Quick tips for better time management

    Are you a good time manager? If your answer is “no”, here are some tips on how to be a better time manager:

⒈Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it starts. The plan gives you a good description of how the day will go on. That way, you will be ready to deal with most of the things you meet. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒉Focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you're just not getting anything done? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Only focus on what you're doing. You'll be more efficient that way.

    ⒊Stay away from your time wasters. What takes your time away from your work? QQ? Email checking? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}One thing you can do is make it hard to check them— remove them from your browser quick links.

    ⒋{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't take on more than you can deal with. For the distractions that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm no. Or do it later.

    ⒌Decide to be early. When you prepare to be on time, you'll either be on time or late. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}However, if you decide to be early, you'll most likely to be on time. For appointments, try to be early. For your deadlines, meet them earlier than required.

A. Learn to say “No”.

B. Most of the time you'll be late.

C. Great ways to know your time spent.

D. Cut off when you need to.

E. Stop checking them so often.

F. Your job for the day is to follow the plan as best as possible.

G. If so, focus on just one key task at one time

    What should you think about in trying to find your career(职业)? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general good result. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cooking and look for a job where you can improve these skills.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You may have learned how to get to work on time and get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a certain industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You may be all thumbs when you deal with tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry for it.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This does not have direct value for future job hunting.

B. These may show strengths that you can use in your work.

C. Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.

D. Having a part-time job is a good way to find out your weak points.

E. Instead, you should recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

F. Although not all subjects can be used directly(直接地) in a job, they may have indirect value.

G. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it.

    “Hot potato” is a children's game similar to musical chairs (抢座位游戏), in which participants sit in a circle and pass a potato or any other object to others around the circle as quickly as possible.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This game is popular for entertaining large groups of kids at parties, school, or other events that include children.

    “Hot potato” was originally played with a real potato.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} No single version is the right way to play. Changes can be made to suit nearly any theme and any situation.

    The game of “hot potato” is easy to play with large groups of kids outdoors.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's common for physical education teachers to play this game with smaller children, using a ball in order to help children improve their catching skills.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Variations, also called passing the potato or passing the pumpkin (南瓜), are great school party ideas. You can easily create a themed version of the game for Halloween. Have children sit in a circle indoors and hand one child a small pumpkin. The teacher can play Halloween music, but he or she should not look at the circle of kids.

    You can create similar versions for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving Day, or a birthday party.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is highly suggested that all players receive a small prize for playing, such as a piece of candy, and the winner can be provided with a slightly larger prize.

A. Above all, laughter is the goal.

B. Players can even stand up if space permits.

C. Hot potato isn't limited to outdoors by any means.

D. In fact, hot potato can be adapted to any children's party.

E. But today there are many other versions of hot potato.

F. Of course, that person singing or calling should not watch the game.

G. The aim of the game is not to be the one holding the potato when music stops.

    Are supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more? When you enter a supermarket, the manager knows better than you: how you will behave — which way you will walk, where you will look, what will make you buy one product rather than another. When customers go into a shop, they naturally look to their left but move clockwise, towards the right. So supermarket entrances are usually on the left of the building. And the layout is designed to take shoppers around the store, aisle (通道) after aisle, from left to right. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Basic food like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really want.

    People walk quickly through narrow aisles, but they move slowly in wide aisles and give more attention to the products. One best-selling position for products is at the end of aisles, because shoppers slow down to turn into the next aisle. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Supermarkets are paid by food companies to put their products in each of these high-selling places.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.

    More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product (e.g. cereal, washing powder) than from a ten-foot one. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.

A. Another is on shelves at eye level.

B. Sweets are often placed at children's eye level at the checkout.

C. There are always enough products prepared for customers in the supermarket.

D. Then shoppers will pay attention to all the products.

E. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop.

F. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty.

G. Supermarkets are one of children's favorite places and they are also big consumers.

    It should come as no surprise that the more stressed parents are at work, the greater the burden on their family is. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} After all, the more time parents spend working, the less time and energy they have to plan and prepare healthful meals. Previously, most studies have focused on the role of working mothers while fathers were ignored. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It adds a new wrinkle to the relationship between work stress and family nutrition. Mom's work related stress is still a central factor in how well families eat because they typically do most of the food shopping and cooking. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The study finds that when mom or dad experience high levels of work related stress, their families are eating one-and-a-half fewer family meals per week, and the parents themselves report eating fewer fruits and vegetables, more fast food, and are less likely to eat breakfast regularly.

    It's worth noting that the study looks mainly at low income families who belong to ethnic or minority groups. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But the implications are wide-ranging.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Teaching kids, especially teenagers, to help with grocery shopping and to cook actual meals, instead of just putting a frozen pizza in the microwave, could be an important piece of the puzzle in helping families improve their eating habits.

A. But dad's work related stress has a large impact, too.

B. As to family nutrition, the entire family plays a role, even kids.

C. Yet, the kid's stress may affect the families' nutrition, too.

D. So the findings don't necessarily apply directly to other types of families.

E. It's also probably not a surprise that this can negatively affect a family's nutrition.

F. Now, a study looks at the family as a whole and at the role of fathers in particular.

G. It is parents who give their kids a good model to develop a good eating habit.

    Reading books can be a great way to pick up new vocabulary, see grammar in action and develop your understanding of a language. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    For beginners, I would recommend starting with something short and simple. Avoid the classics, for they often use very old English words and can involve complex themes. Children's books are a great place to start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Dr Seuss writes his books in thyme and they are all very funny. Starting with something like this means you are more likely to finish the book and want to read more.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The book isn't too long and if you've seen the film it may be easier to follow. If you like reading about historical events, Anne Holm's I am David is a good read.

    If you're not quite ready to read a full book, why not try Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or, try a very short book like one from Roger Hargeaves's Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Although they are intended for young children, they are a good way to pick up some more basic vocabulary.

    My final piece of advice would be to read something that interests you. Look at the short summary of the book on the back cover and see if it looks like something that you would enjoy. Think about the type that is in your own language and find one of that type in English. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Dr Seuss's books are guaranteed to make you laugh.

B. The key to success is choosing the right book for you.

C. Reading can bring you a lot of fun as well as knowledge.

D. For more advanced learners, you could try the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

E. This way, you're more likely to enjoy reading, rather than see it as a headache.

F. How much you can understand a book depends on your vocabulary.

G. This book contains lots of short stories, based on fairy tales, all written in thyme.