1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

After eating a diet of bread, hamburgers and spaghetti for three     1     (month), I began to miss Chinese food. Luckily, in     2     informational city like New York, I have little difficulty     3     (find) a Chinese restaurant. However, the Chinese food, which the locals consider as their favorite, is not exactly the Chinese food I enjoy in Beijing I can always find such so-called “Chinese food” as honey chicken on the menu,     4     I actually have never even heard of it before.

One day, I went to a Chinese restaurant     5     my local friends. After the meal, each of us     6     (give) a dumpling-shaped cookie. Once I bit into it, I realized something not quite right. I found a piece of paper with a message that read, “This fortune’s no good, try another.” At first I     7     (think) it must be a trick of the restaurant. When I told this to my friends, they burst out     8     (laugh) and asked, “Are you really from China?”

But it doesn’t mean there is no place in New York where I can satisfy my stomach. I always head to China Town when I     9     (extreme) miss the food of my homeland.     10     (follow) the hot and spicy smell, I can always find the most Chinese food that excites me in the city.

4 . Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.

Instead of looking at nature, I _______ my e-mail. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading _______newspapers each morning. And that was the problem: I was acting as if I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my _______ wasn’t.

So this year I made up my mind to try something _______: getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, _______ I’m not good at self-control. But I was _______. I started by handing the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The mobile phone _______ at our cabin was worse than in the past. I was _______, forced to carry out my plan. Largely cut off from e-mail and my favourite newspaper websites, I had little way to _______ the world. I had no ________ but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet. I finally ________ that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the ________.

I knew I had ________ when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. “Don’t need it,” I said. ________, as we return to work, a test begins: Can I survive when I’m back at work? I don’t plan to ________ my iPad completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (抵抗诱惑) to use it every five minutes.

That’s all ! Thank you for listening !

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

7 . How to improve long-term memory

There are some things that are easy for us to remember and you notice that you can still recall that information even when you no longer need it. Sometimes it is difficult to remember information.     1     Try the following steps below to remember information you want to keep in your long-term memory.

Organize information into groups.     2     It is like a supermarket; things of the same kind are put in the same place.

Connect related information.     3     This is an excellent way for you to keep information in mind as it can make your memory function better when the related information is needed.

    4     When you need to remember a piece of information, try relating it to a picture that is easily remembered. This is how many people remember positions. They can simply recall that the store is near the bridge.

Repeat. The more you are exposed to something, the easier it is to remember at a later time.     5     Try using his name at least three times when you first talk to someone. That name will be easier to remember later.

8 . Much has been written about the wonders of the World Wide Web. There are countless articles telling us how the internet has made our lives more convenient. We no longer have to wait in line or carry cash around when we go shopping. We can download software whenever we need them.    1    People’s lives have been changed by online communities and social networks.

Jan Tchamani, an English teacher in Birmingham, UK, suddenly developed a serious illness and had to quit her job. At age 50, she stuck at home with only her computer to keep her company. After a while, she discovered that surfing the Internet could help her feel less lonely and bored.     2     She also joined an online group where she could talk about her problems and get support and advice from others.

She was so inspired by the people she met online that she decided to start an IT club.

Jan has started taking online classes to learn more about how to make society better. She believes that it is highly important to make sure that everyone has access to the Internet.     5    

9 . Many people like to explore the Internet. Exploring the Internet is one of the most important activities of the day. The internet is one of the most important activities of the day. The Internet brings the outside world closer to people’s homes. Some people say the world is smaller than before because of the Internet.

What’s going on in other countries? How do people live in places far away? Is there a good sports game somewhere? What’s life like in the deepest part of the sea? If you want to answer all these questions , just come to the internet. Of course, people can also learn through reading or listening to the radio. But with the internet they can learn better and more easily . A lot of information can be collected at a great speed.

Can we go shopping without leaving home? Can we see a doctor without going to the hospital? Can we study without going to school? Can we draw money without going to the bank? All these things seemed to be impossible, but now they have come true.

The Internet helps us to open our eyes. The Internet also helps to open our minds. The Internet often gives us new ideas. In a word, it helps us in many ways. Great changes have taken place in our life since the use of the Internet.