My Brother
My brother is off at college, and at age 14, I miss him terribly. My brother is a rare kind of guy.He’s smart and kind. And my friends say he’s lovely. But it’s how he handles things and how he treats his friends and his family that make me fell more proud.
He applied to 14 colleges. He was accepted by all but one, the one he wanted, Brown University. So he took his second choice, and off he went to a first year. When he came home for summer vacation, he said he’d move to Rhode Island near Brown, find a job, and do Whatever he could to become known in the area. He’d work his heart out and do his best at everything. Someone, he was sure, would noice. This was a big deal for my parents as it meant agreeing to a year without college. But they trusted him and encouraged him to do whatever he thought it would take to realize his dream.
It wasn’t long before he was hired as an amateur (业余的) play director at Brown. Now was his chance to shine, and shine he did. He put every bit of himself into the job. He met teachers and school officials, talked to everyone about his dream and never hesitated to tell them what he was after.
And, sure enough, at the end of the year, when he repplied to Brown, he was accepted.
We were all happy, but for me the happiness went very deep.I had learned an important lesson—a lesson no one could have taught me with words. If I work hard for what I want, and if I keep trying after I’ve been turned down, my dreams can also come true. This is a gift I still hold in my heart.

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Garlic (大蒜)
Garlic has a long history of human use of over 7,000 years. It was originally grown in Asia. It finally made its way to Europe and South and North Americas in the 16th century. It rapidly spread to the world because it was easy to grow and could stay alive in poor conditions.
Garlic has also long been used in medicine. Egyptians fed garlic to the slaves to keep up their strength and to defend against diseases. The Romans believed that garlic cured many diseases and helped heal wounds. Greeks gave garlic to athletes during the Olympic Games in order to increase their strength.
More recently, garlic has been mentioned as being used as a treatment for battle wounds in both World Wars. In fact, even today people eat garlic for its supposed benefits. For example, many people eat garlic to help fight colds and coughs. Some even claim that garlic can help prevent high blood pressure and cancer.
A different use for garlic in the past was to keep away bad spirits. In some countries, people believed that if they wore garlic around their necks, bad things would not enter their bodies. And if they hung garlic outside the doors of their homes, bad things would go away.
Garlic is now grown everywhere in the world. China is the largest producer of garlic,followed by India, South Korea, Egypt and Russia. The popularity of garlic has increased over the years. It is now widely used in all types of cooking. Chinesc dishes use garlic. Italian dishes include a lot of garlic, too. Garlic is now highly valued for its taste throughout the world.

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Easy Ways to Green up Your Life
①Eating meat produces greenhouse gas emissions (排放). If you can’t give up meat completely, you can reduce your consumption or give up ber. Don’t eat out-of-season farm products. They are grown in greenhouses. A lot of energy goes into heating the greenhouses.And sipping such ourof-scason farm poducts by air fom remole places consumes huge amount of energy, too. Just lo for local and in-season food.
②Spend less time behind the wee, oycle and walk more, and use public transport more.If you have to dive, the first thing is to choose a car that uses comparatively less fule. Besides,stick to the seed limit, keep your tires properly filled with air, empty your trunk of heavy items,and accelerate and brake gently.
③Want to take a vacation trip by plane?Don’t hurry.Think again Air travel has a big impact on the environment compared with most other forms of travel. You have better choice.Consider having a vacation within diving distance. Of course, taking the train is the best choice.
④Think about how much “stuff” you own.A big part of emissions are linked to our consumption.To reduce it we need a change in consumption clture.Do we really need all the things we buy? And do we always need the newest one?Geting fewer things and making the ones you own last longer will reduce energy use.
⑤Your choices about heating your home are some of the most important things you can do in terms of cutting your gerrnhouse gasemissions.Keeping the temperature a little lower in the winter and higher in he summer can make a big difference.

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A Lucky Pen
"Mommy, I’ve got something for you" George ran through the door afer school one day. He waved something above his head."See, it’s a lucky pen!" 26______ I looked at the pen in my hand. There was nothing special about it But I didn’t realize how special it was at that moment.
I had made the decision to pursue a career in writing.27______ I had dreamed about it for a long time but I was afraid to take a chance. I was scared of rejection.
The night before, I had voiced those fears to my husband when I thought George wasn’t listening. But George must have overheard us. Now he stood in front of me, watching me examine the pen. "You don’t have to be scared now," he said. "This pen will make your stories great and everyone will love you." Tears filled my eyes.28______ Rejection didn’t seem like such a big deal any more. Even if I never sold the first story, I had everything I could ever need. George in my life!
I found out later how lucky I was when I heard what he did to get the pen. During lunch break at school that day, George heard a boy talking about a lucky pen he had. 29______ The boy was a tough negotiator but George didn ’t give up. In the end, he traded his lunch, his favourite cartoon book, and his new football, his most prized possession for that pen. Just to make me feel better.
30______ It never fails to remind me just how lucky I am! I am the luckiest mother in the world now and forever.

A.He got it as a birthday gift.

B.It was a decision full of fear and anxiety for me.

C.He wanted to get it for me.

D.He handed me the pen happily and proudly.

E.I grabbed him and pulled him tight against me.

F.I still have that pen, though it’s long out of ink.

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Young Readers, Tomorrow’s Leaders?
A new study has good news for kids with strong reading skills. Such kids will have high intelligence as they get 31______ They will have a bright future.
The study included 1,890 twins who did reading tests at 32______ 7 and 12, and an intelligence test at 16.The twins had the same genes (基因) and home environment. Therefore,the 33______ between them had to be due to factors that they did not 34______. For example,one had a better teacher than the other. Some kids did better on the reading 35______ than their twin brother or sister. They 36______ did better on the intelligence test. The reading skills 37______ to enhanced intelligence were evident by age 7. This shows that reading skills can 38______ a child’s intellectual development.
The study also helps to 39______ the differences among kids in the same family. They share genes, 40______ conditions and parents. But they can be different in intelligence.

A.Also

B. Differences

C. Only

D. Explain

E. tests

F. affect

G. ages

H. living

I. share

J. older

K. related

L. interested

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Student Loans
Federal Sutdent Aid is an office poudimg ( provide) student loans for higher education.
The US govemment knows the 41______(important) of higher education in positively 42______(impact) the nation. It makes sure that each 43______(quality) student in America is able to get 44______(finance) help for higher education.
Though parents can choose private funding through 45______(bank), the interest rates can be 46______(excessive) high. On the other hand, the interest rates of federally funded student loans are much less in 47______(compare). It is, therefore, very important that parents take all steps 48______(require) to apply for student loans through the government.
Federal Student Aid is involved in 49______(educate) students and their families on the exact procedures to get student loans. Once the applications are 50______(receive), it processes them before the start of each school year.

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某英文报社正在举办题为“Live a Heatly Life”的征文活动。请就此题目写一篇英文短文应征，内容包括：
什么是健康的生活方式
你是怎么做的

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