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1

How to Make Friends

Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship， improves self-worth and promotes good health. 1 But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1. Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides， you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation.

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends. 2 You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3. 3

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4. Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However， try not to press your new friend with calls， messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. 4 The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship.

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. 5 Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be.

A. Be cheerful.

B. Do things together.

C. Do not wait to be spoken to.

D. Try not to find fault with your friends.

E. Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

2

How to Sleep Better

If you’re having trouble getting good sleep through the night， this text will tell you what you can do to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep.

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Changing your sleeping time by more than an hour can severely disturb your sleep quality. 1 For example， if you normally wake up at 6 am on weekdays to get to work， you might go to bed at around 10 pm， because that’s when you start to feel sleepy， and it’s also a good time to ensure 8 hours of sleep.

2 Wait at least three hours after dinner before going to sleep. Digestion slows down while asleep， and a full stomach may interrupt sleep. Similarly， you should avoid going to bed on an empty stomach， as a completely empty stomach may equally disturb your sleeping patterns.

3 Exposure to light during the time when you’re supposed to be sleeping can disrupt your body’s internal clock. Turn your light off， or use a very dim night light. 4 They include windows， LED clocks， computer lights and cable boxes.

Change your sleeping position. You may think that it’s impossible to control what position you sleep in since you aren’t fully aware of what you are doing， but it is possible and it can make a considerable difference. 5

A. Try to avoid all sources of light.

B. Keep the room as dark as possible.

C. Make note of unusual circumstances.

D. Be mindful of what you eat or drink before bed.

E. Sleep is considered to be adequate only when there is no daytime sleepiness.

F. In other words， sudden change of sleeping time will affect your “biological clock”.

G. If you wake up in the middle of the night， make an effort to have a comfortable position.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

3

The Benefits of Keeping a Journal （日志）

If you want to grow， one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple， but it can make a big difference in your life. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. 1 Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.

◆ It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down？ 2 But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible.

◆ It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal， you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve gotten. 3 You can use the ideas to propel （鞭策） yourself forward.

◆ 4 After keeping a journal for years， you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.

◆ It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea， you are thinking actively about it. 5 In the end， you will expand your ideas.

A. I often experienced that myself.

B. It trains you to express your thoughts.

C. It allows you to see your progress over time.

D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.

E. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.

F. And to be honest， I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it.

G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

4

How to Test Best

It’s back to school， which means it’s back to tests. It might also mean it’s back to being majorly stressed out. 1 Here are some simple ways to prepare thoroughly for tests.

Schedule study time.

Trying to do all studying the night before a test makes it impossible to master all the material. 2 Instead， prepare for a test by scheduling study time each day for several days before.

Use your time wisely.

Before studying， clear your desk so you can concentrate. Also， make sure you have all the supplies you need to study so you don’t lose focus.

3 Get a snack， take a bathroom break or play a quick computer game when it feels as if your brain is about to explode.

Form a study group.

Studying with a parent or friends can help you understand the material better and to learn from one another. Have every person or pair take a part of the material， and come up with questions to quiz the group.

4 Have everyone take turns as the group leader， who will assign （分配） the material， and make sure that conversation stays on what is being studied.

Don’t forget last-minute preparation.

Have your sharpened pencils and other things in your bag ready the night before the test. It’s important to get a good night’s sleep and then eating a healthy breakfast the next morning. 5

A. Keep the group small.

B. Stay cool before the test.

C. It doesn’t have to be this way.

D. This will help you store important information.

E. While studying， be sure to make regular short breaks.

F. This way， both your mind and body are fully prepared.

G. It will also make you tired and stressed on the day of the test.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

5

Finding your dream job can be difficult. This month， the search will become even harder as new graduates start looking for work.

Don’t be disappointed. 1 Consider using these three methods to find and get the job of your dreams.

The Front Door

2 These include checking company websites and employment services. Since lots of people use the front door， make yourself stand out. This means understanding what a company really needs and showing you can meet that need. 3 Find out who is doing the hiring， and try to give them your resume （簡歷） in person. Then follow up with a phone call， letter or visit.

The Back Door

A back-door job search means finding a job through people you know. The back door can help you avoid the crowd of job applicants using the front door. 4 What if you don’t have any connections at your dream company？ Apply for an internship （實習生的職位）.

The Invisible （無形的） Door

If you’re still not getting hired， you might be running into an invisible door. Invisible doors are things companies want from new employees but don’t list as job requirements. Many companies have special company cultures. Others are looking for people with very specific skills. 5

It’s not always easy to find a good job. But with a little work， a door will open！

A. Create your own back door.

B. It is convenient to use the front door.

C. Read about each company you apply to.

D. This type of job search uses traditional ways of getting hired.

E. If you aren’t showing you are a perfect fit， you won’t get hired.

F. There are still jobs out there for those who know what to look for.

G. But you still need to work hard to show you are the best person for the job.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6

Six Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension

Help your child improve reading comprehension—an extremely important skill， especially as he gets older and needs to gain important information from textbooks.

1 This forces him to go slower， which gives him more time to process what he reads. Plus， he’s not only seeing the words， but he’s also hearing them.

Provide the right kinds of books. Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren’t too hard. 2 Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for him to focus on the overall meaning of the story.

3 To gain meaning from text， your child needs to read quickly and smoothly—a skill known as fluency.

Talk to the teacher. If your child is struggling hard with comprehension， he may need more help with his reading—for example， building his vocabulary or practicing phonics （聲學） skills.

Supplement （補充） class reading. If his class is studying a particular theme， look for easy-to-read books or magazines on the topic. 4

Talk about what he’s reading. It helps him remember and think through the themes of the book. Ask questions before， during， and after a reading session. For example：

●Before： “What interests you in this book？ What doesn’t？”

●During： “ 5 Is it turning out the way you thought it would？”

●After： “Can you summarize the book？ What do you like about it？”

A. Have him read aloud.

B. Reread to build fluency.

C. What’s going on in the book？

D. Look up new words in the dictionary.

E. Do you know all the characters in the story？

F. He should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help.

G. Some prior knowledge will make his way through tougher classroom texts.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

7

Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact， a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. 1

Body image is a person’s opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look. 2 Here are some ideas：

Recognize your strengths. Different body types are good for different things. Maybe your speed， strength， or coordination （協調性） makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball， mountain biking， dancing， or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills， like painting， singing， writing， or acting. 3

Exercise regularly. Exercise can help you look good and feel good about yourself. Good physiques （體形） don’t just happen. 4 A healthy habit can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to 1 hour three days a week. Working out can also lift your spirits.

Respect your body！ Practicing good habits—regular showering； taking care of your teeth， hair， and skin； wearing clean clothes， and so on—can help you build a positive body image.

5 Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy， a quick wit （智慧）， and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.

A. Be yourself.

B. Just explore talents that you feel good about.

C. So， what can you do to develop a positive body image？

D. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.

E. They take hard work， regular workouts， and a healthy diet.

F. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you’re good at.

G. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

8

Sometimes willpower is a lot like the television remote control—hard to find just when you want it most. Whether you’re trying to lose weight， stop smoking， or get to the gym regularly， developing your sense of willpower is an important part of changing any behavior. 1 But there are ways to increase your willpower.

Don’t try to change your economic situation， win a promotion and lose weight all on the same morning. Establish one clear， specific goal and make a realistic plan for achieving it. Extra willpower sometimes requires extra energy， so don’t stretch （伸展） yourself too thin. 2

Whatever your goal is， don’t expect to achieve it overnight. 3 If you are trying to kick a caffeine habit， start by replacing your morning cup of coffee with a glass of water， instead of vowing （發誓） never to drink coffee again. Congratulate yourself on the small achievements that will pave the way toward a larger one. These successes help your willpower grow.

4 Ask friends， family or colleagues for assistance and tell them exactly how they can help. Find a support group or organization related to your goal and attend their meetings. You can get valuable advice， understanding and information.

If possible， change your environment to encourage positive behavior. Want to get in shape？ Keep an extra set of workout clothes in your office as a reminder to stop by the gym on the way home. Quitting smoking？ 5

A. Real success takes time.

B. Focus on one goal at a time.

C. Change your environment to change your life.

D. Improve your willpower by a support network.

E. Changing your behavior requires more than willpower.

F. Avoid bars or restaurants where you might be attracted to light up.

G. Breaking a bad habit or forming a new and healthy one can be difficult.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

9

May 1st is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report， there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. 1

These days， college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. 2 On the other hand， deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also， common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts.

3

For many families， the most important thing colleges can do is to show them the money， especially this year； the weak economy makes parents nervous. 4 The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected students’ loans （貸款）. So lately， top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students.

5 The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finish high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015.

A. What contributes to it？

B. But top colleges ignore them.

C. They cannot afford college as planned.

D. But a mistake can be costly if it happens.

E. It can mean several acceptances to choose from.

F. They have international students who know English.

G. Besides， top colleges are facing changes in the population.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.