Our grandparents seem to have magic powers sometimes. Give them a Chinese lunar calendar they will know what the weather will be like days or even months later.

What's the secret? They are following the 24 Solar Terms(节气),   were added on Nov. 30 to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity(人类非物质文化遗产) by the United Nations(UN). It is a knowledge system and social practice (form) through people's observations of the sun's annual movements and its influence on the climate.

The 24 Solar Terms  (come) into being during the Qin and Han  (dynasty).

At that time, most Chinese people made their living on farms, so weather changes were  (extreme) important for them. But of course, they had no satellite, Internet or weather broadcast  (help) them.   these difficulties，they managed to work out 24 Solar Terms by studying the sun's movement and also  (pay) attention to other natural changes such as air temperature, water and crop growth.

It is honored as China's  (five) great invention, after papermaking, printing, the compass and gunpowder. Now, it is still widely used in daily life even in the age of technology­based modern farming. 

    Everyone wants to perform well at school. Add these tips to your life and you should be on your way to being a top student!

    I cannot stress how important it is to pay attention to what your teacher is teaching you. Take part in class discussions if you have something worth adding. Pay attention during class, especially during lectures.

    Taking notes is important. You don't need to write down every single word your teacher says but write down what he or she writes on the board, or any special fact you think you might need for a test.

    In this way, it will help you learn more effectively by actually thinking about what you are writing.

    Don't skip school. You will be missing some knowledge. However, you will have more work. Also, try not to be late for class. It's most likely that your teacher won't appreciate it and you will get yourself behind.

    If you have an “I don't care about school or this class” attitude, then teachers will be less willing to help you with problems or offer you extra credit(学分). The same goes for lazy attitude. Have a respectful attitude to the teacher and other students. Try not to laugh when other students make mistakes.

    Always ask questions. If you don't understand, ask someone. Read your textbook and notes, and then if that fails, seek help. Ask a teacher, friend, classmate, parent, etc. Get a tutor(家教) if you need one.

A. Be prepared.

B. Write in your own words.

C. Pay attention to everything the teacher says.

D. Staying organized will be helpful.

E. There is no shame in needing some help.

F. It is true that you could make up the work.

G. Keep a good attitude towards things.

In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The1 is that countries around the world have growing mountains of 2 because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.

How did we become a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to3 an object than to spend time and money to repair it. Thanks to modern manufacturing (制造业) and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and 4.

Another cause is our5 of disposable (一次性的) products. As 6 people, we are always looking for ways to save time and make our lives easier. Companies 7 thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.

Our appetite for new products also8 to the problem. We are addicted to buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that 9 is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we 10 useful possessions to make room for new ones.

All around the world, we can see the11 of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To 12 the amount of rubbish and to protect the 13, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. 14, this is not enough to solve our problem.

Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions instead of throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about15. Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.

    May the first 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.

    These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. 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.

    For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous. The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students. 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 finishes high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2019.

A. What contributes to it?

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

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

D. It can mean several acceptances to choose from.

E. They have international students who know English.

F. But top colleges ignore them.

G. They cannot afford college as planned.

An eight-year-old boy self-published a graphic novel about Christmas but never expected the book to attract a large fen base in the U. S. and overseas.

Author Dillon Helbig wrote the book, titled "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Christmas", because he "likes Christmas and decorations".

Dillon's journey to getting it published is a pretty interesting story.

During Christmas break, the second-grader penned the book filled with pictures. The book begins with Dillion himself decorating a Christmas tree. The star on top of the tree explodes, and then he is sucked into a portal (入口).

Over just four days, the boy filled in 81 pages of a journal. Then he went to the local Ada Community Library with his mother.

"He wanted to get his story out there so all the kids can read his adventures, " his mother said.

He was unsure how to get his book on the library shelf, so he planned to sneak (潜行) past the librarians.

"There were a lot of librarians, " Dillon said, but he successfully slid his book onto a children's picture-book shelf.

One of the librarians found it. And he said_, "Oh, this is kind of interesting. " And he added it to the catalog.

After secretly posting his book, Dillon's graphic novel attracted fans. 56 people were on the waiting list to check it out by the end of January. The number has grown to 88 this week. Demand for Dillon's graphic novel extends beyond the United States. One of the librarians received inquiries for the book from The Netherlands and Bangladesh.

Dillon has wanted to publish a book since he was five. The library gave Dillon an award for ^"best young novelist", which he does have a lot to be proud of.

    In 1989, fresh out of high school, I had the difficult task of choosing a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited options: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn't interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn't decide.

    My uncle, one of the ciders in the family, suggested that I do a work placement to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a brilliant idea.

    I was accepted for a month's placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel for how the world of finance functioned, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easy-going work surroundings.

    The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience couldn't have been more different. The hospital had an intense environment. The days started early (at 7 am, compared to 9 am at the bank), and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again the next day.

    I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital was full of excitement and unpredictability, but the studying and training was difficult. It seemed that the business option was going to win out.

    Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after an especially busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with college students sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through (穿梭) traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.

注意:1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2）应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

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Paragraph 1: Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.

Paragraph 2: The next day, when I went to hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.