1 . Tom sat at his desk, looking out of the window at the bright blue sky. It had been a long, tiring week at school, with lots of lessons and homework to do.     1    .

This Saturday, he had plans to hang out with his friends. They all wanted to meet at the park, where they could run around and have fun. Tom thought it would be nice to play soccer or maybe even have a picnic.     2    . He loved going to their house, which had a big garden and was near a small lake. They often told him stories and made him his favorite meals. His grandpa also liked to take him fishing.     3    . They had caught a big fish and Tom felt so proud.

Early on Sunday morning, Tom would pack his little fishing rod (鱼竿) that his grandpa had given him. They would sit by the lake, waiting for fish to bite their bait (鱼饵).     4    . He could talk with his grandpa about everything. Tom’s grandma would prepare a delicious lunch for them to eat after they came back from fishing. She made the best sandwiches and always cut the apples into small pieces, just the way Tom liked.

    5    . As he closed his eyes, he wished for sunny days and lots of laughter. The weekend was finally here, and Tom could hardly wait to make the most of it with his friends and family.

2 . Spending time in front of a computer may cause eye strain(疲劳). While eye strain typically isn’t harmful, it can cause dry and watery eyes, headache and so on. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to protect your eyes when using a computer.

Sit far enough away from the screen.     1    . To make sure your computer is positioned right, try the high-five test: If you can properly high-five your computer screen with a full arm extension, you’re sitting too close.

    2    . If you’re using any books or papers while working, you can strain your eyes if you don’t position them properly. If they’re too low, your eyes will have to refocus every time you glance at them, leading to eye strain. Reference materials should be located above the keyboard and below the computer’s monitor.

Blink(眨眼) often. We naturally blink about 20 times every minute, but when we focus on a screen, this can drop by as much as half.    3    . Since your eyes won’t blink as much naturally, you’ll have to be aware of this and force yourself to blink.

Adjust your screen lighting. Your screen should be illuminated(照明) in relation to your environment.    4    . If the room is not bright, lower the settings.

Take regular breaks. It is recommended that for every two hours of looking at the computer screen, you should take a 15-minute break. During this time, you should blink, close your eyes, and allow them to rest.    5    .

3 . We often hear very bad statistics about the destruction of the Amazon.     1     One Amazonian Indian tribe (部落) every year has disappeared since 1900. Unless something is done to prevent it, the Amazon will be totally destroyed in fifty years’ time.

    2     Although it is being destroyed by big farmers and logging (伐木) companies, the biggest cause of its destruction is the cutting down of trees by thousands of small-scale farmers.     3     They cut down trees of the rainforest to grow crops to make money. The soil of the Amazon is perfect for plants as long as there are trees. It is the trees that recycle the nutrients that make the Amazon suitable for growing food. When the farmers cut down the trees, the soil can only support crops for one or two years.     4    

Logging is the second biggest cause of the destruction of the rainforest. A lot of the trees are taken for firewood, charcoal, or for making furniture. Not only are these trees destroyed, but the trees around them are also destroyed to make way for the roads and tracks needed to take the wood away. Large areas of forest have also been cut down to free land for cattle farming.     5     And the ranchers (牧场主) move on. More trees will be sure to disappear because of their cattle.

Most of the rainforest lies within Brazil. Fortunately, it is beginning to bring more laws to protect its rainforest.

4 . Several years ago, I experienced daily severe headaches that made me want to bang my head against a brick wall. I was desperate to find a cure.     1    

In my hopelessness, my father suggested acupuncture (针灸), a treatment he had experienced in Hong Kong. It had successfully relieved his lower back pain when other treatments and medicines had failed. With limited exposure to traditional Chinese medicine, I decided to give acupuncture a try.

With no particular expectations, I found myself in the office of a middle-aged woman, surrounded by Chinese herbal medicines. After explaining my issue, she placed 3 fingers on my wrist to feel my heartbeat.     2     Soon, she took out the needles, which made me somewhat uneasy as such objects typically make me uncomfortable.

    3     To deal with my headaches, the treatment began on the back of my hand, far from my head. As the doctor gently handled the needles, I got the feeling that something was flowing throughout my entire body.

The doctor then continued to tap and move more needles across my body. The electricity was turned on, and the doctor left the room.     4     Around the 5-minute mark, the doctor returned and adjusted the electricity level. A moment later, before I knew it, she turned off the electricity and removed the needles, marking an end to the 20-minute process. She then gave me some herbal medicine to take for 5 days.

I returned to the doctor for a total of 10 sessions, and each time the same routine was repeated and the same herbal medicine was given. The true benefits of the acupuncture treatment became clear: I remained free of headaches for 2 years.     5     If you’ve experienced similar conditions, I highly recommend trying it.

5 . Being a plastic-free gardener is an important step for having an eco-conscious garden. Here’s how to garden by using alternatives to plastic plant pots.

Lots of pots

    1    . Most are made of plastic, and come in a variety of colours. None of these plastics are readily recyclable. Half a billion plastic pots ended up in landfill or being burned each year.

Plastic-free plant pot alternatives

The great news is that, the choice of alternative plastic-free pots is fantastic.     2    .

Ceramic (陶瓷) pots

Though expensive, when it comes to plant pots, there is not much that compares to the appeal of hand-made ceramic pots. Ceramic pots are made from the firing of clay.     3    . Therefore, if collected steadily over the years, they become the backbone of any working garden, offering a ready pot for a month or two of growing on;a permanent home for repeat-flowering flowers lasting for seasons; or a decorative feature for a greenhouse.

Wool pots

Made from raw washed wool pots, these cute little pots are a very attractive natural alternative to plastic.       4    , but they also make a perfect pot for decorative plants that will sit in a striking position while they are growing larger — a great talking point for plastic-free gardening.

Hemp (麻) pots

Hemp pots are a great alternative to the plastic pots used to grow tomato and potato plants.     5    . They come in a range of sizes, from around five to forty litres (公升). Hemp pots develop from a sustainable source, are fully broken down and can be reused for several seasons.

6 . Cultural tourism is a form of travel that focuses on exploring and experiencing the cultural heritage and traditions of a particular destination. Cultural tourism is a good way to enrich your experience as a tourist.     1    .

Cultural tourism helps to encourage the protection of culture and heritage by keeping endangered traditions alive. For example, heritage handicraft skills (手工技能) might be little practical, but outside interest could be enough to safeguard a tradition that might otherwise have been lost.

Cultural tourism also improves education.     2    , such as workshops, language lessons, or historical tours. They can learn about the traditions and customs of different cultures, and enrich their knowledge and experiences.

However, when cultural practices and traditions are presented only for tourism purposes, they may lose their true meaning and become superficial (表面的) performances aimed at entertaining tourists.     3    .

In addition, a lot of tourists can put a pressure on local resources.     4    , which leads to overcrowding, too much pollution and damage to historical sites.

Most importantly, cultural tourism may lead to the loss of cultural diversity. As destinations become more popular to mass tourism, there is a risk of homogenization, where cultural practices and traditions become standardized to the tastes and expectations of tourists.

    5    , can the benefits outweigh the downsides.

7 . We all know someone who seems unable to control their spending or make good financial decisions. When that person is someone you care about, it’s understandable to want to help them better manage their money.     1     If you feel a little out of your depth, let’s take a look at some ways to help out a loved one who isn’t great with their money, without making anyone uncomfortable.

Listen without judgment.     2     Rather than coming at someone with criticism or lecturing, try having an open conversation to better understand their underlying feelings and perceptions about money so you can determine the best ways to help.

Help them set financial goals. Ask how they would like their financial situation to be different in an ideal world.     3     Write these down and determine what initial steps they can take to start working towards these goals. Offer to periodically review progress without judgment. Remember that you’re not their financial advisor, but an accountability buddy.

    4     Provide tools that help build financial literacy at their own pace. There are plenty of trusty apps that can give your finances a boost. Other resources could include books, articles, budgeting apps, online courses, or even offering to meet with a financial advisor together to discuss developing better money management habits.

The most constructive thing you can do is help the person build discipline and skills slowly through sympathetic support. At the same time，protect your own peace by setting financial boundaries for yourself. Avoid criticism or control, and focus on boosting confidence along their journey towards good money management.     5    

8 . Health, as the old saying goes, is over wealth, so it’s of great significance to keep fit. You can take away our money, our house, or our clothes and we can survive.     1     That is why I eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and keep up my social life.

Eating healthfully is important to maintain one’s health. I try to avoid foods high in fat like French fries or cookies. I also try to limit the amount of animal protein I consume.     2     So, it is important to know how to cook these foods so that the nutrients are not lost in the cooking process.

Our muscles must continue to be strong to support our body as we age. Exercise helps the bones build density and helps us maintain our posture.     3     A regular exercise program of cardiovascular training and weight training is an important part of keeping us healthy.

    4     Studies have shown that people with a wide range of social contacts get fewer colds and recover faster from diseases than those who aren’t socially active. For the sake of health, I like to play and interact with my friends and I always feel better when I am with them than when I am alone.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at an appropriate weight and can maintain my health. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy.     5    

9 . Accents in English

Accents are fascinating and usually come with kinds of information.     1    . So many people, especially actors, are interested in learning accents.

Thanks to the development of technology, various handy accesses are available for people to share and pick up accents. English actor and accent coach Sarah Valentine is an expert in teaching the tones which can change the English language.     2    .

Valentine has been working in TV since the 1990s. She appears to have found success coaching other actors to speak in a variety of dialects.     3    , TikTok is a medium to educate the masses. Valentine’s TikTok takes simple phrases, such as “I’m hungry” or “the milk smells funny”. Valentine then repeats these simple words in accents including German, Dutch, and New York. She also highlights the rich variety of dialects within the UK, including Yorkshire, Scouse, Cockney, Geordie, Welsh, and Northern Irish.

“    4    ,” James Lantolf, a professor at Penn State, said. “Isolated (偏僻的) areas, such as New Orleans, develop different dialects. Since there is no contact between regions, entire words and languages can grow and develop independently. Social standing and education also affect the language of an individual person.” It is thought that accents have psycho-social purposes, allowing individuals to identify oneself and others as part of a group.

Everyone has an accent. A dialect coach like Valentine can help one learn to speak differently, for an acting job or for fun.     5    . Learning a second language as an adult is difficult; for much the same reason, it’s tricky to change your accent. With that in mind, watching Valentine change accents at the drop of a hat is all the more impressive.

10 . When you have many tasks to accomplish on a given day, there are a few different approaches you can take to kick-start your productivity. You can “eat the frog”, that is, you can get your hardest, most demanding responsibility out of the way before anything else.     1     Here’s why that might be a better fit for you.

When you eat the frog and take on a difficult task right away, you are supposed to focus on it absorbedly and get it all done. The problem with that is the smaller, boring responsibilities are stuck in your head.     2     Knocking those out first could clear the path you need to really get into deep work when it’s time to do something more challenging or time-consuming.

In general, the task you’re scared or procrastinating (拖延的) on the most is probably the one that’s going to take the most effort.     3     I’m great at focusing on big projects and terrible at doing the little tasks. I can sit down to write a long essay, but sometimes will put off a one-pager for weeks, only to realize it took me all of 15 minutes to complete. The key to selecting a small task to do first every day is identifying one you know will be easy, but will result in some kind of reward feeling in your brain. Whether it’s easy or not doesn’t matter as long as you’ll feel good when it’s over.     4    

    5     Use a system like the Eisenhower matrix or Kanban to figure out what you actually need to do, then select something from that category that you’ll be able to get done quickly and efficiently, get it out of the way, and bask in the accomplishment as you move forward with your day and its more difficult demands.