Less is more. This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, relax instead of stressing, and slow down instead of speeding up. Apply these principles(原则) in your everyday life. You will then find yourself well along on your journey to simplification.

Separate Your Actions

    When you concentrate on one task, you find you have energy that you didn't even know you had. Just imagine: you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards. If you carry two, it will take forever. But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your strength and make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back and get the other one, and carry the second pig to the finish line, then you can be sure of success.

Say “No” Firmly

    If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day are not enough for all the things you need to do, then it's not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities. The solution is equally simple: say no to accept so much work in your private life or your working life.

Allow Yourself to Be Weak

     “I can deal with stress” is regarded as a positive statement in the world of work. People who can deal with stress are given more and more to — until one day they break.

Pay careful attention to the signs that tell you that you are under more stress than you can deal with. If you become ill, or your work efficiency decreases, change your life goals. Say quite openly, “I can't manage that.”

Stop Expecting Everything to Be Perfect

     “If only I were slimmer, more beautiful, richer, more clever, then I would be happier.” This is a dream that makes a lot of people ill, and unhappy. Life is imperfect. Only those who accept this reality can lead a really full life.

    Of course there are activities in which errors are dangerous: driving a car; crossing the road. But life doesn't entirely have these things. In among them there is possibility that you may make small and large mistakes.

Escape Now and Then

    Successful people all have their own places where they can be left alone in order to work. Find out which places improve your creativity. For me it's the train. When I know that I'm going to be traveling for four hours without phone calls or people knocking on my door, I find my mind is free and I can read or write articles.

How to find the perfect career

    Too many people are not satisfied with their professional career (事业) and are “stuck” in situations that do not make them happy. Here are some wonderful actions you can take to begin the path to a truly happy career.

Talk to your friends.

    Ask them, “what do you think I am best at”, or “what do you think I enjoy doing most”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, their advice may help you decide what you should do.

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    Read some interesting magazines, books, newspapers or novels. They will give you a constant flow of ideas and keep the mind rich.

Talk to the happiest and most successful people you know.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Be serious with your questions. And see if there is anything you can learn from them. Have these people become your teachers and friends.

Keep a journal（日记）.

    Writing down your ideas is an important practice for your career growth. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You never know when great ideas will come to your mind!

Develop patience.

    You may want a change in your career right now. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Anyway, doing the practices mentioned above will bring about the right chance much faster.

    Study Links Video Game Use to Problems in School

    A new study warns that too much time spent playing computer games could affect a child's performance at school.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They show that too many hours spent playing games can reduce students changes of success in school.

    More than 600 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 16 took part in research project.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is said to be the first ever long-term study of information technology on school test results in Northern Ireland.

    The study found that teenagers who played computer games less than once a week were more successful in school than those who played them twice a day or more. 41% of the students who used gaming devices two or more times a day received passing grades on school exams{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    The study found that social media use did not affect school performance. Celine McStravick is the director of the National Children's Bureau Northern Ireland (NCBNI). She says “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}— I think that's more because social media is part of every child's life. It's the way they communicate. It's the way they keep in touch with their friends.”

    Many parents say their children are becoming increasingly dependent on computer games. Some have compared gaming to a drug addiction.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} It suggested that computer games can cause children to stay awake late at night. Less sleep makes children tired and unable to pay attention in school the next day.

A. However, the study did not explore addiction.

B. The new games are much different from older ones.

C. The study showed no connection between social media and test results.

D. It took place over a period of three years from 2013 to 2015.

E. Thai compared with 77% of those who rarely played the games.

F. Drug addiction does great harm to their health and performance at school.

G. Britain's National Children's Bureau Northern Ireland reported the results of the study.

    Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet(磁铁){#blank#}1{#/blank#} And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

    So how can we build a sense of self-confidence and prepare ourselves on the way to success? First, do what you believe to be right, even if others laugh at you for it{#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you believe you can, then you really will. The belief keeps you searching for answers, which means that pretty soon you will get them.

    Second, govern your behavior based on what other people think. What's more important, be willing to take risks and go the extra miles to achieve better results, in which case mistakes can not be avoided{#blank#}3{#/blank#}  Next, work hard to settle the problems in order to cover up your mistakes before anyone notices. Building self-confidence is readily achievable, as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through.

    With your determination and improvement, you are getting closer to success. At this stage, wait for others to congratulate you on your accomplishments. “Thanks, I really worked hard on the road to success. I'm pleased you recognize my efforts.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is no wonder that so many people struggle to find it{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Besides, whether you're working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it's well worth the effort!

A. Believe in yourself and believe that you can do it under any circumstances.

B. Highly self-confidence person can achieve great results in every field he enters.

C. Besides, those who are self-confident can in turn inspire confidence in others.

D. The congratulations from others will promote you to gain further success.

E. Self-confidence really can be learned and built on.

F. Don't hesitate to admit your mistakes, and learn from them.

G. A lack of confidence can lead to a lot of sufferings.

Unless you're one of the lucky few who already know what their passion is and what they really enjoy, you will be spending a lot of time trying new things and figuring out what you're good' at and what you like. Don't be afraid to try new things and fail in them; failing builds character. You have a lot of growing up to do in your 20s, a lot of self-examination and exploration. Use this time wisely to get to understand yourself as best as you can — not that you won't change as you continue to get older, but it's definitely a time of discovery, getting to know yourself and what you want in this world and what you have to contribute in the world.

    Life is about change; don't go against it and just go with it. Learn from your mistakes and grow. Let go of things you can't change. Sometimes change will be so painful that you will want to tear your heart out, but you'll be okay if you just hang on and know that no matter what happens, you will be alright. Win, lose or draw, life will go on and you'll get another chance to start your life over if things haven't gone according to your plan.

    Nothing lasts forever. Enjoy every moment that you have. Enjoy life and practice being present at the moment because time goes by extremely fast. There will be both good and bad times. The bad thing about ups is that there are always downs. It's important to really enjoy the good moments in life because you'll need those memories to reflect back on when the bad times come. The first 10 years after high school go by at a really high speed and before you know it you're 28 and wondering how the time has escaped you.

    Choosing a life partner is hard. Relationships in general are hard, not just romantic ones but friendships, and family relations as well. Stay in touch with people who you really care about and who really care about you. Make an effort to stay an active person in their life if you really care. You will not have as many close friends as you get older and you will probably lose some friends as well. Remember that it is okay because not everyone who comes into your life is meant to stay forever; let them go and try their best to love the people who are still in your life.

    Happiness, love and confidence come from within. Life is what you make of it and what you put into it. You can create whatever life you want, and if you create that life and it doesn't work for you any more, guess what? You can create a whole new life that does work. You may not have a choice in things that happen to you but you have a choice in how you react—to them. Try to stay positive no matter what life throws at you and get through the tough times by talking to friends, family and an adviser if you need to.

The coffee story

    Kaldi was tired but he couldn't sleep. His goats were awake and very noisy. "Why can't they sleep?" Kaldi thought. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}They were eating some green plants with little red fruits on them. Kaldi decided to taste the fruits. He ate the soft part of each fruit and the hard things in the centre. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He was not tired. He felt more awake and did not want to sleep.

    Those hard things were coffee beans, and Kaldi discovered them in Ethiopia more than 1,000 years ago. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Perhaps it is true, perhaps not. Nobody knows. But we know that coffee grew first in Ethiopia, and we know that somebody discovered it there more than 1,000 years ago.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Arab farmers began to grow coffee plants. People learnt to make a drink from the beans, and they called it qahwa.

For 400 years, only the Arabs knew about qahwa. Then people in Turkey learnt about it. Soon after that, western Europeans began to drink it, and in 1652 the first coffee shop in London opened.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Some famous coffee-growing countries are Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and, of course, Ethiopia Coffee is one of the world's favourite drinks thanks to Kaldi and his goats.

A. At least that's the traditional story.

B. After a minute he began to feel different.

C. Many Arab farmers grew coffee to make money.

D. Now farmers grow coffee in many parts of the world.

E. Coffee was such an important drink during that time period.

F. He couldn't understand the problem so he watched the animals carefully.

G. After that, Arab travelers took coffee plants to Egypt and other Arab countries.