What's On?
Electric Underground
7:30pm－1:00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7:30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8:30pm－10:30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks.
Simon's Workshop
5:00pm－7:30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8:00pm－11:00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta (面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night. To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local auction. I named him Cowboy.
Cowboy was undoubtedly the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn't care. I loved him beyond all reason.
I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy's looks. I never let out about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful, registered horses.
When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.
One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn't feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn't need to. I came in next to last.
The stinging memory of Becky's smirks(得意的笑) made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena(运动场). We practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted.
All of our hard work didn't make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.
My turn finally came. I put on my hat, rubbed Cowboy's neck and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line.
As we crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds!
I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I'd always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.
Cooking programmes and classes for children seem to positively influence children's food preferences and behaviours, according to a recent review. And, although the review didn't look at longterm effects of such programmes, the findings suggest that such programmes might help children develop longlasting healthy habits.
This research comes at a time when childhood obesity rates have been rising rapidly. More than onethird of adolescents(青少年) in the United States were obese in 2012, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This trend has been caused, at least in part, by a significant decrease in the amount of meals that people consume at home since the 1980s, according to background information in the study.
Cooking education programmes, such as Food Explorers, teach children about new healthy foods and how to prepare them. They also stress the importance of eating five fruits and vegetables every day. A volunteer parent explains a new food to the group, and the kids make something based on the lesson, such as fruit or vegetable salad. Depending on the programme, kids may be sent home with information about healthy foods to bring to their parents, the review explained.
The study team reviewed eight other studies that tested different types of cooking education programmes. Children in these classes were between 5 and 12 years old, according to the review. The goal of the study team was to learn more about developing an efficient programme to encourage healthy food choices that last a lifetime. The study found that it is particularly important to expose kids to healthy foods on a number of occasions. This makes them feel comfortable with the new foods, which helps them build healthy habits.
The study stressed the importance of getting parents involved in(参与) their children's eating habits. Parents who are unable to enroll their kids in a cooking class can achieve similar benefits by having their kids help them while they prepare meals at home. Children are more comfortable at home, which makes them more receptive to new foods because they will make the connection to a positive experience.
"Clothes Swapping"has become an increasingly popular activity for women in the United States. The women can give away unwanted clothing at a clothes swap event and get something different in return.
Recently about 300 women went to a clothes swap at a high school in Springfield, Virginia. It was the largest crowd ever for the area's popular clothesswapping group.
Daphne Steinberg was having a good day."For anyone who knows Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor is a really nice women's designer and I will totally wear this to work. So I love that I can equip myself for work, have a good time in doing it, and not totally bankrupt myself."
Sandy Van Dusen likes the idea that clothes are finding new homes instead of being thrown away, because it helps to keep the Earth green."In my opinion, there's no point in continuing to buy new clothes when we can reuse what's already here. Give it a new home—let somebody else love what you used to love and no longer love. "
Kim Pratt organized the clothesswapping event in Springfield. She also organized a moneyraising activity for the high school's debate team.It is one of several ways that her group gives to charitable causes. Another is by donating all of the "unswapped" clothing to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
"I started doing this four years ago, and we've been doing it for four years, and it's getting bigger and bigger each time we have a swap."
She used the social media website meetup.com to help publicize the events. The website has helped her group grow from 30 members to 1,300. Mrs. Pratt says most of the members respect the clothing swap rules. But she says competition for desirable fashion can be strong.
"We have to tell people sometimes not to hover over the new people coming in with their clothing. As they put it out, some people tend to grab the stuff right out of their hands and it becomes like a freeforall. We try to avoid that as much as possible. "
How to Be a Good Listener to Your Family
Communication is important for strong family relationships, Working on your listening skills can help you communicate better and form stronger bonds.
Listen actively. When listening to a family member, do not let your mind wander to other things. It's important to family member feel heard and valued. Put your phone away and give them your full attention. Never think about other things when someone is talking.
Repeat what has been said. Briefly summarizing what the speaker has said can go a long way towards effective communication. Everyone wants to feel valued and heard, so repeating a family members' point can show you were listening. It can really allow you and your family to communicate better as well.
Interrupting can put breaks on effective conversation. Always allow a few seconds of silence after someone finishes talking before offering your response. This allows you to make sure the speaker has finished talking. Do not talk over someone either. No matter how curious you feel about a subject, do not start talking until the other person has finished.
Avoid hurrying the speaker. Do not break in before the speaker is finished just to hurry the speaker along. Never say things like, "Can you get to the point?" This will make it seem like you're not interested in the conversation.
A. Do not interrupt.
B. Never rush the person talking.
C. Instead, focus on what's being said.
D. People tend to pause when they speak.
E. It can help you make sure you understood the speaker.
F. When someone finishes talking, ask questions if necessary.
G. However, if you don't truly listen to others, it can be difficult to communicate.
As I held my father's hands one night, I couldn't help but notice their calluses(老茧）and roughness. His hands tell the story of his life as a 1, including all his struggles.
One summer, I remember, a drought hit Ontario, turning it into a 2 desert. On one of those hot mornings I was picking sweet corn with my dad to fill the last 3from the grocery store. Fifty dozen was all we needed, which 4 took twenty minutes. That morning, however, the process didn't 5 quickly. After forty minutes of aimlessly walking in the field, we 6 needed twenty dozen. I was completely frustrated and 7 . Dropping the basket heavily, I declared, "If the store wants its last twenty dozen, they can pick it themselves" Dad 8."Just think, my little girl, only ten dozen left for each of us and then we're 9 ." Such is Dad—whatever problem he 10, he never gives up.
11 , the disastrous effects of the drought were felt all over our county. It was a challenging time for everyone, 12 Dad remained optimistic. He 13 to be grateful for other things like good health and food on our plate. Only then did I truly begin to 14 Dad and his faith that guided us through the hard times.
Dad is also a living example of real 15 .From dawn to dusk, he works countless hours to 16 our family. He always puts our happiness 17 his own, and never fails to cheer me on at my sports games 18 his exhaustion after long days. His loving and selfless nature has inspired me to become more sympathetic and 19 putting others first.
Dad, the life 20 I have learned from you will stay with me forever. You are my father, teacher, friend and, most importantly, my hero.
Undoubtedly, Britain is a nation of hat wearers. From taking of hats launching mortar boards(学位帽)in the air, hats have long been associated with ceremonies and practices. Even the history of the country can (tell)through hats.
(date) back to medieval England, the flat cap became a symbol of working class culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Edwardian Era was golden age of hats, when the decorations became even more delicate, ranging from flowers, birds to fruits. The Pork pie hat, starting in the middle 19th century, was the (choose)for many well-dressed Victorian citizens. Decades later it (gradual )became a key feature of London street style. By the 1960s, though, hats faded out of peoples' sight because of the rise of private cars. It was the Royal Wedding (hold )in 201I that contributed to the return of hat wearing. For example, Stockport Hat Works Museum--the only museum in the country featured in hats and hat making--is (popular) than ever, with a distinct increase on its visitors
marks Britain out on the world stage is the large number of hats that can be called its own. The variety of hats in Britain (reflect)its multicultural background and rich cultural heritage.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧）, 并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线, 并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处, 多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last week, my friends invited me to go camp to see the sunrise. I felt so excited and asked for my parents' permissions. Luckily, he agreed. We got to the mountain top, there we would stay for a whole night. At night, we made a fire, played some games and shared a lot stories. We were singing together while one of my friends were playing the guitar. The next morning, we wake up at about five o'clock. We could not wait to see the sun to come up. After a while, we saw the sun rising. What the amazing scene! The beauty of nature impressed me deep at that moment.
