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    Sleep, as we know, is important to us because it helps restore tired organs and tissues in our body. But how much sleep do we actually need?

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    For most of us, eight hours seems to be about the right amount. Yet we know that there are a great many people who get along perfectly with less sleep and some who may even need more. A great deal depends on the way we live. But a good general rule to follow is to sleep as long as we have to in order to feel happy and be able to work at our best when we are awake.

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    There are actually different levels of sleep. There is a deep sleep and a shallow sleep. In a shallow sleep our body does not get the same kind of rest as it gets in a deep sleep, so that after eight hours of a shallow sleep we may still feel tired. But a short deep sleep can be very restful.

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    Alexander the Great was able to get a deep sleep whenever he needed it. Once, during the night before an important battle, he remained awake longer than anyone else. Then he wrapped himself in a cloak and lay down on the earth. He slept so deeply that his generals had to wake him three times to give command to attack!

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    Normally when we go to sleep, our “ sleep center” blocks off nerves so that both our brain and our body go to sleep. One prevents us form wanting to do anything and the other makes our internal organs and limbs go to sleep. But someone will fall asleep (brain sleep) and keep on marching, because his body is not asleep!

    Today we eat on the go, at our desks and even in front of computers. We eat takeout, delivered and packaged meals.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

     “Over the past three decades, people have started eating out more than ever before and purchasing more prepared foods at the grocery store, which tend to contain more fat, salt and sugar than their home-made foods,” noted US healthy living website Spark People.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It encourages us to value the time we spend preparing, sharing and consuming food, as a recent USA today article put it. It all started in 1986 with the efforts of Slow Food's founding father, Italian activist Carlo Petrini, who wanted to bring back food varieties and flavors that had gone dark in the face of industrialization.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Now his idea is almost the mainstream.

    Starting at the table, the movement promotes an unhurried way of life founded on the idea that everyone has a right to cooking pleasure, and that everyone must also take responsibility to “protect the heritage (遗产) of food, tradition and culture that make this celebration of the senses possible”, wrote The Phnom Penh Post.

    “{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It means turning down the speed at which we eat and increasing the amount of time we spend dining together with other people,” Althea Zanecosky, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, told The Huf fington Post.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Dinner table conversations keep families together,” noted the Belgian non-profit organization Greenfudge.

A. It is a way to bring back the social togetherness of yesterday.

B. It seems that we have adapted our foods to our fast-paced lives.

C. So the Slow Food Movement has occurred against this fast-food trend.

D. Slow Food doesn't necessarily mean food that takes a long time to cook.

E. It is based on the idea that we should spend as much time as possible on cooking.

F. It's not only the food itself but also the time we spend dining together that matters.

G. At that time, he asked people to follow a more sustainable (可持续的) living model.

    How to Make Small Talk

    There's nothing small about small talk. Many great friendships and relationships have started with small talk. Small talk helps you build a meaningful relationship with a person.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you want to know how to master small talk, just follow these steps.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you want to make a person feel comfortable, the best thing to do is to have an ＂open attitude＂ and to direct your body toward that person without being too forceful. Just make eye contact, don't cross your arms, and face your shoulders toward that person. This will make the person feel like you're giving him all of your attention.

    Put away your phone. There's nothing more annoying than talking to a person who is constantly checking his cellphone.

    Though you should look eager to talk to the person, don't look too eager. Don't lean(倚靠) so close that you scare him away.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Give a friendly greeting. If you're seeing someone you already know, just say hello and greet her by her name, ＂Hi, Jen, it's good to see you.＂{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you don't know the person, introduce yourself first so you feel more confident and in control of the conversation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Just a simple ＂I love your shoes — where did you get them?＂ can get you into a fun conversation about shoe shopping. Even if the praise(称赞) doesn't lead anywhere, it will still make the person feel more appreciated before you start discussing other subjects.

A. Have friendly body language.

B. Start with a small compliment.

C. Focus your attention on their shoes.

D. Many people are turned off by a close-talker.

E. It also benefits you in the professional world.

F. You will feel uncomfortable when close to others.

G. This is simple and direct and lets the person know you're excited to talk.

Four Ways to Give Truly Meaningful Gifts

    Buying someone you love a gift that expresses your truest feelings isn't always easy. But when you get it right, the joy they show is worth it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Listen up.

    While you may think it's a great idea to surprise someone by giving them something you think is meaningful, it's best to get them exactly what they have told you. For example, you heard friends say they wanted the newest bike but you bought them a gym membership instead. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So get them what they've specially asked for.

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    In the spirit of showing love, we might go big. However, we may not be thinking of what really makes the person happy. You might think buying your father the latest TV is perfect, but then when you get it home, it lights up the living room like a stadium and is totally wrong for the space. So think smart.

    Keep it open.

    Many of us may consider giving cash impersonal（没人情味的）. But this may save you some concern. The receiver can be allowed to choose whatever they want. In a recent survey of over 7,000 Black Friday shoppers, 39 percent said the receiver they were shopping for was “picky（挑剔）”. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Create an experience.

    Visit websites where you can get the latest tickets for a play, buy a surf lesson, or even something unexpected like a flight lesson. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, if your kids are into NASCAR, just imagine the look on their faces when you score them a ride at a race car driving school. So give them a time that they will remember to heart.

    If you're looking for ways to increase your income, you might be considering accepting ads for some companies' products on your website. Here are the ways:

    Promote an affiliated (附属) product on your site. Joining a company's affiliated program is one of the simplest ways to start Internet advertising. While affiliated links aren't technically ads, they allow you to make money by promoting someone else's product. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Use targeted advertising with Google AdSense. Google's AdSense program allows you to make money by placing targeted text ads made by Google on your pages. The ads appear in the bottom of a web page with the words "Ads by Google" over the top. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Anyone, even students, can use it. Google does all the work of finding relevant ads for your site, and you just collect the payments.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If your site is already getting lots of trade, try looking for sites that offer more products. Be sure to contact potential Internet advertising partners in a profession manner. Call them on the phone instead of just e-mailing them so your communication is more personal and professional. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The more information you can give them, the more likely they will be to consider your offer.

    Sign up for a blog-specific ad program. If you have a blog, consider signing up to feature blog-specific ads on your site. The key is to consider the kinds of ads your target audience will find valuable. Get advertisers interested in your blog with a link they can use to contact you for rates and requirements. This link can be a simple message saying "Click here to find out how to advertise on this blog!" {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It's easy and free to join.

B. Approach companies directly.

C. Sign up for a context-based ad program.

D. Be ready to supply them with information about your business.

E. Making money from your site isn't a matter of putting up a few ads.

F. Through it, you can earn payments when someone makes a purchase.

G. In that way, anyone is free to discuss advertising opportunities with you.

It is often a complex and tiring task to live a healthy life, but that isnˈt always the case. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Itˈs time to change the classroom environment for the health of the children.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Itˈs not surprising that sitting for long as a child is associated with health problems as an adult. Fortunately, thereˈs a simple, overlooked solution to these problems—standing desks.

Over the last few years, a number of studies have shown that the benefits of the increased range of movement students experience when using standing desks are surprisingly broad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Besides, standing desks encourage higher levels of teamwork and participation among students. Standing desks also help to reduce the risk of some diseases. They can help to prevent fatness, heart disease and low spirits. Sedentary（久坐的）lifestyles are a major reason why teenagers suffer from poor mental health, while higher activity levels reduce the chances of a child experiencing such an illness.

The benefits of bringing standing desks into classrooms are obvious. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Otherwise they will likely hurt their muscles when standing for a long time. Standing desks usually offer a full range of motion, which includes the option to sit or lean（倾斜身体）without losing eye-level of the rest of the class, and that full range of motion is important.

Sitting isnˈt horrible. It isnˈt a thing we should never do. The problem is that we do it too much, and so do our children, which makes children less likely to succeed and keep healthy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．It is time for us to stand up to stay healthy.

B．But it is important for children to use them gradually.

C．Children spend most of their school day sitting at desks.

D．Thus itˈs necessary to break up the sitting with standing desks.

E．Something as cheap as a desk could be making a major difference.

F．Right now there is something we can do easily to keep our children healthy.

G．For example, they help students keep fit and avoid putting on too much weight.