3 . When ads for the Netflix show Stranger Things first appeared in 2016, the shinning, colorful font (字体) that spelled out the title told viewers exactly what they could expect. Hollywood has long known this marketing trick. And in a crowded marketplace, many mainstream consumer brands have placed more focus on fonts as a crucial part of their marketing.

When Southwest Airlines upgraded its brand in 2014, it changed its font and logo as part of the project.

The company wanted to create the image of an airline that cared about customer loyalty. So, Southwest changed its Helvetica font to a thicker, custom﹣made Southwest Sans font, which also added a tricolor (三色的) heart to the logo. All these changes were meant to convey a softer, friendlier tone.

A survey of Southwest customers showed that 95 percent found the new identity appealing. ^"We've definitely seen an increase in bookings." said Helen Limpitlaw at Southwest Airlines. "We're in a very competitive world and we're trying to avoid that sameness."

The right fonts can help brands stand out in a competitive market. However, they need to know whom they are targeting and what they want to say. Monster Beverage is a good example. In 2002, it rolled out its Monster Energy drink logo, featuring three neon﹣green claw marks in the shape of an "M" on a black background. The eye﹣catching logo and colors connected with fans of sports, who were exactly its target customers. Now, 17 years later, Monster's logo remains valuable and recognizable.

It is not always wise of legacy companies (老牌公司) to make changes in fonts and logo. When the clothing retailer Gap changed its iconic spire-like font to Helvetica as part of a 2010 rebrand, customers pushed back hard. "The new logo lost all the personality the original mark had acquired over the years," said Matt See, senior art director at a branding and communications firm. "And it was released without explanation. It felt like no thought was put into it." The company ultimately switched back to its original logo.

Experts recommended that companies conduct plenty of surveys before making a change to their logos. Done right, fonts allow brands to show their human side and personality, which can then connect with consumers emotionally.

4 . Tips on Presentation Skills

Even with a snappy (漂亮的)opening, after 10 minutes, most audiences will lose 75 percent of their listening capacity.     1    Effective speakers use a variety of presentation skills to deliver a message attractively all the time.

Effective speakers understand that wandering presentations are impossible to understand and are guaranteed to lose an audience. Behind every powerful speech is a solid outline matching with the goal of the presentation. One basic structure is an “open,body and close” approach.     2     If the goal is persuasion，Motivated Sequence (激励序列)is a technique of presenting information that involves an audience in both a problem and a solution.

    3    Practice and relaxation are the best ways to improve voice tone and pace. Being well prepared and relaxed can help a speaker deliver speech confidently. Not everyone is born a good presenter. Skills and techniques can be obtained by practice including an appealing voice tone at a proper speed when presenting.

Nonverbal communication, such as dress and gestures,can dramatically influence the acceptance of a presentation. A speaker's dress should match his audience and the significance of the event. For example, a speaker presenting to a corporate audience should wear a suit. Dress specifics will vary from speaker to speaker, but the key is choosing clothes that enhance(增加),not distract,from the message.     4    

    5     PowerPoint is a popular,but often misused,presentation technology. Like nonverbal communication,the key to PowerPoint success is designing slides to enhance,not take over,the presentation.

5 . CHINA'S FOUR GREAT NOVELS

China's Four Great Novels came out in the 14th to 18th centuries during the Ming（1368﹣1644）and Qing（1644﹣1911）Dynasties， concurrent with the European Renaissance ﹣ which popularized the use of everyday language in Chinese literature. Professor Andrew Plaks， in his book Four Masterworks of the Ming and Qing Novel， observes that these fictional works used popular storytelling styles to increase societal norms and juxtaposed （把…并列）them against a set of flawed characters in order to raise serious questions about heroism， selfhood， and love.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Luo Guanzhong （1330﹣1400）

Chinese literature's first chapter﹣based novel which draws from the historic power struggle between the Three Kingdoms of Wei， Shu， and Wu （220﹣280）.

Sample line： "The long divided must unite， the long united must divide； thus it has ever been."

Western similarity： Game of Thrones

Journey to the West

Wu Cheng'en （1500﹣1582）

Most widely told story of the four， it is a fictionalized account of the real pilgrimage（朝圣）to India of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang （602﹣664）.

Sample line： "Heaven and earth were once a chaotic whole， borderless and shapeless， without any beings whatsoever."

Western similarity： The Lord of the Rings and Don Quixote （《唐•吉诃德》）

Water Margin

Shi Nai'an （1296﹣1370）

A work of controversial authorship based on the true story of the bandit Song Jiang and his 36 rebels in the late years of North Song Dynasty（960﹣1127）.

Sample line："It's easier to draw a tiger than to sketch its bones；it's easier to know someone's look than the contents of his heart."

Western similarity： Robin Hood

Dream of the Red Chamber

Cao Xueqin （1715﹣1763）

Semi﹣biographical work，on the basis of author's personal experience，with over 600 named characters，about the decline of Qing Dynasty society. Sold over 100 million copies.

Sample line： Pages full of idle words； penned with hot and bitter tears； all men call the author fool；none his secret message hears.

Western similarity： Shakespeare with a dose of Jane Austen.

Chang'e-5 was a landmark space mission for China, as it was the first time that our country     1    (collect) samples from the Moon. It turns     2     that history was also being made with this voyage behind the scenes.

Behind this mission     3     (be)dedicated scientists, and one of them is a 24-year﹣old female space commander. Despite being the     4    (young)commander at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Zhou Chengyu was trusted with the vital     5    (responsible)of managing the rocket connector system.     6    (respect)as 'Big Sister' by her colleagues, the commander has become a web celebrity (网红)in China.

Zhou Chengyu has attracted attention from the press and public because of her achievements,     7    the record﹣breaking commander does not appear interested in her newly﹣found fame. In fact, she has declined multiple interviews     8    (put)her heart into her work. For now, Zhou Chengyu is     9    (full) absorbed in her work, but considering the excitement around this mission and her achievements, it will be a long time     10     the public forgets her.

7 . When I was 6, my 14-year-old brother brought me to the local BMX track to ride in a kid's bike race. The hill out of the starting gate looked so scary and _________ that I backed up and wouldn't ride. The next week, my parents took me back for another _________. Soon after setting off, I fell immediately but still _________to win second place. Ever since I've _________ racing.

I turned pro at 15, the youngest woman with a professional title in the United States, which is _________now. You have to be 17 to compete _________ according to new rules. Around the time I went pro,   BMX became an Olympic sport, and I decided to _________ it after high school. As soon as I graduated, I moved to California to train at the Olympic Training Center.

BMX is an extreme sport in which strength and balance are key, so I _________ at least, five days a week. I do tons of resistance and flexibility training. During the drills, I try to stand out _________ the other competitors at the end of the track. I keep __________ the excitement of overcoming big challenges and the __________ of crossing the finishing line first. I also do __________exercise with a sports psychologist, like practicing blocking out background __________ to make sure I'm __________the competition. If I make __________on the course, I have to move on. After all, every participant there is to __________me. I need to concentrate on the competition, so my chance of winning won't be __________by errors or distractions!

At the Olympics in Rio I was __________to win a silver medal, but I felt a strong urge to win the gold, which would __________me to do better in the next competition. I continue working to reach my __________ in the sport. Failures and disappointment never discourage me. They only motivate me to become a better self.