Summer is the season to dive into new activities and relax. And right now is the time to make sure that you're ready for the great outdoors, the holiday planning and travel, and the bathing suit beach days.

    If you want to lose weight before summer, concentrate on dropping no more than a pound or two a week.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And when you trouble yourself, sooner or later you，re going to gain it back. Operate on a 500-calorie-a-day deficit (亏损).{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So if you cut 500 calories a day for seven days straight, you'll lose a pound a week right there.

    Operating at a decrease of 500 calories a day should involve both eating less and moving more. For example, you could consume 300 fewer calories and bum 200 extra per day.

    Include both healthy eating and exercise in your weight-loss plan, and break the 500-calorie goal into small groups to make it more reachable.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    To cut 100 calories:{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Have vegetable pizza instead of pepperoni (意大利辣香肠). Use our Nutritional Needs Calculator to determine how many daily calories you should consume in order to lose, gain, or maintain your healthy goal weight. Once you've reached your goal, recalculate your nutritional needs for keeping extra weight off all summer long.

    To burn 100 calories: spend 15 minutes biking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Spend 20 minutes gardening. Keep on exercising at least 30 minutes daily a week. Reading food labels and counting calories or writing down what and when you eat can give you more control as well.

A. Here are some simple ways to get there.

B. Walk or run one mile.

C. A pound is 3,500 calories.

D. It is okay to have some snacks between your meals.

E. You should always make sure you get a lot of sleep.

F. Anything more than that usually means you're troubling yourself.

G. Eat a chicken breast without the skin.

    How to get siblings (兄弟姐妹）to get along

    One of the greatest gifts of parenthood is seeing your children form a relationship with each other that is independent of you. By giving them someone else to play with you can free up some time for yourself. Here are four techniques you can use to help your children appreciate each other while they are young.

    ⒈{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The No.1 thing parents can do to help their kids stay on good terms with each other is not to compare them with each other. Never say “Your sister never...” or “Why can't you do what your brother does?”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ⒉ Stay out of the way. Try not to get too involved(参与) in your kids' arguments. Learning cooperation and problem-solving is an important skill in life.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And don't blame the older one for not “knowing better.” That puts pressure on the older child and leads to unhappiness.

    ⒊ Activities and opportunities. Have your kids go to their siblings' games and activities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} “My kids go to each other's activities, and take part in activities together,” says Patricia Walters-Fischer, mother of two. Not only do her children go, but they also offer support, encouraging each other before a big game or performance and offering comfort when things don't go well.

    ⒋ Vacations. Don't ignore the value of a family vacation for bringing siblings together When kids are away from their friends and forced to spend time together, they often enjoy each other{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In fact, a weekend camping trip offers some of the best opportunities for working together, having fun and experiencing something new.

A. Don't compare.

B. Never shout at them.

C. That only serves to fuel the competition.

D. It doesn't need to be anything extremely great.

E. They may need help solving a conflict, but try not to take sides.

F. Give them a project, and they will learn how to work together.

G. Get them involved in one another's lives, so they can have a better appreciation of who their sibling is.

    You should make thorough plans before you undertake a camping trip. Just follow these simple camping guidelines to make your trip safe and rewarding.

Selecting an appropriate tent

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When determining the size of your tent, you should take into account the number of campers as well as the camping equipment necessary for your trip. There should be enough room in tihe tent for the camping equipment{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Importance of food

    While camping, you will need enough food to give you enough energy for your outdoor work.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You should use a two burner stove to do all your cooking. Insist on simplicity in cooking and use vegetables and ready-made food during your trip to minimize cooking time.

Adequate sleep

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Nights are generally cooler than the days so you need to have enough warm clothes to feel comfortable enough to sleep during the night. When buying a sleeping bag, check that you feel comfortable in it. Extra air mattresses (气垫) may be included in your camping equipment to make your bed more comfortable.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Bear these camping guidelines in mind and make sure you are fully prepared to enjoy your camping trip.

A. All campers should have adequate sleep during the night.

B. Thus you must have an efficient arrangement for food preparation.

C. The best camping trips are had by those people who prepare the best.

D. Take healthy and nourishing food with you to meet energy demands during your trip.

E .The comfort level in a tent determines the success of a camping trip.

F. The size is the most important thing you should carefully consider when choosing a tent.

G. It will destroy the mood of the entire camping trip if you don't have a good sleeping bag.

    If something that you're doing doesn't challenge you, then it doesn't change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So challenge the following limits:

    Figure out what you're scared of and do it continuously.

    If you're a salesman, and you're scared of talking to people personally or over the phone, now, instead of being scared and thinking you'll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But don't stop on the first try! Eventually, you can look at fear in the eyes and say, "Go on, I'm not scared!"

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and relieve your stress while performing this. Some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and so on. Apart from helping you challenge yourself, taking a class for your hobby may also give you extra income.

    Set aside at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  A simple 9-minute run around your neighborhood can do wonders for yourself. Exercise can not only help you maintain your regular weight, but also make you feel better about yourself.

    Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.

Don't just limit yourself to your fellow travelers — try to connect with the service staff. You never know what kind of people they're going to be. Get out of your house or go online right now to book your class. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone.

B. Take a class for a hobby you've been wanting to develop.

C. Start to travel now and then to challenge yourself.

D. Running in the gym may be a better choice.

E. You don't need to go to the gym.

F. Someone may hang up on you.

G. You should do it continuously.

    Staying focused (专注) can help you complete studying for a test or your work an hour early. There are various practical steps to help you focus better.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whether you're doing work in your office or studying at home, having a clean spacecan help you focus and get your work done with more attention. Remove what can attract you from your work or the task.

    Make a to-do list. If you list all the things to do, however small, you will feel more successful when you check those items off your list.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Give yourself a certain time for each task. Managing your time goes hand in hand with your to do list. Write down how long it'll take you to finish each task on the list. For example, you could write: "Go over the notes: 30 minutes. Do the homework: 2 hours.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} "Then, try to complete each task within each given time.

    Make time for breaks during the day. You should take at least a 5-10 minute break for every hour of work, or a 3-5 minute break for every half an hour of work.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Take breaks in a .place where you won't be troubled, so that you can relax your mind.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Sometimes you can also look out of the window, take a short walk outside, or just walk up a few stairs. These short breaks will make you more energetic to return to your work.

A. Setting a goal will do good to you.

B. Organize your workspace.

C. It's not easy to get yourself better focused.

D. Prepare for the new lesson: 25 minutes.

E. You may regularly get up during your breaks.

F. This will also keep you focused on one task at a time.

G A break will prepare your mind for the next task ahead.

My first career had been related to audiology (听力学)—one that allowed me to work part time while tending my growing family. But when my children grew up and left home, I found myself longing to be outside, not in a soundproof room in the hospital.

    So I began attending classes at the local university, hoping that might lead me to a new career. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "What gave you pleasure as a child?" the counselor (顾问) asked. I thought for a while before responding, "Playing outside in the woods." Our discussion eventually led to a second master's degree, this one in zoology, and the job as a naturalist at a state park. I was 44 years old. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But as I climbed the career ladder, my time in the field disappeared. I was chained to a computer screen. In the back of my mind, the career counselor's question sounded again. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Shortly thereafter, an opportunity presented itself: a 4-month field research project at a university in the Netherlands. I found that field research allowed me to play in the woods again, but with a new purpose.

    At the end of the project, I was invited to participate in the "sandwich" Ph.D. program, in which students do research in their home country while receiving support and instruction in the Netherlands. I was 60 years old. I didn't think that earning a Ph. D. would further my career. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Still, my colleagues raised their eyebrows. "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}" they asked, "It is all about the journey," I responded.

A. What gave you pleasure as a child?

B. I also went to see a career counselor.

C. What do you intend to do with a Ph.D.?

D. But I wanted to follow my new passion.

E. But when it was no longer right, I changed direction.

F. Can you believe you're actually getting paid to have this much fun?

G. And I was delighted to once again experience the joy of being outdoors.