Have you ever felt that time is passing and you haven’t achieved very much? I used (1) _______ like that all the time, until I created my bucket list. Here are some ideas of things you could try!
• Take up a new sport
Sports are a great way to (2) _______ fit and they can be exciting, too. For example, have you tried water sports? I’ve been diving a (3) _______ of times and it’s an amazing experience. I’m going to take up skiing too when I find the time!
• Experience new cultures
Travelling helps us experience new cultures. This year I’ve already been to three different continents and I’ve learned a lot from (4) _______ place I’ve been to. My favourite place was Canada. I went to Toronto for two weeks in January. There are some places I haven’t been to yet, like South Africa,
(5) _______ it’s on my bucket list.
• Raise money for charity
Raising money for charity is a great way to help people and it can be fun, too. A friend of mine is going to climb Kilimanjaro for a children’s charity next year and she’s already raised £1,000 since she started training.
• Take up a hobby or interest
I’ve always enjoyed games of skill like chess. They make you think really hard and help to improve your memory. Doing something (6) _______ is fun, too. A friend of mine has just joined a band. He loves performing and he’s having a great time.
(Adapted from Roadmap)

The Erasmus Programme is an exchange programme (7) _______students the chance to work or study in a different country while they are still at university. It was (8) _______by the European Union. You can stay for anything between three months and an academic year. Since it started in 1987, Erasmus has grown dramatically.
Are you studying for a diploma or a degree at a recognised university? Have you already completed the first year of your course? Then you’re eligible (9) _______ a place on Erasmus. Erasmus is a time for learning. You will gain a(n) (10) _______ of your host country and be part of an international community of students. Having Erasmus on your CV can offer you many opportunities, as employers see it as a (11) _______.
Erasmus is no more expensive than studying in your own country because you do not have to pay extra tuition fees to the university that you visit. For the additional (12) _______ of living abroad, you can apply for an Erasmus grant or scholarship.
(Adapted from Solutions)

Words convey the messages that we want others to hear, but our bodies may tell a different story. Whether we express our problems to our colleagues with a hunched back and sad, downcast eyes, or our enthusiasm for life with a cheerful spring in our step, our bodies are constantly sending out messages. And understanding these clues that we unavoidably offer each other (18) _______.
'People vary enormously in their ability to detect non-verbal cues,' says Dr Peter Bull, psychologist at the University of York. 'Those who tend to be good at detecting emotions and getting the timing right when raising tricky subjects are usually picking up others’ moods through these non-verbal clues,' he says. 'But (19) _______.'
The ability to manipulate your own body language is suggested as an essential skill when it comes to making a good impression. ‘Aiming to communicate interest and enthusiasm at an interview, (20) _______,' says Bull.’ General facial cues suggesting alertness, while showing that you are listening, can help. And your tone of voice should be lively and interested.' Though we can portray a false emotion to a certain extent, few can fool a skilled observer, (21) _______.
Decoding the real message can be a tricky business and becomes even more complicated when different cultures begin to mix. But whether that’s the culture of a country or company, (22) _______, including the unspoken messages that accompany the words.
(Adapted from Ready for First)

Have you ever wondered why people often catch themselves singing while having a shower or making dinner? Or why karaoke has been popular since it appeared in the 1980s? We still have to understand a lot about the effects of music on our brain, but many studies already show it is good for our mind and our body alike.
All types of singing can make you feel better, but group singing has the best effects on people’s lives. Singing in a group in front of a crowd builds confidence, which explains why joining a choir can decrease anxiety in depressed patients. When you sing, it’s nearly impossible to think about other things. Since you must focus on what you are doing, singing stops you being worried about stressful situations.
Singing can also improve speech development. Children learn to speak faster if they regularly sing from an early age and they are often better at communicating through language. When you sing you need to remember words and tunes, so this activity is also an excellent way to learn a foreign language and make your pronunciation sound more natural.
You can also improve your physical health when you sing. Since you need to breathe properly, when you sing you breathe out more carbon dioxide and take in more oxygen, which makes your body fitter and stronger against illnesses. So if you decide to take up a new hobby, singing could be the best way for you to have fun, make new friends and improve your health at the same time.
(Adapted from Ready for B1)

[I] Every day we face challenges at school, work or in our personal lives, and we need to develop the skills to deal with them. [II] Computer skills, for example, are vital for most activities we carry out in our daily lives as well as helping you with studying. [III] When we are young, we are able to learn basic social skills but there are other important skills that can be more challenging to acquire. [IV]
For example, there are many video games which can help us to develop problem-solving skills. Some games help develop patience and perseverance skills by continuing to increase the level of difficulty. They constantly place obstacles in your path until you reach the solution. As a result of playing these games, players can develop confidence, as being able to overcome the obstacles gives you a real sense of achievement. Patience, perseverance and overcoming difficulties are three essential skills in everyday life.
As humans we often learn through mistakes, however some mistakes would be best avoided. Video games can expose you to making decisions in the virtual world by allowing you to choose your characters' actions and then showing you the results of these actions. This may help you make more informed choices in the real world.
However beneficial these games may be, there are things to remember. Too much screen time can isolate you from the real world and if you play multi-player games online, then you need to be sure who you are playing with. It's also vital to make sure that you are not running up a huge bill in games that you pay for online.
Links between schools and video games developers have resulted in more games focused on developing life skills. The not-for-profit organisation, Makerspace, has developed an education programme based around games in conjunction with Minecraft. The programme claims that 30 minutes of video play in the classroom can improve planning skills, memory and motor skills. As well as developing life skills, having excellent computer skills could also help you with a future career. So, play on and learn two valuable lessons at the same time.
(Adapted from Optimise)