How to Improve Your English

    One of the most important questions that every student asks is how to improve your English. There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Let's begin with the three most important rules to help guide you. You'll find further ideas below.

Rule 1:{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    The most important rule to remember is that learning English is a process. It takes time, and it takes lots of patience! If you are patient, you will improve your English.

Rule 2:Make a Plan

    The most important thing to do is to create a plan and follow that plan.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Patience is key to improving your English, so go slowly and focus on your foals. You'll speak English well soon if you keep to the plan.

Rule 3:{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's absolutely necessary that learning English becomes a habit. In other words, you should work on your English every day. It's not necessary to study grammar every day. However, you should listen, watch read or speak English every day even if it's for a short period of time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you truly understand and master these three rules, then you will find your English level is really great.

How to Build a Student's Self-Confidence

    Educating students means more than giving them academic knowledge. Simply knowing a correct response doesn't give a student the confidence to raise his hand to answer a question. Students perform best in constructive learning environments{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Provide leadership opportunities for students. Cultivate (培养) important characteristics, including responsibility and independence by assigning students to take different classroom roles. Suitable jobs include hall monitors, audio-visual assistants and classroom helpers.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Set achievable goals for each student.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Engage in ongoing dialogue regarding your expectations and their individual progress. Reward students for meeting challenges, while persuading struggling students back on track.

    Give constructive feedback to help reduce weaknesses and strengthen strengths. Teach students that self-confidence isn't built from being harmed by praise. Remain honest with each student to encourage them to speak out their problems, instead of avoiding or denying their existence. Make corrections without damaging your students' confidence.

    Encourage students to set high standards for themselves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Reinforce(强化) this message with age-appropriate examples and literature. Provide consistent encouragement to students to show your commitment to their success.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Realize that conquering difficult tasks builds mental toughness and fosters persistence. Relay this message to your students by asking each one to write a goal that focuses on improving a weak area. Help your students develop relevant attack plans.

A. Push students to improve their weaknesses.

B. Self-confidence games can help students of all ages.

C. Reassure students that they are capable of achieving greatness.

D. You can ease students' insecurities with various activities that build confidence.

E. They are especially useful in helping young children build success for their future.

F. Realize that overcoming self-doubt to achieve objectives helps build students' confidence.

G. Mastering some duties can help build confidence and erase fear of trying new experiences.

    We all have to make decisions all the time, and we have an abundance of choices, ranging from tiny issues to vital ones. Unfortunately, people often find it hard to make decisions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you would like to improve your skill of decision making, here are four suggestions for you.

    Don't expect to have it all.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can't order every delicious dish on the menu. And there will be paths not taken, careers not chosen, to name a few. You can imagine some "what if" situations if you must, but do not let them take up too much space in your brain.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}    

    It's often good to think through your decisions. But don't overdo it. Research can reach a point where returns begin to reduce, which makes it confusing more than clarifying. Many good decisions can be made based as much on intuition (直觉) as on careful assessment of endless data.

    Don't delay making decisions.

    Yes, there is a time to put off making a decision. Perhaps you need more information. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    Or it's likely that you wait for a less stressful time. Just don't wait so long that the decision is made by your own indecisiveness.

    Don't be hard on yourself.

    You decide to go on a voyage. You choose an expensive liner. Everything should work out just right. Only you didn't expect a bug that ran around on the ship, making you and your family sick for five days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But please remember it is unavoidable sometimes.

A. Don't spend too much time thinking.

B. It is an important source of information.

C. You may regret making such a stupid decision.

D. Don't count on emotion to make decisions.

E. Maybe you wish to consult with your advisor.

F. Decisions force us to close the door on other possibilities.

G. That means the skill of good decision-making counts a lot.

How to improve your studies—scientifically

Our brain can possibly memorize 2. 5 petabytes（千兆）of information. In order to use some of that surprising capacity（能力）a little more effectively when you learn, here are some tips that are based on widely-accepted research by learning experts.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Some enjoy watching videos over reading books, others study with friends, and some like sitting in silence among a million books. Everybody is different.

Hard things first

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , so do the things that are difficult first. Once you are done with the hard things, you will feel better for the rest of the day, and probably more motivated to get other things done.

    Space（分隔开）your studies

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Facts or vocabularies, for example, are best learned if you review them the first time one to two days after the study, and then again after one week, and after one month.

    Instant self-test

    After your study, finish up with a quick quiz. Immediate recall in the form of a test or a short summary on what you've just learned can increase retention（记忆力）by as much as 30%. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, that extra effort creates deeper traces（痕迹）in your memory.

    Don't force it

    Motivation is like hunger. You cannot force yourself to be motivated, just like you can't tell someone else to be hungry. So, if you are not hungry right now, don't worry. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Take fun seriously

B. Find your own style

C. Take a break, and do something else

D. Good memory can grow your brain's potential

E. Because it's much harder for your brain to remember than to read

F. Like most people you have the strongest willpower in the morning.

C. to remember things for a longer time, repeat the material after taking several breaks

Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?

    We all grew up hearing people tell us to "go out and get some fresh air." {#blank#}1{#/blank#} According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If the air you're breathing is clean-which it would be if you're away from the smog of cities-then the air is filled with life-giving, energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉)and your brain.

    Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It gives us a great feeling of peace.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}While the sun's rays can age and harm our skin, they also give is beneficial Vitamin D. To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin— put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that's plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day's worth of Vitamin D.

A. Fresh air cleans our lungs.

B. So what are you waiting for?

C. Being in nature refreshes us.

D. Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.

E. But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?

F. Just as importantly, we tend to associate air with health care.

G. All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.

    When things go wrong, many people turn to their friends for comfort and support. Are you the kind of person your friends trust to be there for them when they're feeling down? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You might feel awkward or nervous about comforting a sad friend at first, but with a little practice, you won't have to worry about saying the wrong thing or making the situation worse. When one of your friends is upset, help him/her by being there for him/her, finding the right things to say, and avoiding common mistakes.

    ①{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Comfort your friend according to how upset he/she seems to be. If he/she seems to be very troubled, it may take more effort on your part to help him/her. If something is bothering him/her, but he/she isn't too upset, be there for him/her without overreacting.

    ②Find out what's wrong. Before you say anything try to figure out what the problem is. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you try to talk to your friend without knowing the situation first, you could end up with putting your foot in your mouth.

    ③Give your friend a hug. A kind touch will do wonders for your friend, even if you don't know what he/she is upset about. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.You can also pat him/her gently on the shoulder.

    ④Let your friend vent (发泄). If your friend needs to get his/her sadness or anger out, let him/her do. Pay attention and don't interrupt. Encourage him/her to express himself/herself fully.

    ⑤Just listen. Your friend needs someone to listen compassionately to him/her right now, so focus on doing that. Be patient and non-judgmental. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Don't act bored or try to change the subject.