1. One thing that helps you to listen to your thoughts is to keep a(n) (journal) because it helps to record various insights you gain when doing daily activities.

2. The country went through a(n) (chaotic) period of social and economic transformation: a boom in banking, engineering, scientific research and political thinking.

3. After the disaster many people began to suggest that government offices that help with storm preparations (cooperate) with offices that monitor wild animals.

4. Even though people didn't expect much, the president's speech did little to prevent the (erosion) of people's confidence in the government.

5. New Zealand's economy has probably been going through a more (dramatic) revolution recently than that of any other Western countries.

6. The language teacher gave the students a short list of words that are in common use in the UK but would either (confuse) or even offend Americans.

7. My middle daughter received three scholarships to attend a summer military (academy) . Later she became our city's first international foreign-exchange student.

8. Systematic sampling (系统抽样) of West German voters carried out in 1979-1980 indicated that 13 percent of all voters in the Federal Republic were (rightists) in their political views.

9. People who spend more time on the Internet experienced more (depression) and loneliness than those who spend less time on the Net.

10. Though he did not (dictate) his speech to the audience, he went at a pace slow enough for the listeners to take down a lot of what he said.

11. Speaking of clone, most of the physical differences between originals and copies are so minor that (detection) of them would require a sophisticated laboratory.

12. The up-to-date (classification) of books in the newly-built school library helps you to find the books you want more quickly than before.

There is a special life stage that our generation goes through. It is the (1) (transition) period, during which we move from teenage to adolescence. We learn who we are and what we stand for and what inspires us. Also, in this period we are (2) (saddled) with a lot of pressure from our parents who want us to make something out of ourselves.

My parents have already expressed feelings of (3) (anxiety) over my future with academics and life. When I expressed to them recently that I would not mind graduating in five years instead of four in order to study abroad to (4) (acquaint)myself with the world, they seemed so shocked. That idea sounded foreign and to them was (5) (equivalent) to lack of ambition.

Apart from that, my mother has (6) (expressed) to me that she is worried that I am not searching for a boyfriend. I (7) (resent) this stupid idea of marrying out of college since it does not suit me one bit. Women today can get what they want out of life without a man, even children, as it becomes more (8) (acceptable) for women to adopt children.

I personally want to stay in school as long as I can to (9) (reinforce) my academic work, possibly complete a law degree and start a career, and then after, and only after, begin to think about (10) (shifting) to marriage. If my math is correct, that means I will be more or less "ready" for marriage at the age of 29 or 30, the age when my mother had me.

Language Focus – Expressions in Use

1. As the result of her divorce, she was obviously (saddled with) the double burden of playing the role of both mother and father.

2. Do not be intimidated by people who think they are smarter than you, and don't (back off) when facing competition; inner confidence is important.