Ways to Improve Your Luck

    Some people have all the luck! Or does it just seem that way? Why did your co-worker get that big promotion while you were overlooked? Why do some of us seem to experience these lucky things more than others and how can you improve your luck? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    What You Tell Yourself Matters!

Do you know that people who are lucky tell themselves they're lucky? Has your own self-talk been filled with less-than-lucky talk? Do you say things like: “I'm just not a lucky person.” or “Good things never happen to me?” {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They say things like — “This setback is only temporary. I know things will turn around.” or “Things have a way of working out for me.”

Expect and Appreciate Your Good Luck.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Research suggests keeping a “good luck journal” helps people become even luckier. Did someone bring you coffee at work today? Did you find a random (随机的) quarter on the street? Did your husband or wife do something nice for you today? Did your child get a good grade at school? Write them down! {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Begin to notice all the good that comes to you.

Do Something New and Different.

    Make contact with people. Take risks. People who try new things are much more open to luck and good fortune than those who don't. This doesn't mean you have to quit your job or take up skydiving! It could be as simple as starting a conversation with a stranger, taking a class in an unfamiliar subject, learning some words and phrases in a foreign language, or trying a new ethnic restaurant. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And this greater openness can help promote chance opportunities in their lives.

A. All of these things matter a lot.

B. You will never forget your lucky friends.

C. Lucky people generally expect good fortune.

D. Here are ideas that researchers tell us about luck.

E. A lucky person generally receive good fortune in the future.

F. Lucky people score much higher on openness than unlucky people.

C. Lucky people generally expect good fortune.

    There are many expressions with the word “dog”.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They take their dogs for walks, give them goof food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, lead a dog's life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.

    When we say we live in a dog-eat-dog world,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}A person has to work hard like a dog to be successful. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.

    Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new skills and will not change the way they do things.

    Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as junkyard dogs living in places where people throw away things they do not want. Junkyard dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But we do not want it to rain cats and dogs.

A. We could say his bark is worse than his bite.

B. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs.

C. But there are many difficulties on the road to success.

D. People love dogs and treat them well.

E. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills.

F. Dogs are loyal to people.

G. A rainstorm may cool the weather.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Your school days should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you gain the most from them, and ensure that you do not waste this wonderful chance to learn?

    Be positive about school! Don't say things which are difficult or boring. Be interested in school life and your school subjects. Join in lots of activities. Be quick to put your hand up. Go round the school with a big smile.

    Expect to work. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. If you are not working, you are not learning, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable.

    Keep fit. If you do not eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play some sports to keep your body strong.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish a race if you rest all the time.

    Don't be too disappointed if things sometimes go bad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Friends are not always perfect, and they sometimes say and do unpleasant things. Don't let small problems seem very big and important.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}!

A. Everyone fails some tests, loses some matches and has bad days

B. Ways to have a happy school life

C. Do today's work today

D. Follow my advice, and have a happy school life

E. Because it means that you are enjoying school and learning more

F. School is not a holiday camp

G. You are making your time of little use unless you are learning hard

    Whether you are at Disneyland or another Disney park, you will usually find a nighttime show that will be showing.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read this article to find out how you can get a good seat for an evening event at any Disney park.

    Plan on seeing the show in advance.

    Usually, if you decide an hour beforehand that you're going to see a show, you will likely end up not getting a good seat, unless the park is not very busy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Do your research.

    Research online: "The best places to view ..." {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some of them may even be less known, so you may not deal with such a big crowd.

    Arrive to the event early.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Possibly even earlier if the park is more crowded on that day. If you arrive ten minutes before the event starts, you're a lot less likely to get a good spot.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you must leave to do something, make sure that it's extremely quick, and try to have another member of your party stay in your spot while you are away.

A. Stay in the same area.

B. Enjoy the show with a friend.

C. It's usually much more enjoyable if you can get a good seat.

D. This is especially important if you arrive closer to the event time.

E. In order to get a good spot, plan on arriving an hour before the event.

F. Therefore, look at the schedule before your trip, or at least the day before.

G. You'll see a list of places in the park that are the best for viewing that event.

    Reducing class size has traditionally been seen as an important way to improve a student's educational experience. Many often believe that smaller classes would permit teachers to give more personal attention to their students.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    But one recent study suggests there's not much research-based evidence to support this idea. The research was collected by a team from Denmark's Danish Center for Social Science Research.

The study notes that one of the main problems with reducing class size is that it can have very high costs. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Financial limitations make it very difficult for many schools to reduce the number of students in the classroom.

    The new study began by examining 127 studies on classroom size. Its goal was to examine the major research studies already completed on the subject. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. In the end, the research centered on 10 main studies with possible sampling (采样)problems.

    The researchers concluded that there's some evidence to suggest that reducing class size may lead to some improvement in a student's reading achievement. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. They found just a 53-percent chance that a randomly selected test score from a student from a small class would be higher than the selected score of a student from a larger class. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. This led the researchers to conclude that there would be no benefit at all to math students in a smaller class size.

A. But they said the effect is very small

B. For mathematics achievement, the result was 49 percent

C. This can theoretically lead to improved academic results for students

D. Many public opinion studies have shown teachers favor smaller class sizes

E. The effects of larger class size can stay long after the students complete their education

F. Increasing class size is one of the most common ways school systems control education spending

G. They especially centered on those trying to measure if smaller class size led to greater academic success

Smarter Studying

    How did you learn how to ride your bike? Someone probably gave you a few lessons and then you practiced a lot. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} No one is born knowing how to study. You need to learn a few study skills and then practice them.

    Pay attention: Good studying starts in class

    When you pay attention in class, you are starting the process of learning and studying. Do you have trouble paying attention in class? Are you sitting next to a loud person? Is it hard to see the board? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Good notes = Easier studying

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Try your best to use good handwriting so you can read your notes later. It's also a good idea to keep your notes and papers organized by subject.

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    Waiting until Thursday night to study for Friday's test will make a night no fun! It also makes it hard to do your best. We're all guilty (内疚的) about putting things off sometimes. One of the best ways to make sure that doesn't happen is to make a schedule of what to do.

    Sleep tight (充分地)

    So the test is tomorrow and you've followed your study plan, but suddenly you can't remember anything! Don't panic (恐慌). {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Try to get a good night's sleep and you'll be surprised by what comes back to you in the morning