How to Be Interesting

    Everybody tries hard to be interesting and well-liked in his or her life. If you feel like you are boring or dull, don't fret (苦恼)! {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Read this article to learn how.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The more you know about what is going on in the world, the more you can contribute to conversations. Interesting people are the ones who can bring something new to a conversation and share fun facts rather than just sitting there nodding. The more you learn, the better conversationalist you will become. So keep yourself educated by reading books and staying up-to-date with current events in the news and pop culture.

    Create more stories to share. Interesting people always seem to have a lot going on in their lives. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The best way to accumulate interesting stories is by travelling, constantly meeting new people, and putting yourself in new and interesting situations.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Expand（扩展） your social circle by starting conversations with anyone and everyone. You never know when a stranger can turn into one of your new best friends! Give everybody you meet a chance to show you who they are, and welcome them into your life.

    Be yourself. Remember that even though you may feel uninteresting, you are one-of-a-kind. Don't try to get attention by pretending to be somebody you are not, because eventually the truth will come out and you will seem like a dishonest person. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.Instead, learn to highlight (强调)your positive qualities and downplay（轻视）your negative ones.

A. The more you do，the more stories you will have to share with others.

B. Everyone has the potential to be interesting, regardless of how unexciting your life may seem.

C. Get to know new people.

D. Be busy with what you do.

E. Be educated.

F. Accept yourself.

G. Don't hide who you are.

A. Be a good listener.  B. Care about the details.

C. Strike up a conversation. D. Make time for friendships.

E. Reach out to the newcomers.    F. Avoid causing inconveniences

    Develop Better Relationships with Neighbors

    Good neighbors are a lot like electricity or running water：we don't know how much we depend on them until we don't have them. They make our lives more pleasant and give us a sense of who we wrte, both as an individual and as a member of the community. Here is how to develop your relationships with these very important people in your life.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Often neighbors don't even know each other's names. But it's okay to be the one to break the ice , even if you've lived next door for years.Most neighbors enjoy making small talk with the folks on the other side of the fence. So as you see them at work in their yards, smile, wave, and say hello. Ask how their kids are (whether they're babies or in college), whether they could use an extra cucumber from your garden, or what they think of the price at the local supermarket.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} These days, the old Welcome Wagon is a thing of the past. But your new neighbors may be feeling lonely and unsure, especially if they're far from home, and might appreciate a friendly face bearing fresh-baked chocolate cakes. If they have kids, tell them where the children in the neighborhood live. Recommend the best places to eat and sleep. Invite them over for coffee or tea when they get settled, give them your number, and point to your house as you say good-bye.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Return anything that you borrow from a neighbor, such as tools, in good repair and as soon as you've finished with them. Replace anything that belongs to your neighbor that you, your children, or your pets break or soil. Make sure that your car is not blocking their doorway. Such random acts of consideration will have your neighbors talking—and the talk will be good.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you value a friendship with your neighbors, spend time with them. What better way to meet your neighbors than to invite them to an informal barbecue, pool party, or holiday open house? Better yet, you might even consider throwing a get-together in their honor. Deliver the invitations in person to everyone who lives on your street and chat with each for five minutes before moving on to the next house. This way, you will get an idea of what your neighbors are like so that you can plan for appropriate food and music.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In a good relationship, it's really the little things that count. Help to bring in the mail for the elderly neighbor when there is a heavy rain. When your neighbor gorgets to take in his rubbish cans, roll them back into his yard. If you're truly concerned, you'll know when your neighbor needs some cheering up—a bunch of flowers or a helping hand when it's needed. All it takes to develop your relationship with neighbors is the respect for their feelings.

How to Overcome Depression

    Suffering from depression means more than just dealing with a bad week or even a bad month. Depression is a weakening condition that can make it impossible for you to enjoy your daily existence. To overcome your depression, you have to first determine if what you're feeling are the symptoms of depression.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}While medications can help relieve symptoms, it is still important for depressed persons to understand the disorder and develop healthier strategies for coping with it.

    Keep yourself busy. Fill your schedule with events and activities you love. Keeping a busy schedule will force you to stay active, focused, and thinking about the next thing on your plate. You can draw up a schedule for each day at the start of the week, or simply plan out each day the night before.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Improve your diet{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Even if you're losing your appetite, you need to be determined to eat three meals a day. You don't need to try to lose weight or be incredibly healthy-conscious when you're dealing with your depression, but eating healthier food regularly will improve your mental and physical state.

    Think positively. Being a more positive thinker will help you look at your life and world in a way that fills you with hope instead of despair. To think more positively, you should learn how to recognize your negative thoughts and to fight them with stronger positive thoughts whenever you can. For a jump start, find at least five things to be grateful for{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Neglecting personal hygiene (卫生) is a common side effect of depression. While you will not beat your depression by transforming your looks, if you take time to maintain your appearance and hygiene every day, you will feel better about yourself. Shower daily, brush your teeth and wash your hair.

A. Control your emotions.

B. Improve your appearance.

C Most importantly be happy about every single day.

D. Whichever method you choose, make a goal of sticking to it.

E. However, not everyone knows depression has a positive side.

F. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can also help you beat depression.

G. If you are feeling sad, lonely, or worthless, you may be suffering from depression.

    If you are hungry, what do you do? Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover or favorite star. So it silently serves your needs and never lets itself grow. When mind loses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to get help from reading.

    Once you read a book, you just don't run your eyes through the lines, but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Now this is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought in your wildest dreams!

    This is nothing but creativity. As the number of books you read is increasing, your mind will open up like never before. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Now what are you waiting for? Go, grab a book, and let me know!

A. Your stomach needs food. Similarly, your mind can feel hungry too.

B. Why not do some reading while you are hungry?

C. A picture is formed in your brain and left there as a seed.

D. So guys do join me and give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading

E. Also this is beneficial to you if you want to enlarge your vocabulary.

F. Reading can help you make more friends, too.

G. It is commonly thought that reading can actually make your hungry mind satisfied.

    Researchers define self-control or self-discipline as "ability to control or change one's inner responses". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, some people think that as an immediate consequence of leading lives of constant self-control, they aren't likely to gain a lot of pleasure from life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To start, 414 adults completed on online survey. In the survey, they rated their self-control by indicating how much they agreed with 14 statements, such as "I indeed do certain things that are bad for me, if they are fun."

    In their study, 205 adults were given smart phones and required to report their emotions at random moments throughout the week. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If so, they had to report how hard they tried to resist them, and whether they eventually ended up acting on them.

    The researchers found that the more self-control people had，the more satisfied they were with their lives in the long run. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, such people's increased happiness to a large extent accounted for the increased life satisfaction.

    These researchers also figured out that people high in self-control are simply less likely to find themselves in situations where that's even an issue. They don't waste time fighting inner battles over whether or not to eat a second piece of cake. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And that, it would seem, makes them happier……even if occasionally a little bit sad.

A. In a word, they are not bothered about such little desires.

B. Researchers checked these general ideas through a survey and study.

C. It is generally believed that in the long run self-control can make people happier.

D. Meanwhile, they were also asked to report whether they were experiencing any desires.

E. However, people with more self-control were also more likely to be happy in the short run.

F. But they are still uncertain why some people are more able to control their inner responses.

G. Most adults reported they failed to control their desire to play video games before an exam.

    Kids and Food: Advice for Parents

    It is important for parents to know how to help their kids eat healthy. Here are a few easy ways:

    Parents control the supply lines. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious foods, parents should decide which foods are regularly provided in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the fridge at home.

    Say goodbye to “clean-plate club”. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that way doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they are full. When kids feel full, they're likely to overeat.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food preferences(喜好) are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of food. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions(时机) for a child to accept it.

    Food is not love. Find better ways to say “I love you.” When foods are used to reward kids and show love, they may start to turn to food when feeling worried or unhappy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Kids do as you do. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example.

    Choose nutritious food, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfast.

A. Start them young.

B. Rewrite the kids' menu.

C. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself.

D. Offer praise and attention instead of food treats.

E. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough.

F. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them.

G. Let kids choose what to eat and how much of it they want.