why climbing mountains are valued by people, especially by the elderly is that it has a meaning of “climbing to ligneous life”. Climbing mountains on Double Ninth Festival was already popular in the Tang Dynasty.    3    

Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower(菊花) Wine

The chrysanthemum flower wine is unique in brewing. In ancient times, people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the 9th of the 9th lunar month, and brewed the mixture of them and grains into the wine.     4    . The wine is said to have wholesome effects on sharpness of the eye, drop of high blood pressure, reduction of weight and removal of stomach trouble, thus contributing to longevity.

    5    

The Double Ninth cake is also known as “flower cake”. It dates back to the Zhou Dynasty. It is said that the cake was originally prepared after autumn harvests for farmers to have a taste of what was just in season, and it gradually grew into the present cake for people to eat on the Double Ninth Day.