写出同义句，一空一词 Some of the things CMHS offers are beyond your expectation.
CMHS has much_______ you expect.There are twelve science labs and different experiments are done in different labs.
Twelve science labs are_______for different experiments. Each room is equipped with a bathroom.
Each room _______ _______ its own bathroomWe make sure that we take good care of students in our school.
We make sure that students _______ _______ _______ _______ in our school. When he finished his studies, he started travelling in China.
_______ _______ his studies, he started travelling in China.
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Many people need guidance in choosing a career （职业）. Fortunately, there is much information on the Web about job opportunities （机会）. With all the information available, it's not surprising that people can feel confused. So if you're ready to start your first job or change careers, where do you begin?
The Occupation Handbook is a good resource. Regularly updated, the Handbook is available as a book and on-line. Not only is information provided about the United States as a whole, but readers can easily search for information about their particular state. You can read about the fastest-growing occupations in the area where you live and find out what they are like. You can also learn how to apply for jobs.
Take, for example, Nadia's situation. Nadia was a doctor's assistant in Iran, and her goal in the United States is to become a nurse. However, she needs to work while she is studying nursing. She is interested in becoming a medical assistant to help work her way through college. When going on-line to the Handbook and searching under "medical assistant", Nadia is happy to read that this is expected to be one of the fastest-growing careers through 2010. Besides, job opportunities are even better for people with experience. She discovers that medical assistants not only have to do some office work, but have medical responsibilities as well. Nadia decides this job will be interesting and will also provide excellent experience for her nursing career.
The Occupation Handbook is just an example of websites that can help you plan a new career. When you have found information about some different careers, you will be ready to talk to career advisers. Choosing your future career is an extremely important decision. It's worth taking the time and finding as much information as you can.
| Title |
Finding information on the |
| Introduction |
☆ There is a lot of job information on-line, but too much of it may sometimes be |
| Facts of the Handbook |
☆ The information is updated in a ☆ Its vast resources include ways of job |
| Nadia’s |
☆ She wants to become a nurse in the United States. he needs to work to make ☆ Her previous ☆ If she’s a medical assistant, he’II also take medical |
| Conclusion |
☆ Find some information on-line before ☆ The time you spend and the efforts you make will be |
I'll never forget the first day at school. It has left a deep 1 on me.
The primary school that I attended was not far from my home. As soon as I rushed into the classroom, the bell 2 . A young beautiful woman came in, but she was 3 , with no smile on her face. "You are not permitted to 4 me in the course of class unless..." She was speaking when I heard a 5 "Lily, Lily" from outside the door.My grandmother was standing there with a pair of socks in her hand. I didn't realize I was bare feet 6 then. I wanted to 7 them. But I dared not do that. I shook my hand, 8 "Don't wait here any longer. Leave quickly." As I did so, I still 9 my eyes on my teacher. I really didn't want her to take 10 of me, but she did. She went out to get the socks. When she gave them to me, she looked at me for a while. My face suddenly turned 11 and my heart beat faster. I began to put the socks on. Unfortunately I was so nervous that my 12 hands couldn't get them 13 my feet easily. Just then I heard my name called. I 14 from my seat quickly. "Can you count the numbers from one to one hundred?" the teacher asked. I nodded. Much 15 her surprise, I did very 16 . Finally she said, "You did a good job. Be seated, please. Work hard at your lesson." I looked up at her to find a(n) 17 on her face. I felt 18 at last.
The first day at school has stayed in my 19 as something 20 but sweet.
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Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered by using the information from the passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Ready to give up long showers, water parks, and unlimited water gushing（喷涌） out of your taps? A new study says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people are faced with water shortage now. The oceans are full, of course. But the liquid—fresh, clean water for drinking and watering crops is in short supply in many parts of the world. Rivers are running low, lakes are shrinking, streams have stopped flowing, and groundwater is being pumped dry. However, the demand for water keeps increasing. So there comes inevitably the water crisis!
What is causing the crisis? Experts say it is a complex combination of climate change and rapid population growth. On the one hand, global climate change threatens to reduce water supplies due to decreased rainfall. On the other hand, population growth is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water.
Lack of water may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters are not safe. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. And lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
One partial answer to the world water shortage, at least for countries near the sea, is to build more desalination plants that change seawater into fresh water. Another suggested solution is for water-rich countries, such as Canada, to sell water to countries which are poor in water. A third suggestion is for countries to adopt ways of increasing the freshwater supply, such as teaching farmers in Africa methods to get clean rainwater. And nearly everyone agreed that the amount of water on our planet can’t be changed, but the way we use it can be if more people realized the problem. Last and the most important, public should be aware of saving water to defeat the water crisis.
Title:
I. Present situation:
★Rivers are
★Lakes are shrinking.
★Streams have stopped flowing.
★
II.
★climate change →decreased rainfall →
★population growth →rivers
III. Consequences:
★health problems
★
★the affected ability of developing to improve economies
IV.
★turning seawater into freshwater
★water-rich countries selling water to
★exploring methods of getting clean rainwater
★changing the way people use water
★arousing
What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is defined as thinking logically and developing an ability to ask questions or ask for evidence for a particular subject. Developing critical thinking skills in a child through the right critical thinking exercises is very important.
Critical thinking develops the ability of subjective analysis of a particular fact. Critical thinking is to evaluate the reason behind a particular fact. All possible viewpoints must be thought about before analyzing a fact, and this develops problem-solving skills in a child.
Here are some exercises you can use to encourage your child to think critically.
Quiz your child. Ask your child about daily activities that he does in the school. Quiz him about certain things that do not have a single correct answer. This will increase his ability to think about the things he’s just learned in class. Keep on telling your child simple information about nature, like the seasons when flowers bloom. You can either ask him questions or just explain to him in a casual way.
Recognize and classify. For critical thinking, your child must learn to recognize important information that is closely connected with the subject. Classification of things on a certain firm and logical basis of information is included in the critical thinking ability. Colorful toys or images can be included in teaching critical thinking. Ask your child to identify the names of the flowers, fruits and animals from a colorful chart.
Critical thinking exercises are not intended to make your child intelligent, but it is about making him successful in his decision-making ability and helping him make a successful career. Although thinking habits are cultivated(培养) in early childhood through exercises, they are indeed helpful for a lifetime.
Title: Critical Thinking Exercises for Children
| ●Thinking logically. ●An ability ●An ability to ask for evidence for a particular subject. |
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| Benefits |
●Enable your child to ●Develop |
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| Critical thinking exercises |
Quiz |
●Ask the child about his daily activities in the school. ●Quiz him about certain things with more than one Share simple information about |
| ● Learn to recognize important information. ● Classify things on a certain firm and logical basis of information ● Ask your child to |
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| To develop the child’s ability to |
Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here’s how.
1).Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.
2).Find a good place of to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
3) Make good use of your time in class. Listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
4). Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
5). Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.
There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
How to become a better student
| General methods |
How to |
Advantages |
| Plan your time carefully |
Make a list |
Force you to realize |
| Make a |
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| Find a good place to study |
Free of everything but Study |
You can |
| Make good use of your time in class |
Listen to everything the teachers say |
Really listening in class means |
| Taking |
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| Study regularly |
Help you |
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| Read the new material |
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| Develop a good attitude about test |
Don’t be |
Remember your new |
Homework is an important part of education. However, what is it about homework? What makes it important?
First, homework helps students learn. Homework produces higher learning ability by asking the student to read the same text many times.
Most of the time, homework will ask students to read other books. So children have to read and understand it by themselves. Sometimes, parents must help children with this type of learning. Children hope to use what they have read to solve questions and problems in the homework.
Good use of homework makes children know that learning can happen with or without the teacher.As homework is finished, students learn to work out their own problems. Most students need a little help now and then, but doing homework is a way that children can learn to take care of themselves. If the student can do his or her own work, it is likely the ability he gets will be good for their future life.
Most homework gives room for additional(额外的) learning. Short answers, long answers and papers provide a way for students to learn things that interest them. Science can give the student a chance to go deeper into a field and have a better understanding. These things are almost impossible within the classroom education. If the project is done by a group, the students will also learn cooperation(合作).
Good study skills students get from homework and test preparation can be used easily in most work places.
Title: Importance of.
| Benefits |
Ways |
| Make students repeat |
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| Develop thinking ability |
Make students read |
| Help students to work out |
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| Be good for their |
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| Learn more |
Give room for |
| Provide a way for students to learn |
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| Help go deeper into a field and understand better |
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| Help learn |
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| Get study skills |
Use the skills in their |
Many people often lose their chance to live life to the fullest because of procrastination, which means that they always delay doing something that must be done at once. Moreover, because they often put off their plans till “tomorrow”, they are less likely to achieve their goals and will give up their dreams and goals finally. As a result, we can say that procrastination is the enemy of a progressive lifestyle.
Now that we know procrastination is something bad, why do some people not take immediate action? Well, there are some things that result in procrastination. Depending on someone else rather than doing by oneself is one of the things. Whenever you wait for something to happen before you act, you make it easier to delay your goals and dreams until “someday”. Another cause of procrastination is that people do not value each moment in their day. Actually, it’s surprising how much you can do if you just decide to do little things with the little time you have. Also those who often procrastinate can always find a good reason for something they refuse to do at once.
If you are one of those who often delay, then it’s time for you to make a decision to act now because things happen only when we decide to act. Get down to doing something like losing weight, saving money or spending more time with family. Don’t let these things continue to be a desire for you to do “someday”, but make a decision to do it now.
Once you have made your decision, write down the plan and take action immediately. Making plans can help you think carefully about how you are going to do what you need to do. After understanding how to do what you want to do, get doing with the plan. It doesn’t matter how small the move you make is as the little things you do accumulate over time and move you to be closer to your goals. So, don’t wait until tomorrow; instead, start now! Just make use of every moment you have to do something that is helpful in realizing your dreams and goals.
Here is a challenge that will also move you to be closer to your dreams and goals if taken seriously. Make a list of ten things you have been putting off. It could be anything from getting a health examination, calling a friend or family member, to getting the car fixed and cleaning up the garbage, etc. And then try to develop the habit of doing them immediately!
| Stay away from procrastination |
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| Paragraph outline |
Supporting details |
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| Procrastination can make one Procrastination can prevent one from achieving his goals. Some people don’t make progress just because of procrastination. |
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| People who delay doing things are usually not People don’t realize that each Procrastination also has something to do with making |
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| Ways to stop procrastination |
Make a decision. |
If you want to do something, do it |
| Plan and act. |
Make a plan and have it Make the best of your time to do things that is helpful in turning your dream into a |
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| Make a list. |
List ten things you like to delay. Make it a |
Things adults should learn from kids
Children can teach adults a lot. In other words, there are many things adults can learn from children. For example, kids tend to show love. Every action they do for parents, friends, pets, and people they like, is filled with love. They don’t think twice before loving, and they just love. So adults can learn this: the best way to receive love is to first give it. Unfortunately, most of us have developed the habit of questioning everything. We often try too hard with love, and connect it with weakness. Actually, the only way to experience love is to have the smallest expectations, and love your dear ones unconditionally(无条件地).
Kids never hide feelings. They cry when they hurt themselves, and express displeasure when things don’t go their way. On the contrary, we adults always try to hide our feelings, and never express ourselves sincerely. We often feel happy for others with negative thoughts in our hearts. Crying or expressing oneself is what normal people do. Never hold back tears or happiness. If you want to cry, cry your eyes out, and if you are happy or pleased about something, don’t be afraid to show or share it.
Kids are curious (好奇的) little beings, who always try to understand their surroundings by completely involving themselves in every task they do. They have a huge appetite for knowledge, and ask lots of questions every day. This curious nature guides their life, and often leads them to simple yet wonderful discoveries. Are adults as curious as kids? Well, most of us aren’t. Also, they no longer have the thirst for knowledge, and don’t even ask questions if they don’t understand something. Adults often forget that it isn’t talent or skill but our curiosity and a huge appetite for knowledge that makes us worthy.
Kids live in the present, and give 100% to any task they are doing. They never worry about the future, and since they are so busy enjoying their present, life is great today. However, with a job, money, and relationships, it does get hard for an adult to enjoy life. The best thing to do here is to change oneself, and if that isn’t possible, we can live like a child. Just don’t be worried about the future, because it isn’t in your control. The only thing you can control is your present, so work hard toward it.
As kids treat everyone equally, they make friends soon and also play a lot with them. Through playing, they make a lot of astonishing discoveries about their friends and surroundings. They also learn a lot about life, because they are out in the open and are playing with all their hearts. So how long has it been since you played outdoors for fun as an adult? Not some serious sporting event or activity, just kicking a ball, running in the park, or any other silly game! Playing doesn’t mean that you have to achieve a purpose. Sometimes, it is healthy to just have some fun.
| Paragraph outlines |
Main points |
| Show love. |
Adults should learn to give love first instead of In order to experience love, adults should |
| Never hide emotions. |
Children aren’t afraid to display their emotions while adults always It’s normal to express oneself, so try to show or share your emotions, |
| Be curious. |
Kids are curious and are Most adults don’t ask questions even if they feel Actually, our |
| Live in the present. |
Kids live in the present happily, while adults have Change yourself, or enjoy your present without worrying about the future that can’t be |
| Play more. |
Children Adults should also play outdoors for fun just like kids. |
Here are some of our favorite tips that will help any student study smarter, not harder:
Recite As You Study
Reciting---saying things out loud----should first take place as you read through each paragraph or section. Test yourself. This will help you to understand as well as learn faster because it is more active than reading or listening. It will also help you to notice your mistakes and the topics you have trouble understanding.
Study the Middle
The best time to review is soon after you've learned something. You are more likely to remember the material at the beginning and the end of the lesson, so make sure you focus on the middle when you review.
Take Fuller Notes
Notes should be in your own words, brief and clear. They should be tidy and easy to read. Writing notes will help you better than just underlining as you read, since it forces you to re-write ideas in your own words.
Sleep on it
Study before going to bed, unless you are very tired. It's easier to remember material you've just learned after sleeping than after an equal period of daytime activity, because your brain continues to think even after you've fallen asleep.
Combing Memory and Understanding
There are two ways to remember: by memorizing and by understanding. Multiplication tables, telephone numbers, and math formulas are better learned by rote(死记硬背)while ideas are best
learned by understanding.
The more ways you have to think about an idea, the more meaning it will have: the more meaningful the learning, the better you can remember it. Pay attention to similarities in ideas and concepts and then try to understand how they fit in with thing you already know. Never be satisfied with anything less than a completely clear understanding of what you are reading. If you are not able to follow the thought, go back to the place where you first got confused and try again.
Titles: Tips on in a smarter way.
| Right things to be done |
Details |
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| ◆Help you study in an ◆Make you aware of your mistakes and problems |
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| Notes |
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◆brief and clear ◆tidy and easy to read |
| Advantages |
You can benefit a lot more than |
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| Sleep on it |
Studying before going to bed brings about better |
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| ◆Considering an idea in as many different ◆ ◆Going back to what first cause your |
Gratitude means thankfulness, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. It shifts your focus from what your life lacks to the abundance that is already present. Psychological research has shown the surprising life improvements gained from the practice of gratitude.
Two psychologists, Michael McCollough and Robert Emmons, conducted an experience on gratitude and its effect on well being. The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy. In addition, those who practiced gratitude experienced less depression and stress, were more likely to help others, worked out problems more regularly, and made greater progress toward achieving personal goals.
Therefore, it's important to practice gratitude. Here are a few reminders.
A common method is to get yourself a cute little notebook and write down 3-5 things that you're grateful for at the end of each day. They can be small things, or bigger things.
You can also send a handwritten letter or make a phone call to a person for whom you are thankful, expressing the gratitude. It will surely brighten their day, and in turn, yours.
Besides, for some, it may be a good idea to express their gratitude in person. It doesn't need to be formal. Just a simple gesture of thanks is only needed to feel the benefits of this kind of gratitude.
Finally, there are certain times you can devote to gratitude. For example, at the beginning of your meals, or at bedtime, or when your parents get home from work. Committing to a specific time establishes a practice of gratitude.
Once you become accustomed to looking for things to be grateful for, you will find that you begin to appreciate simple pleasures, which can make a day and even change a life.
| Title |
Gratitude |
| Introduction |
Gratitude means being grateful and can help people. |
| ■Feeling more ■Becoming less depressed and stressed, but more willing to be ■Working out problems more regularly. ■Achieving your |
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| ■Putting down whatever you feel grateful for every day. ■Writing to or calling whoever you want to ■Giving thanks personally in a ■Devoting a proper |
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| Conclusion |
■ |
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people
traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts.
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
| Main comparisons |
Contexts |
| In the past people put caring, sharing and generosity in the first |
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| Nowadays, people seem to be more |
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| People in the past appeared to be modest and self-effacing（谦让的） |
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| People may strive to achieve their own |
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| The author’s understanding |
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| Fierce |
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| The author’s |
A relationship which can |
We are a primary school in England. Our students start arriving at our playground from about 8:45 a.m. Most of the children live nearby, so they walk to school. But some children have to travel to school by car. Each of the children is dressed in a school uniform (校服) and carries the homework and packed lunch in a schoolbag.
School starts at 8:55 a.m. The teacher on duty blows a whistle (哨子) and the children line up in their class groups. They wait quietly for the teacher to send them to their classrooms. When they arrive at their classrooms, the children empty their schoolbags and put their homework in their boxes. After the children take their seats, the teacher reads out each child’s name in turn. Upon hearing his / her name, the child replies “yes, Mrs. (the teacher’s name)” and the teacher writes down whether the child is in school or not.
And then at 9:10 a.m. the children attend an assembly in our main hall. They sit on the floor in rows with the youngest children at the front and the older children at the back. As the children enter the hall, they listen to music quietly. Each week we have a different musical theme (主题). Besides, the children also listen to stories.
After the assembly, the first lesson of the day begins at 9:30 a.m. Our morning lessons are usually English and Maths. Each of these lessons lasts an hour. Between classes, the children have their morning break from 10:20 a.m. to 10:35 a.m. They eat their snacks (小吃) or play games like football on the playground. At the end of the break, the teacher on duty blows a whistle. The children stand still and wait to be told to line up.
Each day, the children have their lunch break from 12 noon to 1:10 p.m. Most of the children bring their own packed lunches from home. A packed lunch usually consists of sandwiches, fruit, a drink and a packet of crisps. Some children have a school dinner cooked in our school kitchen. While the children are waiting to have lunch or after they have finished eating, they play games on the playground or attend lunch-time clubs. We have teachers on duty, who look after the children during lunch breaks. After the lunch break, the children have afternoon lessons, which continue until 3:15 p.m. when the children go home.
| A typical school day at a primary school in England |
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| Paragraph outlines |
Supporting details |
| Arriving at school |
● The students start ● They come to school on |
| The start of school |
● At 8:55 a.m., the teacher on duty blows a whistle to make the children ● The teacher |
| ● At 9:10 a.m. the children attend an assembly in the main hall, where they listen to music or stories. ● They sit on the floor in rows at different |
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| Morning lessons |
● The first lesson of the day begins at 9:30 a.m. and each class lasts as ● The morning lessons are usually English and Maths. ● The morning break is from 10:20 a.m. to 10:35 a.m., when the children eat their snacks or play games. |
| Lunch breaks and afternoon lessons |
● The lunch break starts at 12 noon and ● During the lunch break, the students ● School is |
Happy Graduation, Seniors! Congratulations! What’s next? Below is some sociologically-inspired, out-of-the-box advice on work, love, family, friendship, and the meaning of life. For new grads from the two of us!
1. Don’t Worry About Making Your Dreams Come True
College graduates are often told: “follow your passion,” do “what you love,” what you were “meant to do,” or “make your dreams come true.” Two-thirds think they’re going find a job that allows them to change the world, half within five years. Yikes.
This sets young people up to fail. The truth is that most of us will not be employed in a job that is both our lifelong passion and a world-changer; that’s just not the way our global economy is. So it’s ok to set your sights just a tad below occupational ecstasy. Just find a job that you like. Use that job to help you have a full life with lots of good things and pleasure and helping others and stuff. A great life is pretty good, even if it’s not perfect.
2. Make Friends
Americans emphasize finding Mr. or Ms. Right and getting married. We think this will bring us happiness. In fact, however, both psychological well-being and health are more strongly related to friendship. If you have good friends, you’ll be less likely to get the common cold, less likely to die from cancer, recover better from the loss of a spouse, and keep your mental acuity as you age. You’ll also be able to face life’s challenges, be less likely to feed depressed, and be happier in old age.
Having happy friends increases your chance of being happy as much as an extra $145,500 a year does. So, make friends!
3. Don’t Worry about Being Single
Single people, especially women, are stigmatized in our society: we’re all familiar with the image of a sad, lonely woman eating ice cream with her cats in her pajamas on Saturday night. But about 45% of U.S. adults aren’t married and around 1 in 7 lives alone.
This might be you. Research shows that young people’s expectations about their marital status (e.g., the desire to be married by 30 and have kids by 32) have little or no relationship to what actually happens to people. So, go with the flow.
And, if you’re single, you’re in good company. Single people spend more time with friends, volunteer more, and are more involved in their communities than married people. Never-married and divorced women are happier, on average, than married women. So, don’t buy into the myth of the miserable singleton.
4. Don’t Take Your Ideas about Gender and Marriage Too Seriously
If you do get married, be both principled and flexible. Relationship satisfaction, financial security, and happy kids are more strongly related to the ability to adapt in the face of life’s challenges than any particular way of organizing families. The most functional families are ones that can bend. So partnering with someone who thinks that one partner should support their families and the other should take responsibility for the house and children is a recipe for disaster. So is being equally rigid about non-traditional divisions of labor. It’s okay to have ideas about how to organize your
family – and, for the love of god, please talk about both your ideals and fallback positions on this – but your best bet for happiness is to be flexible.
5. Think Hard About Whether to Buy a House
Our current image of the American Dream revolves around homeownership, and buying a home is often considered as a stage on the path to full-fledge adulthood. But the ideal of universal home ownership was born in the 1950s. It’s a rather new idea.
With such a short history, it’s funny that people often insist that buying a house is a fool-proof investment and the best way to secure retirement. In fact, buying a house may not be the best choice for you. The mortgage may be less than rent, but there are also taxes, insurance, and the increasingly common Home Owners Association (HOA) fees. You may someday sell the house for more than you bought it but, if you paid interest on a mortgage, you also paid far more than the sale price. You have freedom from a landlord, but may discover your HOA is just as controlling, or worse. And then there’s the headache: renting makes you avoid the stress of being responsible for repairs. It also offers a freedom of movement that you might cherish.
So, think carefully about whether buying or renting is a better fit for your finances, lifestyle, and future goals. This New York Times rent vs. buy calculator is a good start.
| 1. Don’t Worry About |
◆College grads are reminded to follow their passion. ◆The ◆Just find a great job that can make your life full, even if it’s not perfect. |
| 2. Make Friends. |
◆Americans put a lot of emphasis on getting married. ◆Both psychological well-being and health are more strongly related to ◆With good company, you will keep away from illness and have the |
| 3. Don’t Worry about Being a Bachelor. |
◆Single women adults ◆If single, be actively |
| 4. Don’t Take Your Ideas about Gender and Marriage Too Seriously. |
◆The most functional families are ones that can bend, that is to say , to be principled and more |
| 5. Think Hard About Whether to Buy a House. |
◆Buying a home is often considered as a stage on the path to full-fledge ◆In fact, buying a house may not be the best choice for you to invest and to secure retirement. ◆Renting |
Since it was founded a year ago, the babysitting pool has become increasingly popular in the United States. More and more mothers have joined it and have benefited from it. What attracts them most is the idea that you pay your babysitter not in cash, but in paper cards. When you join the babysitting pool, you are given thirty cards, which are worth 30-minute babysitting time each. For each half an hour while you are gone, the babysitter gets paid one card.
There are rules regulating this service. You should not watch more than three kids at a time including your own. On big holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, the babysitter should be paid twice as much, which means two cards for every half an hour. When you leave the babysitting pool, you should return all the cards. If you are out of cards, you cannot use money instead. You should have to baby-sit for others to earn enough cards so that you will have them handy when you yourself need a babysitter.
Many mothers think highly of this service. It keeps children in constant touch with one another, and makes life easier for the mothers. Since in most cases, the babysitter is the mother who watches other kids at her own home, it is still possible for her to do her own things while the kids play with each other. In fact most mother babysitters find that their own kids are less of a monster and easier to watch when they are around other playmates. Moreover, since the babysitting pool service does not involve money, it will not be a financial loss to the family.
In the past year, the babysitting pool has helped so many mothers with their work that they all think that it is indeed a good community service worth keeping.
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