Four Inspiring Movies
Forrest Gump（1992）
Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low IQ but good intentions. This movie follows the fictional story in which the simple man makes his way through some of the more turbulent（动荡的）times from the 1960s through 1980s. This film took home six Oscars, inspired a “Weird Al” song, and proves that a big heart is the most important thing.
It's a Wonderful Life（1946）
No movie list would be complete without a nod to the past. Let's go with this Christmas classic, about a man with serious financial troubles who intends to commit suicide（自杀）by jumping off a bridge. His guardian angel Clarence Odbody stops him and tells him what life would have been like for those close to him had he never been born. Realizing how much he means to others, he rushes back home and all sorts of happy, inspirational, Christmassy things happen.
Dead Poet's Society（1990）
John Keating（Robin Williams）is a high school English literature teacher at a famous all-male boarding school who gets into trouble with the school administration after encouraging his students to challenge authority and think for themselves. It is certainly inspirational, if not also frustratingly sad.
A Beautiful Mind（2001）
This movie tells the story of John Nash（Russell Crowe）, a professor at Princeton, a US university, who revolutionized the field of game theory and fell into madness as a result of paranoid schizophrenia（精神分裂症）. With the love and support of his family as well as the help of medical professionals, he managed to overcome his mental illness and continued to make contributions to the field of mathematics.
Feeding birds is a popular way to watch wildlife. But experts say it might put wild birds at risk.
Feeding birds is not necessary for their survival except in extreme weather conditions. Feeders(喂食器)can definitely help birds get through that kind of weather. But most birds eat insects and show little interest in bird feeders. For those birds, we can grow native plants in a natural environment. Birds which are fond of eating seeds will be more likely to come to feeders if there is some cover nearby. This lets them feed and then fly to protective areas, such as in trees.
The most common mistake people make with their bird feeders is that they put feeders in places where birds are easily frightened by passers-by, risk being hurt by cats, or risk flying into windows.
So set up a bird feeder at least one meter away from a window. That way, if a bird gets frightened, it won't get killed when it hits the glass. Owners of cats should keep them inside home so they can't hurt the birds.
Some birds are more aggressive at feeders. They eat a lot and do not leave much food for other birds. A solution is to put the food in more than one place by using different kinds of seeds or fruits. This can also increase the number and diversity of birds in your neighborhood. But don't feed wild birds anything salty, like potato chips, or food that could choke them, like bread.
Pay attention to food quality and freshness. Unprotected food left too long in feeders will turn moldy(发霉), which can kill wildlife.
Another word of advice: Always provide a supply of clean water for birds, but use care when looking for the right birdbath. If the birdbaths are too deep for birds, putting a few large stones in the water can give the birds a place to sit.
Throwing away unwanted food has become a big issue in the world. While some of us throw away unwanted items, people in other parts of the world face food shortages and are starving. It's a shocking fact that a third of the world's food is wasted each year, which is enough to feed a billion hungry people.
You may think supermarkets are the main contributors to this mountain of food. After all, they do desert stuff that is past its sell-by-date and they often refuse to sell fruits or vegetables that are in the wrong shape or look damaged. They've also been criticized for encouraging customers to buy more than they need through promotions such as “buy one and get one free”.
But the biggest culprit for creating food waste is us human beings. In Europe, an incredible 53% of food waste comes from households, which results in 88 million tons of food waste a year. So instead of filling our bellies, our food is filling up landfill sites.
In Denmark, a woman called Selina Juul has been working hard to solve this problem. She moved from Russia many years ago and was amazed to see the abundance of food available in the supermarkets. But despite so much availability, she found that people were buying more than they needed and throwing too much away.
She convinced some supermarkets to stop selling their items in bulk (大量) so that people bought only what they needed. She produced a leftover cookbook and set up an education program in schools, which has helped create a significant 25% reduction in food waste.
Clearly, we need to think twice when we buy something in supermarkets or online, and when we're at home we should make the most of the food we have — using recipes that use up our leftovers or even sharing our remaining food with our friends and neighbors.
When Tom was growing up, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him weeding the garden, carrying out the garbage and delivering newspapers. But when Tom reached adulthood, he was better off than his childhood friends. He had more job satisfaction, a better marriage and was healthier. Most of all, he was happier. Far happier.
These are the findings of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 teenage boys from Boston. The study showed that those who had worked as boys enjoyed happier and more productive lives than those who had not. "Boys who worked in the home or community gained competence and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society," said George Vaillant, the psychologist who made the discovery. "And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them. "
Vaillant's study followed these males in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Under Vaillant, the researchers compared the men's mental-health scores with their boyhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.
The link between what the men had done as boys and how they turned out as adults was surprisingly sharp. Those who had done the most boyhood activities were twice as likely to have warm relations with a wide variety of people, five times as likely to be well paid and 16 times less likely to have been unemployed. The researchers also found that IQ and family social and economic class made no real difference in how the boys turned out.
Working—at any age—is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence—the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. The most competent adults are those who know how to do this. Yet work isn't everything. As Tolstoy once said, "One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one's work. "
Four Tips for High School Graduates
Over three-million high school students are graduating this spring in the United States. Many of them will head to university in the fall. The transition (过渡) from high school to college is a major one, and successful adjustment to college has lifelong influences.
Maybe you are about to make this transition yourself or have children who are about to leave the nest. If you know someone who is making this transition or know parents guiding their soon-to-be adult kids through this time, please take a moment to share this collection of research-based tips with them.
Be open to making new friends as soon as you set foot on campus. Even during orientation (迎新会)! Your success in college depends, in part, on surrounding yourself with others who can support you and help you have fun.
Successful adjustment is about reaching out for help when you need it. This means trying to find the answers on your own first, but then contacting those who can help you when you can't. That is what they are there for!
Lean on your family. Family support can give you comfort when classes get hard or you are stressed about finals. Strong support from family is linked to lower loneliness and depression during the first year of college and higher academic adjustment including motivation and concentration.
Be confident. Feeling anxiety about communicating with fellows, professors, and speaking up in class is associated with lower adaptation during the transition to college. One of the best ways to increase your communication confidence is to practice!
A. This list is for you.
B. The more you speak up in class, the easier it becomes.
C. Don't be afraid to talk to your professors or teaching assistants.
D. Joining clubs is also linked to feelings of belonging at college.
E. Your professors and teaching assistants want to see you succeed in their classes.
F. Almost everyone is in the same boat as you are, hoping to make friends quickly.
G. Family members can give you advice and help you solve problems if you need help.
Celina Raddatz quit her job at a nursing home in 2014 to take care of her mother full-time who, 83, suffers from Alzheimer's.
Raddatz, 57, and one of her sisters, Rosalia Lizarraga, 61, had been1their mother together. But as the Alzheimer's2, the task became too stressful for Lizarraga. The full3fell on Raddatz, who was determined to perform a promise she and her siblings(兄弟姐妹)had made to their4as children.
"When my mother was5, she made us promise never to put her in a nursing home." Raddatz says. "But we never thought she would get6like this."
Raddatz was born in Mexico. Her mother, a widow(遗婉),7 two children as a food seller after they moved to America. "My mom was a very8woman," Raddatz says. When Raddatz was growing up, her mother quit her9so she could stay home and keep an eye on her children. "She would take us to school and bring us home. She wouldn't let us walk10to school."
Raddatz and her siblings first began to notice their mother11in 2005 after she had a bad fall while12as a housekeeper. In 2006, Raddatz's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
"It's just13work. I need to care for her around the clock." But anyhow, she14her job at the nursing home and15her mother in with her. They also share a bedroom,16Raddatz can assist her mother when she wakes up throughout the17.
"It's a18responsibility because of the promise we made her when she was younger," Raddatz says. It used to19Raddatz to see families leave their relatives with this disease in a nursing home. Now she has a personal20for the emotional(情感上的)and physical sacrifices that caring for an elderly loved one takes.
The college entrance examination (CEE) is coming . It was resumed in 1970s. It is very (compete). Anyone wants to take the exam always makes (prepare) for it for a long time. it comes to CEE, not only it test the students, but also it tests the parents.
They are more nervous the kids. Only you insist on (study) hard, you must benefit the CEE. It is time that you (struggle)for your dream.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
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．每处错误及其修改仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。（此题要求把答案写在答题卡上）
English is playing a essential role in our society. The first time when I learned English, I fell in love with it. Now I like the situation that I can speak English. Speak English can make me confident. If you lose interest English, it is no need to complain. Reading newspaper can be of very use for you. If you make the better of every minute to learn English, your English will be improved beyond expecting.
1).学好英语，增加交流机会。
2).多交朋友，友情会使人忘记孤独。
3).积极参加各种活动，使自己的生活更加有趣。
注意：1). 词数100左右；开头已经写出，不计入总词数。
2). 可适当增添细节，以使行文连贯.
Dear Susan,
I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble adapting to your new school life in America,
Yours,
Li Hua
